Nanoleaf Essentials light strip review - Could this be the BEST HomeKit smart light strip of 2021?

Following the review of the smart bulbs from Nanoleaf, I now look at the Nanoleaf Essentials light strip. The light strip does not need an additional hub and also connects to your HomeKit setup using Thread via the HomePod mini.
The Nanoleaf Essentials light strip comes in a 2 meter light strip and can be extended via optional extension kits. In this review, I look at the 2 meter Nanoleaf Essentials started kit design, setup, performance and how it performs with Thread and HomeKit.
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[@HomeKitAuthority]

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[@TheDarklordHimself]

I just got this :). Thanks a lot for this great video. It’s very useful for people like me who are just starting to get into home automation using HomeKit

[@jordanlawrence2370]

Love this. Couldn’t decide on which light kit to purchase, this review helped!!

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Bless you so much, when a review helps someone. This is when it makes it worth while for a creator. Stay safe

[@AdamsTechLife]

Great video! Haven’t messed with thread myself but dang that’s fast changing colors and turning on/off

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Thanks Adam! Thread makes them super responsive

[@BaltiWhiskeyHands]

This guy of giving me “the big show” vibes. I feel compelled to listen to him

[@DavidSchertz]

I have 4 essential bulbs. Love them. I ordered the strip a few weeks back. Should be getting it in a few weeks. While I like the price of the bulbs they are not bright when using colors. You get what you pay for and they work for what I need

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Agree the brightness for colours is not better than hue. But still good value

[@DavidSchertz]

@@HomeKitAuthority your review gives me some confidence that this is a slightly better value.

[@jameswalkerwacker4834]

I'm really impressed by mine. Cut the 2 metres down to fit the back of a 43inch tv. In the same room as two Nanoleaf E27 bulbs, looks great! Using bluetooth with the Apple Home app on iphone (no Homepod), very responsive, takes around 1 second to come on.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

How are you finding the bulbs on Bluetooth?

[@jameswalkerwacker4834]

@@HomeKitAuthority Great to be honest, they turn on between 1 & 2 seconds. They are in lampshades and give out good colour, not as bright as the lightstrip but they give out nice colours!

[@ghty56222]

Can these stripes not bend at all? Are they solid. Wanted to warp them around the back of my tv

[@jodsterjamster8678]

Just received a couple of these light strips this week. Set one up in Kitchen under cabinets and works great. Changes fast and provides great colours that are very bright. Only wish they offered a couple connectors to re-connect the strip if you cut it or to make it easier to place in spots that may bend or turn. Besides that these are a great product that works seamlessly in HomeKit.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

I hear you can get third party connectors off Amazon. I can’t confirm reliability for them though

[@definitelynotobama6851]

@@HomeKitAuthority You can also technically reconnect them yourself easily enough if you feel comfortable with soldering.

[@rogercasoliva1571]

Thanks to your video i’ve decided to buy it😊😊😊

[@hanzalachaudry2562]

Really good review mate, you mentioned using the hue remote to control the light, does this include a way to dim and brighten the lights from the remote?

[@garethevans8543]

Great video I’ve recently just bought this deffo by best item I’ve bought this year. I’ve put mine in the same place you have looks amazing and this thread is deffo the future.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Yes, for the price it’s a great buy. Just a nightmare to get hold of

[@isabelle761]

Adaptive lighting support is coming soon! I am already able to beta test it. But I must say I like the option to customize the settings in the Nanoleaf app for Circadian Lighting a lot! Something that’s definitely missing in the Home app...

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Yes I do like the options in the app, it would be nice if this was in HomeKit (by Apple) But I don’t like it’s disabled if you use any option in HomeKit. Thanks for sharing your experience

[@lexx348]

So did the Adaptive Lighting come as an update?

[@leaf16nut]

Great video, went over everything I wanted to know! Going to set up a few of these around the house and tell Siri to 'turn on the strippers'

[@N.Ireti.A]

🤩🤩 at “Turn on the strippers” 🤪😜🤪

[@Han1996]

best price range , with the thread support , got one in the house , just bit hard to get the hands ob at the min always out of stock ! bit in general get product , thanks for the video ,can't wait for some more HomeKit device coming in 2021

[@HomeKitAuthority]

You have been lucky to get one. Took me ages to get it

[@Han1996]

@@HomeKitAuthority the bulb is in stock on naonleaf uk , but strip is in stock on Apple uk haha , very luck to get one , great product to move forward starting 2021 thanks for the great video !👍👍 just waiting on the strips extension

[@SevenSteelHills]

Good video pal! Noticed the Sheffield UK location on your phone too! Good represent from a fellow Sheffielder!

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Where in Sheffield are you from?

[@SevenSteelHills]

Heeley! (Though originally from Woodhouse)

[@MaxRovensky]

1:10 "once you've trimmed the light strip down, you cannot reattach or extend it" *laughs in soldering iron*

[@alexandrossalonica]

Hi from Greece! Great videos! I have 2 questions. 1. Can I uninstall the strip from a place and put it somewhere else or it will be difficult cause of the 3M tape? I mean can we reuse it? 2. Is there anyway to set these strips synchronized with the TV colors?

