If you are looking for a physical button to operate your Philips Hue lamps, you can choose from official Philips Hue accessories or the Friends of Hue wall switches. Do you choose the Dimmer, Smart Button or a third-party switch? Here you can read what your options are.
Philips Hue switches and buttons
With a Philips Hue button you can let others operate the smart lights, even if they don't have a smartphone. A button is useful for young children and people who are less handy. Or maybe you often have guests that you don't want to give access to your HomeKit account. There are also situations imaginable where pressing a physical button is just a little faster than opening the Hue app or calling out a Siri command. Because even though we like to control our smart home in a smart way from the iPhone, sometimes you just want a physical button. You can choose from all kinds of smart HomeKit buttons from Eve, Aqara, Fibaro and other manufacturers. But you could also just opt for the various buttons and switches that Phliips Hue makes itself, because they are of good quality and user-friendly. We'll walk you through the range in this guide!
- Philips Hue Dimmer Switch v2
- Philips Hue Tap Dial
- Philips Hue Smart Button
- Philips Hue Wall Switch Module
- Friends of Hue Buttons
- Discontinued
- Which Hue switch do you need?
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Philips Hue Dimmer Switch v2
If you are a fanatical Hue user and have a bridge at home, then the updated Philips Hue Dimmer Switch is an interesting option. You often get this with a starter pack or with a set of lamps, but you can also buy it separately. And with a price of around 20 euros, it is a lot cheaper than most other smart buttons. With the top button you can switch the light on and off, with the Hue button you can choose five scenes and with the two middle tilt buttons you can brighten and dim the lighting. The controls are very intuitive.
This is the second generation Philips Hue Dimmer Switch. The new model can be recognized by the rounded corners and there are now only three instead of four physical buttons. In terms of functions, however, you will not notice this: you still use the middle button to dim. In the Home app, the four current buttons are treated as individual programmable buttons.
The dimmer has been available since January 2020 in the Philips Hue shop and various other stores, including Conrad.
+ New design with rounded corners
+ Often included in a set Hue bulbs
+ Relatively cheap
– Hue bridge required
Philips Hue Tap Dial Switch
You can also use the second generation Hue Tap to control all your lights. This is a round remote control with four buttons, where the outside can also be used as a rotary knob. Each button can be set up to control lighting in up to three separate rooms or zones in the home. This way you can quickly activate a light scene. The Tap is available in black and white. Since March 2023 there is a variant with a smaller magnetic holder, for when you have little space on the wall.
By tapping a button, you can instantly activate or adjust a light scene. It also includes an intuitive dimming control: the faster you turn the knob, the faster the lighting dims or gets brighter. If you turn slower, it will happen more gradually. Like the previous Hue Tap (which is no longer available), you can use it on its own, attach it to the wall, or stick it magnetically to a metal surface. The European version comes with a square back plate, the American version with a rectangular one.
Unlike the previous Hue Tap, which self-generated power by pressing the button, the new Hue Tap Dial requires a battery. It is a CR2032 button cell battery. The Philips Hue Tap in black or white costs around 50 euros. Also read our Philips Hue Tap review.
+ Choice of two colors
+ Long battery life
+ Also available with smaller magnetic holder
– Round interface slightly less intuitive than the Hue Dimmer Switch
– Hue app required for extensive button configuration
See also 
Review: Hue Tap Dial Switch is ideal for all your Hue smart lights
The Hue Tap Dial Switch is the latest version of the Hue Tap switch and has the important advantage of a rotating ring for dimming your lamps. Is this button worth an upgrade? We have tested the Hue Tap Dial Switch and you can read our experiences in the review.
Philips Hue Smart Button
Philips Hue also has a smart button with which you can activate all kinds of scenes. You operate the lamps with the push of a button and you can also switch on the light based on the time of day. If you press the button in the morning, you get, for example, bright lighting where you can have a good breakfast and work. But if you press the same button late at night, the Hue Smart button activates a cozy scene with warm light.
With one click you can control your smart lights without needing a smartphone. So also suitable for roommates who are not very technically handy. Press once to turn the lights on and off, or hold the button to dim or amplify them.
You can use this button separately or attach it to the wall with the special wall holder. The button is only available in white and is made of silicone rubber. It has an IP value of IP44 and is therefore also suitable for the bathroom, because it can withstand splashing water. Outdoors, however, is less suitable. It measures 32 x 14.5 mm and if you want to use the wall plate with it, you must take into account a wall surface of 76 x 76 mm.
As with the other Hue products, it works with HomeKit (via the Hue bridge), Siri, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and more. The Philips Hue Smart button is pre-configured and can therefore be used immediately after pairing with your Hue system, without having to program anything.
+ Compact design
+ Behavior dependent on button from time
– Requires Philips Hue bridge
– Only available in white
– Available at only a few stores
View Philips Hue Smart Button:
- Smart Button with square back plate
- Smart Button with rectangular back plate
Philips Hue Wall Switch Module
This solution takes a little more work, but gives a nice result. You can leave your existing light switches in place. With the Philips Hue Wall switch module you can turn your current light switches into smart buttons. You can also use it to choose from three predefined scenes.
