In this review we look at one of the most stylish and also pricey ceiling lamps from Signify; the Philips Hue Centris. This lamp comes with adjustable surface-mounted spotlights and an LED tray.
The range of Philips Hue products continues to grow every year. Not only individual lamps are being improved and released in several variants, the range of complete fixtures has also been expanded considerably this year. In this review we look at one of the most stylish and also pricey ceiling lamps from Signify; the Philips Hue Centris.
What is the Philips Hue Centris?
The Philips Hue Centris is a flexibly usable ceiling lamp that can provide an entire room with atmospheric light or functional light on its own. The luminaire is made for the ceiling and consists of an LED tray for diffuse (often functional) light and a number of surface-mounted spotlights with focused light beams for mood light or functional light.
The Centris comes in four variants: a small version with LED box and two surface-mounted spotlights, a large version with longer LED box and three surface-mounted spotlights, a small version with three surface-mounted spotlights on either side of the LED box and a large version with longer LED box and four surface-mounted spotlights at the ends of the the bar. All variants can be purchased in white and black, and for all variants, the spots are fully adjustable to illuminate a specific part of the room. Of course, the Centris can be operated with the Philips Hue app (via the Bridge or Bluetooth) and both the spots and the LED box can display up to 16 million colors. The total brightness of the Hue Centris is no less than 4,200 lumens.
The Philips Hue Centris costs, depending on the model you choose, between 280 and 450 euros. The model we are testing is the longer version with two spots at each end. This lamp costs 450 euros.
Design
The Philips Hue Centris is not a lamp that you just buy and put somewhere. It is a fixed fixture that you really have to screw into the ceiling, and it is not a small and inconspicuous lamp. So it really has to fit into your interior. The Centris has a modern and sleek design and, like all Philips Hue products, is made of high-quality materials and provided with a premium finish. That is also possible for 450 euros.
No screws are visible and the metal housing gives the black version a somewhat industrial look. The variant that we are testing has a length of 78.2 centimeters and is therefore a large ceiling lamp. You can also opt for the smaller version that is about 40cm long. The difference in length is mainly in the LED box. The spots are the same size for each variant.
Edit
Naturally, the Hue Centris is intended for the ceiling, but this requires some work. You cannot simply hang the lamp on a recessed / central box. Just before the ends of the LED tray, the lamp has to be screwed to the ceiling and for this you have to drill two extra holes in your ceiling.
Assembly is not particularly difficult. You disconnect the metal holder from the fixture and ensure that the center of the holder falls over your central box. Then hold the holder against the ceiling to mark the holes. Drill the two holes in the ceiling, insert a plug and screw the holder tight against the ceiling. You can then click the housing into the holder on one side and hang the other side on the holder using a safety cable. This gives you some space to connect the power cables with two hands. Once connected, place the other side of the fixture in the holder and screw both sides tight. Now that you have the ladder up, it is advisable to adjust the spotlights right away. You unscrew this slightly at the back (with an accessory supplied), after which you can rotate them vertically 90 degrees and horizontally 350 degrees. Once you have found the right position, screw them back on.
The Hue app
As with all other Hue lamps, the operation of the Philips Hue Centris takes place in the Hue app. If you already have Hue bulbs at home, it’s just a matter of adding the new bulbs to the Hue app and you’re good to go. If you do not yet have the app, it is a matter of downloading, creating an account, setting up / linking the Bridge and linking the lamps. When the Hue Centris is turned on, you can automatically find it in the app. You do this under the heading Settings and then Lamp configuration. You will immediately notice that not one lamp appears, but four separate spots and one lamp. However, all individual lamps have been given the Centris icon so that they can be recognized immediately. You can give each spot / lamp its own name and if you want to operate the Centris as one lamp, you place the five lamps in one separate zone, for example ‘kitchen’. This makes it easy to switch the entire Centris lamp on or off, or to have all lamps participate in a scene. Operating the lamp can therefore be done via the Hue app (with spot / lamp or as one light point), but you can also choose to operate the Centris with a Hue accessory such as the Dimmer Switch. If you have linked the Centris lamps in one zone, you can quickly switch between scenes or change the brightness with the Dimmer Switch.
