One common objection to Bedtime Bulb is that Philips Hue* and other smart lighting systems can also get rid of sleep-disturbing blue light while giving you a lot more flexibility. I have direct experience with smart lighting, as my home has been outfitted with Hue for the last 3+ years.
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In this article, I will answer the question: is smart lightingspecifically Philips Hueactually healthy?
One of the main selling points of the Hue system is that you can make your lights virtually any color. Note that I am referring to the most expensive Hue White and Color lineup, with bulbs costing approximately $40 each. You can see the differences between different Hue models at this link.
The ability to change to any color is appealing, although in my case, making the lights purple is only something I show off at dinner parties. On a daily basis, however, I adjust the color from a dim, warm white in the evening to a bright daylight setting in the middle of the day. This is technically just changing the color temperature (CCT) of white light, but it is still something most lighting does not let you do.
In general (but not always!), a lower CCT will provide less sleep-disturbing blue/green light. CCTs around K are fineeven preferableduring the day, but they contain too much blue light for the evening.
I put 1st-gen Hue bulbs on a program changing from pure red ( K) at night to about K (very blue daylight) during the day. In the following video, you can watch the spectrum change over the range from 69 AM and 69 PM. Note that this is a bit extreme you would more likely use a range from about K to K:
From the spectra in the video, its clear that Philips Hue can be used to control your blue light exposure throughout the day. But thats not the end of the story.
Watch the video again, and pay attention to the numbers in the upper-left corner. Specifically, CRI and R9. Heres what they mean:
With the exception of pure red ( K), Hue has a decently high CRI (8591) for the early morning and late evening settings. But in the middle of the day, I found the number could be as low as 78, which is similar to the very cheapest LED light bulbs you can buy.
R9 was decentbut not spectacularfor the evening settings, hovering around 3040. But in the middle of the day, it fell to just 11. A somewhat-common complaint with Hue is that people and photographs can look washed out in the daylight mode, and a low R9 is the main reason.
Knowing common cost-cutting measures for LED lighting, I have a strong feeling most other smart lights arent going to have better color performance than Hue. The only exception is Ketra, a smart lighting system with very good color performance, but it is extremely expensive.
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Have you ever tried to take a picture with your and noticed black bars scrolling across the screen? Those bars mean the lighting has flicker, a rapid flashing that could promote eyestrain and headaches. Not to mention messing with your photography.
Using your camera is not a foolproof way to detect flicker. It could be present even though you dont see it with the camera. But if you see black lines, your lighting definitely has flicker.
Headache-inducing flicker was a problem with early fluorescent lighting, but it was remedied in the 90s and s with electronic ballasts. Unfortunately, flicker came back with LED lighting. It is a byproduct of designing for low cost, not performance.
Note that the flicker Im referring to is not flashing you can directly see with your eyes. The frequency is usually high enough (usually 100120 Hz) that only a trained eye could detect it. Flashing you can see with your eyes usually means the lighting electronics are malfunctioning. Even though you cant see flicker, it could still contribute to adverse health effects.
Every Hue light I have seen has flicker. It is actually pretty hard to make a smart LED bulb that doesnt have flicker, although not impossible. Again, Ketra is the only smart lighting manufacturer I have seen that even mentions flicker performance.
The state of California has written low-flicker requirements into law, but the rest of the world has been slow to catch up. Most manufacturers will wait as long as possible and do the minimum they can get away with when it comes to standards. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of health and safety.
I have Philips Hue at home and still use it, mostly because it is a sunk cost and still one of the better smart lighting systems. I like the ability to control blue light exposure throughout the day and stick wireless remotes all over the house.
But thats where the advantages end. The color performance leaves a lot to be desired, and the flicker is definitely not healthy. Beyond that, the system is expensive, and in my experience, it has proven unreliable. I have had to replace 30%(!) of my Hue bulbs after just a few years due to electronics failures. The warranty is comically short for such an expensive product.
While Bedtime Bulb doesnt have all the features of Hue, it is definitely a healthier light for the evening:
Were considering expanding our healthy lighting lineup, and wed love to hear your lighting needs and feature requests. Please send your thoughts.
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