If you were planning on turning on the Christmas lights this weekend, you might want to take a look at Philips Hue Festavia light chain. Normally $219.99, you can currently purchase a 65-foot string with 250 color-changing LEDs at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGYJDTN7?tag=theverge02-20″>amazon and Philips Hue for $153.99. If you need a longer strand, the 130 foot strand with 500 bulbs available at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGXZV8RV?tag=theverge02-20″>amazon and Philips Hue for an all-time low of $251.99 ($108 off).
Philips Hue's Festavia are some of the best Christmas light strings you can buy. They outshine their rivals with rich colors and pre-set magical scenes and effects, allowing your home to stand out (if you so choose). Of all the models we tested last year, they were also the only ones with a relatively solid IP54 rating for both the lights and the power adapter, meaning you can hang them outside without having to worry about the elements ruining them. Plus, they work great within the Hue ecosystem, making them a reliable option if you already own Hue Play bars, color-changing light strips, or bulbs.
In terms of platform support, Festavia supports the newest Matter protocol, which means they are compatible with most major smart home platforms (including amazon Alexa and Google Assistant). They work over Bluetooth with your phone, but like most Hue products, you'll need a Hue Bridge to set up automations, sync them with your music, and take advantage of other features. Fortunately, if you don't have a Bridge, the handy accessory is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.amazon.com/Philips-Hue-Smart-Google-Assistant/dp/B016H0QZ7I/?tag=theverge02-20″>for sale on amazon right now for $42.67 ($18 off), which is still one of their best prices to date.
