I started my Apple HK SmartHome in Nov 2021 with a HomePod Mini and 3 Nanoleaf Essential bulbs for my front yard lighting. I did stretch the range at first, as it appeared that the bulbs all tried to connect to the HomePod directly. Once they converted to a Thread mesh network, the performance became flawless. Four months later, and I’ve added 11 more bulbs around the property, including adding some new lighting fixtures outside of my office to inform family of my work status (client call, interruptible call, project work, or I’m not in the office) and an internal light to convey my air quality level in the office. Although the technology is not 100% perfect (what new tech is?), Nanoleaf’s customer service is fantastic. They’ve already swapped out one errant bulb and they are helping me troubleshoot another. The only other color bulbs I have are LIFX. They work well and are wifi. However, three closets/pantries in the house use colored bulbs, but only the Nanoleaf bulb retains its color once my closet door automation turns off the lights (neither use a light switch - it’s all controlled in HK via turning off the bulb directly). This seems like a weird difference, but point goes to Nanoleaf.
Thanks for the review. I was surprised you didn't mention the power consumption in the "is it worth your money" section, because after your review I went straight to Amazon where it is rated an awful F, which seems bad, but I'm not sure how bad Power consumption should be part of smart light review in my opinion
This is a very fair point Ralph, in future, we’ll make sure to make this clearer! The reason that the Nanoleaf bulb gets such a poor energy efficiency score is because, like most smart bulbs, it falls into the “vampire device” category - which means they’re consuming electricity even when turned “off”. Because they need a tiny amount of electric to be responsive to smart home controls, this automatically drops their classification down massively in these assessments. If you check out our other video “How much money can you save with smart bulbs?” you’ll see a breakdown about how much it costs to run the bulb (along with some others you might consider) over the course of their lifetime. (Note: we made this video a year ago before the cost of living crisis, so the price calculations will be out of date now that electricity is higher, but the general observable pattern will be the same!) Thanks so much for watching and for your feedback! It really helps us improve the channel and our content!
@@HeyTechi Hey thank you very much for your reply! I will go check your other video about the running cost of smart bulbs! I admit the crazy increase of power price makes this consideration more useful than ever. That even changes my smart home strategy because maybe it is not worth having a smart bulb that will really rarely be used (because of the vampire aspect). Thanks again, keep up the good work
Just bought my first bulb from the Apple shop. Waiting to unbox (thanks for the tip!) when my HomePod Mini arrives. In case you’re not aware, if you buy Apple products from John Lewis, you get a 2 year guarantee as standard. Buying direct from Apple, you only get 1 year. (NOT sponsored, by the way. It’s just where I buy Apple stuff.)
@@HeyTechi Happy to help. Upset with John Lewis that they’re not reopening our local store post-lockdown, but I’m not missing out on a 2-year guarantee!
Absolutely right! I've just put the finishing touches on our next video (new videos coming on Sundays now!) and I've given you full credit for highlighting this to me in the description! We've all got so much to learn from each other - thanks again for sharing this info!
I have 1 homepod mini in my room. So i bought two of those bulbs and they arrive june 3rd! Lol i have a few days to shop for some lamps 🤣 do i need a specific one ? Or just any lamp would work fine? Btw thanks for the video. Out of the 3 I’ve watched tonight. You were great. Nice transitions, smooth background music, and very detailed. ! Definitely gave it a like and subscribed!
Welcome to the HeyTechi community Gabriel! And thank you for the feedback too! On the lamp question, you don't need any particular type of lamp - just as long as the lamp is compatible with whichever Nanoleaf bulb you've bought (e.g: screw fit or bayonet) you'll have no problems! Hope you enjoy them when they arrive!
I've got one of these! Any plans to review more nanoleaf stuff? I like the look of their triangle lights but I don't know if they're complicated to set up, the website intimates me a bit. HeyTechi is my go to smart home channel so if you could review it I'd love it
Watch this space David! They're quite expensive so it may be a little while as HeyTechi is entirely self-funded, but I hope to review more Nanoleaf products in future!
Great point - no, the app does not show us energy consumption (but that would be a great addition if it did with household bills going up around the world!)
