Nanoleaf Shapes Ultra Black Hexagons Review

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

Well-liked amongst avid gamers, I don’t suppose 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 like Philips Hue.

Specification / Options

• Dimensions:
  • Top Per Panel: 7.75 in / 20 cm
  • Width Per Panel: 9 in / 23 cm
  • Edge Thickness: 0.24 in / 0.6 cm
  • Mounted Thickness: 0.39 in / 1 cm
  • Weight Per Panel: 0.46 lb / 208 g
  • Cable Size: 8.2 ft / 2.5 m
• Options
  • Join+: Sure, Shapes panels are designed to work collectively.
  • Contact Management: Sure
  • Music Sync: Sure
  • Display screen Mirror: Sure
• Normal
  • Luminous Flux Per Panel: 100 lumens
  • Lifetime: 25,000 hours
  • Communication Protocol: WiFi (2.4 GHz b/g/n)
  • Dimmability: Sure (through Nanoleaf App, Voice, Contact)
  • Mounting Sort: Through included double-sided tape or screw mounts (screws and anchors not included)
  • Nanoleaf App: Management through the Nanoleaf App (Android & iOS) for cell/pill or the Nanoleaf Desktop App (Home windows & Mac).
  • Compatibility: Apple House, Amazon Alexa, Google House, IFTTT, Nanoleaf Distant, SmartThings, Razer Chroma
• Color
  • Color Temperature: 1200K – 6500K
  • Color Channel Configuration: RGBW
  • Color Functionality: Greater than 16 million
  • Color Rendering Index (CRI): 80
• Energy
  • Voltage: 100VAC ~ 120VAC
  • Max Energy Provide Energy: 42W
  • Max Vitality Consumption Per Panel: 2W
  • Max Panels per Energy Provide: 21 hexagons per 42W PSU
  • Max Panels per Controller: 500 Hexagons

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are mild panels that may be mounted on the wall to create numerous designs and patterns. They characteristic a matte black end that provides them a modern and trendy look. The panels are touch-sensitive, permitting customers to manage the lights with a easy contact. Additionally they help voice management by 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 instances. 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 sensible dwelling units. Thread permits for quicker and extra dependable connectivity between units, and it additionally permits the panels to behave as a border router for different Thread-enabled units.

The Thread Border Router  performance of the panels can also be essential because it means that you can combine the Nanoleaf Necessities vary of merchandise with no third occasion Thread Border Router .

Unboxing

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are available 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 harm throughout transport. 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

Establishing the Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons is a simple course of. Customers first have to 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 subject 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 when you’re making an attempt 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 by the method of connecting the panels to their Wi-Fi community and updating the firmware.

App Settings

The Nanoleaf app provides a variety of customisation choices for the Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons. Customers can select from a wide range 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 characteristic that permits customers to set the lights to activate and off at particular instances. This may be helpful for making a wake-up routine or simulating occupancy when away from dwelling.

Integrating with House 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 sensible dwelling units that’s just like the favored Zigbee protocol. Thread permits for quicker and extra dependable connectivity between units, and it additionally permits the panels to behave as a border router for different Thread-enabled units.

Previously, I’ve reviewed the Aqara Door and Home windows Sensor P2, which makes use of Matter over Thread. This is able to be the perfect mixture of sensible dwelling protocols and requirements as each are open supply and may 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 corresponding to SmartThings.

The panels may also be built-in with House Assistant, the open-source dwelling automation platform. This permits customers to manage the panels alongside different sensible dwelling units and create complicated automation routines. You are able to do this both through HomeKit or native Nanoleaf help.

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

Nanoleaf Desktop App / Overwolf  / Razer Chroma

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

The lights are appropriate with Razer Chroma, which can also 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 very good demonstration.

However, in addition 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 properly for films and every 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, circulation, and chameleon.

When you find yourself not gaming or watching content material, you’ll be able to assign static colors to your lights or obtain one of many many scenes which are accessible underneath the Uncover tab. This consists of animated scenes underneath 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 characteristic works reliably.

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

They’ve all the time been geared in direction of PC avid gamers, and that is the place Nanoleaf excels. You’ve gotten 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 Protect 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 attain this with Nanoleaf.

One minor criticism that’s possible a problem with mild panels, generally, is the inconsistent lighting impact on the panel. The lighting seems to be from 6 LED mild 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 must be a lot thicker with an array of LEDs to beat this downside, which might inevitably make them way more costly.

Value and Various 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 most effective model in the marketplace for this kind of product, and the Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are not any exception.

You may develop these with extra Hexagons, which value £50 for 3, and you may get artistic 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 various might be the Govee Glide Hexa Gentle Panels, which can be found for £130 and embody 10 panels. Nonetheless, 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 sensible choice for gaming setups.

General

The Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons are a wonderful selection for anybody in search of a extra artistic type of lighting compared to the ever present mild strips and sensible 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 possibility for any sensible dwelling setup.

Whereas the value could also be greater than another choices, the Nanoleaf Shapes Extremely Black Hexagons’ high quality and options make them properly 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 cell, wearables, and sensible dwelling units.

As a health fanatic who loves working 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 enable me to convey a singular perspective to tech running a blog, merging way of life, health, and the most recent tech tendencies.

In my educational 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 research 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 persistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of many prime 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.