Nanoleaf Lines Review: Add Style to Your Home
Nanoleaf Lines
The Nanoleaf Lines offers minimalist illumination from plain white to the colors of the rainbow. While you’re able to dim it to fit the mood, it’s bright enough to function as an actual light, rather than just decoration. Since it’s modular, Nanoleaf Lines can fit any space. And not only can you control it remotely, your Lines can also sync with your music or your screen.
Nothing can transform a space quite like proper lighting. If you appreciate minimalist designs, you’ll love the Nanoleaf Lines. The lines design is great for background lighting, accents, or elevating your existing Nanoleaf collection.
We tested the Nanoleaf Lines and explain how they work and everything else you need to know to help you decide whether they’re the right smart lights for your place.
What’s in the Box
Nanoleaf sent us two kits: the Nanoleaf Lines and the Nanoleaf Lines Squared Smarter Kit. Nanoleaf’s light lines contain LED lights, much like an LED light strip, but the lights face the wall. The connectors that power and support the lines create a gap between the light source and the wall, creating a nice contrast between the lines themselves and the illuminated wall behind them.
Here’s what you’ll find in the Nanoleaf Lines Smarter Kit:
The Nanoleaf Lines Squared Smarter Kit contains all the same parts, but you’ll only get four of each of the light lines, square mounting connectors, connector caps, and 5 mounting plates with tape. The mounting plates and mounting connectors come pre-assembled.
Nanoleaf Lines Assembly
it’s possible to mix and match all the parts from the Lines series. While we experimented with a layout that used the hexagonal and squared connectors, it didn’t work for what we had in mind. We went with a design using the hexagonal connectors that required more than the 9 lines supplied with that kit. We took the extra line in our 10-line layout from the Squared kit.
If you struggle to find a layout you’re happy with or don’t want to plug and unplug your physical set repeatedly, install the Nanoleaf app (more on the app below) and head into theLayout Assistantunder theMoretab. Tap the shapes icon in the top right to select the Nanoleaf product you’d like to configure. Now you can add the number of hexagonal or square connectors you have, add or remove lines, and press the reload icon until you generate a design you’re happy with.
The assembly is easy. Since the mounting connectors and plates come pre-assembled, all you have to do is plug in the lines, then snap on the connector caps to finalize your design. Though, you might want to hold off on that last step until everything is mounted.
The tricky part is getting everything onto the wall. We recommend a dry run. It’s best to try a few different configurations to see what each one looks like, where you could place the controller, and how you could run the cable from the power connector to the nearest socket. Note that you don’t have to place the controller cap onto the power connector, i.e. the connector with the power cable; it can sit anywhere in your design.
When you’ve found a configuration you’re happy with, do a test run before sticking it to the wall. Plug the power supply cable into the slit at the long end of the processor (pictured on the right in the photo above), then plug the power supply into a socket, and the Nanoleaf should come on automatically. To run through default scenes, plug the controller cap into one of the connectors; it doesn’t matter which one.
Before you mount your design, Nanoleaf recommends that you clean the target surface. Things like dust, moisture, or oil could prevent the adhesive tape from sticking properly. When you’re ready, pull back the protective sheet from the tape, and mount it.
Nanoleaf also recommends that you “mount your layout all at once.” That can work if you have someone to help you. If not, and if you would like to use a level for some elements, you can also mount your design in parts. Just make sure to use “closed-loop” parts, i.e. avoid putting individual lines and connectors together on the wall.
Once everything is mounted, and you’re happy with the result, you could add the connector and controller caps. We didn’t do it quite this way, but we should have. After applying your design to the wall, the last step is to push down on each connector for thirty seconds, so the tape can thoroughly bond with the surface.
Design and Build Quality
The build quality is solid. While plugging and unplugging the connector caps, we were concerned one of the pins could break off, but we found that we had nothing to worry about. The straightforward design left almost nothing to be desired.
There was one small thing, though. For the Nanoleaf Elements, the company went with power cables wrapped in cloth, which gives them a premium look and feel. The jacketing material of the Nanoleaf Lines cables, however, is plain plastic, which feels a tad cheaper.
Nanoleaf Lines Dismounting
While the assembly and mounting are fairly easy and rewarding, removing a Nanoleaf can be disappointing. We have done this with a few different products, including theNanoleaf Shapes.
In theory, you remove the connector caps, unplug the lines, pull the connector off the mounting plate, and slowly, in a motion parallel to the wall, stretch the adhesive tape until it comes off. Nanoleaf uses custom 3M command strips, which should peel off without a hitch. In practice, however, we often removed bits of paint or parts of the wallpaper. While that may be easy to fix on a plain-colored wall, it’s still a nuisance.
Unfortunately, there’s no workaround for the Lines, other than sticking them to a surface that won’t come apart when your command strip sticks too well.
Nanoleaf App Setup
Each Nanoleaf has a default set of scenes you can run through using the controller. To get the most out of your Nanoleaf Lines, however, you’ll need to use the Nanoleaf app (desktop,mobile). As mentioned above, you can use the app to find a layout you like before ever touching the product.
We used the mobile app to set up our Nanoleaf Lines. Inside the app, head toMore > My Devicesand tap the+icon in the bottom right to add a new device. From the list of devices, select the one you’d like to pair.
Make sure your Lines are powered on and you’re connected to a 2.4GHz network with your phone or computer. TapStart Pairingwhen you’re ready. You can pair with the Nanoleaf device by scanning a QR code or inputting a code manually; we went with the former. Scan the QR code on top of the power brick or on the back of the processor; that’s also where you can find the codes for manual input. Then name your set, configure Wi-Fi access, and match the orientation seen in the app with the one on your wall. TapNextto continue.
The app will drop you off at theDashboard, where you can set up rooms and groups of devices. Our Nanoleaf Lines was automatically added to theBedroom, where we already had a set of Nanoleaf Elements set up. Tap your device to configure its scenes, choose favorites, create playlists, and more. Tab the settings icon in the top right to access features like auto-brightness, scene transition, or backup and restore options.
To add more scenes to your collection, head to theDiscovertab. From here, you can preview scenes by tapping thePlaybutton and selecting a target device. Go to Schedules to turn your Nanoleaf Lines on and off at set times. You can also control Nanoleaf products with IFTTT, which permits more granular controls, such as turning a device on at sunset.
The Nanoleaf app has come a long way since we first used it in 2020. While it still occasionally struggles with connecting to devices, it’s generally become more reliable. It’s also a lot less cluttered while still offering comprehensive features and access to scenes created by the community.
Should You Buy the Nanoleaf Lines Smarter Kit?
The Nanoleaf Lines is a beautifully-designed LED smart light that fits any space. It’s a perfect match if you already own a set of Nanoleaf lights. We think it fits best with other multicolor Nanoleaf products. If this will be your first Nanoleaf product, you’ll love how easy it is to set up and control.
You might not appreciate the steep price. We recommend waiting for a sale, which seems to happen quite regularly. While you will find cheaper products that look almost the same, we can’t vouch for their ease-of-use or reliability.
If you’re looking into LED smart lights in general,we recommend the Govee Glide Hexa Light Panels. While the Govee Home app is required to control the panels and doesn’t offer as many options as the Nanoleaf app, the panels are stunning and work reliably when put on a schedule.
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