Philips will soon roll out four new effects for your Philips Hue smart lights, including space-themed and aquatic options to help you relax at home.
Fabian at Hueblog reports that the new options will be named Cosmos, Enchant, Sunbeam, and Underwater. They will sit alongside the Sparkle, Glisten and Opal effects that arrived earlier this year, the Prism setting that was introduced in 2023, and the Fireplace and Candle effects from 2022.
To use effects with your Philips Hue bulbs, just open a room in the Hue app, select the Play bar, and then choose the Effect button that's displayed beside the color selection buttons. You can also create custom scenes, with multiple bulbs playing the same effect.
Not all Philips Hue lights are compatible with all effects though, so check the documentation to find out which options your bulbs support.
Rise and shine
Although there are no previews of the modes available yet, their names suggest they should work well with the new Twilight sleep and wake-up light, which started arriving on nightstands around the world this summer. We've been testing it ourselves, and will be publishing our review very soon.
The Twilight has two LED sources: the main light, with an adjustable shade that can be tilted left and right, and a rear light that illuminates the wall behind the lamp. This can paint your room with a subtle glow, and would be well suited to a sunbeam effect in the morning, or a shimmering underwater scene.
The downside is the price tag of $279.99 (about £210 / AU$410), but you should be able to use the new effects with other Hue products too, letting you enjoy the feeling of floating in the ocean without splashing quite so much cash. Our guide to the best smart lights includes several more affordable options to consider.
