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Philips Hue vs Yeelight: 5 Main Differences Compared

Philips Hue Vs Yeelight

Are you looking to install smart lights in your home?

But don’t know which one to get?

Well, Philips Hue and Yeelight are two of the most promising ones on the market today.

So, you should keep an eye on these two.

They both have advanced technologies that can add value to your home.

But they have significant differences as well.

What makes one better than the other?

Which smart light is suitable for your needs?

Continue reading to know:

  • Which smart light has better smart home integration.
  • 5 main differences between Philips Hue and Yeelight.
  • What smart light offers easy installation and automation.
  • And that’s only the beginning…

Philips Hue vs Yeelight: 5 Main Differences


#1: Yeelight doesn’t need hardware to operate, unlike Philips Hue

When buying a smart light, the first thing you should consider is its connectivity.

Philips Hue and Yeelight have completely different connectivity setups.

Let’s discuss Philips Hue first.

Philips Hue works with Zigbee technology.

It’s a wireless mesh network. One that many tech users claim is better than WiFi and Bluetooth. 

But for Zigbee technology to work, you’ll need a smart hub.

In the case of Philips Hue, you’d need a Philips Hue Bridge

With this, your Philips Hue lights can connect and work with each other.

“Sounds good. What makes it a ‘bad’ thing?”

Using a bridge or hub for Philips Hue isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

It’s just that it can be a hassle to some people.

Especially for non-techie persons. Or anyone who’s just starting to build their smart home.

Not a lot of people know how to operate a hub. 

So, requiring a hub for Philips Hue smart lights can be a downside.

“How about Yeelight? How does it work?”

Yeelight is the best smart light for anyone who wants a straightforward device.

Unlike Philips Hue, Yeelight doesn’t need any hardware to work.

It connects directly to WiFi. And can be controlled using an app.

Making it an easy-to-install and convenient smart light for everyone.

Key things to note:

  • Yeelight can be connected directly to WiFi using an app.
  • Philips Hue needs a bridge to be connected to WiFi via ethernet.

Tip: Connect your smart lights to WiFi with a 2.4 GHz band for a wider range.

#2: Philips Hue responds quicker than Yeelight

As mentioned, Zigbee is significantly better than WiFi.

And that made a huge difference between Philips Hue and Yeelight’s reaction time.

Since Zigbee offers a more stable connection, Philips Hue responds to command quicker.

Philips Hue lights respond better and quicker even if you:

  • Adjust the brightness abruptly.
  • Turn on and off the switch repeatedly.
  • Switch fast to many colors and shades.

It turns out that even though Philips Hue is harder to install, using a bridge is an advantage.

This is especially true because the bridge connects directly to the WiFi router.

Meaning, your smart lights are less likely to malfunction due to unstable connections.

“Does that mean that Yeelight is more prone to delays?”

Yes, with Yeelight, you can experience more delays. 

It’s connected to a wireless router. So it’s possible for Yeelight to stop working once the connection becomes unstable.

Sure, Yeelight is super easy to install.

But you can’t always guarantee good performance with it.

Aside from that, Yeelight has poor transitions compared to Philips Hue.

When you try to switch from one scene to another, Yeelight transitions abruptly.

Which slightly diminishes the dramatic factor of smart lights.

Plus, it can be uncomfortable in the eyes of some people.

“I’ve heard that Philips Hue and Yeelight have ‘Music Flow’ function?”

Both Philips Hue and Yeelight have a “Music Flow” function. Which makes the light “bounce” and “dance” with the rhythm of the music.

Plus, it also matches the screen of the TV when watching movies. Giving a more dramatic effect.

Since Philips Hue uses Zigbee, its response time is significantly better than Yeelight

Key things to note:

  • Xiaomi Yeelight uses WiFi, resulting in delays or lags.
  • Philips Hue uses Zigbee technology, making it quicker to respond.

Note: Philips Hue smart lights need to be close to the bridge to achieve seamless connections.

#3: Yeelight allows further customization compared to Philips Hue

Yeelight Customization

Both Philips Hue and Yeelight can be controlled through their respective apps.

In the Philips Hue app, you can:

  • Adjust brightness. 
  • Switch light colors.
  • Schedule automations.
  • Toggle on and off lights.
  • Customize light scenes.
  • Switch between bridges.
  • Organize rooms and zones.

