Philips Hue Garnea 90mm White Ambiance Downlight $55.30 Delivered (Downlight + Echo Dot 3 $93.24 Delivered) @ Amazon AU

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willoz on 22/07/2021 - 10:30 amazon.com.au (700 clicks)
Last edited 22/07/2021 - 13:37 by 2 other users

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Edit: If you add Echo Dot $49 ($40 once in the basket) you'll get a discount total of $93.24
get 20% off these bulbs bringing the price to $44.24.

For me buying 12 lights this brought the price down to $579.88(incl echo) with a total discount of $132.72 on the 12 bulbs.

Sorry couldn't frame this in the title any nicer.

Has been cheaper in the past by a few dollars but Bunnings and Amazon both have these on sale.
Reviews are saying they are not as bright as normal lights. Only 7w.

Also available at Bunnings https://www.bunnings.com.au/philips-hue-90mm-7w-white-ambien…

Price History at CamelCamelCamel.

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• 

  alo1234 on 22/07/2021 - 10:54

  +2

  I regret buying my Aphelion 110mm and this Garnea 90mm downlights, they are way too dim.

  • 

    bargaino on 22/07/2021 - 11:17

    +1

    They are meant to replace the old 50W halogen downlights, where you had several to a room.

    The new 17W warm-white E27 Hue lamps, rated at 1600 lumen, equivalent to the old-fashioned 100W tungsten bulb, are available on import from UK, $36 each:

    https://www.amazon.com.au/Philips-Hue-Bluetooth-Compatible-A…

    It would be nice if they did a downlight with this power. Should be bigger than 90mm though.

  • 

    AncientWisdom on 22/07/2021 - 17:56

    I disagree, with the right amount of downlights in a room these are perfect for me. A lighting shop I visited advised the rule of thumb should be 100 lumens per square metre, I designed the house accordingly (with a bit to spare) and it's working well.

    Tl;dr it depends on your lighting setup and the room size

• 

  Srey on 22/07/2021 - 10:54

  +6

  I've just done the downlights in our apartment, so for anyone looking for some info:

  Can't speak to how bright/good the actual Garnea lights are, but if you just want tuneable white (no RGB) I've found these to be great:
  https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/153888341165
  Basically half the price of the Hue lights, plenty of output, and integrate really nicely with the system.

  I also tried the Mercator Ikuu RGB lights, and although they do 'work', they struggle to handle the switch from RGB to CCT spectrums via Hue, their RGB output is super dim compared to the whites, and the white dimming control only gets to what I'd say is about 40% output. Biggest issue for me is they don't seem to support the transition time value, so they always change suddenly.

  Wish that alchemy light came in an RGB+CCT version

  • 

    CheapBrah on 22/07/2021 - 13:47

    Do you think one of these could light up a smallish space (~1.5mx4m) or would it require multiple?

  • 

    CheapBrah on 22/07/2021 - 13:47

    Do you think one of these could light up a smallish space (~1.5mx4m) or would it require multiple?

    • 

      Srey on 22/07/2021 - 15:12

      Yeah, I really think it could. My place now has 4 of them in the kitchen, which is really only a 3x3m space on its own, but when they're all on and cranked they do a decent job of lighting the whole living area which is much larger.

      I would say though that 4m is a pretty long space and given the directionality of a downlight you may find that two of them along the length of the space would be a better fit.

  • 

    brokenlead on 22/07/2021 - 18:19

    @srey..could you elaborate a little more on the integration with the Phillips hue system? do they work the same as the phillips branded ones in terms on integrating with the app and maintaining groups? any trouble connecting?

    Context- I am in the process of renovating. Existing lights are Phillips Hue and love them(through the app mostly), but buying those for the rest of the house seems like a lot and was wondering if i could still stay with the system in a more cost effective way..

    • 

      Srey on 23/07/2021 - 09:18

      Sure. I think I'm in a similar boat, just moved into a new apartment and brought 5 e27 globes and a couple of lightstrips with me, but this place needed some more e27s and 7 90mm downlights to do the whole place.

      I tried an ikea tradfri e27 and ended up putting it on the balcony as it's output wasn't good enough for inside, went with some used hue e27's for the rest.

      I've never had to use any downlioghts before so I ordered one of those ebay ones and a couple of the ikuu ones to test. Both of them are detected by the app/hub almost instantly, and add just like a normal hue globe would: give them a name, assign them a room and/or zone and away you go.

      The Alchemy ones seem to function very much like the Hue lights in the way they respond to scene change commands etc.; it's a nice transition. The white values may be slightly more limited, like full cool seems like a very natural daylight, rather than the super blue of a hue CCT globe, and the warm is just a warm white, not super orange. I'd bear this in mind if you were trying to match the white extremes of hue lights in the same space. For me it's not an issue as I'm generally using more neutral whites in the living area.

      In terms of how they work generally with the system (aside from the note above on colour temps) the only caveats I'm aware of is that you can't assign them to an entertainment zone (true for any third party light with hue) and there does seem to be a little bit of lag from some lights in my living area when I switch scenes via my harmony remote. I think the downlights lag a little more than the others, but I really can't say if that's due to the lights themselves, or just the logitech controller sending commands to the hub. I used to occasionally see some lag with 4 lights and now I have almost three times as many in the zone, so it may just be a system issue, not the lights themselves.

