Everybody knows Philips’ superb Hue lighting system, but it’s often seen as an indoor thing. The Hue outdoor lighting range has grown significantly in recent months, and the Hue Lily is the best outdoor lighting you can buy today. It brings the same ease of use, flexibility and – crucially – app as Philips’ indoor lights, and it’s capable of creating some really great outdoor effects. Put all that together and you have a T3 Awards 2020 winner.
Part of a large and growing array of Hue Outdoor lights, Hue Lily is sold as a system consisting of three matte-black low-voltage spotlights made of durable aluminium, and the lights come with mounting stands for walls as well as spikes for ground installation.
You can then buy add-on Lilys until you have an entire plantation of them.
Total coverage is around 25m (the lights are connected by 5m lengths of cable with waterproof connectors) and you can add additional lights at any time. Each light produces 600 lumens, which we found was more than enough to light up trees and shrubs of up to 4m in height. With certain colours you get a more 'ambient' effect.
This year, Philips took things up a notch with Hue Lily XL. As you can probably guess, this is a larger Lily, and a significant upgrade. Brightness is upped to a maximum of 1,050 lumens, which is great for bigger gardens and those who want to get more creative with colours and effects.
With people spending more time than ever in the garden this summer, Hue Lily in its various forms keeps selling out, and deservedly so. It's the most versatile and excellent outdoor lighting you can get.
• T3 Awards 2020 – all the announcements so far.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Double O-heaven? Could this hybrid be James Bond's next ride?
Hybrid Aston Martin Valhalla is finally here, and I can't wait to drive it
By Alistair Charlton Published
-
Here's 5 things to try with Apple Intelligence
Apple Intelligence is finally available. These are the first things to try out once you've updated your iPhone
By Mat Gallagher Published
-
Eve Weather review: a compact, connected weather station for your smart home
Temperature, humidity, and air pressure readings from your own little weather station
By David Nield Published
-
T3 Awards 2024: all Smart Home winners announced
The best of the best Smart Home gadgets who take the win at the T3 Awards
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
T3 Awards 2024: all Kitchen and Garden award winners announced
Cook up a storm both inside and outside with the T3 Kitchen and Garden award winners
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
T3 Awards 2024: all Home and Style award winners announced
From vacuums and mattresses to hair stylers and watches, T3 celebrates the best Home and Style products of 2024
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Best robot lawn mower 2024: autonomous mowers that cut the grass so you don't have to
These are the best robotic sward scythes to keep your lawn in tip-top condition while you sit back and relax
By Derek Adams Last updated
-
Salter RapidCook 400 Digital Air Fryer Oven review: great for steak and pizzas
The Salter RapidCook 400 Digital Air Fryer Oven is big and heavy, but it’s also brilliant for cooking all sorts quickly at high heat
By Rob Clymo Published
-
Best petrol lawn mower 2024: rugged lawn mowers for larger gardens
Trim the sward with one of these top-rated petrol-powered lawn mowers
By Derek Adams Last updated
-
Best pizza ovens 2024: enjoy the crisp, crunch and gooeyness of freshly-baked pizza
Find the best indoor and outdoor domestic pizza ovens to make your al fresco bash go with a zing
By Derek Adams Last updated