Nanoleaf Launches New Rope Light and Solar Garden Lights

[MacRumors]

Nanoleaf, known for its range of iPhone-connected lighting products, today announced the launch of two new devices. The Nanoleaf Rope Light is a super flexible LED light strip that can be bent into almost any shape.

It is more flexible than Nanoleaf's traditional light strips, and it has a silicone cover that diffuses the light so it does not need to be under or behind a TV, display, or other device. It can be crafted into a specific shape, manipulated into an abstract design, or used to outline furniture and decor.

Each $70 rope light is five meters long (16 feet), and it can display multiple colors at one time. Nanoleaf ships it with mounting clips so that it can be securely mounted to a wall in a myriad of designs. There are 420 total LEDs inside the light, and it is 300 lumens, so more of an ambient lighting product than a lamp replacement.

The Matter Smart Multicolor Rope Light can be controlled via the Nanoleaf app, and it is also able to connect to HomeKit over Matter so that it can be controlled with the Home app and with Siri voice commands. Matter integration also allows it to be controlled alongside other HomeKit products in scenes and automations. More than 16 million colors are supported, with customizable colors and patterns available in the Nanoleaf app.

Nanoleaf's Solar Garden Lights are an affordable solar accent lighting option, priced at $50 for two. Unlike most Nanoleaf products, the Solar Garden Lights do not connect to HomeKit or the Nanoleaf app, and they are instead controlled via an included remote control.

There are eight bulbs per Solar Garden light, along with a solar panel that can be placed in the sun to keep the lights charged up. Alternatively, the lights include a USB-C port and can also be charged that way.

We were able to test out the Solar Garden Lights ahead of launch, and found that they worked well. A quick USB-C charge provided enough power to get them up and running, and charging in the sun kept them powered. The lights are not designed to come on during the day, and like many solar lights, will activate only at night.

While app controls would be nice, the remote cycles through 11 animated scenes with different colors, and eight solid color options. There are also warm and white light settings for those who don't care for multicolored lights. The stems for the bulbs can be manipulated into an ideal shape, and Nanoleaf ships stakes in two sizes so you can adjust height to your liking. The lights look nice positioned around plants given the spray design.

The Solar Garden Lights feature IP65 weatherproofing so they will hold up to rain and the elements, and there are controls to run them for 4, 6, and 8 hour increments. Compared to the inexpensive solar lights that are easy to find at big box stores, Nanoleaf's have a sturdier solar attachment and quality, flexible bulbs with a unique look. Up to 20 lights can be controlled at once, and Nanoleaf has multi-packs available.

Both of the new products can be purchased from Nanoleaf's website starting today. The Solar Garden Lights are priced starting at $50, and the Rope Light is $70.

In addition to introducing new products today, Nanoleaf also announced that it is expanding into 2,500 Walmart retail locations across the United States. Nanoleaf products will be available for purchase at Walmart in addition to Amazon, the Nanoleaf website, Best Buy, and other retailers.

Article Link: Nanoleaf Launches New Rope Light and Solar Garden Lights

 

[baryon]

I bought the triangular light tile or whatever it's called and let me tell you, it was the absolute worst set up experience of my life. You have to download two apps: the iOS Home app as well as the NanoLeaf app. The NanoLeaf app tells you to "scan the QR code" but there isn't one anywhere. There's another option to scan an RFID tag, but doesn't tell you where to find it. Turns out it's where the buttons are. So you do that, it tells you it recognized the code, so you think you're done! But no. You're nowhere near done. Next it tells you that it can't connect to the light. So whatever you go to the Home app, which immediately connects to the light and lets you turn it on and off. Great. But all the features are in the NanoLeaf app. So you go back there and realize that hey, it's working now! For like a minute. Then it stops working. Then it stops working in the Home app too. You restart your iPhone, you restart the light, nothing helps. You re-do the whole RFID pairing thing again and then it starts working again, for a minute.

Turns out it needs a firmware update, because the firmware it comes with just doesn't work. Except to update the firmware, the damn thing would need to work for at least the duration of the firmware update, except remember, it only works for like 1 minute.

Oh and it flickers on camera, so you get these ugly horizontal lines running up and down the lights, so you can't even use it for your YouTuber unboxing videos.

So yeah the most expensive, most annoying piece of useless tech I've ever bought. Just get some smart RGB bulbs or LED strips from IKEA for like $3. Those actually work. I don't understand how these "smart" people in tech can create such a badly designed, stupid product that requires TWO apps to set up, an RFID scan, a QR code, bluetooth and a wifi connection and neither of those actually work.

 

[TVreporter]

Curious how these compare to Govee's Rope lights which have worked really well.

 

[Unity451]

The Solar Garden Lights feature IP65 weatherproofing so they will hold up to rain and the elements,

Nanoleaf's have a sturdier solar attachment and quality, flexible bulbs with a unique look.

Ah, but how will they hold up to my dogs trying to chew through them?

 

[MareLuce]

@baryon
excellent rant
thank you for typing that out

 

[XboxEvolved]

Those rope lights seem pretty rad! Definitely something I could see getting for me or my kid.

 

[incoherent_1]

Bought Nanoleaf light strips 6 months ago. After 14 separate attempts to configure them with HomeKit, I've given up. Every single time, they drop off and become unresponsive within 24h. No issues with dozens of products from other brands.

Not buying any more Nanoleaf products. No, thanks.

 

[DMG35]

Nanoleaf is one of the worst companies I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.

 

[Fuzzball84]

I thought nano leaf was a car?

 

[Vulkan]

Their service and support has dropped in quality tenfold.

I bought a new set of Nanoleaf Canvas lights for Xmas 2024. I have been going back and forth with their support people, it's been a nightmare. To the point I have given up, and I have requested a refund. So now I'm on a leg going back and forth again, trying to get refunded for the lights I bought... We are approaching June. The lights don't work, don't connect to the network, and they send you through loops and hoops to get refunded.

How did a company that used to be super cool is now super bad to deal with.

 

[otherorange]

I have a Nanoleaf light strip under my bed (to use as a nightlight) and it worked great for a while, but then started flat out refusing to respond via HomeKit, then won't even connect to my network or the app. When I am able to make it connect it works with the Nanoleaf app for a day or so, and then gives up again. Can't run a firmware update because it always fails. Ended up unplugging it so I don't have to hear Siri tell me that a device is not responding multiple times a day. Never again.