What are the advantages of a Philips Hue Bridge?

You connect a bridge to your router via an Ethernet cable. This allows you to control the lights from anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. At home via your tablet, but also on the go via your smartphone. You can turn on the lights wherever you are. And change their color. This makes it seem like you're at home, so you keep intruders out.

Want to control the lights via Bluetooth? You can only turn them on and off within a 10m distance that way. If you're further away, you'll be out of range. If you're at home, you can turn on the lights and select a color or atmosphere. Do you want more options, like controlling the lights when you're not home? Or do you want a combination with other smart devices? You can connect these Hue smart lights to the bridge anyway. This way, you're flexible.

With a bridge, you can control your Philips Hue lights from anywhere in the world. Obviously, you can also control them from anywhere in your house. Turn on the lights in the bedroom before you head up the stairs, for example. Or turn off the lights in the living room when you're already in bed. Handy if you're forgetful. You do need a stable WiFi connection for this. Don't have internet in some parts of the house? Then you can't control the Hue lights with bridge.

The maximum range of Bluetooth is limited. That means you can only control the lights that are on the same floor. Turn off the lights in the kitchen while you're already on the couch, for example. Or change up the color of the lights in the bathroom from the hallway. Does your house have thick walls? The range might be even more limited. If you add a bridge later on, you can expand the range.

Are your Philips Hue lights connected to a bridge? You can add up to 50 lights. That's enough for most houses. Do you live in a large house or do you want Philips Hue at your office? Simply add a second bridge to add another 50 lights. You can operate all of these lights with the same app.

If you connect the Philips Hue lights directly via Bluetooth, you can connect significantly less lights. The maximum amount depends on the phone or tablet you connect them to. You can connect up to 10 lights to the most powerful devices. This is an easy way to start with a couple of lights in one room. Want to expand your system later on? Then you can purchase a bridge and connect your lights to it.