Philips Hue is targeting design-savvy people like me. The new "Hue Iris BT" lamp is more elegant than its predecessors and can be operated via Bluetooth.
The Iris BT is designed to provide accents in interior design. It complements the almost ten-year-old Philips Hue Iris range and can be integrated into an existing Hue system with Bridge. What is much more exciting for me is that this Iris variant resembles a design object and no longer looks so technical. A reason to try out how well it works as a backlight.
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Product test
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The new design is calm yet expressive thanks to its minimalist shapes. The perfect plastic hemisphere casts a soft cone of light onto the wall. Unlike the last Iris version, where the struts were too restless for my taste, this one only has a metal rod inside. The Iris BT is available in white and black as well as in limited editions in the colours gold, copper, pink and silver. In my golden model, the rod is made of alloyed aluminium. Surrounding it is a transparent plastic dome, which makes the table lamp visually delicate and physically a flyweight.
Metallic details such as the golden ring make Iris BT an eye-catcher.
Since I don't have an existing Philips Hue, I'm starting from scratch. After downloading the app and setting up the account, I switch on Bluetooth and GPS. Shortly afterwards, the lamp appears in the app. With one click, it is connected and ready to use. The menu for selecting the colours and brightness is simple. I can operate everything intuitively.
Except for a short wait for the discreet lamp to switch on, I have nothing to criticise. On the contrary: I like the creative suggestions for different lighting moods with names like "Dawn by the sea" or "Winter solstice". The app also allows you to create "routines": Timer, Go to sleep and Natural wake-up, which is already one of my favourites in the dark season, are available to choose from. The only requirement for the latter is that I leave Bluetooth and GPS switched on on my smartphone overnight.
The app makes various suggestions for light colours or options for changing brightness and hue.
16 million colours can theoretically be determined via the circle. In practice, your sensitivity determines the quantity.
To change the light, I run my finger over a colour circle. This unfolds across the entire width of my smartphone screen and should be easy for people with large hands to operate. It can be controlled from a room around twelve metres away despite there being two walls in between. It runs smoothly. This may be different if you add several Bluetooth lamps or own rooms. In the context of my test without a smart home system, I can only assess the Bluetooth control of a single lamp. The connection to other devices such as headphones is not unaffected.
In comparison with its predecessors (210 lumens) and the Bloom range (120 lumens), Iris BT is the "brightest little head" with 570 lumens. Although the table lamp is an accent light, I can use it as a reading lamp to support basic lighting with the "Employees" or "Concentrate" setting. The cool light wakes you up. If the disc is not only facing the wall but also the centre of the room, it can even be dazzling at the brightest level. At the lowest level (1 per cent), nothing flickers. As soft as the light spot on it is, the lamp can be used as a night light in bedrooms or children's rooms.
I particularly like the chameleon effect of Iris. The table lamp adapts to any interior style and always looks different thanks to the many colours. Its cable is also long enough to be cleverly concealed. In addition to the smart alarm function, this is another reason for me to revise my opinion of table lamps with cables. Admittedly, this was not quite so firmly established and was exaggerated in the last article about wireless table lamps. I wanted to find out for which product you think the use of rechargeable batteries is justified. "It makes sense for e-bikes, mobiles, etc... but not for lamps in the home," wrote an anonymous Community member in the comments at the time. I can only agree - especially when looking into the crystal ball can be so beautiful.
Comforting progression: under 10 per cent, irises can be a night light.
The Iris BT lamp is suitable for anyone who has a weakness for design and atmospheric light. It can be paired with a smartphone or the Hue Bridge. I'm considering the latter because this table lamp doesn't have a conventional switch to switch it on and off. This would allow me to avoid having to reach for my mobile and frequent recharging. Only the price raises a question mark. In white, the Bluetooth Iris version is around ten francs more expensive than its predecessor, and in the limited edition gold colour it is twice as expensive. It's not surprising that old models are cheaper than the new ones. Nevertheless, this price difference for coated aluminium instead of plastic seems excessive to me. It remains to be seen whether I am paying for the little bit of material or the "exclusivity" of the limited edition. Philips Hue has nevertheless hit the mark with me as an aesthete with Iris. I am prepared to pay more for such a successful design.
