Guide · 7 min read
Philips Hue Bridge: do you need one, and which one suits you?
You get home in the evening, arms full of shopping bags, and the hallway light is already on. In the morning, the bedroom slowly gets brighter just before your alarm goes off. And on film night, the wall behind the TV glows in the colours of the film. Philips Hue can do all of this, as long as the right heart of the system is in place: the Hue Bridge.
At a glance
- For a few lights in one room, Bluetooth is enough: up to 10 lights, no Bridge needed.
- The Hue Bridge handles up to 50 lights, control when you are away, automations and Matter. According to Philips Hue, it is enough for a flat or a normal house.
- The Hue Bridge Pro handles over 150 lights and turns your lights into motion sensors.
- Hue bulbs are available for E27, E14 and GU10. For coloured light you need White and Color Ambiance.
- You can also go without a Bridge entirely with WiZ: lights with built-in Wi-Fi.
Do you need a Bridge? The quick comparison
There are three ways to control Hue lights: via Bluetooth directly from your phone, via the Hue Bridge or via the larger Hue Bridge Pro. This is how they differ:
| Feature | Bluetooth | Hue Bridge | Hue Bridge Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights | up to 10 | up to 50 | over 150 |
| Control | only nearby, around 10 metres | also when you are away | also when you are away |
| Automations | no advanced ones | yes | yes |
| Hue Sync (light for films, music, games) | no | yes | yes |
| Matter | no | yes | yes |
| Lights as motion sensors | no | no | yes (MotionAware) |
| Connection to the router | none | network cable | cable or Wi-Fi |
| Suits | one room to try it out | a flat or normal house | a large house with garden and driveway |
Which type are you?
- The tester: You just want to try one light in the living room, and your phone is next to you anyway. Then Bluetooth is enough. You can add a Bridge at any time later.
- The home lover: Lights in several rooms, slowly brighter in the morning, off by voice command in the evening, and already on when you get home. You need the Hue Bridge.
- The film night fan: The light should match the film, the music or the game. That is what Hue Sync is for, and it only works with a Bridge.
- The homeowner with a garden: Lots of lights inside and out, and the light should come on when someone moves, without sticking sensors everywhere. That is a job for the Bridge Pro.
Without a Bridge: what Bluetooth can and cannot do
Many Hue lights have Bluetooth. You can recognise this by the Bluetooth symbol on the light and on the packaging. Without a Bridge, you control them directly with the Hue app. It is the easiest way to start, but there are limits:
- a maximum of 10 lights
- only nearby: your phone must be within around 10 metres
- no control when you are away
- no advanced automations and no Hue Sync
- no Matter: lights connected via Bluetooth cannot be used via Matter
The good news: Hue lights with Bluetooth also communicate via Zigbee, the Bridge's wireless network. If you add a Bridge later, you do not need to replace a single light. However, outdoor lights and some older Hue products do not have Bluetooth and only work with a Bridge.
The Hue Bridge: the heart of your flat or house
The Hue Bridge is the control centre of Philips Hue. It connects to the router with a network cable and creates its own Zigbee wireless network for your lights. And that is where it gets exciting:
- More capacity: up to 50 lights and 12 accessories such as switches or motion sensors.
- When you are away: With the Hue app you can switch your lights from anywhere you have internet. Handy if you want to check on holiday whether a light is still on somewhere.
- Automations: lights by time of day, when you come home or when motion is detected. In the morning, light that slowly gets brighter can wake you up. If the internet goes down, the automations keep running.
- Smart home: The Bridge works with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings. Thanks to a software update it also supports Matter, even with older lights.
- Hue Sync: light that matches films, music or games.
2012
was the year Philips Hue came onto the market. At first, the starter kits were only available in the Apple Store. The round first-generation Bridge from that time is now a piece of tech history.
Note on used devices: The old, round first-generation Hue Bridge no longer receives updates, new features or security updates. Better go for the current, square Bridge.
The Bridge Pro: when your lights sense movement
Philips Hue presented the Hue Bridge Pro at IFA in September 2025. It is made for everyone for whom 50 lights are not enough:
- More capacity: over 150 lights and 50 accessories, plus up to 500 scenes.
- Faster chip: According to Philips Hue, the Bridge Pro responds faster.