The Hue app
As with all other Hue lamps, the operation of the Philips Hue Centris takes place in the Hue app. If you already have Hue bulbs at home, it’s just a matter of adding the new bulbs to the Hue app and you’re good to go. If you do not yet have the app, it is a matter of downloading, creating an account, setting up / linking the Bridge and linking the lamps. When the Hue Centris is turned on, you can automatically find it in the app. You do this under the heading Settings and then Lamp configuration. You will immediately notice that not one lamp appears, but four separate spots and one lamp. However, all individual lamps have been given the Centris icon so that they can be recognized immediately. You can give each spot / lamp its own name and if you want to operate the Centris as one lamp, you place the five lamps in one separate zone, for example ‘kitchen’. This makes it easy to switch the entire Centris lamp on or off, or to have all lamps participate in a scene. Operating the lamp can therefore be done via the Hue app (with spot / lamp or as one light point), but you can also choose to operate the Centris with a Hue accessory such as the Dimmer Switch. If you have linked the Centris lamps in one zone, you can quickly switch between scenes or change the brightness with the Dimmer Switch.
The Tab routines gives you the opportunity to automate. For example, turning off all lights when you leave or slowly turning on the lights in the bedroom as soon as the sun comes up. You can also set timers and create routines yourself. The Discover tab offers you additional options, including formulas (experiments), which means that they are beta functions that are not yet in the app itself. You can also link Hue to other smart home products (Friends of Hue) and download Hue apps from third parties. Finally, there is the Settings tab. Here you can configure the lights and rooms, add accessories, set up HomeKit (Siri), update the software and create widgets.
All in all, the Hue app is a very comprehensive but user-friendly and sleek application. At first it takes a while to find your way through the possibilities and options, but in no time you will understand how quickly you can operate all the lights in the house and outdoors. In addition, the software support for Hue is very good, so updates appear regularly.
Philips Hue Centris: Use and quality
The Philips Hue Centris is actually the perfect lamp to show what Philips Hue stands for. The lamp has a premium finish, is easy to install, can be operated quickly and easily, can display all colors, is flexible in use and gives a huge bowl of light (if desired).
The Centris gives you many options to perfectly illuminate a small to medium-sized room for both functional light and atmospheric light. And both the spots and the LED tray can be used for both purposes. We have placed the Centris in the kitchen and highlighted the most important corners of the kitchen with the spotlights. During cooking, the spots provide enough light for comfortable work, and the LED tray provides functional diffused light throughout the room. In the evening, the LED box goes out and the spots provide dimmed atmospheric light. When we sit in the garden, the kitchen spotlights color with the garden lighting. And, if cleaning is required, all the lamps of the Centris go ‘bright’ and the kitchen is perfectly lit. You can of course make it as crazy as you want, thanks to the flexibility of the spots,
Operating the Centris is also a piece of cake. You can operate the lamp as a whole by creating one zone for the lamp, but you can of course also place the individual lamps in an existing zone. In addition to the app, you can use accessories for operation or you can control the lamps by voice (Google Assistant or Siri). As a stand-alone lamp, the Hue Centris is a nice addition to your interior, but due to its distinctly modern design, the lamp must fit in.
Operating the Centris is also a piece of cake. You can operate the lamp as a whole by creating one zone for the lamp, but you can of course also place the individual lamps in an existing zone. In addition to the app, you can use accessories for operation or you can control the lamps by voice (Google Assistant or Siri). As a stand-alone lamp, the Hue Centris is a nice addition to your interior, but due to its distinctly modern design, the lamp must fit in.
Pros of Philips Hue Centris
- Easy mounting and installation
- Premium design and high build quality
- Very complete and flexible to use lamp
- Possibilities are endless
Negatives of Philips Hue Centris
- Expensive
- Design is not for all interiors
- Dimmer Switch would have liked it
