When the market for any product gets crowded, it's generally good for consumers. More choices, faster technological advancements, competitive pricing, and better availability.
However, all this comes with one major disadvantage – Confusion. More choices make the decision-making process a lot more cumbersome and confusing.
Case in point – Philips Hue vs. Philips Wiz.
This is the question almost every client asks us about when working on home automation. It's easy to go with a reliable brand like Philips. But if there are options in the brand as well, you need to deep dive to get an answer.
Let's start, shall we?
Philips Hue
Philips Hue is a line of color changing LED lightbulbs and lighting fixtures. The bulbs can be controlled wirelessly, and can change colors and shades of white. The system is controlled by a bridge, which connects to the home's Wi-Fi network and allows the bulbs to be controlled by a smartphone or other device.
Philips Hue Bridge works on ZigBee, a wireless protocol developed specifically for home automation devices.
However, the ecosystem is now much bigger. It includes light switches, dimmers, blinds, motion sensors, etc. Some products are made by Philips and some by other brands, but they all work together seamlessly.
The Philips Hue lights are very popular, but can be a bit pricey. It is one of the most popular home automation platforms on the market and is compatible with a wide range of smart home products and services.
Philips Wiz
The Philips Wiz is a range of internet-connected LED light bulbs that you can control remotely using your smartphone. The Wiz can change colors and turn on and off using the free Wiz app.
It is pretty similar to Philips Hue. However, Philips Wiz lights work without a bridge. Instead, it connects directly to your Wi-Fi router and can be controlled by an app from anywhere in the world.
Like Philips Hue, most Wiz lights let you change colors and brightness, set timers, connect switches and dimmers, and operate them via your smartphone.
Difference between Philips Hue and Philips Wiz lights
Deciding between Philips Hue and Wiz is not easy. Here are some differences between them to help you decide better.
#1 Philips Wiz is way more affordable
There is a huge price gap between Philips Hue and Philips Wiz lights. This is especially true when you are planning to switch your entire home to smart lights.
With the cost of ceiling lights, bulbs, desk lamps, bridge, dimmers, switches, etc., the difference can be substantial. On average, Philips Hue could cost you 2 to 3 times more than a similar setup with Wiz.
#2 Wiz is great for testing smart lights before committing
If you want to just test the waters, Wiz is an excellent choice to try out smart lights. Start with a couple of lights, connect with your existing Wi-Fi and you are good to go. It would cost you less than 1500 INR.
At the same time, you get an excellent app and reliability of a good brand. On the other hand, Hue starter kits are much pricier.
#3 Hue may have better build quality
This point is applicable more to in-ceiling or concealed smart lights. While it's easy to find Philips Hue lights with metal body, we could find Wiz only in plastic body. Might be a dealbreaker for some.
Overall, when you hold both lights in hand, Hue seems to have a better build quality. However, Wiz is also not of bad quality by any measure. In fact, it feels much better than most other options available in the market for smart lights.
#4 Check the glare
All lights have different glare. Same goes for Hue and Wiz lights. While Unified Glare Rating or UGR is one way to check it, it's best to visit a store and see the glare for yourself.
There is not much of a difference between both. However, different people have different sensitivity to glare. It's important to check it before purchasing. Especially, for ceiling lights.
#5 Wiz has more shapes available for ceiling lights.
When it comes to interior design, shape of the ceiling light can be very important. That's why it is always good to have a choice.
Several stores we visited confirmed that circular, rectangular and hexagonal ceiling panel lights are easily available for Wiz. For Hue, it's only circular lights.
#6 Hue needs a bridge. Wiz requires a good Wi-Fi router.
Philips Hue and Philips Wiz both require Wi-Fi for most automation tasks. However, the way they work is different.
With Hue, all lights connect to the bridge and the bridge connects to your Wi-Fi.
In case of Wiz, each light directly connects with your Wi-Fi router.
That won't matter for smaller setups with a few lights. But once you connect more than 20 lights, it will make a difference.
You also need to ensure good connectivity in every corner of your house. Dead zones could mean unresponsive lights as well.
Hue's 'internal network' strategy makes it a bit more reliable and safer as well.