Just like the Hue Smart Button you can also dim the lamp. A module can be connected to two switches if they are placed directly next to each other. Before installation, you must switch off the power supply and have the right tools.
+ Invisibly concealed
+ Suitable for existing light switches
– Requires more technical knowledge and effort
Friends of Hue buttons
The buttons we discussed above can be used as separate accessories. If you prefer a wall switch that looks like a traditional light switch, that is also possible. Manufacturers such as Busch-Jaeger, Senic, Jung, Gira, Feller, Niko, Vimar and NodOn have made wall switches for the Friends of Hue range. Philips Hue and EnOcean provide the technology, the manufacturer provides a nice plastic sleeve so that it matches your other light switches. You can stick them anywhere with double-sided tape, which is usually included. You can then set the light switch with the Hue app.
They are easy to conceal in your interior, because they look like traditional light switches and you can buy them in different designs and colors (white, grey, black, cream). You can install these wall switches in the places where your existing light points are, but the great thing is: you often don't need a power connection. Some work with a replaceable battery, others generate their own energy by pressing the button.
There are two variants:
- Light switches that generate their own energy (EnOcean)
- Light switches with battery (Sunricher)
A big advantage of the Friends of Hue switches is that no power supply is required. With most models you don't need a battery either, because they generate their own power as soon as you press the button. Kinetic energy is generated here thanks to a specially developed module from EnOcean). However, there is a downside: these switches are a bit more difficult to operate and have a clearly audible click when you press them. The Chinese manufacturer Sunricher has therefore developed an alternative module that works on batteries.
The quality and material of the Chinese battery-powered switches is slightly inferior to that of well-known brands such as Gira or Busch-Jaeger. However, those who want to can take the Sunricher module out of a cheap light switch and install it in a more expensive Friends of Hue switch from a well-known brand. Signify has not yet certified the Sunricher module. The battery lasts about 8 years.
With a Friends of Hue switch, you decide for yourself what happens when you press the button. You can set individual functions, such as off/on, dimming/amplifying or favorite light scenes.
The Friends of Hue products are intended to receive regular software updates with new functions. You can configure them in the Hue app and then get access to all the functions you are used to with Hue.
Pros:
+ Fits with existing wall switches
+ Many colours, designs and materials
+ Made by well-known manufacturers of switchgear, including Jung and Gira
+ Can be used on existing light points
+ Neutral design
+ No power connection required, works with kinetic energy or battery
Cons:
– Quite pricey
– Requires installation
Discontinued
No longer available in stores, but may still be available used:
- Hue Dimmer (1st generation)
- Hue Tap
The Philips Hue Dimmer Switch (see photo below) can be used as a switch for HomeKit. If you only use it for your Hue lamps, you can scroll through set scenes by pressing the top button a few times. You use the middle two buttons to dim the light, while the bottom button switches off your lights. As soon as you link it to HomeKit, the buttons are seen as four separate buttons.
Previously, Philips also sold the Hue Tap. The biggest difference is in the price, because the Hue Dimmer is a lot cheaper. Furthermore, you can set many more Dimmer functions via the Hue app, even if you use third-party accessories. That is not the case with the Tap.
Which Hue switch should you have?
Which switch suits you depends on what you are looking for and what your budget is. Fortunately, there is quite a lot of choice.
If you are looking for a switch that can be incorporated unobtrusively into a normal row of switch buttons, then you should buy the Friends of Hue switches. They are a bit more expensive, but you only have to install them once and then enjoy them for years (and maybe even decades).
If you are looking for the cheapest possible button, the Hue Dimmer is often the best solution. You sometimes get these with a set of Hue lamps, otherwise the price of around 20 euros is also affordable. The Tradfri switch from IKEA is even cheaper, but why bother?
The Hue Dimmer is often also the best solution for less experienced users. The printing on the buttons immediately makes it clear what it is intended for: on, off, brighter and dimmed. Due to the rectangular design and the magnetic back, the button is easy to attach anywhere.
The Hue Tap can be more useful for advanced users because you have more options for programming (we use the unofficial iConnectHue app for that). This offers more options than the standard Hue app.
Speaking of programming: iCulture reader Remco gave the tip that you can also build the Hue Tap into normal switch buttons. You take the Tap apart and process the switch box behind a special 4-way switch, such as this one.
Our advice: take the Philips Hue Dimmer Switch
If you are unsure which button to take, we recommend the Hue Dimmer. This is the cheapest, is easy to operate, has a logical layout and is always handy to have.
A point of attention is that the Philips Hue switches are mainly intended for the Hue lamps. If you are looking for a smart button that can turn on your Hue lamps and also control other devices, you could also opt for a smart button with HomeKit. The disadvantage is that they are often a bit more expensive, around 50 euros.
See also 
HomeKit smart buttons: these are your options for switches
With HomeKit- buttons and dimmers make operating your smart accessories a lot easier. You no longer need an iPhone and can easily switch on devices by pressing a button. Sometimes that's easier than asking Siri. This guide shows you which smart buttons are available for HomeKit and what you can do with them.