How Long do Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance Bulbs Last?

To find out how long Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance bulbs will last, we first need to know how many lumens (lumens are a measure of brightness) each bulb produces.

According to Philips, a white bulb produces 800 lumens and a Color Ambiance bulb produces up to 1100 lumens. The bulbs are designed to work for years without any maintenance.

Philips states that the bulbs can last for 12 to 13 years before replacement, which is very impressive. But, if you use your bulbs less than average, they will last even longer.

Philips Hue has been around for some time, and they have released three generations of smart bulbs. It’s important to know which one you are getting because the lifespan is very different.

The first generation bulbs were released in 2012, and featured a silver body, compared to the white that is seen on bulbs in newer generations. But, more importantly, it had a lumen output of 600 and a lifespan of 15,000 hours.

The second-gen bulbs were released in 2015, and feature a white body, 800 lumens output, and a lifespan of 25,000 hours. They present a big improvement in lumen output, and almost double their lifespan, therefore it’s worth it if you are going to be purchasing the bulbs for a long period of time.

Just a year later, in 2016, Philips upgraded the bulbs so they can be even better and more precise in color reproduction. The dimming is also noticeably better. However, the lumen output and the lifespan stayed the same as the second generation.

While not everyone will think of the outside influence on the bulbs when buying them, there are a few factors that affect how long a Philips Hue bulb will last. As much as you may like the fact that you can turn lights on and off using an app on your phone, you’re going to find that the lifespan of the bulbs is going to shorten, especially if you’re not using them as intended.

Environment

The longevity of the Philips Hue bulbs, and any other bulb for that matter, is highly dependent on the environment that they are placed.

For example, if you live in a very humid and warm or a very cold and dry environment, the lifespan of the bulbs is going to decrease over longer periods of time.

Electrical Surge

Another outside factor that can shorten the lifespan of your bulbs is electrical surges and they can not only drastically reduce their longevity, but may also cause terminal damage to the bulbs as well.

Enclosed Area

If you place your Philips Hue bulbs in an enclosed area, and it’s known that the bulbs are generating a certain amount of heat, it’s possible that the temperature within the area could be too hot for the bulbs, thus shortening their lifespan.

Not all Philips Hue bulbs are built the same, so it’s important to know what kind of bulb you are purchasing so that you don’t end up with an inferior bulb. Philips Hue produces bulbs for indoor and outdoor use, and the main difference between them is that the outside bulbs are IP65 resistant, while indoor bulbs are mostly IP20 resistant.

That means that outdoor bulbs can handle rain, snow, humidity, dust, and other environmental elements, while indoor bulbs cannot.

Compared to regular incandescent bulbs, Philips Hue bulbs are much more advanced in terms of technology and build quality, therefore they have a much longer lifespan. Since they use light-emitting diodes (LEDs), they do not produce the same amount of heat that incandescent bulbs do, which is one of the main reasons as to why they last longer.

Also, they are also more durable and long-lasting than traditional incandescent bulbs. This is especially true for those who live in areas where there are fluctuations in temperature since the temperature will not affect the bulbs as much as it would the traditional incandescent bulbs.