All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers.If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Amazon is so thoughtful, guys. They know that Prime Day is going to be a total chaos, so they've been dropping deals early for the past week in order to give Prime members less of a panic attack on July 16 and 17. Today, the countdown to Prime Day continues: Amazon is offering a Philips Hue Smart Lighting Starter Kit (complete with two smart light bulbs, a central hub, and an Echo Dot) all for $69.99. SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime members can get a head start on these early Prime Day deals This bundle is the definition of a steal — $69.99 is usually the price of the starter kit without the Echo Dot. If these things were all purchased separately, you'd be paying nearly $120. So in other words, you're crazy to not take advantage of a price as low as $70. That's nearly 50% off, you guys. As for tech specs on the lightbulbs, they're the A19 LED 60W-equivalent Energy Star Certified smart bulbs — so if you're into saving the environment and all that stuff, you should probably jump on this. The bulbs can also be dimmed to your heart's desire, either by using the Philips Hue app or by asking Alexa to do it. Either way, you won't be bothered to get out of your comfy position on the couch, and you'll never have to come home to a creepy dark house. For even more energy saving, you'll be able to control your lights on your phone from anywhere in the world, allowing you to make sure everything was turned off if you left the house in a rush. Image: amazon Image: philips hue And speaking of Alexa, an Amazon Echo Dot is also thrown into the mix. Get hands-free voice commands or question-asking with Alexa, control other smart home devices like smart TVs or Nest thermostats (which will probably be on Prime sale as well, *hint hint*), and drop in on friends and family who also have an Echo device. Even if you already have an Echo Dot in your home, having multiple in different rooms can act as a handy household intercom. We promise the setup isn't a nightmare, either: Just install the smart bulbs like you would with any other bulbs, get the free Philips Hue app on the App Store or Google Play, and pair your lights with the included Hue Hub. Once that's ready, download the Hue skill on your Alexa app to get voice commands ready for action. (It's also compatible with Apple HomeKit and Google Assistant.) When you're not at home or are too lazy to even talk to Alexa, the lights can also be controlled via Philips Hue app. And before you ask: No, there's no wiring necessary. Everything works via WiFi, so even the most non-tech savvy people can figure this out. Pre-Prime Day deals aren't gonna last long, y'all, so jump on this bundle before it sells out. Learn more and make your life easier for $69.99 here.<doc-sep>Amazon’s annual Prime Day is here a little earlier than promised. The tech giant kicked off several Echo and Kindle sales yesterday morning, hours before the supposed start time of 12PM PT (3PM ET). As always, the sale is exclusive to those who have an Amazon Prime membership. Prime Day is a chance to grab products as varied as DNA kits and Instant Pots at significant discounts, but the more well-known draw of Prime Day is discounted Alexa-powered devices and Kindle e-readers. Certain items like the Fire TV, the Fire TV Stick, and the Echo Look haven’t been 50 percent off before. For those who are looking to buy several Alexa-powered devices and pair them throughout your home for more coverage, there are also several bundles and deals for buying multiples of the same device. And if you have an Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card, the usual 5 percent cash back is raised to 10 percent for select Amazon devices. We’ve picked out the best deals here: We’re rounding up all of the best Amazon Prime Day deals in a running list here. Check back as the day progresses! Last updated July 17th, 5:16PM ET.<doc-sep>Smart home lighting lets you set the perfect mood for the occasion, but unfortunately there's a pretty hefty price for entry. But right now the Philips Hue 2-Pack White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit, so if you missed Prime Day is not too late to score some savings. This Philips Hue two-bulb starter kit comes with white and color bulb, so you can try out all kinds of lighting scenarios, and it can be paired with the smart home system of your choice, whether Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Homekit, or Google's Assistant. Each bulb comes with 25,000 hours of use (that's 23 years of normal use if you're keeping track) and the hub that lets you control the lights from your smartphone. It's the ultimate starter kit if you've ever wanted to give smart home lighting a try. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>If you want to take your voice assistant to the next level then you need to get the Amazon Echo Show. And right now it's $100 off so there's no better time. Rather than just speaking to your Echo, now you can watch its answers on a screen. We especially liked using it to watch the news and follow along to recipes.<doc-sep>
A set of deals from Philips Hue, the company behind the popular line of smart lightbulbs, has the potential to light up your life this Prime Day. We’ve long been fans of the brand’s offerings, having first reviewed the company’s smart light bulbs way back in 2013. And when it comes to intelligent lighting, Philips Hue remains king today. Of course, maintaining a position at the top often means higher price points, but this Amazon Prime Day, you can take advantage of some pretty major savings on some of the company’s most popular offerings. For starters, Philips Hue is offering its two-pack White and Color Ambiance Starter Kit for $90, which is a hefty 40 percent off the normal price. We reviewed the White Ambiance kit just a few months ago, giving it four out of five stars and applauding its useful features, great range and responsiveness, and extensive third-party app compatibility, including integrations with Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant. Then, there’s the Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus option, which lets you add a bit of shine under a sofa, cabinet, bar, or TV. This will now set you back $65, or 28 percent off its original price of $90. And finally, if you’re looking for some portable intelligence, you can turn to the Philips Hue Go portable lamp for just $63, or 21 percent off its list price of $80. See All Deals Find the best Prime Day deals and more on our curated deals page, and follow us on Twitter for live updates. Editors' Recommendations