Review: Nanoleaf's HomeKit-Connected Triangle and Mini Triangle Light Panels Offer New Design Possibilities

[scartart]

Am I correct in understanding that these lights don’t require a seperate hub to be purchased and installed prior to use?

I’ve come close to getting into the Phillips hue lighting range so many times but I refuse to purchase their expensive Hub unit when my Apple TV or HomePod mini is a perfectly suitable Hub able to organise these devices

I don’t understand why Phillips (and other companies) force us into purchasing their own hubs instead of creating a line exclusively compatible with HomeKit and utilising the Apple TV hub. My guess is it’s for compatibility (across android etc) and they also want you to buy into their ecosystem.

make the smart choice Phillips, go the way of Logitech and start making HomeKit exclusive ranges without the need for your hub, or miss out on dedicated Apple fans like myself who won’t purchase it otherwise

You need a starter kit which contains a controller that clips on one of the shapes. That gives you touch buttons + WiFi connectivity. So really the same as Hue, you need a controller for it to work - you cannot just purchase an expansion kit and expect it to work.

Hue needs a hub to connect to your WiFi/Ethernet network and therefore to HomeKit. The Apple TV doesn’t have zigbee support so couldn’t talk directly to Hue lights, and zigbee is a much better protocol to use that WiFi for remotely distributed light bulbs spread across a house. The hub isn’t that expensive if you purchase as a kit with some bulbs and are often on offer.

 

[jclo]

Am I correct in understanding that these lights don’t require a seperate hub to be purchased and installed prior to use?

I’ve come close to getting into the Phillips hue lighting range so many times but I refuse to purchase their expensive Hub unit when my Apple TV or HomePod mini is a perfectly suitable Hub able to organise these devices

I don’t understand why Phillips (and other companies) force us into purchasing their own hubs instead of creating a line exclusively compatible with HomeKit and utilising the Apple TV hub. My guess is it’s for compatibility (across android etc) and they also want you to buy into their ecosystem.

make the smart choice Phillips, go the way of Logitech and start making HomeKit exclusive ranges without the need for your hub, or miss out on dedicated Apple fans like myself who won’t purchase it otherwise

Nanoleaf lights don't need a hub. Also, Hue now has Bluetooth lights that don't require the hub either.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Am I correct in understanding that these lights don’t require a seperate hub to be purchased and installed prior to use?

I’ve come close to getting into the Phillips hue lighting range so many times but I refuse to purchase their expensive Hub unit when my Apple TV or HomePod mini is a perfectly suitable Hub able to organise these devices

I don’t understand why Phillips (and other companies) force us into purchasing their own hubs instead of creating a line exclusively compatible with HomeKit and utilising the Apple TV hub. My guess is it’s for compatibility (across android etc) and they also want you to buy into their ecosystem.

make the smart choice Phillips, go the way of Logitech and start making HomeKit exclusive ranges without the need for your hub, or miss out on dedicated Apple fans like myself who won’t purchase it otherwise

Nanoleaf uses WiFi to communicate and don’t need any external hub. Just plug and set up with the app. Philips Hue uses ZigBee protocol and since then it needs a hub to translate commands.

 

[jeffirl]

I’m very happy with my Nanoleaf installations.

 

[Benjamins]

I just don't understand the point of these things.

 

[MacPoulet]

Yeah agreed. The price point of nanoleaf always has me looking for alternatives, but unfortunately it seems quite rare to find any. I presume nanoleaf's high prices are because they know they don't have any real competition.

Funny enough, one of our grad students ended up making a more interesting product than the Nanoleaf without intending to. It was a series of pods that you could mount anywhere, and they would react to your motion, and to each other. over time, each pod would seem to develop its own “personality” and act out in unexpected ways. Sadly they never pursued a commercial product.

 

[Arran]

I like them, but they are way too expensive in my opinion. 5 mini’s for $120? If you want to make a larger “picture” with them, it will cost easily $1000+....

I know. You may as well:

1. Buy a cheap LED 4K 70" TV on sale for $480,
2. Buy an Apple TV 4K for $180
3. Buy a simple wall mount $50
4. Make (or have made) a nice picture frame to surround the TV (wood, plastic, gilded, chrome, fabric, metal or whatever material/color matches your room decor) Est. $100-200
   1. Mount it all on the wall and just leave it playing the beautiful Apple TV screensavers all day.
   2. OR download some real art for free from the National Gallery (for example) and let it loop.

Total cost well under $1K

 

[notabadname]

White Plastic and LEDs - yeah, these should be this expensive. 😉

It is actually cheaper to by 50 inch LED TVs at Costco and cover your walls with them. That should tell you something about the price of these.

