Hue vs Innr vs Trafri - Why pay more?

garethjjones

I'm very new to Hue (Black Friday) - and initially got 5 white bulbs and a bridge/motion sensor package (great value on BF). Mrs Jones really likes the motion sensor in the hallway, so I was looking to get another working for the Landing.

As we're really close to an IKEA, I was interested in integrating Trådfri into the Hue setup - which seems possible - just expensive as you need the hub if your're updating the firmware. So today I went out and bought a E27 Spectrum bulb and Remote pack, a gateway and a motion sensor (and thanks to IKEA for my £5 birthday gift!). Getting the devices linked to the IKEA gateway is easy enough, as has been said before - the updates can take some time though.

Next step was to link the Trådfri bulb to the Hue system -I used this guide How to add IKEA Trådfri to Philips Hue - How To - Smart Home Geeks - though didn't use the stock Hue ap but the Hue Lights iOS app referred to here Lamp Finder / Touchlink

Then tried to work out how to get the remote or the motion sensor linked in. Via the Hue developers forum Philips Hue and IKEA Trådfri | Philips Hue API I got a link to an excellent reference that tells you how to link the Trådfri remote to the Hue network Using IKEA Tradfri remote or dimmer with Hue | Red Silico: Andy's blog This took rather longer than I anticpated - and it's essential that you turn the IKEA gateway off, and also any other lights when trying to get the remote linked into the Hue network.

So I can now control my Trådfri bulb with the app, and also with the remote (like the remote - I can change the colour temp and the brightness easily, as well as on-off). You should note the caveats about the rmote in the article, as it's works differently from the Hue remote.

Sadly, I can't get the motion sensor to link into Hue network, so that will go back (with the very hard to break into plastic packaging). I may have to spring for a Hue sensor or see if I can get something that works with an esp8266 and feed that into a node red flow.

davidegee

You can do that for next to no cost if you're already running nodered, mqtt etc. Have a look at tasmota if you're not familiar with it

garethjjones

Yes, familiar, but not yet got any Sonoff devices. And also hadn’t seen the sensor part of the WIki. I’ve done a temp sensor before, so I’ll hunt down a movement sensor example. Thanks.

HurdyGurdy

Have mostly Hue but went for the INNRGU10 for outdoor lamps.

Downside is that the Hue bridge obviously cannot update the FW on these. Also have to relink them regularly and noticed occasional event loss in that the timed events are not happening. Now this might be that they are just a bit far from the bridge and have a weaker reception than the Hue lamps positioned next to them, which never disconnect.

For the price difference , happy to have some minor issues ...

BTW thanks to the forum for pointing out IKEA lamps, may give them a chance next once the Amazon 3for2 offers are gone

lowmans100

I have IKEA e14 white in a bedside light, it doesn't go through the whole range of temperatures but it's great for the bedroom.
Also have a hue bloom and an innr e27 colour in the living room. I prefer the innr colour to the hue. The hue is much more washed out than the innr. The innr colour is more saturated/vivid and greens and blues are much better with the innr.

Jamie

I think the newer Hue bulbs are far more vivid than your Bloom. I have both an Innr e27 and genuine Hue Gu10 colour and they're both vivid.

Edit: having said that I had to try and compare but the lights are in different rooms. I wouldn't describe the Hue as washed out but the blue is a little deeper blue in the e27.
Except for the GU10s I've been very pleased with my Innr bulbs. I think it's fair to say genuine bulbs are slightly better in most measures but the Innr are VFM

Khazul

Odd - I've had the opposite experience and that each Ive added have been recognised quickly. Something its taken a while for firmware updates after first adding a bulb. My only gripes with hue is that the GU10 bulbs dont color match with the others - green is basically non-existent (a dirty yellow) and that they are much longer than normal GU10 bulbs.

Bl4ckGryph0n

We actually automated that feature. I don't like warm white during the day, and like currently sometimes it can get dark. So ours are setup smart and we cycle through the colour temperatures in such a way that the light is colder during the day to mimick outside side. But come night time they go to warm white.

It provides a true luxury feeling to the light that is available in the home.

Harkon321

@dejongj

Is that something you can automate in the Hue app or do you need a dedicated Smart hub?

Bl4ckGryph0n

We currently use the Homey for that, something along the lines of;

If lux levels are below x and it is between sunrise and sunset then use scene 'daylight'
else if lux levels are below x and it is after sunset but before midnight then use scene 'evening'
else if lux levels are below x and it is after midnight but before sunrise then use scene 'nightlight'

I'm looking more into Hue labs, and I think you can now do the same using hue labs...I'm going to try that out as that would be a huge benefit to us. Especially when you can then integrate it with their presence mimicking.

I absolutely love it how the daylight setting blends in like it is daylight. It doesn't look like the lights are on at all. Give a great feeling in the house and for your personality. The children now have it in their rooms as well and love the concentrate settings when doing home work. They notice it makes a difference, it is good to read and then afterwards they switch back to whatever setting they have with a push of a button...