Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp: Two-minute review

If there’s one thing I’ve come to appreciate about Nanoleaf’s smart lights since the release of the first-generation Essentials Smart Bulb, it's the company’s ability to offer excellent products at an affordable price. And that's been carried over to the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp, which was first revealed at CES in January 2025. It’s one of the cheaper smart floor lamps available at the time of writing and performs wonderfully well, which means you get good value for money here.

There’s nothing particularly standout about it – I suppose that might partly explain the lower price point – but it’s still packed full of features, including reacting to sound, screen mirroring and extensive customizable light scenes. There's even AI-enabled customizations here – just type a word and the app will spew out an appropriate light color palette.

It does require some assembly, which I was a little apprehensive about initially, but a little help from a short YouTube video from Nanoleaf had the lamp ready to be switched on in less than 20 minutes.

If you’re new to Nanoleaf, you’ll have an easy time of pairing it via the companion app – available for both iOS and Android – but I should mention that as someone who’s had multiple Nanoleaf products over the last few years, I ran into trouble as I hadn’t used many of them in a long time. I kept getting popup warnings that all my other Nanoleaf lights were offline, and that prevented me from connecting the floor lamp. Trying to pair each one back was a miserable experience, so I ended up deleting them – except for the Nanoleaf Essentials Light Strip that just refused to disappear (I still can’t figure out why) – which then made connecting the floor lamp via the QR code on the product (and its box) a lot easier.

When switched on for the first time, the Nanoleaf floor lamp defaults to a solid color light, but you can change that quickly enough in the app, where a plethora of user-created light combinations (or Scenes) are already available to preview and download. You can also create your own if you’re feeling adventurous.

It’s not the brightest floor lamp we’ve tested at TechRadar, topping out at 1,700 lumens. In comparison, the Philips Hue Signe Gradient lamp sits at 2,500 lumens (but costs a heck of a lot more too), while the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is 2,100 lumens. So while it won’t necessarily light up a large room brightly, the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp manages to create a moody ambience, even if you decide that a solid white (cool) or yellow (warm) light is what you prefer.

As with any other smart floor lamp like it, the Nanoleaf is best used as a wall washer – the light facing the wall – that’s what creates the atmosphere in the room and, if you happen to set it to full brightness with a white (or whitish) light, it can be very harsh on the eyes when you look at it directly.

The transition from one color to another is fantastic and I am yet to find a hue that I don't like – whether you prefer vivid and vibrant lights or pastel shades, the Nanoleaf floor lamp handles them just as well as all the other smart lights from the brand. It’s really quite lovely and I can’t complain about anything when it comes to its day-to-day performance.

I’m amazed at how many features Nanoleaf has managed to pack into this lamp. It has 24 color zones with 72 LEDs spread along it (so you can really go crazy with the customizations); it works via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or can be controlled via a Matter smart home hub; and it inherits the Rhythm Mode from Nanoleaf’s light panels that make the lamp react to the beat of the music playing in the room. Screen mirroring is also possible if you already use the Nanoleaf 4D kit on your TV (you’ll need the Nanoleaf desktop app for PC screen mirroring).

While there's no lag when it comes to using the Rhythm Mode or screen mirroring, I will say that the light palette doesn't always shift with the exact beat. And if you happen to be talking loudly over the music, you'll definitely confuse the lamp which will react to the bigger sounds in the room.

There's no arguing that it's a versatile smart light that requires no pre-planning to install (like the Nanoleaf panels) and, once fully set up, is easy to use. What it misses out on is the speaker on the base that you’ll find in the Philips Hue Signe Gradient and the Govee Floor Lamp Pro, but that didn’t bother me at all.

My biggest issue is with the Nanoleaf app. I’ve complained about it when testing the Essentials range and in my Nanoleaf Lines review, saying the app is not intuitive. Sadly that situation hasn't changed in the last a few years and it needs to be a little easier to use. Don't get me wrong, it's got everything you need for smart lights, but how the whole thing is set up could be a touch convoluted for some users.

Take the Routines tab, for example: I wanted to set up a weekday and a weekend routine where it switches on and off at set times. You can easily add a start time for a specific action, but there's no option to add the end time in the same routine. Instead, I found I needed to create a separate routine where the start time was essentially the end time with the action being the light being off. Schedules and routines shouldn't be this hard to do.

The Philips Hue app, on the other hand, is so easy to use, where the same functionality is allows you to add the start and end time within the same pane. Other smart home applications I've used also offer the same seamless scheduling, including TP-Link's Tapo app and Australian company Laser's ConnectSmart app.

The Nanoleaf app is necessary, though, particularly if you want to set up different Scenes (as the mixed-color lights are called) and customization is made easy via the AI Magic Scenes feature that allows you to type a word or short description to get a corresponding palette. You’ll also need it to integrate Google Home, Alexa, Samsung SmartThings or Apple HomeKit control. In fact, I much prefer using the Apple Home app on my iPhone 17 Pro, which also imports my favorite Scenes, while Siri automations makes it easy to control the floor lamp via voice commands.

If, like me, you’re frustrated with the app, there is a physical controller attached to the power cord and can be used to not just turn the lamp on or off, but also cycle through a few Scenes you’ve marked as your favorites. It also allows you to adjust brightness. That said, the controller is best used only after you’ve finished all your customizations on the app, or you may not like the color palettes that are set as default.

Despite my issues with the app, I can’t help but love the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp, and I applaud how affordable it is.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: price & availability

• List price: $119.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.99 in the US, UK and Australia respectively
• Available now directly from Nanoleaf or authorized retailers

Nanoleaf debuted the Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp at CES in January 2025, but it only became widely available in most major markets much later in the year. While the company announced it would retail for $99.99 in the US, that price has since gone up and it's now listed for $119.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.99.

Despite the slightly higher price in the US, that’s still an affordable amount for most people looking for a smart lamp. In comparison, the Philips Hue Signe Gradient floor lamp will set you back a whopping $362.99 / £279.99 / AU$499.95. The Govee Floor Lamp Pro costs $199.99 / £219.99 (it's unavailable in Australia), but can often be discounted to around $159 / £169, which is still higher than the full price of the Nanoleaf. Even the cheaper Govee Floor Lamp 2 costs more at $159.99 / £149.99 / AU$349.99.

Sure, the Nanoleaf misses out on the speaker base of some of the more premium smart lamps, but that’s about all, which makes it excellent bang for buck.

• Value score: 5 / 5

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: Specs

Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: Design

• Slim, simple yet solid build
• Easy assembly
• Good height, but lacks speaker base

The Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp comes in a few individual bits in the box that you'll need to put together. As I mentioned, I was a little apprehensive about that – DIY is not my forte – but Nanoleaf has easy-to-follow instruction videos online that provide better clarity than the diagrams in the user manual.

The main components are the circular metal base, the three sections of the semicircular pole (or stem) and the light strip that fits into the assembled pole. You screw the connectors to the sections of the stem, which then gets screwed to the tiny protrusion on the base.

The base houses a tiny connector, which is where you'll start pushing the bendy light strip into the pole. Nanoleaf suggests you fit the bottom, the top and middle, then push the rest of the strip in and not be afraid to tuck it into the base. It doesn't seem like the light strip will fit, but it surprisingly does.

Also in the box is the power cable that comes fitted with the controller. Once set up, the lamp stands 1.4 meters tall (4.59 feet), which I think is a nice height for a light like it.

I've lifted the lamp by the top of the stem and nothing has shaken loose, and neither does anything wobble despite being multiple pieces screwed together. It looks thin, but it seems quite sturdy to me. I do have to note that the base picks up dusty scuff marks easily, but those can be wiped off. I would, however, be a little concerned about scratches in the long run.

• Design score: 4.5 / 5

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp

Buy it if...

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Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp review: Alternatives

Not sure if the Nanoleaf floor lamp is right for you? Below are a couple of alternatives that you could consider instead.

How I tested the Nanoleaf Smart Multicolor Floor Lamp

As soon as I opened the box that the lamp came in, I began the assembly process. The user manual has diagrams only to help with the setup, but you can find videos on Nanoleaf's website or its YouTube channel if you're having trouble.

Once powered on, I paired it via the Nanoleaf app and, despite the issues I described earlier, I was then able to choose some light scenes to get me started. That done, I integrated it into the Apple HomeKit app as another accessory.

I created one of my own light scenes, but didn't try another as it can be quite time consuming. Instead, I browsed a variety of user-created options and downloaded about 10 that I really liked.

I was unfortunately unable to try the lamp with my other Nanoleaf lights as I had trouble re-pairing them to the app (due to inactivity), so I tested different features on the lamp alone. I placed it in different spots in my living room, finally liking it beside a console table that houses my Sonos Ikea Symfonisk picture frame speaker, which was ideal to test out the Rhythm Mode.

I finally tried setting up routines on the Nanoleaf app, but ended up setting up schedules via HomeKit instead, which works fine for my needs.

You can read more about how we test products at TechRadar for more details.

[First published October 2025]

• Nanoleaf has added two new color-shifting smart lights to its collection
• The Rope Light can be bent into any shape and mounted on an interior wall
• The Solar Garden Lights resemble tulips and are made for use outdoors

Nanoleaf has launched two new smart lights to liven up your home indoors and out: the Nanoleaf Rope Light, which you can position on your wall in any shape you like, and which can be set to your choice of colors and gradients, and the Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights, which add a little glow to your yard after dark.

Although Nanoleaf makes smart bulbs to fit your ordinary ceiling lights and lamps, the company is best known for fun and funky products like the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO illuminated display cases for showing off your collectibles, the Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes that can be arranged on your walls in any way you see fit, and the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights, which add festive cheer indoors or out.

The latest addition to Nanoleaf's collection of fun interior smart lights is the Rope Light – a five-meter LED string that you can bend and twist into any shape, and attach to your wall.

The Nanoleaf Rope Light has 420 LEDs and 70 addressable color zones, allowing you to create smooth gradients and animations. It's compatible with the Nanoleaf app, which allows you to apply scenes or make your own custom color palettes by drawing with your fingertip.

You can also use the Rope Light to mirror the colors on your PC monitor via the Nanoleaf desktop app. We'll be testing it soon to see how it compares with the best Ambilight alternatives, and whether it deserves a spot in our guide to the best smart lights.

It costs $69.99 (about £50 / AU$110), and is available now direct from Nanoleaf.

How does your garden glow?

The Rope Light looks great, and I look forward to testing it, but personally I'm most excited by the Nanoleaf Solar Garden Lights. These weather-resistant smart lights resemble a bunch of tulips and can be staked into the ground wherever you like.

As the name suggests, each cluster of lights is connected to a solar panel, which you can position to catch the optimum amount of sunshine, and has a subtle black and gray finish to blend in with the plants and ornaments in your garden.

Although they'd look striking lining the edge of your garden path, judging by Nanoleaf's photos, the Solar Garden Lights look particularly striking when placed right beside a plant, where the lights seem to be growing out of it organically. Unlike most garden lights, I can imagine them working well in a pot, so you can enjoy them even if you only have a balcony or paved yard.

They aren't compatible with the Nanoleaf app (which is perhaps a bit of a shame), but their daylight sensors mean you can sync them so they only turn on after dark, and they come with a remote control that lets you change their colors, apply scenes, and set timers.

The Solar Garden Lights are also available today direct from Nanoleaf, and cost $49.99 (about £40 / AU$80) for a set of two light clusters.

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• Nanoleaf has launched a new screen-mirroring light system for gaming PCs
• It connects to your PC via USB-C instead of using a camera on the screen
• This should mean less latency and better color reproduction

Nanoleaf, maker of some of the best smart lights we've tested here at TechRadar, has launched a new light strip designed to make PC gaming more immersive, by bathing the wall behind your monitor in a wash of color that shifts to mirror what's happening on screen. And it's much cheaper than you might expect.

The idea is that, like an Ambilight TV, the light strip effectively blurs the edges of the screen by extending its colors, helping you feel more involved in the action.

Many of the best Ambilight alternatives (such as the Nanoleaf 4D and the Govee Flow Pro Wi-Fi TV Smart Bars) can do this with any screen, including TVs and PC monitors, but these usually work by using a camera to monitor the changing colors. This can work fine in optimum lighting conditions, but reflections on the screen can throw things off, and there's always a slight delay before the lights behind your TV change color to match.

With Nanoleaf's new PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, that should no longer be a problem because the system connects directly to your PC via USB-C, and picks up the data being sent to your monitor. It's very similar to the way a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box intercepts the HDMI signal being sent to your TV, and uses it to provide real-time synced backlighting.

How to order

As Notebookcheck explains, the system also does away with the awkward brackets that make many light strips tricky to fit onto the back of TVs and monitors. Instead, it has a zig-zag shape that lets it easily bend around corners. It's compatible with monitors up to 32 inches, and can be cut to fit smaller ones.

The PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip is controlled using Nanoleaf's desktop software, which is available for Windows and macOS, but at the time of writing it's not compatible with the Nanoleaf mobile app.

It's available to pre-order now direct from Nanoleaf for $49.99 in the US, £39.99 in the UK, and orders should be delivered by the end of March so you won't have to wait long. The company hasn't yet announced pricing or a launch date for Australia.

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• Nanoleaf has launched a new lighting strip that syncs with your monitor
• It could provide an immersive boost to Mac gamers
• Apple has also patented a Magic Mouse with haptic feedback

Things have been looking up for Mac gamers in recent years, with Apple launching increasingly powerful hardware and AAA games coming to the company’s computers in increasing numbers. Now, there are a few new reasons why Mac gaming could be getting a touch more immersive.

The first is that Nanoleaf has just launched the PC Screen Mirror Lightstrip, which is a lighting strip for Mac and PC desktop monitors that provides rainbow effects for an immersive experience while gaming, listening to music, or watching TV shows and movies.

The strip connects to your computer over USB-C and needs to be paired using Nanoleaf’s desktop app. Once that’s done, its lights can actively match what is happening on your screen, providing a backlighting effect that extends the on-screen colors to your surroundings.

Nanoleaf’s Lightstrip costs $49.99 and can be pre-ordered from the company’s website. It’ll start shipping at the end of March.

Apple patent points to a haptic gaming Magic Mouse

While Nanoleaf’s latest product is available to order now, there’s another idea that could give Mac gamers a boost that’s a little more experimental, and it comes in the form of a freshly uncovered patent (via Patently Apple).

The patent describes how a future Magic Mouse could be embedded with haptic sensors that mimic the effects of on-screen action. For example, it could enable you to feel the texture of moving through sand or sliding on ice, providing a much more immersive gaming experience.

Right now, Apple’s Magic Mouse is poorly suited to gaming due to its slippery top surface, unergonomic shape, and lack of customizable buttons. While the ideas discussed in the patent might help make it more viable for gaming, it will need a more wide-ranging overhaul before it becomes gamers’ pointer of choice. That said, the idea of a mouse embedded with haptic sensors could equally apply to creative and productivity tasks, so there’s a degree of flexibility here.

Being a patent, we don’t know when – or if – this will ever come to fruition. But it’s interesting to imagine how it could benefit Mac gamers and productivity lovers alike.

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Philips Hue and Nanoleaf are two of the biggest names in smart lighting, but which system is right for you? While the increasing support for the Matter standard means you can combine both brands into a mix-and-match smart home (more on that shortly), you'll have an easier time getting all your lights to work as you want, and unlock all their features, if you stick with one system.

Generally speaking, Nanoleaf lights are less expensive than Philips Hue and skew toward fun more than function. The company does produce standard smart light bulbs (which performed admirably in our tests), but it's better known for products like its colorful wall-mounted LED panels and display shelves that can be synced with one another or your gaming system.

Philips Hue (owned by parent brand Signify) offers a much wider range of light bulbs, strips and lamps, but leans more towards replacing your existing lights. There are Philips Hue versions of just about every light in your house, from the spotlights in your kitchen to the flood light over your garage, as well as sensors, switches, and even security cameras.

Those aren't the only differences, though. Read on for the full lowdown on the two brands, and make sure you're choosing the best smart lights for you.

Philips Hue vs Nanoleaf: price

As mentioned, Nanoleaf smart lights are much less expensive than their Philips Hue counterparts. For example, Nanoleaf Matter Essentials Smart Bulbs have a list price of around $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.99 each, while an equivalent Philips Hue bulb starts at $54.99 / £54.99 / AU$119.95.

You can save money by picking up a multi-pack, and there are often discounts available from retailers like Amazon (particularly during Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday), but Nanoleaf will usually work out significantly cheaper.

Philips Hue vs Nanoleaf: product range

Both Philips Hue and Nanoleaf offer a wide range of smart lights – from basic smart bulbs through to strip lights for your home cinema system – but those from the Hue system are more practical, while those from Nanoleaf are more fun.

For example, some of Nanoleaf's most popular products are its Shapes LED panels, including the Nanoleaf Canvas, the stylish Nanoleaf Ultra Black Shapes, and the wood-effect Nanoleaf Elements, which you can mount on the wall in different configurations to create custom lighting designs. The Nanoleaf app lets you map your design, apply preset lighting modes, or create custom effects.

There are also Nanoleaf products designed specifically for showing off your collections – whether you keep sneakers, figurines, or something else. The Nanoleaf Blocks are a system of pegboards, shelves, and LED panels for highlighting small items, while the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi Expo is a set of illuminated display cases that work well for shoes.

While the Philips Hue system does include some fun smart lights, most of its products are designed as direct replacements for the 'dumb' lights you already own. Nanoleaf offers GU11, B22, and E27 bulbs, but the Philips Hue range includes options for just about every fixture you can think of. There are also spot, wall, and flood lights for outdoors, plus weather-resistant string lights (ideal for holidays).

The Philips Hue ecosystem also includes home security cameras, motion sensors, contact sensors, and some of the best smart switches we've tested, all of which can be used together. It's also possible that Philips Hue bulbs might soon work as occupancy sensors without any additional hardware, thanks to an update to the Zigbee wireless protocol.

