Hands-on review: Nanoleaf Essentials Light Bulbs

As I write, my heartbeat and stress levels have returned to normal. While the graphical instructions are great, they show a light bulb in a standard lamp. I had to install mine in the ceiling.

That wasn't too hard but trying to scan the QR code on the bulb was impossible. Fortunately, I found a small card in the box that had the card, so that solved my problem. I also discovered that my QR Code reader read it as gibberish. The secret was that I had to scan from within the Nanoleaf app. Once I'd done that, I was away and to my next problem.  

I was able to get my Apple Home Kit to work perfectly with the Nanoleaf lights, but poor Alexa managed to recognise the bulb and load it and that was it. As you'll see later, the solution didn't take me much digging at all.

Once into the Nanoleaf App, I was able to play with a huge range of settings. Some are obviously designed to work with the Nanoleaf tiles, but you can also try out some of them with the Nanoleaf Essentials Bulbs.  

I found that the Apple site gave up a lot of information on the Nanoleaf Essentials, and watching a video, I discovered some pretty nifty options from screen mirror to Circadian Rhythm. I am currently working in a very soothing scene, with the soft light making typing on my screen very comfortable indeed. 

There is a veritable panoply of colour schemes and I found one that matched my editor's mood when I've made too many typos. Berserk is a wonderful colour scheme and is just one of many. Fruit Ninja was another of my favourites, and you will have endless fun trying them and making your own playlists. Some of the schemes are designed for the tile and strip products, but you can preview what they look like on the Nanoleaf app. 

Thread Technology: Delving into the Nanoleaf website, I discovered why I haven't had to reset my light due to its switching on in the wee small hours. Thread technology works like a meshed system, but in this case making use of your own home system. Mine is running seamlessly with Apple Home, but Alexa is having issues.

Thread says Nanoleaf is a fast technology that improves your home experience. It is built into the software and sits on your home hub, so there's no need to add another hub. I'm grateful for that as my desk is running out of room. Nanoleaf says, "Say goodbye to delays, dropped connections and hubs, and say hello to a smarter home."

Returning to my issue with Alexa, I've found a wonderful user guide on Nanoleaf's website that goes into a lot of detail on the different home systems you may use. If you are still stuck, which I was with Alexa, a helpdesk article is available with step by step instructions. I decided to stick to Apple Home, which is happily chugging along without any issues. As I write I have a very relaxed lighting system called Circadian Rhythm, easy on the eye and great for those of us spending endless hours on screens.

All in all, I must doff my cap to Nanoleaf. I thought I had them with a ceiling mounted bulb, but they were one step ahead of me. I no longer need to manually switch off, as the Thread technology enables a stable home lighting network.

Nanoleaf's website is full of interesting ways to use your Nanoleaf lighting systems. I'll be taking my tiles out of mothballs and having a really good time adding to the ambience of my bustling home office. I doubt you will want to stop at just bulbs, but like me will end up drooling over their other lighting systems.