Philips Hue smart lighting goes outdoors... and the results are magical

Set the mood with Phillips Hue outside lighting

(Image credit: philips hue)

published 6 October 2019

Summer may be over (missing you already!) but that's no reason why you can’t be looking for garden lighting ideas. So why should we welcome winter? Because it gets darker quicker and there’s more time to enjoy your beautifully lit garden

Garden lighting isn’t all about practicality and security – lighting up dark pathways and doorways as you hurry home at night, or putting off potential intruders with the sudden, exposing illumination of a motion-sensitive light.

With cleverly positioned outdoor lighting, there is limitless potential for creating dramatic gardenscapes. You can put together an enchanted fairy tale feel for outdoor autumn parties, moody looks for Hallowe'en or a beautiful festive fantasy for Christmas and New Year’s Eve. And no one need be afraid of the dark when trees or bushes are bathed in rainbow shades.

How to create the perfect garden lighting scheme without spending a fortune on a complicated system? The answer's pretty simple: smart lighting.

And for anyone who's already investigated smart lighting for inside their homes – bulbs that can be switched off with voice control, colour changing light switches (and so on) – you'll be really happy to know that Philips Hue has introduced a garden lighting range. For newbies to smart lighting, let us introduce you to this innovative system.

Phillips Hue smart lighting system is, well, smart, so it works with all the major voice assistants (see our guides to using Philips Hue with Alexa or Google Home Assistant) via a smart speaker. The Hue Bridge acts as the hub, connecting your devices to your smart lights (you can add up to 50 Philips Hue lights and accessories to one bridge); you just have to configure your lighting display with an app to design your own lighting scenes or have slow-moving dynamic effects.

Sounds complicated? We recommend visiting the Philips Hue website for more – and our expert, jargon-free smart lighting feature. We've also written dedicated guides to Philips Hue products, which you'll find really helpful:

In the meantime, here’s how to get started with outside lighting:

1. Light pathways safely with smart lighting

Set the mood and light up your garden in winter with weatherproof outdoor lighting

If you want to see where you’re walking, an outdoor light bollard can guide you where you want to go or act as a little landing light for when you pull into the drive (in the car, obvs). Pick a simple white light or choose some of the 16 million colours available (including yellow!) to enhance your garden. The bollard base unit provides one light point and all the cables/power supply necessary.

Philips Hue Impress Outdoor Pedestal Lighting, £119.99 (above).

In the US? Shop the Philips Hue Calla Outdoor bollard, $149.99 (below).

2. Create a warm welcome with a porch light

Set your lights to greet you as you come up the drive. Philips Hue can come on automatically as you walk or drive up to the front door. Lighting your way as you unpack the car or scour the bottom of your bag for your door keys. And don’t worry if you have left your lights blazing when you dashed out, Hue can switch them off, or turn selected ones on so it’ll seem like you’re home when you’re not.

The Lucca Wall lantern brings a little sophistication and an Art Deco feel to your door. Made from weatherproof materials, this is a durable white light is A+ energy efficient and can be connected to the Hue Bridge for smart control.

Lucca Outdoor Wall Light, £64.99 in the UK; Lucca Outdoor Wall Light, $69.99 in the US.

3. Party on the patio? We’re dancing with this smart lighting

This is your new flexible friend. A 2m light strip (5m also available) of white or coloured light that you loop along your fencing, lay under a bush or tuck under the edge of the roof for a groovy diffused glow. There’s a choice of 16 million colours (yes, that many) and all shades of white and the strip is weatherproof.

Lightstrip Outdoor 2m, £79.99 in the UK; Lightstrip Outdoor 80in, $89.99 in the US.

4. Spotlight’s on your garden

Or your house, your drive, whatever you want light up you can do it with the Lily Outdoor Spotlight. Fix it to the wall or spike it into the ground and tilt (it rotates 360 degrees) in the direction you want it. Plug in and enjoy the 16 million colours available. The base unit provides three light points and all the cables/power supply that you need to start. It offers smart control with Hue Bridge.

Lily Outdoor spot light, £274.99 in the UK; Lily Outdoor spot light, $339.99 in the US.

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Alison is Assistant Editor on Real Homes magazine. She previously worked on national newspapers, in later years as a film critic and has also written on property, fashion and lifestyle. Having recently purchased a Victorian property in severe need of some updating, much of her time is spent solving the usual issues renovators encounter.