Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons Review

Nanoleaf is a well known model within the good lighting trade, and their Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are certainly one of their newest choices. These gentle panels are designed so as to add a contact of magnificence and class to any room whereas offering customisable lighting choices.

Fashionable amongst players, I don’t assume there’s a product that may actually compete with Nanoleaf, and this, due to this fact, permits them to cost a premium for his or her merchandise, very similar to Philips Hue.

Specification / Options

Dimensions:Peak Per Panel: 7.75 in / 20 cmWidth Per Panel: 9 in / 23 cmEdge Thickness: 0.24 in / 0.6 cmMounted Thickness: 0.39 in / 1 cmWeight Per Panel: 0.46 lb / 208 gCable Size: 8.2 ft / 2.5 mFeaturesConnect+: Sure, Shapes panels are designed to work collectively.Contact Management: YesMusic Sync: YesScreen Mirror: YesGeneralLuminous Flux Per Panel: 100 lumensLifetime: 25,000 hoursCommunication Protocol: WiFi (2.4 GHz b/g/n)Dimmability: Sure (through Nanoleaf App, Voice, Contact)Mounting Sort: By way of included double-sided tape or screw mounts (screws and anchors not included)Nanoleaf App: Management through the Nanoleaf App (Android & iOS) for cellular/pill or the Nanoleaf Desktop App (Home windows & Mac).Compatibility: Apple Residence, Amazon Alexa, Google Residence, IFTTT, Nanoleaf Distant, SmartThings, Razer ChromaColourColour Temperature: 1200K – 6500KColour Channel Configuration: RGBWColour Functionality: Greater than 16 millionColour Rendering Index (CRI): 80PowerVoltage: 100VAC ~ 120VACMax Energy Provide Energy: 42WMax Vitality Consumption Per Panel: 2WMax Panels per Energy Provide: 21 hexagons per 42W PSUMax Panels per Controller: 500 Hexagons

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are gentle panels that may be mounted on the wall to create numerous designs and patterns. They function a matte black end that provides them a glossy and fashionable look. The panels are touch-sensitive, permitting customers to regulate the lights with a easy contact. In addition they help voice management via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple Siri.

The panels use Wi-Fi to connect with the Nanoleaf app, which permits customers to customize the lighting results, create scenes, and schedule the lights to activate and off at particular occasions. The app additionally features a music visualiser that syncs the lights to the beat of the music.

Thread Border Router

One of many standout options of the Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons is their compatibility with Thread, a brand new networking protocol designed for good house gadgets. Thread permits for quicker and extra dependable connectivity between gadgets, and it additionally allows the panels to behave as a border router for different Thread-enabled gadgets.

The Thread Border Router  performance of the panels can be essential because it permits you to combine the Nanoleaf Necessities vary of merchandise with out a third get together Thread Border Router .

Unboxing

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are available in a starter equipment that features 9 panels, 9 mounting plates, 9 linkers, an influence provide, and a controller. The panels are packaged securely in foam to stop injury throughout delivery. The equipment additionally features a fast begin information and a design information to assist customers create their very own customized designs.

Arrange with Nanoleaf App

Organising the Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons is a simple course of. Customers first must obtain the Nanoleaf app and create an account. Then, they’ll join the panels to the ability provide and controller and mount them on the wall utilizing the included mounting plates and linkers.

One problem I had was the clip on connectors for the panels didn’t clip in place very securely so it’s fairly simple for a panel to get indifferent if you find yourself attempting to mount them on the wall.

As soon as the panels are mounted, customers can join them to the app by scanning the QR code on the controller. The app will then information customers via the method of connecting the panels to their Wi-Fi community and updating the firmware.

App Settings

The Nanoleaf app affords a variety of customisation choices for the Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons. Customers can select from quite a lot of lighting results, together with color scenes, rhythm scenes, and group scenes. They’ll additionally create their very own customized scenes by choosing particular colours and animations for every panel.

The app additionally features a schedule function that permits customers to set the lights to activate and off at particular occasions. This may be helpful for making a wake-up routine or simulating occupancy when away from house.

Integrating with Residence Assistant with Thread and Apple HomeKit

One of many distinctive options of the Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons is their compatibility with Thread, a brand new networking protocol designed for good house gadgets that’s just like the favored Zigbee protocol. Thread permits for quicker and extra dependable connectivity between gadgets, and it additionally allows the panels to behave as a border router for different Thread-enabled gadgets.

Up to now, I’ve reviewed the Aqara Door and Home windows Sensor P2, which makes use of Matter over Thread. This may be the perfect mixture of good house protocols and requirements as each are open supply and might be built-in with any Thread/Matter-enabled hub.

For Nanoleaf, it lacks Matter, so that you, due to this fact, have to make use of HomeKit or one other ecosystem resembling SmartThings.

The panels may also be built-in with Residence Assistant, the open-source house automation platform. This permits customers to regulate the panels alongside different good house gadgets and create advanced automation routines. You are able to do this both through HomeKit or native Nanoleaf help.