Both Philips Hue and Nanoleaf offer string lights and LED strips, as well as some of the best Ambilight alternatives to wash the wall behind your TV in color. The Philips Hue system uses an HDMI hub (the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box), which interprets the signal being set to your TV, whereas the Nanoleaf 4D setup uses a camera to capture the colors on the screen. The Hue system reproduces colors better, particularly in tricky lighting conditions, but the Nanoleaf equivalent is much more affordable.

Philips Hue vs Nanoleaf: features

Different Nanoleaf products can be controlled in different ways. For example, its Matter smart bulbs and light strips can be controlled using a compatible smart home hub, with Wi-Fi and Thread versions available. They can also be controlled using the Nanoleaf app via Bluetooth.

Most of Nanoleaf's other products (including the Shapes panels and Expo illuminated shelves) connect directly to your home Wi-Fi network and can be controlled using the Nanoleaf app or a compatible smart speaker.

The Nanoleaf app is available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. The desktop versions offer features like Orchestrator music syncing, integration with Razer Chroma devices, and Screen Mirror (similar to Ambilight, but intended specifically for gaming).

Most Philips Hue smart lights can be controlled via Bluetooth if you only want to turn them on and off and set their brightness. To unlock all their features, you'll also need a Philips Hue Bridge. This small hub uses the Zigbee wireless protocol to create a mesh network that links all your Hue devices. Having a Hue Bridge also allows you to control many more lights at once (50 per Bridge, compared to just 10 with Bluetooth).

Once your smart lights are connected to a Philips Hue Bridge, you can control them remotely, set up automations and schedules, select and create scenes, and sync them to music. You can also connect them to Hue switches, sensors and cameras, or link them to third-party platforms and services such as Razer Chroma, IFTTT, Yale, Spotify, Google Home, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit. You can find a complete list on the Philips Hue website.

The Philips Hue Bridge also supports Matter, allowing you to connect and control your lights via a Matter-compatible smart hub.

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• Nanoleaf 4D V2 uses a camera and light strip to extend colors from your TV
• It has no mounting brackets, and should be easier to fit than other systems
• Its camera has also been upgraded to work with wider screens

Smart-lighting company Nanoleaf has revealed a new version of its budget-friendly Philips Ambilight alternative, which is easier to install and supports wider screens. Nanoleaf launched the 4D V2 system at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, alongside a new color-shifting floor lamp, a premium software subscription service, and an LED light therapy face mask.

Like many of the best Ambilight alternatives, the Nanoleaf 4D setup uses a camera mounted at the top of your TV to capture what's being displayed, then mirrors the colors at the edges using an LED light strip fitted behind the screen. Any setup that uses a camera can be thrown off by reflections on the screen, but they're much cheaper than upgrading your TV to an Ambilight model, or using a Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box and Hue Gradient Light Strip.

One of the biggest drawbacks of all Ambilight alternatives is the need to attach a strip of lights to the back of your TV by fitting a set of fiddly adhesive brackets. The Nanoleaf 4D V2 gets around that problem with a lighter, bendable LED strip that you can attach directly to the TV – no brackets necessary. Nanoleaf promises this will make it easier to fit, and judging by its promotional images it should make the back of your TV look tidier as well. The image below shows how the Nanoleaf 4D V2 (left) looks compared with a Philips Hue Gradient Light Strip (right).

Nanoleaf has also upgraded the 4D 2K's camera with a wider mount, keeping it more stable (thereby increasing the accuracy of color mirroring) and making it compatible with wider screens.

The system will be released later this year. Nanoleaf has yet to announce an official price, but the original Nanoleaf 4D system cost $99 / £89.99 / AU$189.99 for TVs up to 65 inches, and $119 / £119.99 / AU$229.99 for TVs up to 85 inches, so I'd expect it to be similar.

Another bright idea

Nanoleaf also used this year's CES event to announce a new subscription software service, Nanoleaf Premium, which will give fans of Nanoleaf's best smart lights access to two new features: Orchestrator and Scenescapes.

Most smart lighting systems use a microphone to sync light patterns and colors with music, which generally works well, but is susceptible to interference from ambient noise. Instead, Orchestrator connects directly to the audio source for more accurate audio syncing.

Nanoleaf Scenescapes sounds very much like the Philips Hue system's lighting scenes, which are themes that you can apply to all the lights in a room to create a particular mood. For example, you might pick something like Beach or Fireplace when you want to relax in the evening.

Nanoleaf Premium is available now for the Nanoleaf desktop app. You'll get a free trial, after which you'll be charged $1.99 (about £1.50 / AU$3) monthly or $19.99 (about £15 / AU$30) annually. You might balk at the idea of paying for themed lighting schemes when Philips Hue scenes are free to use, but Hue hardware is much more expensive to buy at the outset, so it's a question of what your priorities (and budget) are.

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TechRadar will be extensively covering this year's CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!

• Nanoleaf is turning its hand to health and wellness
• The smart-lighting maker has unveiled a new LED Light Therapy Face Mask
• It features seven treatment modes that can help heal your skin, targeting conditions like acne and uneven tones

Nanoleaf, maker of some of the best smart lights in the business, has unveiled a LED Light Therapy Face Mask at CES 2025, which promises seven treatment modes to target a variety of skin conditions.

Nanoleaf's LED Light Therapy Face Mask has been certified by the FDA, which regulates medical devices in the US, and the company says it heralds an "exciting evolution and expansion into the wellness industry."

It features Nanoleaf's own LED technology to provide seven different treatments, using both red and near-infrared light (NIR). Studies from as early as 2014 have found that red light can aid "skin rejuvenation and intradermal collagen increase." More recently, a 2021 study noted "A reasonable body of clinical trial evidence exists to support the role of low-energy red/near-infrared light as a safe and effective method of skin rejuvenation, treatment of acne vulgaris and alopecia."

Nanoleaf says its face mask features "exceptional irradiance" (the power density of the LEDs), and offers lower treatment times for optimal results. As noted, there are seven different treatment modes to target specific skin concerns.

Nanoleaf enters the LED therapy market

To address the elephant in the room, the Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy Face Mask does look ever-so-slightly nightmarish. However, a quick Google search will show you that there are no good answers when it comes to styling a glowing face mask made of medical-grade materials. Therabody's rival TheraFace Mask, for instance, looks like something you'd wear to storm a medieval castle at the behest of your liege lord.

Styling aside, the Nanoleaf LED Light Therapy face Mask has one surprising trick up its sleeve, and that's a very attractive price. The Nanoleaf mask is available to pre-order now in the US, where it costs $149.99, and there's a 10% discount coupon available at launch. There's no word on UK pricing yet, and the mask doesn't appear to be available in Australia, but UK customers can probably expect to pay no more than £150.

By contrast, the TheraFace Mask is £499 / $599 / $899, so the Nanoleaf is vastly cheaper. While it doesn't offer Therabody's massaging vibration therapy, it does have more lighting modes. Not only is the Nanoleaf cheaper than TheraFace, but it's also cheaper than pretty much every LED face mask from a reputable brand on the market, including Shark and CurrentBody.

On price point alone you can color us pretty impressed, and we're adding this one to our list of the best wearable and fitness tech of CES 2025.

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• Ikea's smart lights can now intelligently adjust throughout the day
• These aren't the first lights to do this, and Ikea is taking a page out of Philips Hue's book
• It remains to be seen if these intelligent features will be expanded on

While Ikea’s smart lights – bulbs, fixtures, and lamps – are generally much less expensive than the likes of Philips Hue products, a new update sees the furniture giant taking a page out of the more expensive smart lighting brand's book. Oh, and Apple’s, too.

The Ikea Home Smart app for iOS has added the ability for dynamic adaptive lighting, which means the various connected lights can intelligently change brightness and color throughout the day. Ikea succinctly sums up the feature as “It’s great for mind, body and soul.”

Like Apple Home’s Adaptive Lighting or Philips Hue's ‘Natural’ scene, Ikea Home Smart will adjust the bulbs to cooler temperatures during the day, and warmer hues towards the end of the day. Ikea notes that the adjustments will be automatic. Still, considering that you can manually set brightness, color, and temperature, it’s likely that you'll be able to override the adaptive adjustments or potentially bake these into a custom routine.

Seeing that bulbs from Nanoleaf and Philips Hue integrate with Apple Home’s own adaptive lighting, whether Ikea’s lineup will integrate with that standard remains to be seen. Remember, you have previously needed an extra hub to use Ikea’s products within Apple Home.

The update containing dynamic and adaptive lighting first hit Apple’s App Store on December 3, 2024, with a subsequent bug-fixing focused on December 5, 2024. However, the Ikea Home Smart app for Android does show a new version on December 3, 2024, but the Play Store doesn’t detail the changes, as Notebook Check first pointed out.

Either way, considering how affordable Ikea’s smart light lineup is, scoring a feature that’s found on more expensive bulbs and ecosystems is a real win. It might just up the appeal of Ikea’s lights if you’re considering investing in new smart home products.

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Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO: one-minute review

The Nanoleaf EXPO is the latest clever home contraption from they company behind some of the best smart lights around: a modular smart case solution that will see your collections displayed in glorious technicolor.

If you are one of those people who collect things (I am one of those people) you will inevitably end up with more things than places to put them. Shelves are fine, but you’ll need to dust every week (I am not one of those people), and the situation can get really out of hand if you ever move house, as most of your collections remain in the attic for months/years while you figure out where it is all going to go. Nanoleaf comes to the rescue with its attractive modular smart illuminated display case system.

Nanoleaf collaborated with US company Meeni Inc on its Fantaqi product, which is sold by Nanoleaf as the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO. What this collaboration has produced is one of those rare things that is both eye-catching and useful, even if only to collectors and smart home nerds. Each case measures 38 x 29 x 22cm (W x D x H), but you’ll want to shave off roughly 3cm to account for the thickness of the walls. To give you some idea of its scale, a DVD case will stand perfectly inside, but will need to be inserted at a slight angle to get past the lip on the front of the box.

I must admit to initially being skeptical about these boxy smart lights, but once I saw them in my house brimming with some of my favorite collectibles and objet d’art, I was sold. As with the iPad and the Apple Watch, I just didn’t 'get it' until I got one. I’ve enjoyed liberating my stored collections and being reminded of why I collected all this stuff in the first place. These are a quick and easy solution to my storage problem.

Yes, they are expensive and the petulant software drives me nuts, but alternative Perspex display cases are not cheap and the EXPO’s modular design allows you to try them out in different places easily. Add to that their smart capabilities; totally worth it.

Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO: price and availability

• Starter kits from $299.99 / £299.99 (about AU$440)
• Expansion kits from $69.99 / £69.99 (about AU$100)

The Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO launched in August 2024 and is available from the Nanoleaf website, or from Fantaqi.

There are two accessories for the EXPO if you need more of the inter-case connectors or are expanding to a stack of more than 8 cases. The 75W power supply can power up to 14 cases.

Display case pricing

• EXPO Smart LED Display Case Starter Kit (4 Pack): $299.99 / £299.99 (about AU$440)
• EXPO Smart LED Display Case Starter Kit (8 Pack)$536.45 / £549.99 (about AU$790)
• EXPO Smart LED Display Case Expansion (1 Pack)$69.99 / £69.99 (about AU$100)
• EXPO Smart LED Display Case Smarter Kit (12 Pack) $ 800.01 (US only)

Accessory pricing

• EXPO Display Case Rigid Linkers (9 Pack): $8.99 / £7.99 (about AU$15)
• EXPO Display Case 75W Power Supply: $39.99 / £34.99 (about AU$60)

Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO: specs

Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO: design

• Quick and easy to assemble
• Cases are connected electrically by push-fit Linker strips
• Magnetic door latch
• Top panel of the box contains the LEDs

Aesthetically, the Nanoleaf EXPO isn’t much to write home about; each white display cube is simply designed. The real magic begins when you flick the switch to light up your life.

The system has been designed so that only the top case containing the LEDs and back panel (which has the connector slots) is 'live'. As long as you follow the provided assembly diagram you should find it easy enough to connect properly.

The rest of the cases are simply push-fit, but they do require a bit of force, so I would recommend that they are assembled on a non-slip surface. I worked along all of the seams with my thumbs just to make sure the seams were seated properly.

Each case has four feet, which fit into the recessed top of the case below to provide some vertical stability. Each case is electrically connected to the next one using the supplied linker strips which slot into holes midway along the sides of each case. It can be a bit tricky to get the Linker in the hole when coupling two cases but it’s a minor irritant.

I was not convinced of the stability of the Nanoleaf Expo when configured in an 8-box vertical stack, but once loaded with your collectible contents, the whole thing became more and more stable. However, it might not survive the onslaught of a small child, but why would you let them near something so precious? Are you mad?

Each case has slots running up the sides to provide a channel for the power supply lead. A slight constriction somewhere along the channel to hold the lead in place would have been nice, but it is possible to put the lead under a bit of tension by curling it under the back of the bottom-most box of the stack.

Fortunately, the power lead is 2.5 meters long which gives you the option of placing them on a shelf, and as each case weighs in at around 2kg, the shelving need not be industrial strength like mine.

I was initially puzzled by the clear back panel until I switched them on and noticed it effectively creates a pleasing halo on the wall around the stack. I also love the magnetic front door latch, as all too often fixtures like interference-fit door latches can make a whole unit wobble wildly when you open a door, or there’s some form of mechanical push-in opener that invariably fails over time. The stack does still move a little when you open a door but all is forgiven when it closes with such a resounding ‘thunk’ noise. Yes, I am one of those people who enjoy the rich sound of a high-quality car door closing.

My only gripe is with the power supply plug. It’s quite attractive and it’s very cool that it has three different snap-in plug converters, but the three-pin one is upside down.

Look, Nanoleaf, most of us have so many electrical appliances that we need to use electrical extension plugboards; a lot of them. We cannot lay them flush against the wall if someone has decided to provide a plug with a lump on top with the power lead coming out of it. It makes even less sense when plugged directly into the wall, as all the weight is above the socket.

Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO: performance

• Software proved temperamental
• Rhythm Source feature works well

Having reviewed several Nanoleaf products in the past, I knew that reaching the point at which you can power the hardware up is usually the easy bit. In comparison, while the universe descends cyclically from order to chaos over billions of years, the Nanoleaf app will give you a sneak preview of that chaos in just a few hours. After six wasted hours of crashes and bugs (including the infamous 'Accessory already in another home' message from HomeKit) I decided to give up on the EXPO for the day.

I am sure it will come to pass that it will start working but it’s frustrating that Nanoleaf specifies features that initially do not work. There is better news for the rhythm source feature of the Nanoleaf desktop application on Mac; it now works as it should, much to my delight. The Mac app still crashes regularly though.

I love this product and I want Nanoleaf to continue coming up with original, if somewhat niche, products, but I do hope the company begins to do a little more software quality assurance before products launch and not after. I am willing to accept that some of my problems may be PICNIC problems (problems in customer not in computer), but not the majority of them. What troubles me is that people will stop buying Nanoleaf products if they have the same experience.

Should you buy the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO?

Buy it if

Don't buy it if

Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO: also consider

As was the case when I reviewed the Nanoleaf Skylight, there isn’t an equivalent product for the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO that I am aware of. However, if you want to create a DIY system using smart LED strip lights instead. there are a few options available.

How I tested the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO

• I tested the cases in different configurations
• I tested the Nanoleaf applications for known existing problems
• I tested its compatibility with Apple Homekit
• I tested EXPO in conjunction with other Nanoleaf devices

I ensured that my test environment was up to date and working with the latest versions of firmware and software for all devices before even unpacking the Nanoleaf x Fantaqi EXPO. I visually checked the status of Apple Homekit every time the application crashed and visually checked the status of the application itself on restart and investigated any anomalies.

I investigated the phone application automation options and tried out the various in-app features and functionalities.

I’ve been using smart home devices for several years now, and have a whopping 30+ years (gulp) of tech enthusiasm and experience under my belt.

Nanoleaf, the company behind some of the best smart lights, has launched a new system of LED panels and storage that lets you show off your collections while keeping them organized.

The Nanoleaf Blocks system includes square LED panels in two sizes, which you can combine with textured square light panels, pegboards, and shelves to make a bespoke layout. 

The Blocks panels are thicker and sturdier than Nanoleaf's earlier square panels, with seamless edge-to-edge illumination to create a smooth, even look without dark corners or hot spots. The pegboards are particularly interesting, giving you a place to store objects like keyboards and headphones that you want to use regularly, with light and animations shining through the holes behind them.

As with all Nanoleaf panels, you can use preset 'scenes' to set the mood with subtle or dramatic ambient lighting, and the Blocks system includes several new options. The new Minimalist scene uses white lights at different temperatures, Level Up (shown below) uses fresh blue shades, and Lo-Fi Dreams features soft pastel colors. There are thousands of other scenes to choose from in the Nanoleaf app  too, or you can create your own.

Magic and mirrors

Nanoleaf Blocks can respond to sound via the Rhythm Music Visualizer, and you can use Screen Mirror to extend the content of your screen (much like a Philips Ambilight TV). There's also Magic Scenes, which lets you type in a word or phrase, and uses AI to generate lighting accordingly. For example, you might type 'Winter Wonderland' to generate something festive, or enter the name of the movie you're about to watch.

Nanoleaf Blocks are compatible with all the major smart home ecosystems, including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa, so you can control them using voice commands or your smart home hub. You can also operate them using Nanoleaf's mobile and desktop apps, or with the physical controller built into the power cable.

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Nanoleaf, the company behind some of the most fun and unusual smart lighting we've tested, has launched a new set of illuminated display cases to show off your sneakers, figurines, books, and other collections. 

The Expo Smart LED Display Case is a set of modular boxes, each measuring 15 x 11.4 x 8.7in / 38 x 29 x 22cm on the outside, and 14.2 x 9.8 x 7.5in / 36 x 25 x 19cm on the inside. That's large enough to hold shoes up to approximately a US mens 15, or UK/AUS 14, or your average-sized paperback and hardback books. 

