Philips Hue vs IKEA smart lights: I made my choice, and I don't regret it

I took a look and liked what I saw. The reviews were great as well, but a few issues held me back, ultimately nudging me toward IKEA’s system. Now that everything is more or less set up, I can honestly say I don’t regret it – here’s why.

Price is king

My move was expensive. Real estate is far from cheap in my part of the world, not to mention the furniture, which costs a pretty penny. So I had to save money somewhere, and my smart lighting system was it.

All I really wanted was the ability to dim lights, change colors, and set up a schedule so specific lights turn on when I need them. For example, I like it when my night lamp next to my bed turns on when my alarm goes off in the morning. It reduces the chance of me hitting the snooze button and oversleeping.

I planned things out and decided I needed a few LED ceiling lights throughout my apartment, spotlights with LED bulbs, a couple of floor lamps, and an LED strip for use in a few different places. Then there are remotes for specific lights, as well as buttons that I can press to turn on multiple lights simultaneously and create a scene, as it’s called.

While I could get everything done with Philips’ Hue lighting system, I figured out that the same was true with IKEA’s offering. The Swedish furniture giant has everything I needed in its lineup, and for a lot less money.

When I added up the numbers, going with the Philips Hue system would cost me hundreds and hundreds of dollars more. That wasn’t something I was willing to pay, considering IKEA’s product offering fulfilled most of my wants.

Then there’s simplicity

I like simplicity, and IKEA just wins in this department. First off, all the products on offer can be found in one place, which is just about any IKEA store. All their products have a very simple, basic design, which I love since the overall theme of my apartment design is Scandinavian minimalism.

Then there are returns and warranties. If anything should happen and I need to return or repair an item, IKEA’s hassle-free return policy just keeps me coming back and buying more. I love the convenience and knowing that I can return anything without explaining myself for 20 minutes.

The situation with the Philips Hue system is a bit different. Different stores stock different products in my area, and I wasn’t able to find everything I needed at just one retailer. And while a lot of their products are simple, there are plenty of extravagantly-designed ones that I just wanted to avoid.

Return policies also differed from retailer to retailer in my area, adding another layer of complexity to my already stressed-out mind that was trying to focus on work, my social life, and my real estate project.

It just works

I’ve had nothing but a great experience with my smart home lighting so far. It just works. No issues whatsoever. I was a bit skeptical since the pricing is so much more affordable, so I assumed I might run into an issue. Granted, it’s only been a few weeks since the installation, but I’m very happy with my purchase so far, even though I’m not completely done with everything.

Setting everything up is easy as pie thanks to the app. You just connect the remote to the app and then match it with specific lights and bulbs of choice. There’s a limit of ten lights per remote, which is good enough for me.

In addition to dimming lights and changing colors, I can also connect multiple ones together and control them at the same time. The app I had to download for this is very simple and easy to use, so you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to get this done. I also needed the IKEA Dirigera hub, which is just as easy to set up.

I don’t regret it, but…

I definitely don’t regret my decision to use IKEA’s smart lighting products, but I’m not saying they are better than what Philips offers. I am saying they provide more value for me, though.

I think I would be just as happy with the Philips Hue system if I had installed it, and it’s even a better option for a lot of people. Philips offers more products, some of which have various designs that may be better suited for your home interior — not everyone is into minimalism like I am. I also think Philips works just as well and is just as simple to install as IKEA’s system, so no differences there — although tell me if you had issues in the comments.

However, for my personal needs and the simplicity of getting everything in one place, it seemed silly to pay so much extra money for more or less the same outcome. So my advice is: go with Philips if you care about those fancy designs and don’t mind paying more, but give IKEA a try if its lineup offers everything you need. I know the Swedish giant has a bad reputation for quality at times, but their lighting system is a good one in my experience.