Darkness. Freezing temperatures. Winter is here and it’s staying for a long, long while. Are we complaining? Not so much. The holidays are upon us and we are going to hibernate hard this year.

Our apartment is cozy – the temperature is cranked, we have throw blankets galore, soft pillows and cascading plants. But, light is everything. And, the solution is one-stop: Philips Hue Play, from the Philips Hue family of products.

This year, Hue Play tops our list for best presents. Buy one for your lover, your bestie, your parents and your secret Santa. It’s a sure bet to please everyone.

New on the market, this compact light bar is as versatile as they come. It can be mounted or placed on the ground, placed horizontally or vertically and can be positioned in a variety of ways. It can be extended up to three pieces without additional cords and sockets and it’s a straightforward plug and play device.

It creates atmospheric light in a natural, reserved way and adds a calming glow to any experience: Netflix binges on the couch, cocktail hour hosting or a mood enhancer on a cold, grey day while listening to your weekly podcast.

Hue Play is discreet – we placed ours behind the TV and it blended in seamlessly with the rest of our technology in the living room. It gives off indirect light only and with a small height, it’s barely discernible.

But the ambience it provides is huge. The device allows you to play with 16 million colours, to create gorgeous lighting effects – from soft fuchsia in the wee morning hours, a twilight blue in the late evening, mellow green when we are sitting around listening to music and a dozen shades in between. All of the colour combos we’ve tried so far have yielded soft, calm-inducing, mellow vibes.

This sleek little light bar is endless in its offerings and, coupled with its sleek, minimalist design, it’s a product that’s now permanently part of our household. Available on Amazon and other select retailers, Hue Play is the best gift to give this season.

*This post was sponsored by Philips Hue however opinions expressed are our own.