The Philips Hue Go 2 is a conveyable, Bluetooth-enabled good gentle that may be enjoyable to make use of. Now in its second era, it’s not a lightweight to persuade anybody to maneuver to a wise lighting system, nevertheless it does add slightly versatility to your private home’s decor.
The primary Philips Hue Go was launched in 2015, however with out Bluetooth connectivity and a really restricted battery life, it was arduous to justify the price. Fortunately Signify – the corporate that makes the Philips Hue lights – has added some much-needed enhancements to the moveable lamp, making the Hue Go 2 a much better product than its predecessor. It’s nonetheless not fairly good but, nevertheless it’s remarkably straightforward to arrange and use.
In contrast to numerous the opposite Philips Hue merchandise, you don’t want the Hue Bridge to make use of the Hue Go 2. You simply have to obtain the Philips Hue Bluetooth app and also you’re able to go. If you have already got a Hue Bridge arrange to your current lighting ecosystem, the Hue Go 2 will robotically get added to the Hue app, from the place management is simple.
In the event you don’t wish to trouble with apps of any form, there’s a bodily button that not solely turns the lamp on and off, it can additionally cycle by means of a couple of gentle presets, together with white, yellow and coloured hues. In the event you do wish to arrange customized coloured scenes, nevertheless, you’ll want to make use of a Hue app.
The lamp may be very gentle, so shifting it round is much from troublesome and, with as much as 24 hours of battery life, it may be used outdoor to gentle up a dinner gathering or in a baby’s room as an evening gentle. Nonetheless, the bulb inside isn’t excessive depth – a 6W bulb with a most of 520 lumens brightness – and battery life diminishes significantly on the brighter presets.
Regardless of that, organising customized gentle scenes is remarkably straightforward, the colours are beautiful and you should utilize it anyplace you need – your work desk, the dinner desk, by the mattress, within the backyard and even the seaside. Simply don’t get it moist because it’s not waterproof.
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Philips Hue Go 2 worth and availability
Introduced in September 2019 Out there since October 2019 Presently retailing for $80 / £70 / AU$139
It took Signify 4 years to improve its Philips Hue Go lamp to the second era, which was introduced in September 2019 and started delivery a few month later, at the least within the US. It took slightly longer for the Hue Go 2 to reach on cabinets in different markets – like June 2020 in Europe – nevertheless it’s at present broadly obtainable is most areas.
The Hue Go 2 didn’t see a worth change for the improve, launching at $79.95 / £79.99 / AU$165, however it’s now doable to get this lamp for a cheaper price. On the time of writing, it was arduous to seek out inventory of the Hue Go within the US, nevertheless it’s obtainable within the UK for between £60 and £67, whereas in Australia you may get it for AU$139.
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Philips Hue Go 2 design and options
Light-weight, plastic hemisphere Molded stand Not very shiny
The bowl-like design of the Philips Hue Go hasn’t modified because the first-gen lamp. It’s nonetheless a white plastic hemisphere, with the addition of a molded lip on the underside of the bowl that lets the lamp be propped up on its aspect. The ‘stand’ (if you’ll) isn’t very huge and we discovered we needed to control how we propped the Hue Go 2 up or it may wobble and presumably fall off its perch.
Additionally on the underside of the lamp is a bodily button that may flip the sunshine on or off, in addition to cycle by means of a couple of presets, which additionally embrace some coloured lights. Placement of the button means you’ll want to choose up the lamp each time you wish to management it manually – whereas the button solely requires a small quantity of drive to activate, it’s sufficient to topple the gadget when on its stand.
That mentioned, the button allows you to use the lamp proper out of the field, supplied there’s slightly little bit of cost when it arrives. If there isn’t, a 12W wall adapter within the field will do the trick. Nonetheless, there’s no battery gauge anyplace on the lamp – and there’s no indicator within the app both – so it’s arduous to inform whether or not the gadget is charging or not, whether or not it’s full up or about to die.
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The bulb used contained in the Hue Go 2 isn’t very intense – at a most of 520 lumens, the lamp isn’t going to be changing ceiling fixtures or different lights. As a substitute, it’s extra of an extra choice to create the atmosphere you need. That mentioned, it’s shiny sufficient for use on a piece desk, and dims all the way in which right down to mimic candlelight (sure, it can flicker) and can be utilized as an evening gentle.
If it’s colours that curiosity you extra, then there’s lots right here because it’s a full-color LED gentle. The Hue app will allow you to select between thousands and thousands of shades, and you may even choose {a photograph} saved in your telephone to arrange a customized scene to match.
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Philips Hue Go 2 setup
Works with Bluetooth and Hue Bridge Simple setup Customizable
As we talked about earlier than, you actually don’t want an app to make use of the Hue Go. Nonetheless, with out an app you’ll be able to’t arrange customized colours or use voice instructions to regulate it. For anybody who’s by no means used a Philips Hue gentle earlier than, then the best choice is the Philips Hue Bluetooth app.
