Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: a smart lighting classic that seamlessly elevates your Hue setup

It’s been a while since Philips Hue released any new outdoor lights, but honestly, that doesn’t mean the existing lineup is any less impressive. In case you didn’t know, Philips Hue is probably my all-time favourite smart lighting brand, and ever since I bought my first Hue light, I’ve been on a mission to build out my system as much as possible. Let me tell you – I’m slowly getting there.

As part of this mission, I recently got my hands on the Philips Hue Lily spotlight base pack. Originally launched back in 2018, it's been a go-to for outdoor lighting fans ever since. Designed specifically for garden and patio areas, the 3-pack lets you flood your outdoor space with 16 million colours and create custom lighting scenes for every occasion.

Stick around to hear about my experience, and whether these beauties deserve a spot in your Hue family.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: price and availability

The Philips Hue Lily comes in a 3-pack base kit for £319.99 ($339.99) or as a single extension light for £99.99 ($89.99). You can also choose between the standard version or the XL, which packs double the lumens. However, you need the base pack first since that’s where the power supply comes from.

I’ve been testing the 3-pack standard kit, which you can grab directly from the Philips Hue website or from select retailers like Amazon and John Lewis.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: unboxing and setup

Setting up the Philips Hue Lily base kit was a breeze. I really liked that each light included both stake mounts (for sticking them into the ground) and surface mounts (for screwing them into decking, walls or other flat surfaces). Fixing the lights to the mounts was super easy, and Philips Hue even threw in a riser rod if you want a bit of extra height when ground mounting.

Each light comes with a 23-foot power extension cable, which gives you some flexibility in where you place them. That said, the extensions only come in that one length and you have to place one between each light, so if you’re setting them up in a small area, you’ll definitely end up with some excess to deal with.

Philips Hue also recommends mounting the power supply above ground using the built-in screw holes. Mine’s just sitting on the ground, but it’s in a sheltered spot, so it was fine.

Once the physical setup was done, connecting the lights was simple. I daisy-chained them together using the provided extension cables and Y-shaped adapters, then plugged the power brick into the closest outdoor outlet. They powered on immediately, and I got to work adjusting the angles for the perfect glow.

The Lily spotlights require a Hue Bridge, but since my whole system is already running off a Bridge, it wasn’t an issue. If you’re not deep into the Hue ecosystem, the good news is the Lily lights also work with Samsung SmartThings, Apple HomeKit and other platforms, so you’ve got options.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: design and features

Design-wise, the Lily lights feature a sleek, black aluminum housing measuring 4.5 inches long and 2.6 inches in diameter, giving them a sturdy, premium feel. With an IP65 rating, they’re well-equipped to withstand dust, rain and all kinds of outdoor conditions.

I was particularly impressed with the overall build quality – the coating feels tough and like it won’t rust anytime soon, which is in line with the high standard I’ve come to expect from the best Philips Hue lights. The cables are chunky but still flexible, so they’re easy enough to work with during setup.

The standard Lily lights put out around 600 lumens, which felt a bit underwhelming at first. Compared to other outdoor smart lights, it’s not super bright, and the full 600 lumens only happen when you’re using whites or warm whites. If you shift to bold colours like red, green or blue, the brightness drops noticeably.

That said, they still delivered a really nice splash of colour, and I found that even just one spotlight covered a good chunk of my exterior wall. All three together created a lovely ambient glow across the garden. It should be noted that these are accent lights, so they’re perfect for mood lighting and colour scenes, but not for fully lighting up a large space. If you need something for security or task lighting, the Hue Secure Floodlight would be a better fit.

As always, the magic is in the Philips Hue app. With the Lily lights connected, you can customise colours, group lights together and play around with the huge range of preset scenes. Everything’s remote-controllable from the app or via various smart home platforms.

The grouping feature is especially handy if you want to set up a whole outdoor zone that works together, but you can still tweak each light individually if you want to get really precise.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: performance

Overall, I’m really happy to have the Philips Hue Lily spotlights as part of my outdoor setup. They integrated seamlessly into my existing Hue system, and they’ve worked reliably from day one. Yes, there’s quite a bit of cabling to deal with, so some planning is needed if you want to avoid a tangle of black wires spoiling your look. However, once I figured out the placement, it was all smooth sailing.

I also love how energy-efficient they are, and they’re super cheap to run due to being LEDs. As we head into warmer weather and I’m spending more time outside, I know I’ll be getting even more use out of them.

My only real disappointment was the brightness. If you go in expecting bright floodlights, you’ll be let down, but if you know you’re getting soft, colourful accent lighting, you’ll be very happy. They work beautifully alongside other Hue lights to create a full lighting scene, and they’ve handled all sorts of weather without any deterioration.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: verdict

Overall, the Philips Hue Lily spotlights are a fantastic addition to any smart garden setup, especially if you’re already invested in the Hue ecosystem. They’re super easy to install, offer beautiful customisable colour scenes, and integrate seamlessly with most smart home platforms. Whilst they’re not the brightest outdoor lights out there, they do their job as accent lights brilliantly. With a high quality built and that signature Hue ease of use, they’re a solid buy for anyone wanting to add some smart, colourful flair to their outdoor space.

Philips Hue Lily Outdoor spotlight review: alternatives to consider

If you’re set on sticking with Philips Hue but need something brighter, the Hue Secure Floodlight is a great choice. It packs a huge 2250 lumen output and even comes with a built-in security camera, making it much better suited for security lighting.

Another option worth considering is the Chiron Solar Spotlight – it’s solar-powered and has a lower lumen output than the Lily, but it’s a solid alternative. For a full comparison, check out our Lily Spotlight vs Chiron Spotlight guide.