Thanks Simon! Glad that you enjoyed it! Whilst distance is somewhat important for Thread devices (too far = bad), you won't need to have your Nanoleaf bulb right next to your HomePod for the best results! As long as its in range, you shouldn't notice any discernible difference!
@@HeyTechi Works like a charm. Not as bright as a flood light, so it has to be kept at 70% brightness as it's low setting, and then I flare it to 100% if someone approaches. 😶🌫
If you have a regular wake up time, would say that it's possible to do this with a Shortcut - but it would need some experimentation to get right. The Shortcut would: -Be a goodnight routine (turning everything off) AND -Set alarms for the morning AND -Set the Bulb to turn on incrementally, always 15 minutes before the alarm -Whatever else you want to happen first thing (e.g: Play music, news report, etc. etc.) Leave this with me and I'll see what I can do! *HOWEVER* in the meantime, I recommend the following work around. It's not as neat, but it will work - but only if you have a HomeKit hub (HomePod Mini, AppleTV or dedicated iPad): Say you want your alarm to go off at 0800: Go to the Home app, and create a series of automatons with your Nanoleaf bulb. First automation turns bulb on to 25% at 0745 The Second turns the bulb to 50 % at 0750 Third turn the bulb to 75% at 0755 and then 100% at 0800 As long as you set your Alarm for 0800 the night before, the lights will come on incrementally, 15 minutes before your first wake up alarm! Of course, you could also use Shortcuts to create a Goodnight Routine to turn off all appliances and lights etc. and set the alarms for the following morning for an extra automated experience! (Again, will include that in a future video!) Hope this helps!
Just ordered one of these to see how much better it will be than my Philips hue! Will be much simpler with the HomePod mini than a separate hub as well
Yellow is shit on most smart bulbs, but Nanoleaf has a special problem with it. Even on lightstrip, yellow is basically fresh lime. I think these bulbs are great when mixed with Yeelight ones in spots where a proper bright white light maybe needed from time to time. Not as bright in color, but they do have brighter whites. Hue is dead, and you can tell so because I am yet to see a Hue kit manufactured after 2020.
Excellent question - No iPad yet supports Thread when using it as a HomeKit hub. At the moment, only the HomePod Mini (2020) and AppleTV 4K (2021) support Thread. iPads are fully functional as a HomeKit hub, but, since you need to have a dedicated iPad for this purpose, it's understandably the least common Apple hub device. It's a great way to repurpose an older device you're not using, in my view. I would expect Thread to be added to the next generation of iPad to future proof the product beyond its regular use as a tablet!
Yes, you can! If you use HomeKit Adaptive Lighting, one option is always one of the six pre-set options, but the other five can be customised to whatever colour you choose!
Wait do if I only use the bulb and if I don’t have a HomePod mini, it takes 5sec for my command to be registered? I don’t really want to buy a HomePod just for this because I know I won’t use voice commands nor use it as a loudspeaker, but that’s kind of a shame it takes so long
The Nanoleaf bulb has two modes of operation - Bluetooth and Thread. If you don't have a Thread border router (aka a HomePod Mini) then the bulb will work using Bluetooth, resulting in slow/very slow response times. However, all is not lost! If you don't want a HomePod Mini, other Thread border router devices are coming to the market. Earlier this year Nanoleaf announced that their own Shapes or Elements Controllers will be functioning border router devices when they are connected to WiFi. They are however quite expensive. Sources also tell me that the Eero Pro, Eero Beacon, Eero Pro 6, and Eero 6 will function as Border Routers with the Nanoleaf Essentials line as well at some point soon, but I'm not sure when that's planned to happen just yet. Hope that helps! (and sorry for the very late reply!)
I have just ordered them and I cannot wait to get them...
I started my Apple HK SmartHome in Nov 2021 with a HomePod Mini and 3 Nanoleaf Essential bulbs for my front yard lighting. I did stretch the range at first, as it appeared that the bulbs all tried to connect to the HomePod directly. Once they converted to a Thread mesh network, the performance became flawless. Four months later, and I’ve added 11 more bulbs around the property, including adding some new lighting fixtures outside of my office to inform family of my work status (client call, interruptible call, project work, or I’m not in the office) and an internal light to convey my air quality level in the office.
Although the technology is not 100% perfect (what new tech is?), Nanoleaf’s customer service is fantastic. They’ve already swapped out one errant bulb and they are helping me troubleshoot another.
