No Stupid Questions

I don't buy the colored lights myself, but I will still only buy Hue for three reasons:

[1] Reliability - in my experience, Hue bulbs literally last for years, don't glitch or flicker, and always respond immediately. I have some Hue bulbs in my house that have been running 24/7/365 for about 8 years.

[2] Proper ZigBee protocol implementation - I run Home Assistant with a third party ZigBee controller. Because Hue adheres to the ZigBee protocol, my controller is fully able to control all Hue bulb functions (including the color stuff) without requiring the use of the Hue Hub. It's not even plugged in.

The controller also allows me to use any protocol-compliant ZigBee device that "requires" the use of a hub, without the hub, which means no data is sent out of my network from these hubs to cloud servers somewhere, which increases my security.

[3] Hue bulbs are powerful ZigBee mesh network repeaters - they are the backbone of my Home Assistant network. The placement of at least one in every room strengthens the network and allows non-repeater battery-powered ZigBee devices (like motion sensors) to pass their data through the network to the controller more quickly and efficiently than they would if my bulbs were a) cheaper models with weaker signals, b) bulbs with incomplete ZigBee protocol compliance, or c) non-ZigBee bulbs (like wi-fi models).

The strength (and thus, range) of the Hue ZigBee signal also allows for the usage of smart devices at the edge of my network - like an automated pet food dispenser in a room with no plugs and an old, definitely not ZigBee fluorescent tube light.

They're solid networked bulbs. They just work and there's no annoying flicker like you may get with PWM LED bulbs. I like being able to change the color of them depending on my mood and the vibe. Friday night comes around and I set everything to fun colors, blast some music, have friends over, etc., it's a good time and the bulbs contribute. I have a light strip around the mirror in my bathroom and another strip under my cabinets in the kitchen which provide better lighting than the ceiling lights.

I also sometimes set everything to red at night since it's easier on the eyes. It's nice being able to have super cool white for doing work, and warmer (sometimes nearly orange/red) for relaxing in the evening.

You could use Govee instead, they're a little cheaper, but IMO Hue is generally nicer quality.

Ease of set-up for the not so technically versed? Plus Philips is well known, people tend to choose something familiar over something new and having to do a lot of research

I would guess most users would say the color features are something like "a nice thing to have, even if I don't use it all the time".

I don't have any hue bulbs, but the few smart bulbs I have are used pretty much like normal bulbs. But things like dimming in otherwise non-dimming fixtures or changing the color on an exterior light for holidays or whatever are neat things that come up occasionally.

The networking stuff has been a desired thing for me to delve more thoroughly in, but hasn't happened it (auto lights for the house when coming/going, settings for different activities like movie nights or game nights, flashing lights for alarms/timers on things like laundry or doorbells).

I've not used the Phillips Hue lights, but I have used other brands, and the answer is that they are fun.

• I used them in my patio light to set holiday themes
• In rooms with front facing windows to add additional spooky ambiance for Halloween
• Accent lighting for Tiki themed parties
• Mood lightning for various occasions (e.g. watching horror movies or "date night")

That being said, the novelty wore off after about 2 years and I no longer use them ... but now I'm thinking I might want to bring them out again.

IMO, it's the combination of hue lights and a voice assistant that makes these lightbulbs life-changing. When you first get them, yeah, you just play with the different colors they can make. Maybe you get a nice warm beige that you like, or a dark orange at low intensity for watching TV. But eventually you get to the point where you have lots of these lights in different rooms, and you can control them as you move through the house.

"Hey Siri, bedroom lights 100" "Hey Siri, basement lights dark orange." "Hey Siri, living room lights 50."

Suddenly you can be carrying things in the house and turn on the lights you need to, the way you want to, without having to futz with a switch or dial. You can turn the lights on outside before you get to the driveway in a dark winter night. Or you can have certain lights turn themselves on at sunset. I've done all these things. It's just so damn convenient!

Smart home features and adjustable color temp/brightness are what I like.

If you’re already tech-savvy and are powering your smart lights with appropriate bulbs and a Lutron system then you are almost exactly the target audience. Hue is just an alternative, easier to set up (proprietary) ecosystem.

I very much agree, I would probably never change the bulbs to funky colors. That's why I think their White Ambience bulbs make the most sense, as you can change their color temperature throughout the day.

The ability to have lights sync with video on a tv is very cool. It is great to be able to set different colors/moods for when guests are over. Alexa/Google functionality is helpful, no need to get up to dim the lights, just say “set lights to 30%” and it’s done. You can set schedules for lights to be on/off or to slowly increase brightness to wake you from sleep during winter months. I enjoy having them, not needed for every light though.

I don't have philips hue, but I suppose you could change the mood of a room depending on the lighting. Scary movie? Red... hearing a podcast about nature? Green...

That said, I find Philips hue to be overpriced. They're very expensive for what they do.

I think the main reason is being able to change between the colors (2800/3200/5000K/etc.) depending on the time of day. I prefer more orange light in the evening and blue light during the day. Guess some people might just like to do mood lighting but not really sure where green mood lighting would be used. Lol.

Well as you pointed out you'd never want a particular color other than 2800/3000/3200k; with hue you can have any of these at any time. There are also a lot of special use cases such as colored accent lighting, or just making a space feel more exotic by having neon lighting. Having just a single bulb change colors is one thing but if you have a room with 6+ bulbs all in complimentary colors you can get some pretty cool effects.

That being said, Phillips charges a premium for their bulbs, and there are alternatives that are just as good for half the price

I work in IT so I'm really techy and I'm in the same boat. I can't understand why anyone would want smart lightbulbs much less color changing ones. Unless you're a 14-year-old girl doing tik-tok dances in your bedroom 🤷‍♂️