Philips Hue Play

21 reviews

May, 2025

Positive
usability (12)
design (3)
reliability (1)

Negative
price (8)
size (1)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 21 reviews of Philips Hue Play. The average rating for this product is 4.3/5, compared to an average rating of 4.5/5 for other products in the same category for all reviews. Reviewers really like the reliability. The design is also appreciated, but the size and price get critical opinions.

usability, design, reliability

price, size

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other products in the same category the Philips Hue Play is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 99/100 = Excellent quality.

Review analysis

(Based on 21 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(37% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (58% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (no reviews)
(5% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (no reviews)

Features

usability
Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)

price
Show positive (11%)Show negative (89%)(Show all)

design
Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)

size
None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)

reliability
Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)

Showing 17 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 10 of 17 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (4)

Expert review by : Cat Ellis (techradar.com)

I added a pair of Philips Hue Play Light Bars to my home cinema setup, and the results blew me away

A compact light to add a new dimension to your movies and games, wherever you put it

Excellent color reproduction ; Easy to set up and sync ; Work seamlessly with other Philips Hue Play devices ; Work as regular smart lights when not being used with TV

Require Philips Hue Bridge and expensive Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for the best experience

If you're already into the Philips Hue ecosystem, these lozenge-shaped lights are a great addition. Provided you have a Hue Bridge and HDMI Sync Box, you can position them anywhere you like to extend the colors from your screen with impressive...

Jan, 2025

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Britta O'Boyle (pocket-lint.com)

Philips Hue Play Gradient Strip review: Pretty but pricey

Is the pricey Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip worth the money, or are you better off buying a Philips Ambilight TV outright instead?

Looks amazing ; Plays nice with Hue bulbs ; Works with all voice assistants ; Easy installation ; Makes feature out of TV ; Good feature control

Two separate apps required ; Expensive ; Have to play content through a device connected to HDMI Sync Box

A good retrofit option for those trying to create the Philips Ambilight effect on a TV that you aren't looking to replace. It has limitations though, and if you want a simpler and easier solution, just consider spending the extra for a Philips...

Jan, 2021

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : John R. Delaney (pcmag.com)

Philips Hue Play Light Bar Review

The Philips Hue Play Light Bars make it easy to bathe your walls in colorful lighting and add some pop to your movie, music, and gaming activities.

Jan, 2019

Partner Source

Read the full review

Expert review by : Ben Patterson (techhive.com)

Philips Hue Play review: This versatile bias lighting kit syncs with your PC

If you've already got a Philips Hue Bridge in your home, the Hue Play makes for a great way to add bias lighting to your home theater setup, or as a responsive bias light for your computer monitor.

Easy setup ; Integrates with the comprehensive Philips Hue ecosystem ; Attractive bias lighting for your TV ; Syncs with your computer monitor

Expensive ; Requires $60 Hue Bridge ; TV syncing is a cumbersome process

The Philips Hue Play kit makes for a nifty, if expensive, way to add bias lighting to your TV or PC monitor. Easy to set up and ready to integrate with your other Philips Hue smart lights, the Hue Play’s attractive bias lighting can help improve your...

Read the full review

Expert review by : Sam Rutherford (gizmodo.com)

Philips Hue's Gradient Lightstrip Is a More Elegant, But Pricey Way of Jazzing Up Your Home Theater

While it definitely ain't cheap, if you're looking for a way to spice up your home theater, when combined with the Hue Sync box, Philips Hue's new Play Gradient lightstrip is the way to go.

Lots of color with multiple lighting zones, super simple installation, less bulky and obtrusive than sticking regular smart lights on your TV

Dec, 2020

Read the full review

Expert review by : Ray Shaw (gadgetguy.com.au)

Review: Philips Hue Play Light Bar #stop the energy rip-off

The ever-growing Philips Hue family's latest addition is the Philips Hue Play Light Bar – and likes its name; it is a bar that can add lighting ambience

Quality and well made;Easy mounting options increase flexibility

TV/audio content integration requires HDMI Hub not yet here;Requires separate Philips Hue Bridge

Oct, 2019

Read the full review

Expert review by : Sachin Bahal (TheCanadianTechie)

Philips Hue Play Review

One of the more popular smart home lighting systems is Philips Hue. The nice thing about Philips Hue is that they don't just offer regular bulbs, they offer a variety of bulbs to choose from. The newest Philips Hue light is the Hue Play, which I've...

Easy to set up (so long as you have a Hue Bridge) ; Tons of colour options (16 million colour combinations) ; Entertainment area feature is fun to use ; Philips Hue app is straightforward ; Variety of mounting options ; Great smart home integration...

Expensive ; Requires Hue Bridge (at additional cost)

Overall, the Hue Play is a great addition to the Philips Hue system. It’s also a good entry for anyone interested in smart home products.

Dec, 2018

Read the full review

Consumer review (very.co.uk)

Great lights

Connected up with the rest of my Phillips lights added to the scenes and loving the colours

Sep, 2019

Read the full review

Consumer review (very.co.uk)

Not as advertised

At no point In the sales information does it say you need this hooked up to a laptop or pc with hdmi through your tv to get it to work , also there are MORE limitations on what it can be with , such as it WILL NOT WORK WITH NETFLIX ...YES netflix have...

Aug, 2019

Read the full review

Consumer review (ao.com)

Simple, controllable colour

"I opted to use these instead of Lightstrip LED strips to light a cabinet. After factoring in all the adapters and extensions etc. the price was similar, only this way the only DIY involved was to drill a hole for the wire. Comes with 2x different...

Apr, 2019