The system integrates with all the major smart home platforms, including Apple HomeKit, Google Home, and Alexa, as well as Samsung Smart Things and Razer Chroma.

Sound-reactive lighting

You can choose from different light settings, including plain white lighting, 'scenes' with shifting colors, and custom palettes made using the Nanoleaf app.

Boxes automatically detect one another when connected, and can create Philips Ambilight-style visualizations with screen-mirroring and sound reaction to co-ordinate with your home cinema or gaming system.

A starter kit of four expo boxes costs $299.99 / £258 / AU$509.99, while a set of eight is $573.45 / £456 / AU$840.60. Add-on boxes are $79.99 / £99.99 / AU$105.99 each. They are available to buy now from Fantaqi or Nanoleaf. 

We'll be testing the Expo Smart LED Display Case soon, and will bring you a full review when we've finished putting it through its paces illuminating our own collections.

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One thing I’ve learned from working at TechRadar for over three years is that there’s so much awesome tech out there. And right now one of the most interesting (and equally terrifying) advancements we’re seeing a lot of is artificial intelligence.

There are Ray-Ban sunglasses that can take pictures and answer questions using AI; there are AI-controlled grills from Brisk It that can cook your BBQ meats for you with very little human involvement; and the Earzz listening device uses AI to alert you to everything from your doorbell to a baby crying. 

And while some AI tech is genuinely useful for people, other gadgets (like the continually controversial Rabbit R1) have shown us that cool doesn’t mean it’ll improve your life in a meaningful or even trivial way.

Nanoleaf CEO Gimmy Chu is more than aware of this as his smart lighting company investigates how the new AI-powered frontier will modify our relationship with smart home technology.

“The vision of smart home has always been Iron Man and Jarvis. You have this super intelligence actually controlling stuff for you – instead of what you have today, which is just basic voice commands."

“As AI continues to evolve we’re already starting to see how it can be used to control different things around your home, but we’re at the every beginning of that,” with Chu going on to add, “What’s important is that we make sure it’s something that’s actually useful for customers.”

So, while Nanoleaf is certainly exploring applications of AI in its products, for Chu, the main focus has been more immediate practical enhancements like immersive entertainment that users can enjoy right now.

What’s next for Nanoleaf? 

This approach began with its Nanoleaf 4D system, which is an affordable alternative to Philips Ambilight that has a strip of lights behind your TV glow with the saw hues of what’s on-screen – best of all, it can sync with your other Nanoleaf lights to maximize the immersiveness.

More recently, it’s expanded into music syncing software to create real-time audiovisual experiences via services like Orchestrator and using in-built microphones in some of its hardware. Chu even excitedly promised that we’ll be seeing some exciting announcements in this specific space “in the coming months.”

Nanoleaf is also moving outside of the home with Matter-compatible outdoor string lights. They offer both white and multi-colored lighting options, and while they’re currently mains-powered, I couldn’t help but feel that a future iteration might return to Nanoleaf’s roots in solar power. 

Chu explained to me that Nanoleaf founders had initially met through the University of Toronto’s Solar Car team and started life as a company focused on solar power before pivoting to lighting. While he wouldn’t conform or deny that solar power lights were on the cards, he admitted that “it’s definitely something that we have expertise in.”

Function over mere fashion 

Much like AI-’enhanced’ tech, Chu’s advice of putting practical uses ahead of simply being cool is an approach that should be applied by other smart home gadget manufacturers – and something we could all think about more carefully when weighing up what we purchase, especially as we head into sales events like Amazon Prime Day 2024 where smart home gadgets of varying usefulness will see their prices slashed.

That's not to say it's not sometimes fun to splash out on superfluous gadgets, but I'm sure there are times we can all think of when we wish we'd thought a little harder before hitting buy now.

A recent example for me is a video doorbell upgrade I bought for my home. It certainly has its uses - such as phone alerts, meaning I never miss when someone is at my door, and a little added security from the ever-vigilant camera – but if I’m honest, a non-video doorbell might have served me better. Its placement doesn’t have the best view, so I’m confident I should have gone with a separate camera from the doorbell, even if this solution isn’t quite as ‘cool.'

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One-minute review

If you’re in the market for a smart lamp with a bit of personality, look no further than the Nanoleaf x Umbra Cono Portable Smart Lamp. With interest in smart bulbs growing, many of the brands behind some of the best smart lights are moving towards different form factors, but such lamps have, thus far, been broadly uninspiring. 

The Cono Portable Smart Lamp, on the other hand, not only offers some decent specs and lots of different software applications for immersive gaming, film and audio to help you make the most out of your smart lighting, but its unique design also makes it stand out from the competition.

Still, it’s not for everyone; when I first saw the Cono at CES 2024, I wasn’t quite sure what the fuss was about. However, seeing it ‘in the flesh’ and using it around my home has completely won me over. Available in both grey and orange (listed as Sierra), the Cono features cross-shaped feet that support the cone-shaped light casing, topped off with a beautiful, curved surface through which the light shines. Above the stem of the feet are its USB-C charging port and a simple, discreet, and touch-sensitive button, which you can use to control the light if you don’t fancy using its smart controls. These touch controls are a little disappointing, sadly, with a cheap finish that belies the lofty list price of $95 / £110. 

Like other smart lights in Nanoleaf’s sprawling range, the Cono offers 16+ million colors, tunable whites, and 0-100% brightness control, and can be operated either with its physical controls, by using the Nanoleaf app or by using voice assistants in one of the best smart speakers or best smart displays. Out of the box, the device is compatible with Apple Home, Google Home, and Razer Chroma, but also plays nice with Matter, meaning it’ll work in tandem with most of the best smart home devices. It’s super easy to pair the Cono in Nanoleaf’s app, and just as easy to add it to any compatible smart home ecosystem. In the app, you can change the color with a color wheel or with one of eight customizable presets, create your own scenes, or select one from Nanoleaf’s sprawling library.

It’s not the kind of lamp that will entirely illuminate an unlit room; nor would I expect it to be at its size and price point, but it throws a decent spray of vibrant color into the room when turned on. However, the fact that you can angle it in so many directions (or even hang it off of things!) makes it excellent for setting the mood, highlighting a design accent in your room, or just for using it as an objet d’art lamp that you can control with your voice or phone. I’d like for it to be a little brighter, though, as the output lumen sits at just 130 lumens. 

My only real qualm is its battery life. Depending on the brightness and color, the lamp lasts roughly four hours when unplugged, and only comes with a cable, meaning you might have to buy a USB plug if you were planning on having the lamp on regularly. Compared to something like the Philips Hue Go portable table lamp which offers up to 48 hours of battery life, or even the Philips Hue Go 2 which offers up to 24 hours, its marketed four-hour battery is measly. Thankfully, however, I found during my testing that it regularly exceeded this by a couple of hours. Still, I’d love to see it at least hit the 10-hour mark like the Wiz Luminaire portable lamp can for the price. 

Overall, the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono Portable Smart Lamp is easily my favorite smart light in my setup right now. During my three weeks of testing, I found myself reaching for it instinctively rather than as a necessity for this review, and it’s one of my most commented-upon fixtures when I have guests. However, would I pay $95 / £110 for it? No, I would not. As much as I appreciate its design, performance, and ease of use, this is the kind of light I’d be keeping an eye out for during seasonal sales. 

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono: Price and availability

• List price: $95 / £110

As mentioned above, the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono Portable Smart Lamp will set you back $95 / £110, and is available directly from Nanoleaf as well as third-party retailers. 

That’s a lofty price point for what is broadly speaking an aesthetically pleasing albeit middling portable smart light. If you adore the design and want it for exactly its intended use (being good-looking and as an additive light), it might just be worth it. However, considering there are plenty of (admittedly blander) smart lamps out there for far less that offer more brightness and additional features, I’d wait for seasonal sales before jumping on the cone-shaped bandwagon.

Out of the box, it comes with the lamp itself and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and there is no power supply included. Its lifetime is 25,000 hours.

Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if... 

Nanoleaf Umbra Cono review: Also consider

How I tested the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono

•  I tested the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono for a month 
•  I used it as part of my smart lighting setup  
•  I paired it via Bluetooth and Alexa via. Matter

I used the Nanoleaf Umbra Cono portable smart lamp for three weeks, using it throughout my home for mood lighting, spotlighting, and general use. I tried positioning it in various locations, leveraging the full potential of its versatile design and used the full range of its brightness, color, and tunable white settings to test how well it performed in different situations.

I paired the Cono in my Nanoleaf app as well as my Alexa-based smart home (possibly thanks to the light’s Matter compatibility) and found the device worked as expected and was easy to control.

I’ve been testing smart home tech for a living for two years now, but I’ve been passionately writing about all things smart and the Internet of Things for over five years. I’ve spent hours learning the ins and outs of Alexa, throwing shade on smart lights, and reading up on new technologies that matter, all of which helps to inform my review approach and buying advice. 

One-minute review

The Nanoleaf Skylight is an alternative indoor lighting solution that can provide everything from strong white lighting to subtle mood lighting in whatever brightness or color you desire, and easily sits among some of the best smart lights. The simple square panel design belies the true nature of the device, which reveals itself once it’s brought to life in brilliant technicolor via the app or PC/Mac software. 

It’s not all sweetness and light though. The installation is a bit more involved than the usual Nanoleaf ‘stick the LEDs onto something and plug them into a power outlet’ scenario. 

The main panel is the same as any other ceiling light, in that it’s hardwired into the lighting circuit. If you have experience installing traditional light fittings, you shouldn’t find it too challenging, but, as always, get a professional to install it if you’re at all unsure; this is dangerous work.

Once the lights are up and running, you can control them with the free Nanoleaf software for PC, Mac or phone app, and it soon becomes apparent just how flexible the system is. I put it through its paces for a couple of weeks and its performance impressed me. I can see a broad range of uses within my home, but the cost seems prohibitive and I did have a fair few teething issues. So, is it worth the asking price? Read on.

Nanoleaf Skylight review: price and availability

• List price: starts at $249 / £229 / AU$469 for a three-light starter kit. Other options include;
  • Expansion pack (1 panel): $69.99 / £69.99 / AU$139.99
  • Starter kit (6 pack): $459.96 / £418.61 / AU$609.90
  • Starter kit (9 pack): $669.93 / £623.64 / AU$889.90
  • Starter kit (12 pack): $879.90 / £828.66 / AU$1,309.90
• Available in the US, UK and Australia 

The Nanoleaf Skylight was released in February 2024 and the starter kit is available for $249 / £229 / AU$469 directly from Nanoleaf’s US, UK and Australian websites and Amazon. 

The starter pack consists of one main unit, which is wired directly into the mains electricity, and two expansion panels. Larger kits are available from Nanoleaf consisting of six, nine, and twelve lights, and there’s also a single-panel expansion pack. 

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Specs

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Design

• Minimalist and unobtrusive (when they’re off)
• Modular design allows for a multitude of configurations
• Unique ceiling-mounted lighting system

Anyone who enjoyed playing on the Atari 2600 in the 70s will get a kick out of the look of these lights. I like the pixel-esque aesthetic and would love to create some huge ceiling icons with a 9x9 square - if only it were possible to control the color for each square individually. I mean, who wouldn’t want a 2.7-square-meter Space Invader or Pac-Man on their ceiling? Unfortunately, that would set me back approximately £5.5k and 1300 Watts, so this vision will forever be a dream.

The combined equal depths of the housing and diffuser are nicely proportioned to the 300 x 300 face but I’m not completely sold on its shiny surface. Maybe a matt finish wouldn’t diffuse the light so well or look any better, though.

The cable management inside the units is well-designed but a little fragile. Each side has two cable routing holes that allow for some more interesting offset configurations if you don’t just want a symmetrical layout. The rubber bungs for these holes can be left in situ as the cables can be passed through slits in them. 

Little features like this make it feel like Nanoleaf spent a great deal of time and effort getting the hardware design right, but then rushed the component selection and software testing. I’ll cover this in more detail in the performance section. 

As is the running theme with this review, the Nanoleaf Skylight’s design is akin to the troubled second album by your favorite band. You buy the record because you love what they do but feel they have let you down.

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Installation

If you skipped over the one-minute review, I will reiterate: if you have experience installing traditional light fittings, you shouldn’t find it challenging, but, as always, get a professional to install it if you are unsure.

Your existing wiring will likely be too inflexible to follow the path to the connectors in the Skylight and it only requires two wires. The rest of the wiring must be out of the way above the ceiling. I replicated the connections within the existing light fitting and increased the size of the hole in the ceiling to do this. 

The next hurdle is the rather poor installation instructions, which erroneously show the plasterboard self-drilling fittings as being screwed through the housing, for example. In reality, the fittings should screw directly into the ceiling and the screws should go through the housing and into those fittings. I say “should screw directly into the ceiling” as during my installation, two of the supplied fittings broke off in the ceiling before I gave up with them. 

Fortunately, I had some more robust metal fittings to hand, which saved the day. To be fair, my ceiling is ‘mature’, and perhaps drilling a 4mm guide hole first would have reduced the mortality rate of the plastic fittings. There are, however, plenty of other inaccuracies in the installation instructions, which add to the confusion. If these instructions were a cake, the missing ingredient would be “care”.   

A bit more wiggle room in the screw holes would also be of benefit as screwing or drilling into a ceiling is prone to error unless you are Spider-Man. Usually, fittings have a combination of horizontal and vertical slots that allow for errors made during drilling or screwing. I’d also recommend ensuring that someone is available during installation to provide placement directions, as it’s not easy to get things straight on a ladder facing upwards. 

Once the primary unit is up, the others are very straightforward. I found it much easier to install the data wires (the short wires with square connector blocks at the ends) between the light units first, and then push through the power wires. Alternatively, the rubber grommets can easily be removed but they may be needed at a later date, should you want to move or reconfigure the lights. Routing the cables between the lights is made easier by the numerous clips built into the unit for this purpose, but, as I learned when I managed to break one, they are a little fragile.

After restoring power at your dwelling’s fuse box and flicking on your light switch at the wall, the Skylight will initially come on at low brightness. It will then increase in brightness to signify that it’s ready to pair with the Nanoleaf app.

Nanoleaf Skylight review: Performance

The first thing that struck me about the Skylight was how much light it gives off. If you sometimes need a bright, even white light while assembling something or taking things to bits, this light is your friend. It’s reminiscent of old-school fluorescent lighting without the irradiation and mercury poisoning. 

The Skylight can, of course, emit any color you wish, but be warned that the color is not uniform across the surface of the diffuser. Inevitably, though, you will need to address the elephant in the room – the Nanoleaf app.  

In previous reviews of Nanoleaf products, I’ve described the Nanoleaf app as “wayward”. Perhaps I am just unlucky, but every time I add a new Nanoleaf product to my network there is a period of chaos. Some of the mayhem may be due to the many and varied devices that I have, and the synchronization between the home automation systems and their cloud accounts. Whatever the root cause, there will be a couple of days of rebooting, deleting, and adding devices until everything works again. The app will invariably have a different view of reality, which may or may not change depending on whether you look at it. Schrödinger’s app.

The sense of frustration was further compounded by the hardware itself misbehaving. I had a period where the light was flickering when set to white light at full power. Following this, the unit then point-blank refused to switch on even after I removed the face plate to press the reset button. Flash forward to the time of writing, I can’t replicate the flickering and it has behaved itself consistently for a few days. 

It’s like having a cat on your ceiling; you ask it to do something and it will ignore you, show you its backside, and walk away. Schrödinger’s app and cat… On the plus side, the supplied scenes are good, you can create your own or use scenes created by others, and these can all be synchronized and used in Apple Homekit. You could avoid using the Nanoleaf app altogether, but you would miss out on firmware and app updates. It’s a necessary evil. 

I have spent many hours with the Nanoleaf app thanks to one of my favorite bits of kit, the Nanoleaf 4D. I was looking forward to using Sync+ to extend the screen colors to the Skylight but, no, it does not work. So, I have two products that support Sync+ but do not support each other… right. 

Not to worry, as Nanoleaf should be applauded for developing a desktop app for both PC and Apple Mac (both Intel and Apple Silicon), which offers screen mirroring. The screen mirroring via the desktop app is a great idea and works well with the 3-pack starter kit laid out in a straight line, but I do wonder how the app would know if you have offset your units in a stepped layout. It also didn’t work with all of the games I tried. I wanted to watch a film via Apple TV+ while mirroring the screen to the Skylight, but the Mac was unhappy about sharing. Thank you, Apple. 

It’s a similar state of affairs with the rhythm feature – a great idea but it falls at the last fence. You can select which source the sound is coming from, but that doesn’t seem to work as well now as it did when I first received the device. Having said that, it is good enough and as I write the Skylight is gently pulsing color along to the music. Wonderful.

Unlike dumb lights, the best smart lights offer a host of control options but that’s not always a boon with wired lights like the Nanoleaf Skylight. When the Skylight has been powered off at the wall, it will take about a minute to appear online within your home automation system or the app when you flick the switch on again. 

Normally that’s not an issue with smart lights, but the problem with the Skylight then becomes the almost imperceptible little ticking noise that the skylight makes when it has power but is not on. It’s akin to Chinese water torture and drives you nuts after a while. I’d strongly recommend using one of the best smart switches for easier control and happier ears.

On top of all this is the lack of Matter support and no built-in thread border router as promised at CES 2023. I like Nanoleaf, I like its ideas and that it makes these feature-rich products happen, but a simple thing like testing could make them so much better. 

Nanoleaf Skylight: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

The Nanoleaf Skylight is, as far as I’m aware, a unique product, so it is difficult to find a direct equivalent. Here are some alternatives if you want to dip your toe into smart lighting, but don’t want to give it the full beans.  

Nanoleaf Skylight: How I tested

• I used the Skylight for work and play for over a month.
• I tested the PC/Mac application on both platforms where possible. 
• I controlled the device from both the Nanoleaf iPhone app and Apple Homekit.

