I got hue bulbs and a 3rd party zwave/zigbee USB stick, hue works really well with it via Node-RED and Home Assistant :) I understand that for most users hue bridge seemed like the easiest way to connect but hopefully they will find that it's not that difficult to connect them via other means.

Comparing TP Link (wifi connected) bulb with Hue - the former reacts a lot quicker than tp link after boot (if you are using the normal switch).