The only other color bulbs I have are LIFX. They work well and are wifi. However, three closets/pantries in the house use colored bulbs, but only the Nanoleaf bulb retains its color once my closet door automation turns off the lights (neither use a light switch - it’s all controlled in HK via turning off the bulb directly). This seems like a weird difference, but point goes to Nanoleaf.
Thanks for the review.
I was surprised you didn't mention the power consumption in the "is it worth your money" section, because after your review I went straight to Amazon where it is rated an awful F, which seems bad, but I'm not sure how bad
Power consumption should be part of smart light review in my opinion
This is a very fair point Ralph, in future, we’ll make sure to make this clearer!
The reason that the Nanoleaf bulb gets such a poor energy efficiency score is because, like most smart bulbs, it falls into the “vampire device” category - which means they’re consuming electricity even when turned “off”. Because they need a tiny amount of electric to be responsive to smart home controls, this automatically drops their classification down massively in these assessments.
If you check out our other video “How much money can you save with smart bulbs?” you’ll see a breakdown about how much it costs to run the bulb (along with some others you might consider) over the course of their lifetime. (Note: we made this video a year ago before the cost of living crisis, so the price calculations will be out of date now that electricity is higher, but the general observable pattern will be the same!)
Thanks so much for watching and for your feedback! It really helps us improve the channel and our content!
@@HeyTechi Hey thank you very much for your reply! I will go check your other video about the running cost of smart bulbs! I admit the crazy increase of power price makes this consideration more useful than ever. That even changes my smart home strategy because maybe it is not worth having a smart bulb that will really rarely be used (because of the vampire aspect).
Thanks again, keep up the good work
Just bought my first bulb from the Apple shop. Waiting to unbox (thanks for the tip!) when my HomePod Mini arrives. In case you’re not aware, if you buy Apple products from John Lewis, you get a 2 year guarantee as standard. Buying direct from Apple, you only get 1 year. (NOT sponsored, by the way. It’s just where I buy Apple stuff.)
I was not aware of this! Thanks @pug_63! I'm definitely going to mention this when posting links to products down in the description in future!
@@HeyTechi Happy to help. Upset with John Lewis that they’re not reopening our local store post-lockdown, but I’m not missing out on a 2-year guarantee!
Absolutely right! I've just put the finishing touches on our next video (new videos coming on Sundays now!) and I've given you full credit for highlighting this to me in the description!
We've all got so much to learn from each other - thanks again for sharing this info!
I have 1 homepod mini in my room. So i bought two of those bulbs and they arrive june 3rd! Lol i have a few days to shop for some lamps 🤣 do i need a specific one ? Or just any lamp would work fine? Btw thanks for the video. Out of the 3 I’ve watched tonight. You were great. Nice transitions, smooth background music, and very detailed. ! Definitely gave it a like and subscribed!
Welcome to the HeyTechi community Gabriel! And thank you for the feedback too!
On the lamp question, you don't need any particular type of lamp - just as long as the lamp is compatible with whichever Nanoleaf bulb you've bought (e.g: screw fit or bayonet) you'll have no problems! Hope you enjoy them when they arrive!
I've got one of these! Any plans to review more nanoleaf stuff? I like the look of their triangle lights but I don't know if they're complicated to set up, the website intimates me a bit. HeyTechi is my go to smart home channel so if you could review it I'd love it
Watch this space David! They're quite expensive so it may be a little while as HeyTechi is entirely self-funded, but I hope to review more Nanoleaf products in future!
Thanks for the video, that was very helpful. Just wanted to confirm that the application doesn't show us the energy consumption, right?
Great point - no, the app does not show us energy consumption (but that would be a great addition if it did with household bills going up around the world!)
Great review & you have a new subscriber 👍 should I put this in my bedroom next to my HomePod mini for best results per se
Thanks Simon! Glad that you enjoyed it!
Whilst distance is somewhat important for Thread devices (too far = bad), you won't need to have your Nanoleaf bulb right next to your HomePod for the best results! As long as its in range, you shouldn't notice any discernible difference!
Could you use it in a covered porch light, even in sweltering summer nights in florida?
So long as the porch light has the right bulb fitting, absolutely!