I installed the Skylight in the room where I spend the majority of my time during the dark winter months. I tried to understand what each feature within the application does and how reliable/repeatable they are. Any inconsistencies were investigated but I have yet to find any form of event logging to help me understand exactly what it thinks it is doing.

I powered down my whole house to simulate a power cut to see how it would recover and also rebooted the Wi-Fi router and other devices in my smart home setup at various points.

I kept a log of any updates to the versions of the applications and the device’s firmware. I avoided using Beta versions of the application.

For the majority of the time it performed as expected but it is not bulletproof.

Two-minute review

Nanoleaf’s 4D TV-syncing strip lights are a first for the brand, which is known best for making some of the best smart lights available. With Nanoleaf 4D, the brand has easily accomplished one of the best Ambilight alternatives and created some serious competition for established brands in the space such as Philips Hue and Govee. 

The set is available in two sizes, one for screens up to 65 inches and the other for models up to 85 inches, and come in at a fairly affordable price of $99 / £89 / AU$189 and $119 / £119 / AU$229 respectively. 

Out of the box, the Nanoleaf 4D kit consists of an LED light strip that is attached to the back of the screen and plugged into a control box, which in turn connects to a camera that detects the colors displayed on the screen. The kit illuminates the LEDs to match the picture on your screen, throwing the colors onto the wall behind the screen for a pleasing synchronized glow around the screen. 

The camera can either be mounted atop the TV with the included armature, or placed on your TV table using its built-in stand, and those concerned about prying digital eyes around their home will be pleased to learn that the camera also comes with a magnetic privacy cover.

One of the slight niggles I found when setting up the lights concerned how the cables that connect the lights and camera to the controls are positioned. The rather vague instructions in the handbook encourage you to begin your light strip placement in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen, meaning the wire for the lights trails from that corner, while the camera cable falls centrally. 

This leaves you with a choice of either bending and sticking the light strip wire or having the control sit somewhere near the right-hand side of your screen, lest you run out of wire length to play with. All in all, although not a major issue, I value a neat home entertainment setup and this doesn’t necessarily facilitate that.

Installation is otherwise very straightforward, although you will need to remove your television from the wall to fit the lightstrip, and potentially need a second pair of hands if you’re a real perfectionist. I cheated as my test screen is on a stand! The kit comes supplied with corner mounting blocks which allow the strip to curve around the corners (rather than creating a loop out of the strip which would create problems in accurately matching the colours to the screen.)

There are 10 color zones per meter and 30 LEDs per meter, and the strip can be cut to length at specific 10-centimetre intervals. This does mean you might end up with a gap or excess of the strip when they meet at the end, but a little trial and error with placement before sticking anything on will minimize this. 

Once that’s done, simply peel off the tape backing and stick that strip down, and you’re all set. The strip does tend to peel away from the back of the screen where the two ends meet, but that’s easily resolved by applying some more double-sided sticky tape.

The Nanoleaf app is nicely laid out and works well most of the time, but can occasionally crash. Whilst I appreciate that all software has bugs, some sort of an error message would be nice. Having said that, the things that you can do with this software and the kit impressed me; the Nanoleaf 4D does all of the usual colored lighting tricks that LED strips do. But let’s face it, screen synchronization is what we’re here for. 

The app guides you through mapping out your TV lights, and once you’re set up, you can create your own scenes, or you can use the Magic Scenes feature to create a palette based on a mood or keywords (although I found that the latter favored washed-out hues).

You can choose between four settings (or dimensions, between 1D and 4D), which range from an ambient white glow to the aforementioned screen-matching lights akin to the gold standard Ambilight-style experience. It’s a little tricky to find clear guidance on what each of the dimensions does, so here is my take on it.

1D: White light that’s well suited to documentaries and general viewing

2D: Block color that’s great for ambiance, representing an average of the color displayed on-screen 

3D: Splashes of color reflective of on-screen action, but not extending the screen 

4D: Colors extend from the edges of the screen for full immersion

You can change the color settings by cycling through the controls or via the app. 

Nanoleaf 4D features the same sound-reactive functionality boasted by its smart light siblings, and as a bonus, responds to sound far better than the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights I reviewed last month.

Once I had finished playing with all of the settings I played a few games and films and noticed that one side of the screen was not displaying the screen colors correctly. Further investigation revealed the problem; I needed to close a white door that was being reflected on the screen. You have a choice: either be mindful of the lighting and reflective objects in the room or spend between 4 or 5 times as much on a Philips Hue system for its HDMI linking.  

The only feature I found myself missing is a perennial issue for non-HDMI smart screen lights – automatic screen detection. Call me lazy, but I’d prefer my lights to come on when they detect on-screen activity, rather than requiring me to use the app or physical control.

Overall, I’d say the Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit is a great low-cost alternative to the Philips Hue system that just edges out the other low-cost alternatives in several areas; it’s easy to install, well-designed and the results can be spectacular. This thing is so versatile and colorful that it made me want to get some Nanoleaf wall tiles to test their claim of the 4D’s ability to “extend the screen sync effects across 50+ Nanoleaf RGB lights”. Look, somebody’s got to do it…

Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit: price and availability

List price:

• TVs & monitors up to 65-inch: $99 / £89.99 / AU$189.99
• TVs & monitors up to 85-inch: $119 / £119.99 / AU$229.99
• Camera only kit: $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.99

The Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip Kit are available directly from the Nanoleaf website, starting at $79.99 / $69.99 / AU$149.99 for the camera-only kit. You can also buy the camera-only kit from Amazon in the UK but curiously, not the full kit - however in the US, you can buy all three packages on Amazon. 

The camera-only kit is a great cost-effective option which can be used with the Nanoleaf RGB LED light strip or any RGB light strip that has USB-C connection.

Value-wise, the Nanoleaf 4D is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best value smart TV lights - the Philips Hue alternative for 75-inch and over TVs is nearly $100 / £100 / AU$300 more expensive at $249.99 / £209.99 / AU$509.95, and you'll need a Philips Hu bridge if you don't already have one. Govee's lights sit squarely in between but don't offer such consistency or smooth light performance as Nanoleaf. 

Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit review: Specs

Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit: Should I buy?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit review: How I tested

• I installed the Nanoleaf application and added the Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip Kit to Apple HomeKit 
• I tested all of the modes and scenes against different types of content (i.e. films, TV programs, Games) and resolutions 
• I tested each claimed feature e.g. “Reacts to music” where possible 
• I tested the kit under various lighting conditions. 

I had already tested a pre-release version of this kit last year which was unfortunately defective and a very frustrating experience. The days that I spent trying to get it to work reliably were not wasted though as it gave me a good understanding of how the thing works and how it has been improved.

I was pleased to be able to make use of scenes in Apple Homekit which I  could not get to work when I tested the Nanoleaf Smart Holiday String Lights last month. I switched off Bluetooth on my phone and ran all of the tests again to find out if there was any function that used Bluetooth and everything behaved normally. 

The room I use to test things is the worst-case scenario for the Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip Kit as it is almost completely white. Everything gets reflected on the screen, especially in daylight which affects the colors that the camera detects. I was pleasantly surprised during testing to find that some of the reflection problems could be dialed out using a custom vibrancy set which allows you to change the values for Dynamic range, saturation, and white balance.

Up to this point, smart home brand Nanoleaf has primarily focused on indoor lighting, but in 2024, it’ll be going outside for the first time with its new Essential Matter series.

The line will consist of three models, with two being the Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights and the Smart Multicolor Permanent Outdoor Lights. The former, as the name suggests, are string lights that can go in your backyard or on a balcony to help create mood lighting. The Permanent Lights are individual fixtures that appear to be meant for hard-to-reach areas on a house, like the soffit of a roof or right above a window.

The pair can be controlled either through a Matter hub device or the official Nanoleaf app. On there, users can change the color of lights as well as activate one of the thousands of “preset lighting Scenes”. 

The aforementioned Matter hub can also be used to set Schedules to automate your lighting arrays, allowing the lights to turn on by themselves. The third model in the series is the Smart Multicolor Lightstrip, which is meant for indoors. It has all the same features as the outdoor options.

The Nanoleaf Essential Matter series will launch sometime in Spring 2024. A specific launch date has not been given.

Visualizing music

Nanoleaf’s 2024 plans don’t stop there as it will be releasing some very interesting products down the line. 

Case in point, we have Orchestrator, a new type of software that will connect audio coming from a computer to your smart lights for a “real-time audio-visual experience.” This means the lights will pulse in accordance to music tracks. Slow beats, for example, will result in gentler shows while energetic beats will have your fixtures pulsating vibrantly. 

Tech like this already exists, however, Nanoleaf claims its take on the software will be more accurate than its rivals. Nanoleaf states “existing music visualizers” pick up on sound in a space instead of being tied directly to a source, seemingly implying that the rivals are less accurate. 

Orchestrator will launch in Spring 2024 too where it’ll be compatible with the Nanoleaf Desktop App, audio players, and music streaming platforms.

Customizable skylight

Rounding out the list is the Nanoleaf Skylight, the company’s first modular ceiling light. The device offers soft natural lighting and, just like the Essential Matter series, it can change color on the fly. It comes in the shape of a square measuring 300 x 300mm and emits “1,400 lumens of light". Nanoleaf states the fixture has a lifespan of 25,000 hours, which is nearly three years, so it'll last you a good while.

Other notable features include Rhythm Music Visualizer, Schedules, and Magic Scenes. The Skylight is available for pre-order in a Smarter Kit on Nanoleaf’s website. It retails for $250 and comes three to a pack. You can also buy a single fixture with the Expansion Pack for $70. They will ship out late January 2024.

While we have you, be sure to check out TechRadar's list of the best smart lights for 2024.

We’re covering all of the latest CES news from the show as it happens. Stick with us for the big stories on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.

And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok for the latest from the CES show floor!

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Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb: one-minute review

The Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb is a minor update to the original bulb that was launched in 2021. Not a lot has changed with the new smart bulb, with the sole exception of the addition of Matter connectivity. This makes Nanoleaf’s new light a more futureproof option for a smart home setup.

Before I go into the smart bulb review itself, let’s quickly run through why Matter matters. It’s a connectivity protocol that allows devices from different brands to interact with one another. This makes things like lightbulbs, appliances and other smart gadgets compatible with more brands, and in the case of the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb, means it can be controlled with more smart home hubs – Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Apple Home and Samsung SmartThings. If you ever decide to switch platforms, you won’t have to replace any gadgets that are Matter-enabled.

Physically, the Nanoleaf smart bulb hasn’t changed – the Matter Essentials smart bulb keeps the unique polyhedron design from the original version, though there are a few changes to help differentiate it from the older bulbs, like the Matter symbol stamped onto the side.

It’s the software that really counts here, a change that allows the bulb to integrate into your smart home ecosystem, or start a future-proof automated home from scratch. When initially connecting the smart bulb to the app, Nanoleaf will scan for any firmware updates and prompt you to get them. There’s four in total as of the end of September 2023, each improving the reliability and response for Matter pairing, and also adding Circadian Lighting to the Matter-compatible Essentials range (which includes an updated lightstrip as well).

Nanoleaf Essential’s Matter upgrade wasn’t as seamless as it claimed when I first tried adding the A19 | E26 bulb (or A60 | E27 as the fitting is denoted in Australia where the light was tested) to my smart home – there were initial issues connecting the bulb to my Google Nest Hub 2, which was already connected to its iOS app on an Apple iPhone, which felt counterintuitive to how Matter is supposed to work. However, as of August, that issue has been resolved thanks to further firmware updates that were rolled out from both Nanoleaf and Google, and now I can control the bulb with my iPhone and the Nest Hub 2.

Speaking of the Apple ecosystem: it should be noted that not all features of the bulb will work, like Apple Adaptive Lighting, as it’s not HomeKit certified. While the bulb will connect to Apple Home via Matter, you will need a dedicated hub for HomeKit control.

You’d think that an updated smart bulb with new connectivity protocols would warrant a higher price tag, but it’s great that Nanoleaf has kept the price of its Matter Essentials smart bulb the same as the original model. So it’s the same affordable bulb we previously reviewed, but with some nice updates whose value will only become apparent when there are more Matter-enabled smart home devices available.

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb review: price & availability

• Officially released April 2023
• Prices start at $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.99 per bulb
• Bundle packs available directly from Nanoleaf

Announced earlier this year alongside the updated light strip, the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb is available to purchase right now directly from Nanoleaf and from third-party retailers in most markets. In the US, you can grab the A19 bulbs for $19.99 individually, or $49.99 for a three pack. In both the UK and Australia, the A60 is the equivalent standard, and has a starting price of £19.99 / AU$39.99 for the single bulb, and £49.99 / AU$99.99 for a pack of three.  

The price has remained the same as the older Apple Home Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb, which has now been discontinued by Nanoleaf but will be supported for the foreseeable future.

The Matter Essentials smart bulb is available in large Edison screw and bayonet fittings at the same price, so you will need to make sure you purchase the correct option for your lamps. A Matter-enabled downlight is also available if you want to change your ceiling lights.

As I’ve mentioned earlier, Nanoleaf’s smart bulb is one of the most affordable on the market, coming in cheaper than a similar Philips Hue color globe where prices start at $54.99 / £54.99 / AU$119.95 (with varying availability on products, packs and brightness options in each region) for a single smart bulb with the full color spectrum. That’s a massive price difference, and Signify (the makers of the Hue range) is yet to adopt Matter connectivity. 

Price and availability score: 4.5/5

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials A19 smart bulb review: specifications

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb review: design

• Minimal design changes from the Apple Home model
• Still the same, unique rhombicosidodecahedron shape
• Available in Edison screw and bayonet fittings

Nanoleaf hasn’t made any changes to the design of its Matter Essentials bulb from the previous Apple Home version. It still features a rhombicosidodecahedron shape that makes it stand out on a shadeless, industrial-looking lamp even when switched off. 

If you compare the two generations of bulbs with the Edison screw (E26/E27), you’ll notice two minor changes – the tip of the connector is now green instead of white, and the graphics around the base of the bulb have changed. On the side of the newer bulb, there’s a new logo for Matter next to the QR code. Having the latter stamped on the bulb is handy as it means you won’t have to hold onto the information booklet if you need to re-pair your Essentials bulb when moving or swapping them around your house.

Design score: 4.5/5

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb review: setup & app

• Connects to Apple, Google and Amazon smart home devices
• Simple-to-use app
• Requires Nanoleaf app for firmware updates

There’s a couple of ways to connect the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb: through the Nanoleaf app, or via a smart home hub’s app (Google Home or Amazon Alexa). For the former, you simply scan the QR code on the side of the bulb or printed in the booklet, while for the latter you just search for the bulb once you’ve switched it on. You’ll need to have a compatible home hub to connect it to the corresponding apps, so that’s something to keep in mind if you have a preference.

As simple as that sounds, I initially had issues with the bulb refusing to connect to Google Home via the app on my iPhone. I had to use an Android handset (a Google Pixel 7a in this case) to get it working with my Google Nest Hub 2. However, the August update that Nanoleaf rolled out changed this and the Google Home app on my iPhone is now able to control the bulb. That has given me the option of controlling the Matter Essentials bulb with Google Assistant voice prompts. Though, as I don’t have an Apple HomePod, I can’t use Siri as you can’t connect the bulb to Homekit without it, nor can I use my iPad as a home hub since it's not part of the current Home architecture offered by Apple. 

It’s important to note that you only get a 15-minute window to connect your Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb to a Matter-enabled device after being powered up. After this time has lapsed, you’ll need to unplug the bulb from its power source, plug it back in and wait 30 seconds – if you don’t wait, you’ll be met with a security prompt.

Considering the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials bulb also still features Thread and Bluetooth connectivity, Matter doesn’t really, well, matter right now. It’s more about futureproofing your setup wherein you can connect multiple Matter-enable devices around the home and control them all with just one hub. If you do have a Matter (or Thread) router, your control options open up. For example, using a Matter hub means you can control your lights remotely or set up schedules. Nanoleaf handily lists all the different routers you can use as a control hub for this bulb, and it’s good to know it extends across different platforms (see the specs list above for a full list of Matter routers).

While you can forgo using the Nanoleaf app after the initial pairing and setup, you will need it for firmware updates and to access specific features like Circadian Lighting and creating custom color scenes, however these can essentially be copied through other apps, but I’ll go into this more in the performance and features part of this review.

The app itself is simple to use, with easy-to-navigate tabs and the ability to group lights together by rooms. Through it, you can download scenes and set schedules, though if you set up a schedule through a different way, like through Google Assistant, this will override the schedule you set up in the Nanoleaf app.

Setup and app score: 4/5

Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb review: performance & features

• Voice control works almost instantly
• Screen mirroring still only available with Nanoleaf desktop app
• Supports 16 million colors, including cool white

With the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb, you can add it to schedules, adjust its color, control it via voice commands and have it mirror your PC or Mac screen so long as you have the desktop app. 

The colors on offer with this bulb are spectacular, with vibrant reds, deep blues, both cool and warm whites, and every color in between. I’d go so far as to say that the colors are more vivid than on a Hue light. With the Nanoleaf app, you can create or download scenes made by other users which will make the bulb switch between colors with different transition options available to adjust to your liking. If you’re really happy with any scene you’ve created, you can make them available for other Nanoleaf users to download too.

It also has the ability to get brighter or dimmer, and you can even set it up to automatically adjust its brightness during the day using the Circadian Lighting feature. The Nanoleaf Matter Essentials A19 smart bulb dimming and brightness are also still fantastic, with the option to go all the way to 0%, and all the way up to the full 1100 lumen it's rated for. It doesn’t quite match the Philips Hues 1600 lumen, but it’s still really impressive, and will easily light up a small bedroom on its own, so long as you’re not using a lamp with a thick shade.

As a low-powered device, there is a small delay when taking voice prompts on the Google Nest Hub 2, but after the hub has registered the prompt, the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials bulb responds almost instantly. You can also make adjustments directly on any touch screen if your home hub has one, and I found any changes I made this way were also incredibly fast to take effect on the bulb itself.