I’ve the Residence Assistant SkyConnect dongle, so each Nanoleaf and Residence Assistant act as a thread border router, bettering the reliability of the community as a complete.

Nanoleaf Desktop App / Overwolf  / Razer Chroma

Nanoleaf additionally affords a number of methods of integrating your lights with a PC, which differentiates them out of your typical good lighting resolution.

The lights are appropriate with Razer Chroma, which can be true for Philips Hue, Twinkly and Govee, and this lets you synchronise all of the Razer Chroma-compatible peripherals and lights along with your video games.  

My arrange can’t do the Nanoleaf and Razer Chroma integration justice. The next YouTube video exhibits a great demonstration.

However, additionally they have their very own app, which may synchronise your lights with what’s in your show.

For gaming, they’ve the Overwolf app which is able to sync your video games along with your Nanoleaf RGB lights through the Nanoleaf desktop app for the last word immersive gaming expertise.

An easier resolution that works nicely for motion pictures and some other video content material is display screen mirroring.

This works as anticipated. The app makes an attempt to match what’s in your show with the lighting results. I’ve the Samsung C49RG90 49-inch tremendous ultrawide monitor with a decision of 5120 x 1440. The Nanoleaf app is aware of the form I’ve designed for the Hexagons, and I can drag the lights into the part of the display screen I need to mirror.

You then have 4 lighting choices: 4D, tranquillity, move, and chameleon.

When you find yourself not gaming or watching content material, you possibly can assign static colors to your lights or obtain one of many many scenes which might be accessible beneath the Uncover tab. This consists of animated scenes beneath the motions tab.

In-Use

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are a pleasure to make use of. The touch-sensitive panels are responsive, and the lighting results are vibrant and customisable. The app is intuitive and straightforward to make use of, and the schedule function works reliably.

The lights are usually not overly vivid, so that they positively work greatest as accent lighting fairly than ambient.

They’ve at all times been geared in the direction of PC players, and that is the place Nanoleaf excels. You’ve got three completely different choices for synchronising your lights along with your show, which makes them superior to Philips Hue or Govee on this state of affairs.

One draw back of Nanoleaf is that it’s not simple to synchronise your lights with a house theatre set-up if you’re utilizing one thing like a Nvidia Defend or FireTV. Philips Hue has an HDMI sync field, and Govee has an analogous product. You’d have to make use of a mini PC to realize this with Nanoleaf.

One minor criticism that’s possible a problem with gentle panels, normally, is the inconsistent lighting impact on the panel. The lighting seems to be from 6 LED gentle sources at every of the six corners of the hexagon. This, due to this fact, causes the panel to have barely darker and brighter spots. The panels would have to be a lot thicker with an array of LEDs to beat this downside, which might inevitably make them far more costly.

Value and Different Choices

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons starter equipment with 9 panels has an RRP of £180, however on the time of writing, it was accessible from Nanoleaf for £144. Nanoleaf is by far the perfect model in the marketplace for one of these product, and the Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons aren’t any exception.

You’ll be able to develop these with extra Hexagons, which price £50 for 3, and you will get inventive and combine completely different formed Shapes with the system with Triangles and Mini Triangles.

The Mini Triangle Growth 10 Pack is £90 and the Triangle 2 pack is £50.

The very best different might be the Govee Glide Hexa Mild Panels, which can be found for £130 and embrace 10 panels. Nevertheless, the Govee panels have restricted third-party help, with no Thread/Matter/HomeKit compatibility. Govee is appropriate with Razer Chroma, although, so they’re a good selection for gaming setups.

General

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are a wonderful selection for anybody on the lookout for a extra inventive type of lighting compared to the ever present gentle strips and good bulbs.

The panels are well-designed, simple to make use of, and supply a variety of customisation choices. The compatibility with Thread and HomeKit is a bonus, making them a flexible choice for any good house setup.

Whereas the value could also be greater than another choices, the Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons’ high quality and options make them nicely well worth the funding.

I’m James, a UK-based tech fanatic and the Editor and Proprietor of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Captivated with all issues know-how, my experience spans from computer systems and networking to cellular, wearables, and good house gadgets.

As a health fanatic who loves operating and biking, I even have a eager curiosity in fitness-related know-how, and I take each alternative to cowl this area of interest on my weblog. My numerous pursuits permit me to convey a singular perspective to tech running a blog, merging way of life, health, and the newest tech traits.

In my tutorial pursuits, I earned a BSc in Info Techniques Design from UCLAN, earlier than advancing my studying with a Grasp’s Diploma in Computing. This superior examine additionally included Cisco CCNA accreditation, additional demonstrating my dedication to understanding and staying forward of the know-how curve.

I’m proud to share that Vuelio has constantly ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many high know-how blogs within the UK. With my dedication to know-how and drive to share my insights, I goal to proceed offering my readers with partaking and informative content material.