 

[iMas70]

I bought my third set last night. Actually, the first two went to my kids to put in their room. We all really like them so I got a set of nine triangles and the expansion pack of three for my computer room. Have been trying to figure out the design I want.

 

[Precursor]

What is "gimmick"?
This. This is gimmick.

 

[macplay]

Thats is the most ugly wall lightning ever.

 

[ericwn]

Am I correct in understanding that these lights don’t require a seperate hub to be purchased and installed prior to use?

I’ve come close to getting into the Phillips hue lighting range so many times but I refuse to purchase their expensive Hub unit when my Apple TV or HomePod mini is a perfectly suitable Hub able to organise these devices

I don’t understand why Phillips (and other companies) force us into purchasing their own hubs instead of creating a line exclusively compatible with HomeKit and utilising the Apple TV hub. My guess is it’s for compatibility (across android etc) and they also want you to buy into their ecosystem.

make the smart choice Phillips, go the way of Logitech and start making HomeKit exclusive ranges without the need for your hub, or miss out on dedicated Apple fans like myself who won’t purchase it otherwise

What a rant about a totally different company.

 

[2181 others]

@Username32123 Because the Apple TV and Homepod don't support Zigbee.....

 

[ericwn]

I know. You may as well:

1. Buy a cheap LED 4K 70" TV on sale for $480,
2. Buy an Apple TV 4K for $180
3. Buy a simple wall mount $50
4. Make (or have made) a nice picture frame to surround the TV (wood, plastic, gilded, chrome, fabric, metal or whatever material/color matches your room decor) Est. $100-200
   1. Mount it all on the wall and just leave it playing the beautiful Apple TV screensavers all day.
   2. OR download some real art for free from the National Gallery (for example) and let it loop.

Total cost well under $1K

Wow instead of having lights just turn in the tv and run atv. So comparable!

 

[ericwn]

What is "gimmick"?
This. This is gimmick.

Anything smart is.

 

[ericwn]

Thats is the most ugly wall lightning ever.

Neon signs beat it every time.

 

[Arran]

Wow instead of having lights just turn in the tv and run atv. So comparable!

Well, they're not really functional lighting at 100 lumens per panel. That's dim compared to a Philips hue bulb at 800 lumens.

So if we consider them as art instead, they're extremely limited in terms of what they can express, IMHO.

Nanoleaf should commission a professionally trained artist to do something creative and beautiful with these (if that's at all possible). And then publish/share the heck out of it. Because all I've seen so far are meaningless, jarring and somewhat random arrangements.

 

[ericwn]

Well, they're not really functional lighting at 100 lumens per panel. That's dim compared to a Philips hue bulb at 800 lumens.

So if we consider them as art instead, they're extremely limited in terms of what they can express, IMHO.

Nanoleaf should commission a professionally trained artist to do something creative and beautiful with these (if that's at all possible). And then publish/share the heck out of it. Because all I've seen so far are meaningless, jarring and somewhat random arrangements.

So your counter suggestion is a screen saver. Absolutely no art there in my opinion regardless how I decorated the tellie.

 

[Arran]

So your counter suggestion is a screen saver. Absolutely no art there in my opinion regardless how I decorated the tellie.

It's what's being rendered on the screen that matters.

You could even display a photo of one of these random nanoleaf "compositions" if that's your taste.

All I'm suggesting is investing in a more versatile medium. So when you get bored looking at lurid triangles you can put up a Picasso or Titian or whatever's floating your boat that month.

 

[InGen]

What a rant about a totally different company.

Oh sorry I forgot this is likely a sponsored post, I better not disappoint the corporate overlords by mentioning another more popular brand in a thread that should remain exclusively about that company! Alright guys can we can keep the conversation strictly about nanoleaf’s products!

 

[ericwn]

Oh sorry I forgot this is likely a sponsored post, I better not disappoint the corporate overlords by mentioning another more popular brand in a thread that should remain exclusively about that company! Alright guys can we can keep the conversation strictly about nanoleaf’s products!

Thanks, I know staying on topic isn’t easy for you as you love to tell us about your other stuff that’s not relevant here. Appreciate it.

 

[iMas70]

I just mounted 12 triangle panels over the desk in my office. Two questions -

1 - How do I rename them? I have them as Light Panels Office instead of Office Light Panels. I've been all over the app and don't see a way to do it besides deleting them.

2 - Hopefully I don't have to do this for years but what is the best way to remove the panels from the wall? I know the instructions say to leave the taps out to pull on them. That supposedly easily releases the tape. But... I've looked at hundreds of photos to get design ideas, I didn't see one that showed the tabs. It doesn't look good with them sticking out so I did the same.