@@HeyTechi Works like a charm. Not as bright as a flood light, so it has to be kept at 70% brightness as it's low setting, and then I flare it to 100% if someone approaches. 😶🌫
How can I make the bulb set the brightness higher before my alarm clock bells ?
If you have a regular wake up time, would say that it's possible to do this with a Shortcut - but it would need some experimentation to get right. The Shortcut would:
-Be a goodnight routine (turning everything off) AND
-Set alarms for the morning AND
-Set the Bulb to turn on incrementally, always 15 minutes before the alarm
-Whatever else you want to happen first thing (e.g: Play music, news report, etc. etc.)
Leave this with me and I'll see what I can do!
*HOWEVER* in the meantime, I recommend the following work around. It's not as neat, but it will work - but only if you have a HomeKit hub (HomePod Mini, AppleTV or dedicated iPad):
Say you want your alarm to go off at 0800:
Go to the Home app, and create a series of automatons with your Nanoleaf bulb.
First automation turns bulb on to 25% at 0745
The Second turns the bulb to 50 % at 0750
Third turn the bulb to 75% at 0755
and then 100% at 0800
As long as you set your Alarm for 0800 the night before, the lights will come on incrementally, 15 minutes before your first wake up alarm!
Of course, you could also use Shortcuts to create a Goodnight Routine to turn off all appliances and lights etc. and set the alarms for the following morning for an extra automated experience! (Again, will include that in a future video!)
Hope this helps!
@@HeyTechi
Thank you very very much !!
Just ordered one of these to see how much better it will be than my Philips hue! Will be much simpler with the HomePod mini than a separate hub as well
I think you'll be quite impressed with both the speed and quality of the nanoleaf compared to Hue! Certainly your wallet will thank you!
does the warm white is good as the cool white?
Yellow is shit on most smart bulbs, but Nanoleaf has a special problem with it. Even on lightstrip, yellow is basically fresh lime.
I think these bulbs are great when mixed with Yeelight ones in spots where a proper bright white light maybe needed from time to time. Not as bright in color, but they do have brighter whites. Hue is dead, and you can tell so because I am yet to see a Hue kit manufactured after 2020.
Does the iPad Air 4th gen support thread? Or the iPad is not really considered a hub?
Excellent question - No iPad yet supports Thread when using it as a HomeKit hub. At the moment, only the HomePod Mini (2020) and AppleTV 4K (2021) support Thread.
iPads are fully functional as a HomeKit hub, but, since you need to have a dedicated iPad for this purpose, it's understandably the least common Apple hub device. It's a great way to repurpose an older device you're not using, in my view.
I would expect Thread to be added to the next generation of iPad to future proof the product beyond its regular use as a tablet!
Can you customise the pre set colour options on homekit with it?
Yes, you can! If you use HomeKit Adaptive Lighting, one option is always one of the six pre-set options, but the other five can be customised to whatever colour you choose!
Wait do if I only use the bulb and if I don’t have a HomePod mini, it takes 5sec for my command to be registered? I don’t really want to buy a HomePod just for this because I know I won’t use voice commands nor use it as a loudspeaker, but that’s kind of a shame it takes so long
The Nanoleaf bulb has two modes of operation - Bluetooth and Thread. If you don't have a Thread border router (aka a HomePod Mini) then the bulb will work using Bluetooth, resulting in slow/very slow response times.
However, all is not lost!
If you don't want a HomePod Mini, other Thread border router devices are coming to the market. Earlier this year Nanoleaf announced that their own Shapes or Elements Controllers will be functioning border router devices when they are connected to WiFi. They are however quite expensive.
Sources also tell me that the Eero Pro, Eero Beacon, Eero Pro 6, and Eero 6 will function as Border Routers with the Nanoleaf Essentials line as well at some point soon, but I'm not sure when that's planned to happen just yet.
Hope that helps! (and sorry for the very late reply!)
Do they take up much internet .
This Nanoleaf bulb doesn’t use WiFi connection; but either Bluetooth or Thread! There will be no impact on your WiFi bandwidth!
I hate this bulb basically resets or stops responding when power goes out.
Having had a few power cuts in the last few months due to bad weather, I can’t report this as my experience
watt's a smart bulb
And the award for best pun goes to...