Nanoleaf Outdoor Garlands Look Smart (and Clever at the Same Time)
Smart lights indoors are great, but smart lights outdoors are what really impresses me. You can turn them on and off without fearing the elements, and almost all outdoor lights now come with color-changing LEDs. You can change the color of lights on the fly and create dynamic scenes with the touch of a button on your phone. However, garlands generally do not perform well in weather conditions: they absorb water, burn out, and, in my experience, last no more than one or two seasons. Professional versions of the same flashlights can be much more durable, but the price is prohibitive. Nanoleaf’s highly anticipated outdoor string lights (prices start at $99.99) promise to fill that gap, making durable, smart outdoor string lights accessible to everyone.
Durable workmanship
I’m a big fan of garlands, but over the past 10 years I’ve often re-purchased them because they have to be replaced all the time. There is a big difference between cheap string lights that plug into a standard residential power cord and string lights that use commercial grade stringers with E26 bulbs of 55 lumens each. You’ve probably seen the latter on restaurant patios or other commercial premises. While cheaper residential fixtures don’t really need any additional support, commercial stringers typically use support wire. You stretch the wire between the mounting points and then hang the lights from it.
Nanoleaf outdoor lights are a good in-between option. They look like commercial light fixtures, are the same weight, and have separate hanging stands for each light fixture, so you can hang them on a wire or simply attach each one to your home. They don’t require support wire, but they are heavy and require strong anchors if you don’t use them. A faceted E26 teardrop light is strung on a sturdy black wire every 24 inches. The drop lights themselves are quite significant – they don’t look or feel like the thin orbs that most LEDs have. Made from durable plastic, the edges make them look much more expensive than they actually are. They are delivered in foam, so it will be quite difficult to break them during the delivery process. You can connect multiple strings, they have a six foot long lead wire with a small controller.
Color and motion schemes are available in the app.
These lights are part of the Nanoleaf Matter line, so they’re pretty easy to connect. Once I plugged them in, the app quickly detected them and then scanned the QR code on the controller and paired them. From there you add them to the “room”. In the Nanoleaf app, rooms are a way of grouping lights so they can have the same effects, although this also depends on what product line they’re in. All Matter products can generally have the same effects, and you can definitely use your new hanging garlands in combination with the Nanoleaf holiday garlands that I reviewed last year. Instead of simply turning these lights on and off, you can choose from millions of colors, but you’ll most likely choose a color scheme. Since these are programmable LEDs, you can change the color of the string or use multiple colors at once in combination with the movement. It sounds gross, but the reason I like Nanoleaf is because the effect is usually subtle and beautiful, and the app pre-loads some neat ombres. You can download additional patterns from other users or make your own, and it’s quite easy to do. Like all Nanoleaf products, they are also audio responsive, meaning you can choose color schemes that sync with the music. Users of the Nanoleaf app have complained that products are often disconnected or cannot be accessed. While this is absolutely true, I have found that quitting the app and reopening it is a workaround that resolves these issues in most cases. Another issue I had with the app: Normally I would like all my Nanoleaf items to have the same motion/color pattern, but different product groups can only match each other, and Nanoleaf has said they are planning on doing so to correct. On the outside, it doesn’t really matter – at the moment, all the outdoor products seem to be grouped together.
Faceted design looks great
I’ll admit, when the box arrived, I didn’t like the design of the faceted bulbs, and I’m not sure I would have chosen them myself (Nanoleaf provided these bulbs for review). However, one day the edges captivated me for several reasons. First, they created a lighting effect that seemed new. Once lit they create a crackling effect which is very interesting. Once you’ve layered the color using gently changing gradients, it gives off a really beautiful light. Even in the old cool white color, the lights looked much more sophisticated than regular string lights. The change of color and movement occurred very softly and slowly.
Good price if they survive the winter.
I hope this is the start of more outdoor lights for Nanoleaf. I ended up hanging them as a chandelier under my patio and loved the look. Granted, I haven’t used these lights in the winter and they are only rated for temperatures down to 5°F, but they definitely feel more durable than any other lights I’ve purchased. You can purchase the base kit with controller for $99.99 starting April 11 , and expansion kits for $69.99. Looking at commercial string light kits, this price seems competitive and you get all the smart functionality, which is a real win in this case.