This also means that if you include the bulb as part of any schedules, it will efficiently follow them at the allocated time. With automations through Google Home, you can set the bulb to turn on, change colors, brightness or follow Sleep or Wake lighting effects where the bulb will adjust brightness to simulate a natural sunrise or sunset.

Effectively, I found that I could mimic color scenes or Circadian Lighting this way, but it takes a few more steps to set it up. This does make the Nanoleaf app a little more redundant, though these features are much more intuitive through the app.

Performance and features score: 4/5

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

How I tested the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials smart bulb

• Tested with Google Nest Hub 2, iPhone XR and Google Pixel 7a 
• Kept up to date and tested with each update - latest September 18, 2023 (update 3.5.41)
• Disconnected and reconnected into smart home system several times and in different ways

Initial testing of the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials A19 smart bulb involved the Google Nest Hub 2 and the iPhone XR back in late June. At the time, the bulb had issues connecting through the Google Home app on an Apple device, and required an Android handset.

In a bid to troubleshoot, I disconnected and reconnected periodically (both physically and in the app), using a different combination of phone and app each time. In my tests following the August 17, 2023 updates, I found that both the iPhone and the Google Pixel 7a are able to seamlessly pair the device to the Google Nest Hub 2, through the Google Home app.

I used the bulb in a floor lamp for both my bedroom, and used both in-app controls and voice commands to switch it off and on. I also added it to automations within the Google Home app, and synced it to my alarms on the Nest Hub 2 itself to see how it interacted with these settings. 

Read more about how we test

[First reviewed September 2023]

If you're looking to add a little atmosphere to your TV watching, then there are already a few Ambilight-style options out there – but few are as affordable as the new Nanoleaf 4D kit, which could be a new contender for the title of best smart lights.

Like the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync box and Govee Flow, Nanoleaf's new lighting kit will match the colors of the film or TV show you're watching to make the experience feel more immersive. But it works in a different way from its pricier Hue rival, which uses an HDMI passthrough box to connect your smart TV to your smart lights.

Instead, the Nanoleaf 4D uses a camera (below) to capture the colors on your screen and then sync them to an LED light strip behind. While we haven't had the chance to try the system yet, this opens up the possibility of a slight delay – though one of the benefits is that you can also sync it with over 50 Nanoleaf RGB devices to create a room-filling light show with panels, bulbs, and bars all joining the party.

If you want something a bit more subtle, Nanoleaf says its kit will offer four levels of customizability (between 1D and 4D, hence the name). While the 1D setting will offer more of an ambient white glow for documentaries, the 4D one will apparently directly match your TV and lights for more of a true Ambilight-style experience.  

The Nanoleaf 4D kit includes a Lightstrip, Camera, controller, camera mount and a magnetic privacy cover, for those who don't like the idea of having a camera lens in their living room (even one pointed at their TV screen).

The price of the Nanoleaf 4D kit will depend on which Lightstrip length you go for. A 65-inch one will cost $99 / £89, while a longer 85-inch one will set you back $119 / £119 when pre-orders start on June 27. If you already have a Nanoleaf lightstrip, you'll also be able to buy the bundled Screen Mirror Camera for $79 / £69 separately.

If you're in Australia, you'll need to wait till June 28 to pre-order, with prices to be revealed at the time as well.

Ambilight alternative?

We're still big fans of Philips' Ambilight technology – while it might sound a bit gimmicky, it does add some extra drama and punch to movies and games. So it's good to see the makers of some of the best smart lights, like Nanoleaf, give us some more Ambilight alternatives for other TVs.

The Nanoleaf 4D kit isn't quite as elegant as the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync box, which works via HDMI rather than an external camera. But with that Hue box still costing $249 / £299 / AU$399, Nanoleaf's version is also significantly cheaper – and the camera can also be bought separately if you have an existing light strip.

That said, if you need a new television and you'd rather have one with built-in Ambilight, we've also argued that Philips' new OLED TVs might dethrone LG as the best gaming TVs. Not only do they offer Dolby Vision gaming in 4K 120Hz, the OLED908 includes the next-gen version of Philips Ambilight, which promises to better match the on-screen action.

Sadly, those sets won't go on sale in the US, and only in Europe and Australia later this year. So if you need some TV-based mood lighting now, Nanoleaf's new affordable kit could be a fine new option.

Nearly three months after a CES 2022 tease, Nanoleaf returns to the Matter standard with a new set of smart lights for its Essentials series. 

The lineup is split between four different bulbs and a light strip sharing many of the same features. They can all output over 16 million colors and have “tunable whites” that can be controlled with the official Nanoleaf mobile app via Bluetooth. To get the most out of the lights, you will need a smart home hub compatible with the Matter standard plus a Thread border router to ensure fast connectivity. Devices like the Google Nest Hub Max can do both, so if you have that, you're good to go. We should also mention the lights won't work to their fullest extent on Apple Home because its Adaptive Lighting feature doesn't support the Matter standard as of this writing.

In the meantime, you’ll have to use Circadian Lighting, Nanoleaf’s version of the tech, if you want the lights to adjust their color temperature throughout the day automatically. Other notable Essentials features include Customized Schedules for automating the lights to turn on or off at specific times and Screen Mirror to reflect the colors coming from a connected display.

Slight differences

The differences between the lights mostly come down to their design and what people are looking for. First, you have the A19 ($19.99 for one or $49.99 for three) taking the shape of a rhombicosidodecahedron (say that three times fast) instead of your standard round bulb. Then you have the more spotlight-esque models with the BR30 and the GU10, both are $49.99 for a pack of three. There will also be the four-inch recessed Downlight; $34.99 for one or $119.99 for four.

Only the A19 is currently open for pre-order with shipping to begin mid-April. Pre-orders for everything else will become available in the coming months.

The light strip comes in two models. You have the 80-inch Smarter Kit ($49.99) complete with a controller at the end and a 40-inch Expansion Pack ($12.99) to grow your already existing setup. Pre-orders are now open with the shipping date set for the middle of April, just like the A19. If you do purchase Nanoleaf’s latest offerings, make sure your smart home devices meet the system requirements. Using the lights on Google Home requires you to have Android OS 8.1 or newer, while Apple Home requires both iOS and TVOS 16.4 or more recent.

No word on if any of the new lights will be offered outside the US.

Future update

The company plans to roll out a software update to its “line of modular light panels and light bars” that will expand Matter support. Hopefully, that update adds more Nanoleaf features to the Essentials line because there were some notable ones missing like the music visualizer Rhythm. We reached out to the company to see if there are plans for an Essentials software update in the near future. This story will be updated if we hear back.

If you’re thinking about sprucing up your home and don’t want to wait for the A19, check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best smart lights for 2023.

Update 3-23-2023: A Nanoleaf representative got back to us and said the Matter-enabled Essentials lights "will be available globally with different timelines for region." However, they didn't go into further detail regarding which regions will be getting the lights first. Also, there are plans to add new features with the company's Rhythm music visualizer being one of them.

Update 3-27-2023: That same representative got back to us with more details on the global roll-out for the Essentials lights. For Canada, pre-orders are currently open with products shipping mid-April, just like the US. For Europe, pre-orders are opening this week with the shopping date set for late April. Australia is slated to get the lights this June, however that launch window remains tentative.

If you're looking to light up your home with some of the latest best smart lights, lighting specialist Nanoleaf is launching a host of Matter-compatible smart home products at CES 2023 in Las Vegas this week.

The Nanoleaf Skylight modular ceiling fixture is one of five products being unveiled that's compatible with Matter 1.0, the connectivity standard that's designed to make it easier for smart home devices to communicate with each other. The Skylight is the first product of its kind, offering users complete control over their ceiling light’s design arrangement and area of coverage.

As with its best-selling Nanoleaf shape modular wall light panels, the company aims to reimagine ceiling lighting by designing Skylight with square modular RGBW LED panels that can be arranged to create different designs. 

Working via Wi-Fi, Skylight provides crisp functional white light for everyday use and over 16 million dynamic colors for ambient lighting, with smart features enabling users to adjust brightness, color, and color temperature, and set schedules. Skylight comes with all of the smart features that Nanoleaf’s users have come to know and love, including the Rhythm Music Visualizer, Screen Mirror, dynamic lighting Scenes and Group Scenes.

The modular ceiling fixture also acts as a Thread border router, enabling communication between the network linking your smart home devices and your home Wi-Fi network, and comes with built-in Sense+ sensors for motion and ambient light sensing, to give homeowners greater control over lighting automation routines.

What else is Nanoleaf launching at CES 2023?

Nanoleaf is also unveiling its Sense+ Controls range (Sense+ Smart Light Switch, Sense+ Wireless Smart Light Switch and Nala Learning Bridge) and Nanoleaf 4D TV Screen Mirror Camera plus Lightstrips Kit.

The Sense+ Controls and Nala technology essentially enables your lights to 'think,' so you don’t have to, and its capabilities have got to be seen to be believed. It offers the world’s first ever hands-free smart lighting experience.

Matter-enabled and running on Thread, the Sense+ Controls line includes the hardwired Smart Light Switch, Wireless Smart Light Switch and Nala Learning Bridge. All three products have built-in motion and ambient lighting sensors to enable you to personalize and automate your home’s lighting to suit your daily routines.

The Nala Learning Bridge also acts as a Thread border router, and works as a color-changing night light with a soft glow for when you need just a bit of light in the evenings.

There will also be Matter-certified Essentials Bulbs (A19, BR30, GU10 and a Recessed Downlight) and a Lightstrip launching later this year, enabling you to illuminate your entire home with crisp functional white light and rich dynamic colors and Scenes.

Nanoleaf’s full line of modular light panels and light bars (Shapes, Elements, Canvas and Lines) will also be Matter upgradeable later this year, offering an easy software update to provide the most seamless way to set up your smart home.

I, for one, am a little out of my comfort zone when talking about televisions, but essentially the 4D TV Screen Mirror Camera – and the Matter-compatible Smart Addressable Lightstrip that it comes with – uses new Sync+ technology to transform your favorite movies and games by analyzing on-screen content and adjusting the color output of the Lightstrip to produce a room-filling, immersive experience – think Philips Ambilight on steroids.

There are four Screen Mirror modes to choose from, and 50 addressable zones on the Lightstrip (5M length), which you can arrange to customize your entertainment area. You can set up the camera on the top or bottom of the TV, and Sync+ can synchronize your entire Nanoleaf lighting system, if you want.

The Nanoleaf 4D TV Smarter Kit will be available in two screen size options – 55”-65” and 70”-80” – from Q2 2023. Aside from the Nanoleaf 4D TV Smarter Kit, all other new Nanoleaf products will be launched Q3 2023.

Check out TechRadar's CES 2023 latest news. We're bringing you all the breaking tech news and launches, from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops and smart home gadgets.

Two-minute review

If there’s one thing our Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip review has taught us, is that it’s often the simplest products that make for the best solutions. When it comes to gaming desks, for example, or at least gaming desks that don’t come with RGB lighting, a simple yet highly-customizable light strip would be more than enough, as long as it’s done well and it’s done right.

Two factors make the Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip a brilliant, possibly even all-in-one gaming desk lighting solution: it delivers powerful, highly customizable lighting and utilizes magnets instead of pesky adhesives. Those two things make it an excellent choice for anyone needing to spruce up their gaming setup with dynamic RGB lighting without going over the top. And, they don’t even need to have the Secretlab Magnus Metal Desk for it to work, even though it is designed specifically for that desk.

There are some things we wish it’s capable of – like allowing users to customize every single one of its 123 LED lights individually. However, there are already plenty of customizations to keep your everyday RGB enthusiast happy and satiated.

Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip price and availability

• Costs $79 (£55, AU$79)
• Available in the US, UK and Australia

The Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip, launched in late April 2022, will set you back $79 (£55, AU$79). That might seem a little pricey, especially for a light strip that’s only 59 inches long. However, its robust, premium construction and embedded magnets do add to its value.

Although there are cheaper options out there, like Govee’s Neon LED Strip Light, which will set you back $79/£79 for a longer, three-meter strip, the Secretlab MAGRGB does come with a more user-friendly app and better customizations. Bear in mind that there are also pricier options out there, including Philips Hue’s Gradient Lightstrip, which will cost you a whopping $179 for an 80-inch strip in the US and £169 for the 55-inch option in the UK.

All things considered, $79/£55/AU$79 is a fair price for what you’re getting.

Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip setup

• Easy and quick to physically setup
• Easy to pair with the Nanoleaf and Apple HomeKit apps

As it was specifically created and designed for the Secretlab Magnus Metal Desk, it’s no surprise that the Nanoleaf-powered Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip takes cues from the desk's magnetic modular design. Fifteen small yet powerful magnets line one side of the strip, allowing it to stick to any metal surface easily. On the Magnus desk, it’s supposed to attach to the rear underside of the tabletop with the lights strategically facing the desk’s rear cover. This magnetic solution is what makes it quick and pain-free to install.

Just slip it under the tabletop opposite the rear cover, which you will have to pop open for better access, and it snaps right into place. You might have to make tiny adjustments, especially if you want to keep it nice and flush with the edge of the table, but you won’t have to do much.

Really, the trickiest part of the setup here is plugging the connector cable into the light strip and the controller ports, since you do have to make sure that you don’t break any of the little pins inside. But, as long as you’re careful and gentle, this shouldn’t be hard to do.

Pairing it with the Nanoleaf app – and then later with the Apple HomeKit (or Google Home) app – is also a breeze. We already had the Nanoleaf app installed on our phone, as we have other Nanoleaf products, but if you don’t, be sure to download it as you will need the app for the device to work.

Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip design and features

• Utilizes magnets; can be attached to other metal surfaces
• Voice control via Google Home or Apple Homekit

At 10mm x 16mm thick and 1.5 meters (59 inches) long, the Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip is just the right size and length to fit over the Secretlab Magnus’s cable management tray and span the length of the table.

Again, in lieu of adhesives that Nanoleaf uses for its other products, it comes with embedded magnets that allow it to stick effortlessly to the Magnus. But, those magnets will stick to anything with a metal surface as well, so you really don’t need this particular desk to use it. For example, we tested it on our FlexiSpot EG8 Comhar standing desk, and it stayed in place beautifully. Because it does have a bit of flex to it, it even bends around the rounded edges of the desk, though not perfectly.

The ends of the light strip where the connector ports are situated do not have magnets on them, which we’re assuming was on purpose to make it easy when you’re trying to unplug the connector cable. However, just bear that in mind when you’re tinkering and adjusting something, as a slight tug might pull those ends off.

There is a controller included, which also has its own magnets in the back so you can also secure it to the desk, keeping it out of the way and your setup nice and neat. The controller comes with a power button, a button for choosing between five different lighting presets, and brightness buttons.

It isn’t something you’ll often use, especially since the Nanoleaf app does give you better control of the lighting, but it’s good to have it handy anyway. We had ours attached to one of the rear legs where you’ll barely notice it, but it’s still very accessible.

Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip performance

• Plenty of customization options
• Bright, powerful lighting

The Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip doesn’t just shine in design and setup; it delivers in performance as well. 

First of all, customizations are essentially endless. While at the moment the Nanoleaf app doesn’t seem to give you the option to individually customize all of its 123 LEDs – instead, it lets you create palettes with only seven colors each – it does let you create multiple scenes in which you can create a palette as well as choose from five different lighting motions and customize it.

Each lighting motion has its own set of customizations as well. For example, the Stripes motion will let you choose the portion of the layout that each color from your palette uses, how fast the animation moves across the strip, and in which direction it goes. Meanwhile, the Flow motion will let you set how long the scene pauses on each color, how fast the animation moves, loop on or off, and the direction.

If you don’t have much time to play around with scenes, the light strip also comes with exclusive lighting effects from Team Liquid, Cloud9 and Secretlab, as well as access to Nanoleaf’s existing palettes.

If you don’t want lighting motion, you will have to play around with the speed of the animations or stick to color, unfortunately. At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be an option to not have animations. The good news is that any changes you make on the app happens in real time as long as the light strip is on, so you can experiment and make adjustments on the fly.

More importantly, the LED lights are powerful and bright. Even in the daytime, we can see the colors reflected beautifully and vibrantly against the wall where we have our Magnus desk set against. And, that’s at 50% brightness. The way the light strip is supposed to attach to the Magnus desk is strategic so that it bounces off the edge of the rear cover (as well as the wall if you have the desk set against one) then beams up. That works like a charm, giving you a level of immersion that not many RGB gaming peripherals can pull off.

Should I buy the Secretlab MAGRGB smart light strip?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

The best smart lights can completely transform your home, whether you fancy a bit of digital redecorating, want to control your lights with your smart speaker, or you're looking to make your gaming rig aesthetically pleasing. There are smart bulbs, smart lights, and smart lighting systems of every shape and every size, with options ranging from traditional lighting to more decorative and futuristic designs.

All of the best smart lights use LEDs, which means they deliver lots of light but they don't need lots of energy to do it and they don't run particularly hot either. That means they can last a lot longer than traditional bulbs. And because they're smart, you can control them via the best smart speakers, best smart displays or, of course, with your phone.

The best known smart light brand is Philips Hue, and you'll find many of their products here. Hue lights are excellent, but they're not the only option. In recent years we've seen brands like Wiz, Govee, Eufy, TP-Link, LIFX and even IKEA bring out really clever smart lighting systems – often for less money than the market leaders.

No matter what kind of smart lighting you're looking for or how much you want to spend, these are the best smart lights you can buy right now.

The best smart lights in 2026

The best smart light system overall

There's a very good reason why Philips Hue is the biggest name in the smart lighting scene: it's without a doubt one of the greatest offerings to the market, and has held the top spot in our guide for the best smart lights for several years. The lights produce the most natural tones of any smart lighting we've used, the app is easy to use, and installation is a piece of cake.

