Datura is the queen of ceiling lighting. Philips Hue makes them smart

The Philips Hue platform is love at first turn on. Finally, fully adjustable light both in terms of temperature and colors (CRI over 80), which it does not flicker and does not strain the eyes. Anyone who has ever tried to take photos or shoot a video using low-quality LED lighting will never make the same mistake again. However, proper lighting is not only a challenge for filmmakers, it is above all a guarantee of our comfort, including mental comfort, especially during long winter evenings. While in small, rarely used rooms even the poorest light bulb will do the job, in the living room or workplace it is better to invest in something that will not give us a headache after a while. The device tested in this article is one of the more expensive ones in the manufacturer’s offer, but I also highly recommend cheap Philips Hue Essentials sets with a bridge and three bulbs – it’s a great start to the adventure.

I had long ago removed all the Xiaomi tapes, got rid of the better, but still imperfect TP-Link light sources, and in the following quarters, newer Philips Hue solutions began to appear in the apartment. The thing that bothered me the most was a poorly connected chandelier whose design could easily be called “retro”. Well, this metal masterpiece was hanging right above the table where I take photos, reflecting in the screens of phones and other devices.

The chandelier operation was not easy at first. The large Philips Hue Datura ceiling lamp requires screwing in 3 dowels, while the previous owner of the not yet renovated apartment left plaster stucco on the ceiling. A bit of practice and fiddling, and it turned out that the Datura base would perfectly cover the convex ornament, so forging was not necessary for the time being.

Philips Hue decided to use it metal lineson which the part of the device equipped with LEDs can conveniently hang. This makes it easier to both supply the appropriate power supply and subtracts one person from the assembly process. The most complicated moment turned out to be moving the casing so that it reached its final location and the lock clicked. Perhaps this would be easier to achieve when installed on a perfectly smooth surface. Even so, this process didn’t last long, one moment and it was done.

To ensure proper connection, Datura was turned on for the first time while the LED panel was hanging freely. This allowed us to see that the upper effect zone of the ceiling lamp does not have as good a diffuser as the one that will be visible from the floor.

However, this bar is completely invisibleand what is important, there are no uneven lighting on the ceiling. In turn, the round surface visible to residents is perfectly uniform, regardless of the selected brightness level, color or color temperature.

What’s more, the lamp fits perfectly into the company of my 2 round photography LEDs and I successfully use it to take photos or shoot videos.

As a main ceiling light, Datura offers a luminous flux as much as 4850 lumens at a color temperature of 4000 Kwhile with warmer light of 2700 K, the beam strength drops to 3100 lumens.

I couldn’t resist and quickly connected Datura to the lighting synchronization system with what I was watching on the TV. By the way, I discovered that the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box has a limit of only 10 light sources.

In practice, the Datura’s lower light is so strong, even with RGB display, that in cinematic relaxation mode it is worth dimming it extremely or even limiting it to only the upper ceiling lighting. However, it’s hard to call it a disadvantage, because Philips Hue offers smooth brightness control. If it’s too bright, you can easily dim it down, and on the other hand, if the lighting power was the limit, we won’t do much.

Philips’ approach to thematic profiles should also be appreciated. It is not a simple matter of setting all light sources to the same color, they harmonize with each other, taking into account their individual character and arrangement. For example, the Philips Hue Festavia garland in Christmas mode offered additional sparkling or falling drop effects, complementing the large and coherent configuration of 10 other lighting sources.

The Datura ceiling lamp (large, 57.4 cm) is a device that combines high power, great color reproduction and two independent light sources. At the bottom we see a perfectly dispersed, uniform color, and an additional LED strip allows us to separate our “UFO” from the ceiling with a different color thanks to the ceiling lighting. During the tests, the only drawback was perhaps too much Datura power in Hue scenes (compared to the other lighting), but such a drawback is not a drawback – you can always lower the brightness in the settings and save an additional profile. The advantages include a clear user manual and simple assembly (remember that you need a bridge).

The equipment will work well both as a light source in the living room and above the bed in the bedroom. The lack of irritating spotlights makes it easier to fall asleep, read books or simply rest. When necessary, Datura can easily illuminate even a large room. This is a ceiling lamp above ceiling lamps and only the price is also from these specific ones. The regular price exceeds PLN 1,800, and in promotions it rarely falls much below PLN 1,400. At this price, many people are looking for some sophisticated design, not a metal frame, plastic finish and extreme minimalism. For me, what matters is the quality of light, automation and simple comfort, and here Datura definitely wins.