      Ultimately, I'd happily buy the alchemy lights again, and given the price difference I wouldn't even bother testing the hue ones. Even just 7 lights at $60 a pop puts it outside what I'm willing to pay; sub $30 is a lot more reasonable.

      Hope that helps!

• 

  y2k on 22/07/2021 - 11:00

  +3

  They've been lower during Prime special offers but this is a pretty good price. I have our apartment kitted out with these after experimenting with LifX . It's true they're not the brightest, but the ease of use is superb compared to wifi-based systems, especially if your wifi can be a bit dodgy (as ours was - which made lighting so patchy I pretty much had to sell them to save my marriage!). We also have low ceilings, so the brightness is fine for us. Can see in a house with high ceilings you might have issues.

  It was also important to have a physical light switch so we didn't have to shout at our smart speakers, or rely entirely on motion sensors (which I also use in the bathroom, kitchen and corridors). Other systems have buttons but require a qualified electrician and an earth wire installed, which would have been a major hassle in our apartment especially with older visitors like a nanny or parents.

  Compared to say, Fibaro and other home systems that use "dumb" bulbs, the Hue lights' advantage is that you can change the colour temperature very easily (just be tapping on the switch's on button). It's also easy to just turn on one of the lights in your room rather than all of them. The downside is that you're stuck with Hue lights - you can't rig up that sexy ceiling light you've had your eye on for the dinner table (Hue do have one but my wife thinks it's ugly).

  Compatability with other systems like Flic and IFTTT is also a doddle - a big advantage of a major brand. Hue so far works very well with Google Home and Amazon alike - both the speaker and the home control on screen.

  We also have a Hue LED that works seamlessly with the other Hue lights. That, and most Hue accessories, are pretty expensive at sticker price but frequently on sale here - the dimmer switch is currently $23 at Amazon and Bunnings!

  Ultimately these are super easy to install and reliable, and on sale enough to make the price pretty bearable. My main gripe is that you can't disable the motion sensors within the Hue app - you have to use one of the free other Hue apps made by 3Ps. But overall, I love 'em.

  • 

    Soothsayer on 22/07/2021 - 11:07

    Assuming you use the Hue dimmer, what was your solution for the physical light switch? Did you mount the dimmer over it?

    Also I wouldn't say you're "stuck" with Hue lights, rather there's only a few other non-Hue lights compatible with the Hue ecosystem. There's other solutions like using a Hue compatible smart switch to control any old (sexy) "dumb" pendant light, or just use any other brand smart light with a hub like Home Assistant / Smart Things / Hubitat to integrate it all together with Hue. Admittedly more complicated and requires more tinkering though.

    • 

      y2k on 22/07/2021 - 11:39

      Which smart switch can control a dumb pendant light, that doesn't require an earth wire? I'd be keen.

      Yes, I looked into Hubitat etc but Hue just doesn't need it other than that one light!

      As for physical switch covers, we have left some uncovered because they're on a motion sensor that is a major faff to disable - it overrides the dimmer instructions. So unfortunately the only way around is to turn off the original switch.

      For the rest, I put post it notes or gaffa tape over for now (we moved in a few months ago) while I try to find a solution. There are some nice Etsy options in the US but cost a fortune and are designed for a different type of switch and plate orientation. I suspect the least ugly solution is to replace the current switches with a blank plate. I have mounted the Hue dimmer sometimes a bit higher up as the original switches were mounted abnormally low or in odd places because of restrictions eg solid concrete walls that prevented wiring etc.

      • 

        Soothsayer on 22/07/2021 - 15:40

        +1

        You mean neutral wire? That's definitely a roadblock, there's a few options internationally but nothing available with Australian certification that I know of - although if you were getting a sparky to install (as legally required) then it's not much of an issue to have him pull through a neutral at the same time.

        I'm in the same boat regarding the switches, I've seen some community 3D printed blank plate solutions to allow the Hue dimmer to sit over a conventional switch but it looks too bulky for me. Luckily I have neutrals so I'll most likely just go with a Shelly behind the switch for the time being.

        • 

          y2k on 22/07/2021 - 19:46

          @Soothsayer: Yes - a neutral. Not sure why I was banging on about an earth wire.

          I even briefly thought about buying a 3D printer for that reason as the US plates on all those Etsy stores are different sized compared to Australia plates, right? I've zero CAD experience and it does seem a bit of an overinvestment!

• 

  willoz on 22/07/2021 - 11:06

  It's hard to find good examples online, does have any pics of a full living space with these?

  • 

    Thinkswithelbow on 22/07/2021 - 15:09

    I have 4 in my dining room. What do you want to know?

• 

  ngengerous on 22/07/2021 - 11:13

  +1

  Was tempted to buy these last week, but I decided to just buy some Ikea Tradfri Wireless Control Outlets and connect them to my existing downlights.

  At $20 each instead of $55, I can live with the lack of dimming/colour temperature changing, and my lights are still nice and bright! Ikea Tradfri products integrate with a Hue Hub perfectly, and there's no delay at all when turning them on and off. They function just like any Philips Hue bulb in my house now - loving them.