- Wi-Fi or cable: You can also connect the Bridge Pro to the router via Wi-Fi. Philips Hue still recommends the network cable supplied.
- Matter: as with the Hue Bridge.
The real highlight is called MotionAware. Your lights communicate with each other via Zigbee. When someone walks through the room, it disturbs these radio waves a tiny bit, and the Bridge Pro recognises the movement from that. No camera and no extra motion sensor needed.
3
compatible lights in a room is the minimum MotionAware needs to detect movement reliably.
According to Philips Hue, the Bridge Pro is mainly worthwhile for large houses or if the garden and driveway are also lit. For most flats, the Hue Bridge is enough.
Which bulbs work with Philips Hue?
First, the socket of your light fitting matters. Unscrew the old bulb and look at the base:
- E27: the large screw base, the most common in Germany.
- E14: the smaller screw base, mostly for candle bulbs.
- GU10: spots with two small pins, often in ceiling lights in kitchens and bathrooms.
- Lightstrips: LED strips instead of bulbs. The 2-metre Hue Lightstrip Plus can be shortened and extended up to 10 metres.
Then the light colour. Hue comes in three levels:
| Feature | White | White Ambiance | White and Color Ambiance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light | warm white | all shades of white from warm to cool | all shades of white plus coloured light |
| Dimmable | yes | yes | yes |
| Good for | simple, warm light | cool light by day, warm light in the evening | colour effects and Hue Sync |
Tip: If you want colours or Hue Sync, choose White and Color Ambiance. According to Philips Hue, that gives you 16 million colours. All three levels work with the Hue Bridge and the Bridge Pro.
Setting up the Bridge: in 4 steps
- Connect: plug the Bridge into the power supply and connect it to your router with a network cable.
- Open the app: Your phone must be on the same Wi-Fi network. Then open the Hue app and add the Bridge.
- Scan the QR code: You will find the code on the Bridge.
- Press the button: As soon as the app asks you to, press the button in the middle of the Bridge. Done, now your lights can be added.
You can also connect the Bridge Pro via Wi-Fi in the app.
Smart without a Bridge: WiZ
Like Philips Hue, WiZ comes from Signify, but it is a separate system. WiZ lights have Wi-Fi built in and do not need a Bridge. You control them with the WiZ app. At Bodinos you can get the WiZ Gradient Floor Light, the WiZ Gradient Light Bar 2-pack and the WiZ Sync Box, which colours the light to match the TV picture.
Philips Hue and WiZ at Bodinos
We sell many Hue lights as new without packaging. You can see whether a light has Bluetooth by the Bluetooth symbol on the light itself. All products are shipped worldwide from Germany:
- E27 starter set with Bridge
- E27 2-pack with dimmer switch
- E27 Color, 1100 lm
- E27 Color, twin pack
- GU10 Color, 3-pack
- WiZ Gradient Floor Light
- WiZ Sync Box
Also in stock: the Hue Bridge 2.1, E27 as a single bulb 800 lm, set of 3 and 4-pack, the E27 starter set with 3 bulbs, GU10 as a single spot and twin pack, and the GU10 starter set with 3 spots and dimmer switch.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Bridge for Philips Hue?
Not necessarily. With Bluetooth you can control up to 10 lights nearby. If you want more lights, control when you are away, automations, Hue Sync or Matter, you need a Bridge.
What is the difference between the Hue Bridge and the Bridge Pro?
The Bridge Pro handles over 150 instead of 50 lights and 50 instead of 12 accessories, plus up to 500 scenes. It also connects via Wi-Fi and can turn your lights into motion sensors with MotionAware.
Can I use my Bluetooth lights with a Bridge later?
Yes. Hue lights with Bluetooth also communicate via Zigbee, the Bridge's wireless network. So you do not need to replace them.
Does Philips Hue work with Alexa?
Yes. The Hue Bridge works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings.
Does Hue keep working if the internet goes down?
With a Bridge, your automations keep running. Only control when you are away needs the internet.
Which Hue bulb fits my light fitting?
Look at the base of your old bulb: E27 is the large screw base, E14 the small one, GU10 has two pins. For coloured light, choose White and Color Ambiance.
You can find more ideas for your smart home in the Smart Home category.