5 reasons to buy color-changing light bulbs

A lot of smart home gadgets try to disappear into your home, but color-changing smart lights from the likes of Lifx, Nanoleaf, Sylvania, and Philips Hue are a big, flashy exception. With countless shades of vivid, brightly-colored light available with just a voice command or a few taps on your phone, lights like those certainly aren't subtle. Instead, the idea is to make for a more modern and striking-looking living space.

Whether or not you actually want that is entirely up to your tastes, but you should also consider that these kinds of lights have practical uses, too. For instance, with the right automations, they can mimic the way natural light changes throughout the day, or signal you when you have a new email from an important contact.

You'll find even more ways to put them to use if you're willing to get creative. Here are a few suggestions to get you started: