I've never heard of lifx until this thread, but if Diemenz vouches for them, I'm sure they are a good choice. For the IOT security thing, you could set up an alternate wifi (ie: unused guest account) for IOT devices. I don't think you can go wrong with Hue even if it's not Diemenz top pick though.
If you are doing more than half a dozen bulbs, a hub will probably be a better option than using direct to phone options (ie: Bluetooth, zigabee etc.).
I've used two smart LED brands for more than a year: Sengled and Hue. Hue is hands down vastly superior to Sengled, but Sengled is crazy cheap. I use the Sengled combined with an echo dot for voice command on/off/dim for things like the nursery. The Hue I use in main areas of my home and I will agree with Diemenz about the idea of a difference in color quality between brands.
I've also noticed more apps are willing to coordinate with Hue. For instance, Sleep Cycle (paid app) has a function that can use your Hue lights to do the gentle light wake up alarm or a color/time sync shut down to a schedule. Sunrise/sunset I'm not sure, but I feel like I've seen it in sleep alarm as well. Typically, the stand alone Phillips sleep alarms are like $100+, so adding this function for the cost of an app to pre-existing Hue lights is excellent value IMO. The Hue app has quite a bit of stuff that you can tinker with as well, Sengled doesn't have that.
The Hue feels better built than the Sengled by far. The interfaces and connectivity with other apps is easily superior too. The Hue ecosystem seems to be the most mainstream at the moment, so that might be worth considering as well in terms of FAQ, set up guides and support etc.
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