Design
Nanoleaf's new Lines range pushes it further into the decor space
But gamers and streamers will no doubt still be pleased, too.
Canadian smart lighting company Nanoleaf has added another product to its burgeoning line-up. Called Nanoleaf Lines, the new range features rear-illuminated LED bars that mount to hexagonal connectors which elevate the bars a little less than an inch, creating space for them to illuminate the wall or ceiling to which they’re affixed.
Like Nanoleaf’s Light Panels, Canvas, and Shapes devices, Lines can display 16-million colors and are modular, so users can create all sorts of layouts with them. And like their predecessors, Lines also come in a starter pack of nine pieces (for $199), with three-piece expansion packs ($69.99) enabling more complex or larger installations. Pre-orders open today and Lines will start shipping to customers at the end of November.
Double trouble — The LEDs on each Lines bar are split into two “color zones,” so each bar can display two colors at once (or have only one half illuminated at a time). Nanoleaf says this allows for “seamless color mixing,” and in our early testing with a review pack, makes for some pretty slick-looking transitions when using one of the 19 animated “scenes.”
Seven of the included scenes are “rhythm” scenes, which use the microphone built into the controller to match the Lines color shifts to whatever music is playing. Users can also create personal scenes (static, animated, or music-responsive) using the Scene Creator in Nanoleaf’s app.
Easy installation — Each bar attaches to a mounting connector, and each connector can support up to six connections, which means each bar attaches at 60-degrees. The connectors include an adhesive strip on the rear, so installation is incredibly simple, and because the Lines bars are lightweight, users can even affix them to ceilings.
Each connector has a hexagonal cover that clips into place, and there’s an included, wired controller with buttons on its cover that serve as physical controls. And if the white finish isn’t to a user’s liking, come December they’ll be able to buy black or pink snap-on “skins” to replace the default white of the bars and connector covers.
Lines supports Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT, and includes a Screen Mirror feature that enables users to sync Lines to video or games on a desktop or laptop.
Thread and Matter built-in — Lines also supports the forthcoming Matter smart home protocol and can serve as a Thread Border Router, a feature the company introduced with its decor-focused Elements panels. That also means Lines should improve the reliability of any Nanoleaf bulbs or LED light strips a user has in the vicinity. Eventually, when full Matter support is added via a firmware update, it should also mean any Thread-compatible device should be able to harness Lines to connect to your smart home.
We’re currently testing Lines and will have a full review soon.
