Signify, formerly Philips Lighting, is once again expanding its lineup of outdoor Philips Hue lighting products. The company is showing three new wall-mounted fixtures and a Hue Outdoor sensor that can turn on any group of Hue lights—indoor or out—when someone walks by.
The battery-powered, weather-resistant, wireless sensor can be mounted outdoors and programmed via the Hue app to trigger any collection of Philips Hue lighting. This is both a convenience—because outdoor lights are invariably controlled by switches inside the house—and a security feature that could deter a would-be intruder from hanging around.
Motion-activated outdoor lights are common enough, but seeing lights come on inside the house at the same time might convince a miscreant that the home is occupied even if it isn’t.
The outdoor motion sensor has a detection range of 12 meters (39 feet) and an integrated light sensor, so that lights are turned on only when it’s dark. The outdoor version will cost $49.95 when it goes on sale in February. Philips also offers an indoor motion sensor, which earned a very positive review from us in 2017.
Signify’s three new Philips Hue outdoor luminaires will also be available in February. They are the $109.99 Philips Hue Welcome Home Light (which provides a single shade of bright white light), the $139.99 Philips Hue Discover Flood Light (which produces white and color ambiance light), and the $129.99 Philips Hue Econic family (in porch ceiling, pedestal, downlight, and uplight configurations. The ceiling version of the Econic is pictured up top.)