The app was designed for the vary of Bluetooth-enabled lights that Signify has been making lately, eradicating the necessity for a Hue Bridge (and that added expense). If, nevertheless, you will have current Hue lights, chances are high you have already got the Hue Bridge arrange and the corresponding Hue app to go along with it. Both works for the Hue Go 2.
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Remember the fact that solely 10 Hue lights may be managed by way of the Bluetooth app (versus 50 when utilizing a Bridge) and you’re additionally restricted by the 10m Bluetooth vary of most units (whereas Wi-Fi usually has higher vary for management). In the event you’d prefer to arrange extra nuanced management of your gentle – like having it flip off/on robotically whenever you go away/arrive residence – you have to to make use of a Hue Bridge.
Be aware that if you’re connecting the Hue Go by way of the Bridge and corresponding app, you have to to have it plugged right into a wall socket each time you turn it on. Through Wi-Fi, the lamp seems as ‘no response’ or ‘not related’ if there’s no standby energy. As soon as it’s on, nevertheless, you’ll be able to unplug and use as moveable gadget. With the app in your handheld gadget, setup is as straightforward as switching it on and deciding on ‘add lights’ within the app you are utilizing.
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It might probably take a couple of seconds to find the sunshine, however for us it took not more than two seconds. From there, you’ll be able to head over to both Apple’s HomeKit or Google Assistant so as to add the brand new gentle so you’ll be able to management it by way of voice instructions. This extra step turns into pointless if you have already got a Philips Hue setup and the brand new lamp will get added to Apple or Google’s good ecosystem robotically.
And that’s it. The Hue app (whether or not Bluetooth or common Hue) will allow you to choose completely different gentle presets, and you may even strive fascinating choices by discovering {a photograph} in your telephone that the lamp can mimic. We tried it with three completely different photos and the coloured lights have been just about spot on.
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As much as 24 hours battery life Simply over an hour at brightest presets Not waterproof
The Philips Hue Go 2 does precisely what it says on the tin – it’s a conveyable lamp that provides some very versatile lighting. And the truth that you’ll be able to take it anyplace provides to its versatility. Whereas not the brightest gentle you’ll discover, it’s sufficient for use as a desk lamp, nevertheless it’s not going to have the ability to gentle up a room by itself – it’s positively extra for ambient lighting.
There’s loads of colours to select from, however the one gentle impact the lamp produces is the flickering to imitate candle flames when on the ‘candlelight’ preset. The lamp would most likely have a bit extra attraction if it was in a position to produce extra results, just like the strobes of some Lifx bulbs.
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That little niggle apart, the Hue Go 2 works completely effectively as is, though we discovered Signify’s declare of as much as 24 hours of battery life slightly exaggerated. In night time gentle mode – which the Hue Go packaging lists as 24 hours of battery – the lamp gave out on the 22:34 hour mark.
On the opposite excessive, when set to ‘Focus’, Signify claims you must get 2.5 hours of battery, we received simply 1 hour and 12 minutes, whereas the ‘Learn’ preset gave out on the 1 hour, 36 minute mark (as an alternative of the two.5 hours listed on the field). Lengthy story brief, you’ll be capable of make the lamp last more when you use dimmer lights (even coloured), however at its brightest, the lamp will discharge fairly rapidly.
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As we talked about earlier, there’s no battery gauge both on the sunshine or within the app, so whenever you see the lamp blink pink, you realize it is about to die and can should be plugged right into a wall socket – when you plug it in instantly after it dies, it can glow up once more by itself.
The dearth of a battery gauge additionally makes it troublesome to find out how lengthy the lamp takes to recharge however, based on Signify, that’s about two hours.
Ought to I purchase the Philips Hue Go 2?
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Purchase it if…
You need an easy-to-use good lamp
For anybody who’s by no means tried a wise gentle earlier than, it is a remarkably straightforward entry level, albeit an costly one in comparison with getting a single Bluetooth-enabled bulb. Worth apart, it’s very straightforward to arrange and use, and you may even handle with out utilizing any app to regulate it.
You need a moveable lamp
The power to maneuver the Hue Go round makes it a really versatile gadget to have at residence, notably when you like entertaining rather a lot. You’ll be able to place it anyplace and there’s loads of battery life for a number of the extra ambient presets to final a couple of hours – that’s lots to maintain the celebration going, or assist your youngster sleep by means of the night time in the event that they want a lightweight within the room.
Do not buy it if…
You wish to use it predominantly outdoor
Contemplating that its portability is its greatest promoting level, the Philips Hue Go 2 isn’t waterproof, so you have to to watch out when utilizing it outdoor. It carries an IP20 score, which makes it barely immune to mud and never a lot else. So when you’re contemplating getting a lightweight for outside use, you may wish to contemplate one thing from the Philips Hue outside vary.
You wish to gentle up a complete room
As we talked about earlier, the Hue Go 2 isn’t a excessive depth gentle. With a most of 520 lumens, it’s wonderful to make use of as a piece lamp in your desk or on the night time stand, nevertheless it’s not sufficient to be a solo gentle in a room by itself. It’s greatest used to create an atmosphere.
[First reviewed September 2021 ]
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