Basically, every basic setting that you expect in a smart light.

It contains just the right amount of customization one needs.

The Yeelight app offers the same basic controls.

But what makes it stand out is that it offers a wider range of customization.

With the Yeelight app, you can also:

  • Set duration.
  • Create looping set.
  • Customize light colors.
  • Choose light temperature.

And do you know what makes it fancier?

The Yeelight app has an “Image Capture” function!

Image Capture allows you to color-pick from your surroundings.

Just point your phone camera to a color you like, and Yeelight smart lights will change into that color.

What a great feature to personalize your home better!

Yeelight may not have the best reaction time and transition.

But it upped the game by giving users more freedom in personalizing their light devices.

If you’re someone who loves all the fun and games, maybe Yeelight is what you need.

Key things to note:

  • Yeelight offers more customization.
  • Philips Hue offers basic control settings.

#4: Philips Hue has more integration than Yeelight

Next to connectivity, you should consider a smart light’s integration system.

Both Philips Hue and Yeelight have plenty of integration with other smart devices.

The only difference is that Philips Hue is compatible with most mainstream brands.

Making it a convenient smart light to have.

Philips Hue is largely used with some of these popular brands:

  • Razer.
  • Logitech.
  • Google Nest.

And it works with SmartThings, Xfinity Home, IFTTT, and Vivint automation platforms. 

Which makes automating your home easier and more convenient.

Especially if you already have existing smart devices from different brands.

Learn more: Do Philips Hue bulbs work in any lamp?

“How about Yeelight? Which brands work with it?”

Yeelight smart light has a wide variety of supported brands as well.

But more than mainstream brands, it works best with other Xiaomi products.

And that includes Mi Band.

So, if you’re a loyal user of Xiaomi, Yeelight may be the best-suited smart light for you.

About automation platforms, Yeelight works with IFTTT and SmartThings.

Key things to note:

  • Philips Hue supports most mainstream brands.
  • Yeelights works best with other Xiaomi products.

#5: Philips Hue works with Siri and Cortana, but Yeelight don’t

“Do the two work with voice commands?”

Both Philips Hue and Yeelight can be automated using voice commands.

But if we’re talking about their range of compatibility, Philips Hue is the superior choice.

Philips Hue works with several voice assistants. 

Making it a flexible and convenient smart light to have at home.

As of today, Philips Hue works with:

  • Apple Siri.
  • Amazon Alexa.
  • Google Assistant.
  • Microsoft Cortana.

If you already have an existing account with any of these, you can easily connect it with Philips Hue.

And control your smart light using voice commands instantly.

Reading recommendation: 13 Steps To Connect Philips Hue to Google Home (No Bridge)

“What about Yeelight? Can I use voice commands with it?”

 Yeelight works with voice commands since it supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Yes, you’ve read it right.

Yeelight only works with two voice assistants.

Meaning you can’t connect Siri and Cortana with it.

But if you’re a loyal Google Home use, Yeelight is the best choice.

Since Yeelight has a direct partnership with Google Home.

And you can even have direct control of your lights in the Google Home app.

What a steal for avid Google users!

Key things to note:

  • Yeelight only works with Alexa and Google voice assistants.
  • Philips Hue works with Alexa, Google, Siri, and Cortana voice assistants.

Want to learn more about Yeelight features? Here’s a short review about it:

Conclusion

Philips Hue and Yeelight are both great smart lights that are suitable for any home.

They both work with many smart home brands and voice assistants.

And they offer a wide range of customizations.

Basically, Philips Hue and Yeelight are both top-notch smart home essentials.

But they have a few significant differences.

Talking about connectivity, Yeelight has a more simple setup compared to Philips Hue.

But Philips Hue offers quicker reaction time and smooth transition than Yeelight.

On customization, Yeeligh allows users to personalize their devices better than Philips Hue.

But then, Philips Hue has more integration with mainstream brands and voice assistants.

Making it a flexible smart light device for every type of consumer.

Determining which one is better depends on your needs. And your commitment to creating a good and functional “smart home.”

So, when deciding which one to get, consider the lifestyle you have.

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