There's a wide range of different smart lighting too; from color (with 16 million shades) and white bulbs (both solid and ambient that offers a host of different hues) to side and ceiling lamps, outdoor lighting, and even Philips Hue lightstrips. We were also impressed the smart lights work with Alexa, Google Assistant, and HomeKit. With a Philips Hue Bridge, you can unlock Matter compatibility too.

That said, while the newer version of Hue Bulbs has Bluetooth built-in so you don't need a hub to set them up, the Hue Bridge ensures you can access all of the handy features such as geofences and the ability to customize when lights come on - for example at a set time, or when something happens (eg sunset or sunrise).

Read the full Philips Hue review

The best budget smart light

These Wi-Fi connected LED bulbs from Govee might not be as smart as the Nanoleaf Essential bulbs above, but they're considerably less expensive, meaning you can fit out your whole house without breaking the bank.

On test, the bulb was responsive when being controlled from the app, which we found simple to use. However, at this price there are some compromises. There's a limited selection of bulbs available and we found the bulb wasn’t as bright when displaying a color than when set to white or yellow.

Despite its brightness rating of 800 lumens being on par with other, more expensive smart bulbs, the Govee seemed a little dim when displaying bold colors. The bulbs were also fiddly to set up compared to other designs on the market.

Read our full Govee Wi-Fi LED Bulb review

The best smart light for Alexa

If you're looking for a smart light bulb to use with your Amazon Alexa smart speaker, this GE Cync model is well worth considering. Not only is it capable of displaying millions of different colors, a single bulb can show four different shades at the same time. Not only that, GE's light bulbs can connect to Wi-Fi directly without the need for an additional Wi-Fi hub, and they offer features like music-syncing built-in, so you can create a party atmosphere with just one bulb.

During our tests we found the CE Cycle Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart bulb quick to respond to commands, and its mobile app is nicely designed (important for those times when you're not controlling it with your voice).

These are excellent bulbs, and although they're not the cheapest option, they're good value (and twin-packs are often available for a discount at Amazon).

Read our full GE Cync Lighting Dynamic Effects Smart Bulb review

The best smart light for Google Home

Looking for future-proof smart lightbulbs that will play nicely with your mixed and matched smart home setup? Nanoleaf has you covered. It's one of the first companies to add Matter compatibility to its bulbs, meaning they work seamlessly with Matter-enabled devices from any other brand.

Despite the connectivity upgrade, the new version of the Essentials bulb costs the same as Nanoleaf's previous iteration, making it one of the most affordable smart lights around. It works equally well, too. During testing we found that voice control works almost instantly and colors are impressive (though it's not quite as bright as the equivalent Philips Hue bulb).

The only downside we found was that the bulb isn't Apple HomeKit certified, so some features (like Apple Adaptive Lighting) won't work unless you have a device to serve as an Apple Home hub.

Read our full Nanoleaf Matter Essentials review

The best smart light for your TV

The Nanoleaf 4D screen mirror and lightstrip kit surrounds your TV or gaming monitor with light, and uses a camera mounted either above or below the screen so it can extend the image onto your walls. It's a smart setup, and produces an effect very similar to a Philips Ambilight TV without the expense of upgrading your whole setup.

We found the Nanoleaf 4D system straightforward to set up, with adhesive light strips to stick around the back of your TV, and a mobile app that lets you map them, set palettes, create scenes using themes or keywords, and start screen mirroring.

The 4D lights can also sync with other Nanoleaf products, so if you have Nanoleaf Shapes lighting panels or Essentials bulbs in the room, you can create a great looking and immersive setup.

Read our full Nanoleaf 4D review

The best smart light for your bedroom

The Twilight is one of the best wake-up lights we've tested, with a remarkably realistic sunrise effect that starts with a very dim blue light that increases in brightness and warmth gradually and smoothly so you aren't jolted awake.

In addition to its main downward-pointing light, which lets it double as a reading lamp, the Twilight has a set of LEDs at the back that project a wash of colored light onto your wall, helping add to the ambience.

There are also night-time scenes included, which are designed to help you wind down before bed, and can be activated with a simple tap of a button.

It's a superb smart lamp that will get your day off to a more gentle start. The only real drawback is the price; at $279 / £249 it's also the most expensive wake-up lamp we've reviewed.

Read our full Philips Hue Twilight review

The best smart Christmas lights

The Govee Curtain Lights certainly make a splash, and although we particularly enjoyed using them during the festive season they're great fun all year round - whether you want to sync them with music for a party, or just add some cozy ambience while you settle down to read a book.

The curtain is made up of 20 fine strands, with 26 light beads embedded in each one. These are incredibly customizable, letting you not only set patterns and effects, but even use them as a screen to display images and animations (like a Christmas tree, a wreath, or a heart for Valentine's Day).

They were so easy to set up, we thought we must have missed a step (we hadn't) and Govee's app is straightforward to use. They're compatible with Alexa and Google Home too, so you can control them with voice commands.

If you want something smaller, our guide to smart Christmas lights is packed with more seasonal options.

Read our full Govee Curtain Lights review

The best smart floor lamp

The Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp is a three-in-one smart lamp that offers white task lighting for reading and working, and dramatic multi-colored ambient illumination for setting the mood. It's a great blend of fun and practicality, and when we tested it, we fell in love with its shifting patterns that project an aurora-style glow onto your ceiling.

It's easy to control too, whether via Govee's own app, or as part of a larger smart home setup. It's Matter-certified, and compatible with all the major smart home ecosystems,. so you can automate its actions, set schedules, and trigger it using cameras and sensors.

It's not the prettiest smart lamp when it's switched off, with a lanky metal frame and a domed shade that proved surprisingly susceptible to scratches, but its special lighting effects really have to be seen to be believed. There are plenty of presets to experiment with, or you can create your own "mesmerizing and colorful displays" using the Govee app.

Read our full Govee Uplighter Floor Lamp review

How to choose a smart light

How we test smart lights

To compare the best smart lights we evaluate how simple they are to install and control. We assess how quickly they respond to commands such as dimming or brightening the smart light bulbs, as well as changing the color and creating groups of smart light bulbs that can be controlled at the same time, both when we're at home and when we’re away from our property.

We also assess each design on any voice control capabilities and it’s home automation features. For each model we wanted to know how much choice in different light fittings were offered, the extra kit such as hubs, dimmer switches and motions that’s also available for the smart lights and that it didn’t require reading a thick instruction manual before use.

Two-minute review

Nanoleaf makes some of the best smart light systems in the business, but with the latest Nanoleaf Lines, the company has a clear winner. It has thrown the Nanoleaf Canvas off its perch as this reviewer’s favorite set, with its striking colors and beautiful backlit effects. It’s also the first Nanoleaf light set that doesn’t necessarily have to be an eyesore when unlit.

Skins are available as optional accessories that can be fitted onto the bars so they look like geometric works of art on your wall (or ceiling), plus you can expand them to bend around walls thanks to new connectors that are also available as optional accessories. Even without the extras, the Lines don’t look too bad when unlit. Yes, they still resemble plastic pieces, but the fact that they’re slim bars and not flat blocks of plastic make them look a lot better than the older Nanoleaf smart panels.

Switch them on, though, and the transformation is beautiful. With LEDs on the rear of the panel, the backlit effect is mesmerizing, and the colors are breathtaking. For example, the Daylight preset available on the app actually makes the room look like it was filled with sunlight through sheer curtains. Colored lights are vivid, and each light bar is dual zone, so you can get movement and several colors in one scene.

Setup, while simple to do, does require help. Nanoleaf suggests you lay out your final design – connectors and all – on a flat surface, then get a friend to help you stick it up where you want it in one single go. This is to avoid mistakes when sticking the hexagonal connectors on so the light bars aren’t misaligned, but you can manage on your own if you’re careful and put up one section of your design at a time.

Connecting to the Nanoleaf app is easy enough too, as is setting it up on either Apple HomeKit or Google Home. Unlike the Nanoleaf Essentials range, the Lines come with Alexa support, so you should be up and running with any Amazon-powered smart device too. 

Interestingly, the Lines are also a Thread router. So if you already use the Essentials range via Bluetooth, you’ll find that after setting up the Lines in your home, the Nanoleaf smart bulb and the light strip become a lot quicker to respond – no need to use another Thread router like the Apple HomePod mini.

Our only complaint is still with the companion app. Nanoleaf has updated its Smarter Series app to include the Lines and its features, but it’s still not quite as intuitive as it used to be when the original Nanoleaf Light Panels and Canvas came out. It works as it should though, but it does take a while to get used to if you’re new to the Nanoleaf ecosystem.

Nanoleaf Lines price and availability

• List price: $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$349.99

The good looks and great performance of the Nanoleaf Lines don’t come cheap. Prices start at $199.99 / £179.99 / AU$349.99 for the base starter kit consisting of nine Lines. That’s the same price as the 9-pack Nanoleaf Shapes starter kit and cheaper than the 9-pack Nanoleaf Elements kit, but we think the Lines are better value as they’re far more pleasing when unlit and work as a Thread router to control the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb or light strip if you have then set up already. 

In fact, if you have the money to spare, we wouldn’t hesitate recommending the 15-pack starter kit if you can get it, although that’s currently been announced for select markets only (in Australia that will cost you AU$539.99). Expansion packs with three light bars are also available if you want to elaborate your design down the line (pun intended), and this will set you back $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$119.99.

As mentioned, there are optional accessories for the Lines – if you’d like to dress them up, then a pack of nine skins will set you back $19.99 / £17.99 / AU$39.99, available in matte black and pink only.

Everything is currently available for pre-order directly from Nanoleaf or from select retailers, with the lights and accessories shipping from the end of November.

Design

• Simple design aesthetic
• Hexagonal connectors
• Separate processor unit

The Nanoleaf Lines are very different from anything the company has done before – you no longer have to worry about flat, white plastic pieces looking like an eyesore on your wall when unlit. Instead, slim white plastic bars at least look like some sort of artwork on the wall when switched off. Throw on the optional skins (when they become available) and they’ll really pop even during daylight hours.

To accommodate each light bar and help create geometric designs, Nanoleaf has completely redesigned the connectors for the Lines. This time, they’re small hexagonal blocks that stick to your wall via double-sided adhesive tape. Each mounting connector has its own cap (that snaps on with a satisfying click) so the finished design looks neat and tidy. The base of each connector can also be pulled off, exposing the adhesive tape’s tab, which is how you would remove the Lines from your wall. The mounting base also has holes for screws, which is what Nanoleaf advises you use if you plan to set the Lines up on your ceiling… so gravity can be beaten at its game of pulling your hard work down.

One connector doubles as the controller, with buttons for changing scenes, dimming, brightening and activating music mode available on the cap. A cable connects this to a separate power module that houses a Thread border router. This in turn is connected to a rather chunky wall adaptor – the only part of the Nanoleaf Lines that isn’t sleek.

Each light bar is about 11 inches / 28 cm in length, including the connector ends, although only 10 inches / 26 cm will be visible in your final setup. They’re feather light, and really slim too, no more than 0.8 inches / 2 cm in width, and just thick enough to accommodate the little LEDs. These are just barely visible through the translucent base panel of the bars.

Each Line has two light zones that can display different colors simultaneously, with support for 16 million shades that all Nanoleaf products can show off.

Features

• Doubles as a Thread border router
• Supports dynamic scenes
• Responds to music

Being dual-zone light sticks means you can set up colorful scenes to be displayed on the Nanoleaf Lines. These can be static light combinations or dynamic ones, and you can either choose from those available in the vast library on the Nanoleaf app or create your own.

Like the Canvas and the Shapes, there’s an in-built microphone on the Lines as well that picks up ambient sound when the music mode is selected. This allows the lights to flicker along with music. However, we found that the only rhythm light scenes that work with the bars are the default ones set up by the company specifically for the Lines. Every time we tried to select another from the huge community-created library we got a notification that there’s no rhythm module available for that scene and cannot be displayed. Despite that, the default rhythm scenes like Cotton Candy, Beat Drop and Jalapeno Heat can add a sense of disco to a room when you’re entertaining.

If you’ve got the Lines set up near your TV or your home computer, you can use the screen mirroring feature. This, however, requires the Nanoleaf desktop app installed on a PC or laptop (as it does with the Shapes or the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip), and only works if you’re streaming or casting video to a TV from that computer.

If you’ve already got other Nanoleaf lights set up, you can group them to set up scheduled scenes, which can be done via the app. And you can easily control the Lines with Siri, Google Assistant or Alexa.

As mentioned above, the Lines double as a Thread router as well (like the Apple HomePod mini), so if you’ve got Thread-enabled smart devices (like the Nanoleaf Essentials range), you’ll find they respond a lot quicker when networked with the Lines – this happens automatically in the app, so you really don’t have to do anything yourself. Note that the Lines themselves don’t use Thread to connect, instead use your home’s Wi-Fi network (2.4GHz only though).

The only thing the Lines miss out on from a features perspective is touch functionality. This is available on the Canvas and Shapes, allowing you to play games or add lighting effects when you touch a panel. Considering how slim and light the bars are, this really is no loss – it’s still possible to enjoy the dynamic scenes and music mode without any additional functionality.

Setup and app control

• Easy setup but could require two people
• App needs a little work
• Easy control with voice assistants

Every time we receive a new Nanoleaf package we wonder if installation is going to be complicated… and it never is. The app makes it easy to come up with a design using the Layout Assistant, then it’s just a matter of laying it out on a flat surface – the floor works best as there’s plenty of space – and then sticking it on the wall.

It’s the same with the Lines – Nanoleaf suggests you have someone else with you so you can get the whole design up in one piece. We don’t think this is absolutely necessary, but we can see why this is important: if the mounting connectors are even marginally placed wrong on the wall, the whole layout becomes almost impossible to get right as you’re restricted by the 60-degree angles for the light bars themselves. You can, however, stick the design up in sections; for example, in our layout we could have gotten each diamond up individually, although, with three people on the job, we got two up together, followed by a third.

Connecting to the app is via Wi-Fi, but it only works on the 2.4GHz bandwidth. That said, most modems these days are dual band and you shouldn’t have any issues getting started. Just scan the QR code on the power unit of the Nanoleaf Lines (or enter the numeric sequence) and away you go. It took a couple of tries for us to connect though, but we were using the beta version of the Nanoleaf Smarter Series app, and might be a lot smoother via the public version of the app.

The app helps you come up with a layout you like – allowing you to move pieces around till you’re happy or shuffling till you find the right one – and instantly gives you access to a bunch of scenes for the Lines after they've been powered on. To be fair, you don’t really need the app as you can cycle through them all using the physical buttons on the controller, but the app is necessary if you want to set up schedules, create new scenes or just find new scenes.

Although the app never crashed during our testing of the Nanoleaf Lines, we’ve not been fans of it for a while. It wasn’t the most intuitive design for the Essentials range, and still can make you scratch your head if you’re a first-time user. 

For one, if you happen to have other smart lights around the house (like Philips Hue), those will get pulled into the app automatically, arranged per room, whether you want them to or not. Then when you try to download new Motion scenes (for the music mode), a notification pops up explaining you need the Rhythm module – which seems contrary as the Lines are able to respond to music anyway, aka there should be a Rhythm module built in. We’ve reached out to Nanoleaf for an explanation and we’ll update this review as soon as we hear back.

Otherwise the app does quite a bit, from the basics of changing light scenes and brightness, to setting up schedules and custom scenes.

Performance

• Vivid colors
• Responsive changes
• Backlighting looks great

Individually, each light bar has a maximum brightness of just 20 lumens, so a setup of nine Lines will only generates 180 lumens (compared to 1,100 lumens of the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb), which isn’t very bright to be the only source of light in a room. However, light temperatures of between 1200 and 6500 Kelvin means there are white light scenes that could be sufficient for, say, a small bedroom. 

In fact, the default ‘Daylight’ scene is a warm white light that, for our setup of 12 Lines, was more than bright enough to be the only light in the test space, and looked exactly like bright sunshine streaming in through sheer curtains. Even the Reading scene was bright enough for the whole room – and this at 50% brightness. That said, the Nanoleaf Lines, like the other modular smart lights from the company, were designed for ambiance and not an actual source of light.

As we’ve repeatedly mentioned in practically every Nanoleaf review we’ve done: the colors and effects are beautiful. In fact, we think the Lines are the best Nanoleaf has produced yet, mostly because the backlighting looks a lot better than what we saw in the panels, and they look a lot less meh when unlit too.

Scheduled scenes work as you’d want them to, even if you want to set a timer to turn the Lines off. There’s no way to make the lights fade away though (like on Philips Hue), they just… well, switch off. Any changes to light scenes take place instantaneously, whether you’re using the app or the physical controller buttons. Long story short, everything works the way it should and works remarkably well. While also looking quite nice we might add.

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Lines?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Nanoleaf is the brand behind the Shapes and Canvas smart light panels, but the newest member to its modular smart lights is taking a slightly different tack by going down the straight and narrow.

Rather than Nanoleaf’s usual light-up panels, the brand-new Nanoleaf Lines are flat, sleek sticks that use backlighting for an accent lighting appeal with a gamer aesthetic.

Just like the Nanoleaf Shapes and Canvas panels, the Lines join together, though this time they connect at a 60-degree angle on a hexagonal connector, lending themselves to slim geometric designs instead of a bold block of color.

Given that the Lines are thin and lightweight, you’ll also be able to install them on the ceiling using the mounting plates.

The company also says these bars have “dual-color zones”, so we expect that the backlit lighting should bleed together, using the some 16 million color choices that Nanoleaf has on offer.

• Best smart light: Philips Hue, LIFX, Nanoleaf and more
• Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb review
• Nanoleaf Elements review: the brand’s wood-style panels

For the gamers

Nanoleaf is undoubtedly looking to appeal to gamers with the launch of Lines – the sticks come with 19 preset 'scenes' out of the box, with some called 'PlayStation Chill' and 'Fortnite Storm'. And they work with Nanoleaf’s 'screen mirror' feature too.

