# Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19: specs and price

**Price (US):** $24.99 at philips-hue.com (MSRP, single bulb, philips-hue.com), as of 2026-06-27. A sourced, dated price of record — other retailers (incl. Amazon) may be lower. Among the 15 smart bulbs we track it is #13 cheapest of 15; category median $15.99.
**Brand:** Philips Hue
**Deskmark:** Bronze Deskmark — pay-blind category standing 12/100, #17 of 19 in class (independent, computed from sourced data, never for sale).
**Price tracked since:** June 2026

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Price (US) | $24.99 |
| Brand | Philips Hue |
| Brightness lumens | 800 |
| Color | rgbw |
| Protocol | zigbee+bluetooth |
| Base | e26 |
| Hub required | No |
| Wattage (W) | 8.8 |
| Lifespan hours | 25000 |

## Where it stands

At $25, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 is #13 cheapest of the 15 smart bulbs we track, where the median is $17.99. On the spec sheet, its brightness lumens of 800 is the lowest of the 19, its lifespan hours of 25000 is the highest of the 14, and its wattage of 8.8 W is below the median of the 18.

## What reviewers say

Both surviving hands-on reviews of the Philips Hue Essential White & Color Ambiance line come from a single outlet (TechRadar) and reviewer (Cat Ellis), who set up an Essential bulb beside a standard 800-lumen White & Color Ambiance bulb in identical lamps. Verdict: excellent-value smart bulbs nearly indistinguishable from premium Hue in everyday use, but they dim only to 2% (vs 0.2%) and cast a slightly warmer white. No independent, lab-measured numbers were published. (Based on 2 reviews, 2 lab-tested, 2025-12-29–2026-02-12.)

Praised: Exceptional value at less than half the price of standard Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs; Color output and responsiveness nearly indistinguishable from premium Hue bulbs in everyday use; Fully compatible with the Hue app, Bridge, accessories and major smart-home ecosystems.
Flagged: Dims only to 2% vs 0.2% for standard Hue, so poor for very low ambient light or wake-up sunrise scenes; Slightly warmer white cast; reviewer advises against mixing Essential and standard Hue bulbs in one room; Faint dark 'halo' band around the top of the bulb, most visible with purple and blue light; Limited lineup - only three bulb types available.
Disagreement: No cross-source disagreement can be established because both hands-on reviews come from the same outlet and reviewer (TechRadar / Cat Ellis). No whitelisted tester published lab-measured numbers. The reviewer tested an E27 screw-fitting bulb rather than the US A19/E26 specifically, but it is the same Essential White & Color Ambiance line (E26/E27 listed among its fitting bases) with identical 806-lumen output and 2,200-6,500K white range.
Sources: TechRadar (2025-12-29, techradar.com), TechRadar (2026-02-12, techradar.com)

## Frequently asked questions

**What do reviewers say about the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19?**

Both surviving hands-on reviews of the Philips Hue Essential White & Color Ambiance line come from a single outlet (TechRadar) and reviewer (Cat Ellis), who set up an Essential bulb beside a standard 800-lumen White & Color Ambiance bulb in identical lamps. Verdict: excellent-value smart bulbs nearly indistinguishable from premium Hue in everyday use, but they dim only to 2% (vs 0.2%) and cast a slightly warmer white. No independent, lab-measured numbers were published. Praised: Exceptional value at less than half the price of standard Hue White & Color Ambiance bulbs; Color output and responsiveness nearly indistinguishable from premium Hue bulbs in everyday use; Fully compatible with the Hue app, Bridge, accessories and major smart-home ecosystems. Flagged: Dims only to 2% vs 0.2% for standard Hue, so poor for very low ambient light or wake-up sunrise scenes; Slightly warmer white cast; reviewer advises against mixing Essential and standard Hue bulbs in one room; Faint dark 'halo' band around the top of the bulb, most visible with purple and blue light; Limited lineup - only three bulb types available. (From 2 tester reviews, 2 lab-tested.)

**How much does the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 cost?**

The Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 has a US price of $24.99 (MSRP, single bulb, philips-hue.com), as of 2026-06-19.

**How does the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 compare on price?**

At $25, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 is #13 cheapest of the 15 smart bulbs we track, where the median is $17.99.

**What are the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19's key specs?**

Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 (Philips Hue): brightness lumens 800, color rgbw, protocol zigbee+bluetooth, base e26, hub required No. Full sourced spec sheet verified 2026-06-19.

Source: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us/p/hue-white-and-color-ambiance-essential-a19-e26-smart-bulb-800-lm-88w/046677592530 (philips-hue.com, accessed 2026-06-19)
Canonical: https://frontdeskreview.com/product/smart-bulbs/philips-hue-white-color-ambiance-essential-a19/
Cite: Per The Front Desk Review, the Hue White and Color Ambiance Essential A19 price of record was $24.99 as of 2026-06-19 — https://frontdeskreview.com/product/smart-bulbs/philips-hue-white-color-ambiance-essential-a19/
License: CC BY 4.0. Price history: https://frontdeskreview.com/data/price-history.jsonl