One funny quirk of Philips Hue’s “Christmas lights” landing page is that it doesn’t contain any Christmas-specific lighting products. But this discrepancy will be solved on November 15th, when Philips Hue finally launches its first Christmas tree lights.
The new Philips Hue Festavia string lights are twenty feet long and contain 250 mini LEDs. They can sync to music, but they also feature Philips Hue’s “Candle” and “Fireplace” effects, plus a new “Sparkle” effect that mimics the twinkle of a typical Christmas light.
Notably, the Festavia lights can show several colors simultaneously. You can use the “Linear” style to create a smooth gradient of colors down your Christmas tree, or program five blocks of colors with the “Scattered” style.
Obviously, smart Christmas lights are a big investment. But they’re also a huge convenience—if the lights are too bright, turn them down (or shut them off) using an app or voice assistant. You can set schedules for the lights, eliminating the need for an outlet timer, or even create routines for the lights (so they automatically turn off when you leave the house, for example).
Philips Hue’s Festavia lights go on sale November 15th for $160. If you’re interested, I strongly suggest buying these lights on launch day. That way, you’ll get to enjoy the lights for a few weeks and hopefully avoid shipping delays.