Screen mirroring isn’t new to Nanoleaf, as its been available on the Shapes and recently been rolled out to the Essentials Lightstrip as well. The tech allows your lights to sync up to what’s being shown on screen, whether you’re watching a movie or you’re gaming on the computer.

We don’t have prices for the new Nanoleaf Lines in the UK and US just yet, but we do know they’ll be available for pre-order in Australia from October 15, with prices starting at AU$349.99 (about $259 / £189) for the 9-pack starter kit.

A 15-pack starter kit will also be available for AU$539.99 (around $399 / £292), along with a 3-pack expansion for AU$119.99 (about $89 / £65).

• Nanoleaf gives smart lighting a classy, wood-like finish with new Elements range

Nanoleaf might be better known for its beautiful light panels and lines, but the brand went back to basics in 2020 by offering a smart bulb – a great option for anyone testing the smart home waters for the first time.

The Nanoleaf Essentials A19 (or A60 in some regions) smart bulb, however, isn’t your typical smart bulb. Not only does it step away from the usual smooth dome diffuser, it also supports an incredible 16 million colors, with a white color temperature range of 2,700-6,500 Kelvin. It surpasses some of its competitors by being able to hit 1,100 lumens, making it one of the brightest available today.

Its looks and brightness aren’t the only features that make the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 smart light bulb stand apart from the crowd. This smart bulb is the first of its kind to come with both Thread and Bluetooth connectivity. That means the Essentials light bulb can be used alongside any other Thread-enabled smart device without a hub and, if you aren't using one of those, the bulbs will work via Bluetooth, giving them a wider and more future-proof appeal.

[UPDATE (April 2023): Nanoleaf has a new Essentials bulb now available in most major markets. This new model is Matter enabled, the latest standard in smart home connectivity. While the new bulb isn't very different from the model reviewed here, Matter connectivity means it should become easier to set up a smart home without having to worry about getting caught up within a specific platform or ecosystem. So whether you use Apple devices, Google or even Amazon's Alexa as a smart hub, all Matter-compatible gadgets can be controlled using any iOS or Android handset. At the time of writing this update, Nanoleaf is just one of two companies to have released Matter-compatible smart devices.]

• What is Thread and why do your smart home gadgets need it?

Price and availability

• Cheaper than Philips Hue
• Announced November 2020
• Available to buy from Apple and directly from Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf announced its Essentials range in 2020, going up for pre-order on the company’s online storefront in November and available to purchase immediately from Apple. As of March 2021, the Essentials range – which currently includes the light bulb and a lightstrip – is available to buy directly from Nanoleaf and several other major retailers around the world, Apple included.

The Essential light bulb costs just $19.99 / £17.99 / AU$39.99 each. That's cheaper than the basic Philips Hue White Ambiance bulb that only offers – you guessed it – different hues of white/yellow light for $25.99 / £29.99 / AU$84.95.

Considering that the Nanoleaf bulb supports several colors and light hues, its direct competition is the Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance that costs a lot more at $64.99 / £49.99 / AU$99.95 per light globe, so there's a lot more value for money here.

And if you opt to upgrade to the new Matter-enabled Essentials bulb (see update above), you won't be paying too much more either. The new Essentials bulb cost $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.99 and that means future-proofing your smart home setup doesn't have to cost a pretty penny.

Design

• Unique rhombicosidodecahedron shape
• Looks great even when switch off
• Available in E27 and B22 fittings

The Nanoleaf Essentials smart light bulb looks more like a golf ball than a light fixture – very much in keeping with Nanoleaf’s design ethic. Its geometric dome is a rhombicosidodecahedron, a shape made up of a combination of triangular and pentagonal faces with several edges.

This interesting shape also makes it look quite good when not in use, and perfect for those industrial-looking lamps that keep the bulbs exposed.

Other than that, the Essentials smart bulb looks like any other standard bulb, measuring 6cm x 11cm (2.4in x 4.4in). Like its Philips Hue counterparts, it’s available in both Bayonet and Edison screw caps that fit most standard fixtures.

Setup and app

• Easy setup
• Works with HomeKit and Google Assistant
• Not the best app design

The Essentials light bulb is remarkably simple to set up. Just get it out of its box, screw it into a lamp, scan the QR code on the device or from the card in the box and you’re done. The bulb automatically decides what the best connection method is without you having to think about it too much. 

If it recognizes an Apple HomePod mini, it quickly latches on and you’re set up immediately, with no additional steps to go through. However, you don’t need a HomePod mini to use the Essentials bulb. HomeKit will add the bulb to your collection of smart devices if you’re an iPhone user, while the Google Home app takes care of it for Android users, and both work via Bluetooth.

If you’ve already set up a Nanoleaf Essentials accessory and then get a HomePod mini, it automatically shifts its communication to the Apple smart speaker (or any other Thread-enabled device) without you needing to reconnect. At present, the HomePod mini and the latest Apple TV 4K are the only Thread device commercially available to buy – other smart speakers have Thread radios installed, like the Google Nest Hub Max or Amazon’s Eero, but they haven’t been ‘switched on’.

When connected via Thread, the Nanoleaf bulb works real quick, responding to commands instantly. On a Bluetooth connection, however, there is some lag which, during our testing, wasn’t too significant – it took no more than a couple of seconds to pick up a command, provided you’re in the same room or within range.

Both Siri and Google Assistant can be used to control the Nanoleaf Essentials via voice commands but, at the time of writing, there was no Alexa support which might be a deal breaker for some.

The Nanoleaf app, while great for the light panels, is not as user-friendly for the Essentials range. At launch, you couldn't even download the several user-defined Scenes available in the Nanoleaf library. That, however, is not possible and it's a lot of fun to watch the lights previewed on the bulb before downloading a particular Scene.

If you're feeling adventurous and creative, you can create your own Scenes, although editing after you’ve saved a Scene can take a few annoying tries. A color palette in the app makes it easy to choose your preferred shade or to set white light at different hues. You can even set a specific RGB value if you know precisely what you want – a feature that isn’t common for smart lights.

The app will also let you adjust brightness, change Scenes and set a circadian rhythm for the lights. The last feature automatically adjusts the light’s color temperature through the day to calm or energize the mind by switching to warm tones for the morning and evening, and cooler white for the afternoon.

However, annoyingly, you can set schedules for any of the Essentials products in the Nanoleaf app. You'll have to use Apple HomeKit or Google Home to do that, as long you have a smart home hub set up on a device. There is a dedicated section for scheduling in the app, so we’re hoping this functionality will be added as part of a future update.

Another annoyance about the app is its complete sync with HomeKit. This pushes every single default Scene in the Nanoleaf app to the Home app every time you open it, even if you’ve previously removed it from HomeKit.

Features and functionality

• Supports 16 million colors
• Screen mirroring
• Quite bright for a smart bulb

The Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb is rated for a maximum of 1,100 lumens, making it one of the brightest smart lights on the market, with an average brightness of over 800 lumens. We’ve tested a few smart bulbs in the past and compared to them, including some older Philips Hue lights, it’s a lot brighter. The only other bulb that trumps Essentials bulb in brightness is the newest white-only Philips Hue light that’s rated for 1,600 lumens.

However, brightness dips significantly when you change the light from white to color, but this is not unique to Nanoleaf – every color smart bulb we’ve tested behaves the same way.

While you can use Nanoleaf’s own Circadian Lighting feature in the app, the Essentials bulb currently does not support the HomeKit Adaptive Lighting option – this changes color temperature of white light automatically throughout the day to match daylight in your location. However, Nanoleaf’s Circadian Lighting feature gets deactivated every time you use HomeKit to control the accessory and you will need to switch it on again in the Nanoleaf app.

The Essentials bulb also has the best dimming ability of any smart bulb we’ve tested. While most others dim down only to a certain point, the Nanoleaf goes all the way down to zero.

At launch, Nanoleaf said the bulb would have the ability to mirror colors of Mac and Windows displays, but the feature was rolled out only months after the device has been on the market. It's here, however, and you will need to download the Nanoleaf desktop app to make it work, and keep it running as long as you want the bulb to mirror your monitor. So the only way to make the bulb mirror your TV is to cast a streaming service onto your telly. There are different mirroring 'moods' to choose from as well, which is rather nice.

Verdict

It’s easy to recommend a smart lighting system that won’t burn a hole in your pocket, or eat through your energy bill, especially when they look as good as the Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb and work as well. Admittedly Nanoleaf has some work to do on its app to make it a little more intuitive, but you can ignore the app for the most part and use Apple's HomeKit or Google Home instead.

Moreover, with Thread support built in, this is a future-proof smart bulb that can easily be used with any other Thread-enabled device without the need for a hub, thus streamlining your smart home setup. Bluetooth connectivity might not be as quick as Thread, but that’s not the fault of the bulb but of the wireless protocol itself.

It’s also feature-packed, with circadian rhythm available on the app, and plenty of custom Scenes that you can set up yourself if you don’t like any of the default ones. There's even screen mirroring on board. 

While it needs Thread connectivity to unlock its full potential, it's still worth it on a Bluetooth connection as well.

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Essentials A19 smart bulb?

If you’re after an affordable HomeKit-enabled smart lighting system, then yes. And even more resounding yes if you already own an Apple HomePod mini or Apple TV 4K (the 2021 edition specifically), or plan to get either one. Its white light is brighter than most other smart bulbs on the market and its colors are beautiful and vivid, like the Nanoleaf Shapes light panels. It already has some great features, with more to come, making them well worth it.

However, there’s no Alexa support available at the time of writing, although Nanoleaf has promised to roll that out soon. So if you use an Alexa speaker to control your smart home, you may need to look elsewhere.

[First reviewed March 2021]

30-second review

UPDATE: The Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip had a few missing features at launch, namely music and screen syncing. Those have now been rolled out and we've updated our original review below to reflect that change.

Stepping away from its light panels, Nanoleaf has gone back to basics with its Essentials A19 smart bulb and Essentials Lightstrip. What makes them both exciting offerings in the smart lighting market is their affordability without compromising on features.

Like its bulb brother, the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip is also compatible with Apple’s HomeKit and Google Assistant, it’s remarkably easy to set up and has its own little controller that can be wall-mounted to be used like a regular switchboard. 

It can definitely give Philips Hue’s Lightstrip Plus a run for its money, especially now (almost a year since its original launch in late 2020) that there's features like monitor syncing which was missing until the last round of firmware updates.

Like the Essentials smart bulb though, the light strip’s full potential can only be unlocked by using a Thread-enabled device like the Apple HomePod mini or the latest Apple TV 4K. But we found its Bluetooth connectivity to more than sufficient for anyone without either of the aforementioned Apple devices.

All in all, the Essentials Lightstrip is an attractive option for anyone looking to brighten up their home decor with some smart lights.

Price and availability

• Announced November 2020
• Affordable
• Expansion packs available

At just $49.95 / £44.99 / AU$99.99 for the two-meter strip, the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip is arguably the most affordable smart light strip you can get today. In comparison, the 2m Philips Hue equivalent (V4 White and Color Ambiance) costs about $80 / £70 / AU$149. That makes the Essentials a far more attractive option, with a similar feature set and Thread connectivity built in.

Design

• Available in 1m and 2m packs
• Has its own controller
• 21 LEDs per meter

The Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip isn’t remarkably different from most others available on the market today. The starter pack is a 2m (80 inches) strip that’s a touch over half-inch wide, housing 21 LEDs per meter in groups of five.

Meter-long (40-inch) expansions are available, and up to eight can be connected to the Lightstrip for a total of 10m (400 inches). Anything more and the brightness will be affected.

Like the Nanoleaf light panels, the Essentials Lightstrip has a peel-and-stick adhesive layer on the back, and comes with a power cable connected to a small controller (also with its own adhesive pads) at one end and a rather chunky AC adaptor at the other. Another small cable connects the strip itself to the controller via tiny pins.

The controller can handle all the basic functions – power on/off, cycle through single colors and dim/brighten the light. It can’t change Scenes, though, for which you will need to use the Nanoleaf app.

Setup

• Easy to use
• App not intuitive

Setting up the Nanoleaf Lightstrip isn’t very different from any other light strip on the market. You need to measure the surface you want the lights on, then cut the required length and stick it on. You can’t cut anywhere, of course – Nanoleaf has marked the correct spots with a scissor icon at intervals of 33cm (13 inches), so your final strip might be either a little small or a little longer than you might need, an issue you’ll face with any light strip.

Once you’ve stuck your strip where you want it, you can stick the controller to a nearby surface (wall or shelving unit) to resemble a switchboard. Then plug the AC adaptor into a wall socket, switch it on and scan the QR code provided in the box with either Apple’s Home app or the Nanoleaf companion app. Even if you use the latter and happen to be an iPhone or iPad user, the light will automatically get added to the Home app. You can set it up via the Google Home app if you’re an Android user.

As mentioned earlier, the Lightstrip is Thread-enabled, meaning there’s an alternate way to connect, provided you have what is called a Thread ‘border’ router. While there are several devices from Google and Amazon that have Thread radios in them to work as routers, none of them have been ‘switched on’, with the sole exception of the Apple HomePod mini and, more recently, the latest Apple TV 4K. If you happen to own Apple’s diminutive smart speaker or streaming box, the Lightstrip will be connected immediately with no extra steps needed.

• What is Thread and why do your smart home gadgets need it?

When connected via Thread, the Lightstrip is quick to respond, but is a little slower when used over Bluetooth.

Performance

• Very bright
• Advanced features need Thread connectivity

The light strip has a rated life span of 25,000 hours, with white light temperatures ranging from a warm 2,700 Kelvin to a cold 6,500 Kelvin. There’s also support for 16 million colors but only a single color can be displayed at a time, which is a shame as the effects of color zones can be quite mesmerizing.

For a light strip, the Essentials is bright – where the Philips Hue V4 White and Color Ambiance has a maximum brightness of 1,600 lumens, the Nanoleaf tops out 2,200 lumens, with average brightness of 2,000 lumens. When using a just a white or yellow hue in full brightness, it's enough to light up a room quite well.

If you already have an Apple HomePod mini or the Apple TV 4K and have connected the Lightstrip using Thread protocol, then you’ll find the lights responding to any command immediately. On the other hand, if you’ve connected via Bluetooth – which is what will happen if you don’t own a HomePod mini – the lights take between two to four seconds to respond, even if you’re well within range. This lag is a little longer than what we found with the Essentials A19 light bulb working over Bluetooth, and can be a little frustrating, but not once did we find that the Lightstrip failed to respond.

At launch, the Lightstrip’s most interesting features hadn't been rolled out yet, like being able to mirror a monitor’s colors or the lights syncing to existing Nanoleaf Shapes panels and ambient music. A recent firmware update has now added those features, but you will have to be connected to a Thread device to use those features – anyone operating the light strip via Bluetooth is going to lose out.

That said, Circadian Lighting is available on the Lightstrip (like it is on the Essentials bulb) and this automatically tunes the color temperature of the light to suit the time of day in your location. You can also apply some Scenes that are available on the Nanoleaf app (there's a vast library of those), and the adventurous can create their own custom Scenes, but note that only a single color will be displayed at a time – no rainbow hues here.

While the Lightstrip is compatible with both Siri and Google Assistant, there’s no support for Alexa, although Nanoleaf has promised that it’s high on its to-do list.

Verdict

While smart bulbs have become commonplace, light strips are still not quite as mainstream. But when you have one that’s as affordable as the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip, it’s easy to reach for it. And you really don’t need an Apple HomePod mini to use the Lightstrip. Yes, it’s slow to respond when connected via Bluetooth, but that’s on the wireless protocol, not a problem with the smart lights. Once more Thread-enabled devices become available, the need for Bluetooth connectivity might be eliminated.

Until then, there are just a couple of Apple devices that can be used to take full advantage of the Essentials Lightstrip, an important consideration if you want to play around with the advanced features like monitor mirroring and music syncing. If you can live without those features, though, we couldn’t recommend the Essentials Light Strip highly enough.

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip?

It’s easy to answer that question with a simple ‘yes’, but only if you’re really keen on bias lighting. The good thing about bias lighting is that it doesn’t have to be for a TV or a computer monitor – you can stick the Essentials Light Strip on shelving units and even behind your bed’s headboard for some beautiful effects.

It’s bright enough to be the only light source you might need in a small room (albeit not to read by) and the colors are absolutely gorgeous. If you can be patient with its response time over Bluetooth, then you’ll be hard-pressed to find a similar product as affordable and feature-packed as the Essentials Light Strip.

[First reviewed March 2021]

Smart light panels such as the Nanoleaf Shapes are designed to give a pop of color and personality to any room, but the trouble is, once these light panels are switched off, they’re a rather sterile-looking white.

Nanoleaf has sought to change that with its new Elements range, which are designed to look just as good on your wall when turned off as they do when switched on. Instead of white, the panels have a wood-grain veneer finish, giving them a more natural look.

Unlike the bright colors of Nanoleaf’s other panels, the Elements lights only shift between a range of cool to warm whites, again aiming for a natural feel. 

They come with 11 preset lighting effects, which imitate a crackling fireplace or a calming waterfall, or you can create your own using the app. Nanoleaf says each corner of the panel is able to light up independently, helping the lighting effects feel organic.

Similar to the rest of Nanoleaf’s range, the hexagon-shaped Elements are touch sensitive, and they can also react to the rhythm of music. You’re able to set schedules for the lights, which Nanoleaf says can gently wake you up in the morning and help you wind down at night.

• Nanoleaf Essentials smart bulb review
• Nanoleaf Canvas review: the brand’s square smart panels
• Android and Nest devices will soon play nice with other smart home gear

Where to buy and how to use

While the new Nanoleaf Elements are technically compatible with the existing Shapes range – as they use the same connectors that link each panel – they aren’t intended to be mixed and matched, according to Nanoleaf, as it would clash with the aesthetic.

And we agree – while we can see some potential for interesting designs for those who already have Nanoleaf’s light panels in their home, it does feel like the more classy-looking Elements could clash with the vibrant Shapes range.