  • 

    bargaino on 22/07/2021 - 11:30

    Something like this might be better, assuming you have compatible dimmable downlights (made for old-fashioned leading-edge controller??)

    https://www.lectory.com.au/NUE-Smart-ZigBee-Dimmer-Inline-Li…

    One will drive all the LED downlights in your room.

    • 

      ngengerous on 22/07/2021 - 12:19

      Unfortunately no dimmable lights for me, and as I'm just renting I don't want anything too permanent. Eventually when I own a place that option looks great though!

      • 

        bargaino on 22/07/2021 - 12:27

        ? Did you go into the roof and put one of those switches individually on each downlight?

        Or is it one of those crappy built-for-rental apartments where they think one downlight is adequate for a bedroom?
        The answer to that is a truckload of Ikea uplights and Trådfri bulbs :-)

  • 

    tm32 on 22/07/2021 - 12:14

    Have one Tradfri bulb in my hue ecosystem (as a test) and it frequently wont turn on on schedule. Firmware up to date.

    Could be its zigbee routing and its location perhaps.

    Havent been convinced to invest any further with it.

    • 

      bargaino on 22/07/2021 - 12:35

      Not unless it is a long way from the others.
      I have 30 Ikea and 10 Hue bulbs on the Hue hub, works well.

      Very occasionally one of the Ikea bulbs stop responding and needs to be power-cycled. I think they were an old E14 model.

• 

  dracoknight92 on 22/07/2021 - 11:27

  The brightness on these is just pathetic, I currently have aftermarket ones that works quite well with Hue, will happily switch back to Philips if they make these in 12w and don't rob you at the same time.

• 

  Member 0230 on 22/07/2021 - 11:57

  +2

  Our experience. Just switched from batten to downlights, and use six of these in our living room.

  While definitely not as all-out bright as the other non-smart (8w 765-870lm Power-Lite) lights in our home, we were actually able to come close enough to perceived brightness by adjusting the colour temperature to a slightly cooler white.

  This was the case even when we had both Hue and standard downlights in the same room while we gradually changed them over so the two can be easily compared.

  No-one in the family picked up the brightness difference to comment, neither did the electrician who was still doing other electrical works in the house.

  Would I prefer them brighter? The honest answer is Sure! But given the ease flexibility of useful lighting options in our living area, it's a definite win. Just buy when at a decent sale, like now : )

  • 

    Soothsayer on 22/07/2021 - 15:15

    Similar experience to you, my install was a retrofit replacing standard MR16 downlights so the plan was always to have 4-6 per room, and these are still brighter than before anyway. But that's standard from everything I've seen, I'm not sure why you would install a single downlight in the middle of a room, a fitting to use a high output bulb (like the 1600lm E27 linked elsewhere) would make much more sense.

• 

  mini_wombat on 22/07/2021 - 12:27

  Are these IC4 rated - to be covered with insulation ? Can't find any info anywhere.

  • 

    Member 0230 on 22/07/2021 - 12:41

    The provided doco doesn't mention "IC-4" specifically, but says:

    for 51101 Australia

    A recessed luminaire that can be abutted against normally flammable materials, including building insulation, and can be covered in normal use. Building elements, building insulation or debris have restricted access to the heated parts of the luminaire.

    for 51115 New Zealand

    Type IC recessed luminaire where building insulation that can safely be exposed continuously to temperatures up to 90°C may abut and cover the luminaire.

    It has this symbol minus the "IC-4" (gee, why don't they just say it plainly already? 😂)

    FWIW, the website also says:

    IC Rated for use in Australia.

    • 

      mini_wombat on 22/07/2021 - 13:54

      This is exactly my problem … they mention IC rated … but not IC-4. The logo is a bit different. And as you mentioned correctly the manual mentions that it can be covered with insulation. Just not that clear.

      Maybe the light fixture can be covered but not the transformer? Wouldn't purchase a downlight which I can't cover with insulation. They don't make it easy.

      • 

        Member 0230 on 22/07/2021 - 14:03

        Wow, didn't know the distinction. TIL.

        FWIW, comparing the differences between plain "IC" and "IC-4" here, the description for the Hue downlights more closely matches the IC-4 description, specifically the addition of the phrasing in bold below:

        SO WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH THE ’IC PASS’ LUMINAIRE?

        This is a recessed luminaire that can be abutted against normally flammable materials, including building insulation, and can be covered in normal use with limited access to its high temperature parts.

        These luminaires are deemed suitable for residential or commercial use in Australia and New Zealand in the standard AS/NZS 60598.2.2:2001, not to be confused with AS/NZS 70598.2.2:2002

        AND WHAT ABOUT THE ‘IC-4 PASS’ LUMINAIRE?

        …A recessed luminaire that can be abutted against normally flammable materials, including building insulation, and can be covered in normal use. Building elements, building insulation or debris have restricted access to the heated parts of the luminaire.

        These luminaires are deemed suitable for residential or commercial use in Australia and New Zealand in the standard AS/NZS 60598.2.2:2001.