Philips Hue has expanded the availability of its Essential Light Strip in Europe, introducing a lower-cost smart lighting option that broadens the brand’s strip-light portfolio beyond its premium models.
The Essential Light Strip, previously launched in the United States, is now available at select UK retailers including Very, where the 5-metre version is listed at £69.99, marking a noticeable price step below most existing Hue gradient strip options.
Philips is positioning the Essential model as the entry point in its updated strip-light lineup, replacing older products while maintaining core smart-lighting functionality at a lower price.
Lower pricing positions the Essential Light Strip as a more accessible option for users entering the Hue ecosystem without investing in the brand’s higher-end gradient models that typically offer more advanced lighting segmentation.
The strip supports both white and colour gradient lighting, covering a colour temperature range from 2,200K to 6,500K, which aligns with typical smart lighting expectations for living spaces and accent setups.
Users can access preset scenes through the Philips Hue app, with brightness controls available directly within the software interface for everyday adjustments that integrate with existing Hue rooms, zones, and automation routines.
The LEDs are rated for approximately 15,000 hours of use, placing the product within standard lifespan expectations for consumer-grade smart lighting hardware and aligning with durability figures common across the broader connected lighting category.
Connecting the Essential Light Strip to a Hue Bridge enables additional integrations, including Matter compatibility, which supports broader smart home ecosystems beyond Philips’ native platform.
Compared with higher-tier Hue strip lights, the Essential model dims down to 2% brightness rather than 0.2% which further put emphasis on its position as a more basic offering within the range.
The Essential variant also features simplified colour blending technology and does not support extension modules, although users can trim the strip to a preferred length during installation.