Prices for the Nanoleaf Elements starter kit are $299.99 / £199.99 / AU$429.99, and can now be bought from Nanoleaf’s online store in the US and Australia, while they’re currently available for pre-order in the UK.

The starter kit ships with seven hexagon panels, while a three-panel expansion pack is also available for $99.99 / £69.99 / AU$149.99.

• What is Thread? Why your smart home gadgets need this connection type

UPDATE: There now three different Nanoleaf Shapes to choose from – the Hexagons (that were originally reviewed here), with Triangles and Mini Triangles joining the eight-sided panels on October 16, 2020. We've added information on the new additions towards the end of the original review.

There's something delightfully aspirational about everything to do with the Nanoleaf Shapes. The box looks a little like a toy set, but the moment you glance at images of what it can do to your home, you can't help but be a bit thrilled. It's the lighting equivalent of an IKEA showroom, transforming a dull wall into something rather special. As it should, given its premium price tag. 

This isn't the first Nanoleaf smart lighting product, (check out our Nanoleaf Canvas review) but the Nanoleaf Shapes is easily the best yet. While there are some minor issues afoot, it doesn't stop you adoring many of the major features here, as well as some of the finer details that you'll smile at the effectiveness of. At a time when we're all indoors more than we'd probably like to be, the Nanoleaf Shapes make things better. 

Made up of nine hexagonal (ish) flat panels, the Nanoleaf Shapes is a jigsaw puzzle of your own design. You can choose to create a snaking pattern of panels or to create a more sensible looking closely bunched arrangement. The included power supply supports up to 21 panels so you can buy extra packs and add to your heart’s content if you want, although obviously it'll cost you a fair amount at $179.99 / £179.99 / AU$229.99 per nine-panel pack. 

Setup is a matter of attaching the panels together with a series of plasticky linkers before sticking each panel to your wall with the included oversized double-sided foam fixing pads. That's where the Nanoleaf Shapes feel a little cheap given their price tag, but it does work pretty well, and you can opt to purchase a screw mount kit instead. 

Once physically set up, the app guides you through the simple steps to get started and it doesn't take long to see just how much the Nanoleaf Shapes can light a room up. Maximum brightness will be rarely needed here with a surprising amount of light pumped out from these lightweight looking panels. Being able to touch them to interact with certain features is great but it's poking around the app that will uncover just how much you can do with them. The Nanoleaf Shapes soon feel as expensive as they are and far more exciting to use than a regular smart light bulb.

Overall, while you'll wish for a few minor changes to the system and occasionally grumble at the odd Wi-Fi drop out, it's hard not to love how much the Nanoleaf Shapes can transform a room. 

Nanoleaf Shapes price and availability 

The Nanoleaf Shapes are currently available to buy for $179.99 / £199.99 / AU$229.99 – and they're in high demand, which is why at the time of writing, they're out of stock in the USA. For the price, you get a nine-panel starter kit that also includes the controller and power supply. 

For $69.99 / £49.99 / AU$119.99, you can buy a three-panel expansion pack if you want to extend your light display. 

We'd expect the kits to be available on Amazon in the near future as other Nanoleaf products are stocked there.

Design

Unpack the Nanoleaf Shapes starter kit box and you'll find yourself with a lot of plastic panels. Switched off, the panels look rather unremarkable. On the back of each is an oversized foam fixing pad and a swivel connector that makes it much easier to remove a panel from a wall once it's been stuck down. Alongside the panels are a set of plastic linkers, which you use to connect the panels together along with a power supply and controller which fits onto the panel of your choice. 

The controller unit has a series of buttons, including a power switch, pairing switch, and a plus and minus sign for adjusting brightness. There's no satisfying click when you press a button but the icons are raised so you can feel in the dark if need be. It's also a unit that blends in to the rest of the design so it doesn't stand out too significantly once wall mounted. 

Setup

Incorrectly, we thought a test run on the ground would be the easiest method of trying out a Nanoleaf Shapes design. We don't recommend it. It's far easier to use the Nanoleaf Shapes app to create a layout, then to follow it directly on the wall. Whichever method you pursue, the plastic linkers are simple to use to click the panels together but they do feel ever so slightly delicate. In practice, we didn't have any issues but the thought lingered especially as replacement linkers cost $9.99 /  £9.99 / AU$17.99

As you piece together your set of hexagonal shapes onto the wall, you need to take the foam fixing pads off as you go, before holding the panel firm to a wall. Nanoleaf recommends you avoid placing the panels on wallpapered areas or effectively anything that could disrupt the reliability of the sticking pads. If you require a more permanent solution, you can choose to buy a wall-mountable kit. As we assembled the pieces on our wall, things felt more sturdy than they did at the start. 

The first panel was slightly weighed down by the controller unit and the power supply cable, so it tilted slightly even once stuck to the wall, but once we attached more pieces, it corrected itself and we didn't have any other problems. 

Once you piece everything together, it takes seconds to set things up via the app thanks to an intuitive setup process. One delightful touch is that the app and hardware can detect the arrangement you've created, showing it on the app and helping you create a scene that works just right for you. 

The only real issue we found was that once in a while, the connection between the light panels and our smartphone app would drop, and we'd have to unplug the controller unit to get things started again. This only happened once or twice over an extended period of time though, and it's something we've experienced with other smart home devices.

Features

The Nanoleaf Shapes offers a near overwhelming array of options. At its simplest, you can set it up to display a solid set of lights, lighting up your living space in a way that's so much brighter than any smart light bulb system. Granted, the hexagon shapes aren't quite as perfect as they could be. They have somewhat soft edges rather than being sharp which could bug those looking for 'perfect' clean lines. We weren't too fussed as it still looked good, but if you're keen on a sharp look, it's something to consider. 

The solid light settings are just scratching the surface with the Nanoleaf Shapes, however. It also offers a music visualiser feature, in which the lights change and adapt according to the music you're listening to via a speaker in the same room. It works pretty well too providing the volume isn't too quiet on your chosen speaker, soon turning your room into your own private nightclub. 

For kids and those who simply love to poke things, you can also  install games that take advantage of the touch controls on each panel. These are pretty simple titles like Whack-A-Mole or Simon, but Nanoleaf pushes the boat out a bit with a rudimentary version of Pac-Man too. Ultimately, they're a little gimmicky but something we can see kids being hooked on for a brief time. In terms of an effective sensory experience, it's sure to be a hit too. 

Like with other leading smart light bulbs such as Philips Hue, you can also pair up the Nanoleaf Shapes with your TV or other screen so that the lights reflect what occurs on screen. It's a particularly neat touch if you plan on placing the lights behind your TV setup. 

Completing the set of useful features, the Nanoleaf Shapes also supports plenty of other smart devices. Working well with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, along with Apple HomeKit, you can easily change things with the power of your voice. IFTTT support makes things all the more convenient as well as allows you to set up some useful shortcuts. 

App performance

There's a lot you can do with the Nanoleaf Shapes and the app reflects that. Fortunately, it's mostly simple to use. It includes a series of presets for different scenarios as well as encourages you to download other people's creations to get started. And, of course, you can create your own layouts to reflect your room's aesthetics and how you've laid out your hexagonal shapes. 

Being able to set up a schedule is a particularly nice thing to do. We set up a timer so that once we woke up in the morning, the Nanoleaf Shapes gradually turned on with the brightness increasing in time with waking up. It's fun to do and no doubt perfect in a child's room in particular if you're trying to rouse them in a more convenient fashion than doing it yourself. 

The app also takes the time to offer some comprehensive tutorials which are particularly useful when mastering more complex methods like creating layered scenes. Fortunately, you can always choose to make Nanoleaf Shapes as simple or as complicated as you want. The general principle is speedy enough after all. 

Other Shapes

As mentioned at the start of this review, Nanoleaf has added two more Shapes to its growing line. These are Triangles and Mini Triangles. As the names suggest, they're just larger and smaller versions of the same design, and either – or both – can be combined into more intricate and creative designs with the Hexagons.

Where the Triangles and Mini Triangles differ from the original Nanoleaf Light Panels (which are also triangular) is in the design. Where the latter's corners are cut off, the new panels are perfect triangles. However, like the Hexagons, the corners of the Triangles and Mini Triangles are also opaque.

In every other respect, they Triangles and Mini Triangles are the same thing as the Hexagons, and designed to work either as individual setups or together in a variety of creative ways which the layout designer in the app can help with.

Should I buy the Nanoleaf Shapes?

Buy them if...

Don't buy them if...

[First reviewed August 2020]

Update: The company has now released the Nanoleaf Remote, which allows you to easily control your lights and other compatible devices without having to pick up your phone.

The Nanoleaf Light Panels (formerly known as Nanoleaf Aurora) may well be the priciest smart lights you could get for your home. Despite this, we’re already planning as to when we’re going to splurge on more panels to steadily creep across our walls, like some sort of homemade Aurora Borealis. 

Yes, they’re not as wallet-friendly as we’d like them to be, but they are by far one of the most interesting light setups we’ve played around with recently. 

With mesmerizing colors, an infinite number of programmable scenes, and the ability to easily expand your creation with more panels, The Nanoleaf Light Panels are a welcome addition to literally any conceivable space.

Nanoleaf Light Panels Price & Availability

The Nanoleaf Light Panels are available now via the company’s website, and retail for £179.99/$229.99 for a starter pack of nine panels. You can buy an expansion pack of 3 additional panels for £49.99/$59.99. Then there’s the optional Rhythm upgrade module for £49.99/$49.99 if you want your lights to be able to react to sound. Finally, the Nanoleaf Remote can be bagged for $49.99/£37.68.

You can of course buy and ship them directly from Nanoleaf - if you are in the UAE, local retailers such as Virgin Megastore currently have a few in stock, priced at AED 839 for the starter pack, and AED 299 for the expansion pack.

Design & Features

The starter pack contains nine panels, the power hub, linkers to connect the panels together, and pre-cut double-sided tape to mount everything up. 

There are also special screw-mounting kits that you can order from Nanoleaf, but in our experience the double-sided tape was more than enough to hold them securely.

The only downside to using the tape is that they’re supremely difficult to take off your walls without considerable effort. A misaligned tile happily tore some paint off the wall when we pried it off, so be careful when you’re sticking these on.

The panels themselves are triangular in shape, and are made of fairly lightweight plastic. The triangular shape makes for some interesting designs, so we’re happy that Nanoleaf opted for this instead of a standard square shape. 

At each side there’s a small slot where you slide in one of the included linkers, and then slide another panel onto that in order to connect them both. The linkers also come as a flexible type (sold separately), which would allow you to install the Nanoleaf Light Panels on a wall and then have them creep upward onto the ceiling for example.

The power hub can be connected to any panel, and just has two buttons on it – one for power, and the other to cycle through available light patterns. It comes with a fairly long cable that connects to a power brick, which then has its own long cable running to the mains power. So no matter how you’re setting up the panels, you can find a way to get power to them. You will need to get a bit crafty when it comes to hiding the power cable, as it does tend to distract from the beauty of the Light Panels themselves.

Installation & Setup

Before you excitedly start sticking your Nanoleaf Light Panels to the wall, it’s a good idea to settle on a design first. There are triangular pieces of paper between each panel when they’re shipped, so these are great to lay on the floor and use as a kind of template to get some inspiration. Or, you can fire up the app itself and let it generate a design for you based on the number of connected panels.

Applying the panels to the wall took a bit of patience – you’ll want to make sure that everything is nice and straight so that your design doesn’t start to look wobbly once you add on more panels. 

The double-sided tape holds everything very firmly, so once they’re on the wall there’s little to no danger for them popping off.

We found it slightly tricky when connecting the panels together once we started sticking them on the wall. There’s only a very small slot in which to slide in the linker, so in once instance we accidentally slid it behind the panel instead of into the slot, so we had to pry it off the wall to recover our lost linker. But if you’re careful and patient, you can get everything up on the wall without any incidents.

Once your design is up on the wall and you’ve plugged in the power, your beautiful creation will come to life, and you’ll be ready to connect it to the Nanoleaf app. The app itself is where you control your lights, set up scenes, and update your device’s firmware. It’s worth noting that you can’t control your Light Panels remotely through the app – you have to always be on the same network as the Light Panels in order to make any changes.

Usage & Scenes

Once turned on, it’s immediately evident just how cool the Nanoleaf Light Panels make any space look. Whether they’re a solid color or just a light palette of changing hues, these lights are a joy to sit and watch. At 100% brightness they were a bit too bright for our space, so we’d recommend keeping them at about 80% brightness or less.

The ‘Color’ section of the app allows you to cycle through either solid or changing color schemes, while the ‘Rhythm’ tab allows you to assign scenes that react to audio accordingly (more on that later). You can also create your own scene, which is truly where the fun begins. There’s a slight learning curve, but once you’ve mastered it you’ll begin creating your own mesmerizing scenes.

If you’re not feeling as creative, then there are hundreds of community-created scenes that you can browse and download to your Light Panel in just a few taps. This was a little buggy for us, as when we chose to download a particular scene, the app said that it couldn’t connect with the Light Panel, but showed that the scene had been downloaded anyway.

Overall, as a source of ambient lighting the Light Panels are gorgeous, and an instant conversation-starter. Our creation had a total of 12 panels, but things end up looking more impressive at around the 20-panel mark, just because the lights then have a larger area to play around with.

Rhythm Module

The optional Rhythm Module is possibly the best addition to your Light Panels. This small device slots into any free slot, and makes your Light Panels react accordingly to sound. It also means you can modify special Rhythm scenes in the app, so you can turn any space into a much more vibrant one, thanks to the changing colors and patterns.

The Rhythm Module is fairly receptive to ambient sound or music, and playing Meghan Trainor’s All About That Bass resulted in some great visuals on our wall. You can also connect an audio source directly to the Rhythm Module via a 3.5mm cable, in case you want a more responsive feel.

Nanoleaf Remote

If you’d prefer to control your light panels without having to pick up your phone, then the Nanoleaf Remote is another option to consider. This 12-sided remote allows you to quick activate a particular scene just by turning it around, or adjust the brightness by twisting it around.

The Remote is a plastic design that comes apart (after prying with a screwdriver), and is powered by two AA batteries. Once installed, the Remote will light up with a corresponding color to activate  a particular scene, before slowly dimming down again.

The remote works differently depending on whether you’re using it on iOS 12 or Android Q. With iOS, it requires you to have some sort of Home hub such as an Apple TV or HomePod, in order to pair with and control your lights. 

On Android, you’ll need to use the Nanoleaf Rhythm Module to control your lights with the Remote, and you’ll also need the Rhythm Module on iOS if you want to adjust brightness. It’s a slightly fragmented experience owing to the differences between the two platforms, so just keep this in mind if you’re currently thinking of picking up a Remote.

Regardless of which platform you’re using it with, once you’ve set up the Remote (a process that took about twenty seconds on Android), you can go into the Nanoleaf or the iOS Home app to assign scenes to a particular side of the Remote. By default the Nanoleaf app quickly assigns default scenes to each side, but you can easily tap on each one and assign whatever you like.

If you’ve grouped together other HomeKit products into a particular scene, you can also control these with the Remote, so you could set one of the faces to turn on or off all your desired lights, regardless of manufacturer. It may sound daunting to try and memorize what each face does, but within two days of using the Remote we were able to quickly recall which sides we needed to use most often.

The Remote is certainly a unique way to control your lights, and makes it especially easy to flip through different light scenes rather than trying to do so via the app.

Smart Home Integration

The Nanoleaf Light Panels integrate with most smart home setups or devices, and are compatible with Amazon Echo, Google Home, HomeKit, IFTTT, and more.

When paired with Amazon Echo for example, you can turn your lights on or off just by mentioning the name of your Nanoleaf Lights Panel.

You can also change brightness levels or the color, but you can’t activate the Rhythm module or switch to any other color scenes, which is unfortunate. So you’ll still have to have your phone nearby if you want to do anything more than just turning the lights off and on.

Verdict

So just who is the Nanoleaf Light Panels aimed at? Well, it’s for anyone who wants to brighten up their space – literally. If you think you won’t get excited about a couple of light panels stuck on the wall, then think again. These things are a great addition to have, and the fact that you can seamlessly add on extra tiles at any time is a huge bonus.

On the downside they are still quite pricey, and the double-sided tape means that once they’re stuck up, you can’t just pop them off and rearrange them as you like. Despite this, they’re still a great buy, and the addition of the Rhythm Module gives them a whole new flair.

The Competition

A week after we got our hands on the Nanoleaf Light Panels, LIFX announced Tile – their take on wall-mounted tiled lights. The LIFX Tile retails for about $249.99/£249.99 and comes with 5 panels, with each panel having 64 ‘zones’ that can be individually controlled for much more finer effects.

Apple HomeKit promises to deliver the smarthome experience we've only been dreaming of since Disney introduced us to the house of the future in the '60s.

The Cupertino-developed platform integrates Internet of Things devices like smart thermometers, lamps and even dog bowls with the phones, tablets and PCs we have on us at all hours of the day.

Fast-forward to today when a smarthome company called Nanoleaf introduced its latest product, the Smarter Kit, to crowdfunding site IndieGoGo.

The product is essentially a spin-off of the Philips Hue lightbulbs, another HomeKit-enabled device, but differentiates itself by including built-in voice recognition.

Commands listed on the product's crowdfunding page include the mundane "turn on/off the lights" to the slightly more specific "make the living room lights the brightest."

The feature that will get the most attention, though, is the Smarter Kit's ability to learn custom commands. Some examples Nanoleaf gives are "Honey, I'm Home," which sets the lights to 50%, and the infamous "Netflix and chill" that turns down lights to 1% which, according to Nanoleaf, is "just enough to see what's good."

Sexual innuendos aside, should the device receive funding, the Smarter Kit will bring us one step closer to the smarthome we've been pining over for the last five decades.

• Rumor has it that the new Apple TV has HomeKit control baked in as well.