Philips Hue smart lighting is great, and definitely an easier way to change the ambiance of a room than repainting the walls or changing the wallpaper.
One of the things we particularly like about the Hue range of products is that as well as the bulbs there are lots of neat extras you can add to make it more fun or to make things a little bit more user friendly.
Case in point: you can control your Hue lights via your smartphone. You can control them via a voice controlled Alexa or Google powered smart assistant such as an Echo Dot or Google Home Mini. You can have them switch themselves on by adding a Hue motion sensor to your network. And you can control them in a more traditional way with this remote dimmer switch.
Personally, I think the dimmer switch makes a fantastic addition to a Hue setup. You can mount it next to your existing light switch so it's easy for visitors to control the lights in a traditional button-pressing manner, which as well as making them feel more comfortable should also stop them switching your lights off by the power switches (an annoyance that's enough for Hue owners to stop inviting guests round, to be honest).
The dimmer is battery powered, and can be attached magnetically to a plate that you mount to the wall. Once set up, you can use it not just to dim your lights, and to switch them on and off, but also to switch between four different scenes which you can configure using the Hue app.
Right now, the dimmer switch is 10% off at Amazon, bringing it down to £16.16. It's not the lowest price we've ever seen it go (that was £13.07 in December 2018) but it's the ballpark figure that this switch tends to drop to when it does get its price cut. You might want to get two.
Philips Hue Smart Wireless Dimmer Switch | RRP: £17.99 | Deal Price: £16.16 | Save 10%
You can use these switches mounted to their magnetic wall mount – just like switches from the old-fashioned days, which old-fashioned guests will appreciate, or you can remove them from the wall mount and use them as little remote controls from anywhere in the house. Note that the switches require that you have a Hue Bridge (which you probably do already).
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Paul Douglas is Global Digital Editorial Strategy Director at Future and has worked in publishing for over 25 years. He worked in print for over 10 years on various computing titles including .net magazine and the Official Windows Magazine before moving to TechRadar.com in 2008, eventually becoming Global Editor-in-Chief for the brand, overseeing teams in the US, UK and Australia. Following that, Paul has been Global Editor-in-Chief of BikeRadar and T3 (not at the same time) and later Content Director working on T3, TechRadar and Tom's Guide. In 2021, Paul also worked on the launches of FitandWell.com and PetsRadar.