[@alexhance5024]

Awesome video! Would they look good being visible and not glowing behind an object? I’m thinking of putting some to outline my ceiling.

[@charliedaffin4809]

they do

[@spawn666reaper]

Great review. I’m thinking of buying one but I need to modify it. I need two one meter strips, connected with a 25cm wire in the middle that connects those two strips. Any recommendations on how to do it?

[@WatchingBernard]

Hi, great video. Can this bend around corners, for example to go around the back of a tv? Or is it better to just have it as a strip at the bottom/top. Thanks

[@brigeatenex]

You can cut the strip and buy 6-pin L shape connectors or extension wires and reattach the strip as long as you cut along the lines indicated.

[@tkji594]

You can bend them at least a little bit.

[@1072064]

Great video, very informative! Is this brighter than the EVE light strip?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Yes it is.

[@ManticJohn]

Hi am I right thinking this has a silicon layer and not just bare components? I want to put it under kitchen cabinets but not sure if it would hold up to steam from the kettle, thanks.

[@chaitanyayejju5056]

Is there any noise issue with lights when it’s on and while we are using via voice command from mini pod is it too late or just 1 or 2 seconds..

[@rohinbhatnagarrr]

do these work like the govee immersion lights? which sync with the sound of the tv? or can you suggest any which sync?

[@warrenfontana1325]

Hi. Does the controller section need to be connected, or can you bypass this at all. Just seems to have a short strip of cable between that and the start of the lightstrip, can’t really hide the controller that well if it can’t be left out. Also is this the first strip light by nanoleaf as I can get this but it doesn’t state its thread, tempted to buy anyway. Thanks. Great channel btw.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

The controller needs to be connected

[@MrJordanwain]

If only this was addressable! I want to invest in some light strips but want to have the option for more effects.

[@samuelgomez974]

Not HomeKit compatible but still, the Govee rgbic still the best at a price no other can match

[@alexxinozgz]

What’s that color ball that you have on the table? Looks amazing! Can you share the link or model ?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

It’s the Eve Flare, a HomeKit portable light - geni.us/Eveflare

[@alexxinozgz]

@@HomeKitAuthority thank you for your quick reply!!

[@FromTheHood]

Is there a music mode? Like lights responding to the music, movie, sounds in general?

[@richardkeeling5821]

Great video, very informative :-) does it have a listen to music feature? Can you do a test video on the Lifesmart Cololight strip for a comparison?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Thanks for watching. It does not have this feature in its current form

[@liamduffy88]

Would a light diffuser be necessary to eliminate the single LED 'look'? I will be looking to edge the toy/games room for the children, aesthetically I dont want to see individual lights around the ceiling of the room. Thanks

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Can’t see why not

[@michaelthompson657]

They’ve definitely set the bar with the price!

[@HomeKitAuthority]

For sure Michael and the quality is really good. Yes you can get 10 meter from other brands for the same price. But the quality is not the same

[@michaelthompson657]

@@HomeKitAuthority great to know Jon! Great video btw! It’s a shame these didn’t come out before I invested in Hue, there’s also quite a bit of 3rd party accessories with Hue and the new dimmer switch. They’re making it a hard choice!

[@geek2330]

If this light strip is thread compatible, how do you connect it to use thread and not wifi for example?

[@pandaengine]

Wonderful video. I have a question. Does the lightstrip utilize white LEDs for less saturated colors such as pink, sky blue etc? Hue does that to provide better pastel colors.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Yes it does. The strip will use the cooler sets

[@pandaengine]

@@HomeKitAuthority nice, thanks for the reply!

[@nasseral-momen1463]

Hi. I cant find the information on the power supply adaptor. Is the output 24v or 12v ? As i want to intall these in my camper van and would like to connect them to dc power supply l. Thanks

[@74862]

Why is Fred built in? Is he stuck?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Fast though

[@74862]

@@HomeKitAuthority Don’t mind me, just teasing an Englishman on his accent. Thread does seem like it’s going to be really awesome if all manufacturers adopt it

[@HomeKitAuthority]

I know, I always take it with humour. Don’t worry

[@laboose6598]

Is it possible to connect this to the google home app while also having it connected to the home app??

[@dxchina0551]

Is it possible for nanoleaf strips to have more than just one color at the same time?

[@ahgflyguy]

Nanoleaf's Homekit adaptive lighting implementation is in beta right now.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Apparently so 😉

[@BLCKVD]

I have nanoleaf aurora panels, does these strips sync with my panels?

[@broskifleurimond4255]

If I don’t have a HomePod but an Apple TV 4K will thread still work?

[@chrisness]

2nd generation Apple TV with the thicker remote, yes. Older Apple 4k Tv, no.

[@LoVeLL123]

Is there a mic on it ? i heard it cant go after music yet, but might this come in an update ?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

No microphone

[@Almost027]

If talking about lightstrips - Govee is the only one to go with. Excellent app, RGBIC lights, great price.

[@calebwhite6173]

Do you still believe this today? I’m struggling to decide the best one to use with apple.

[@hessulipoika13]

Has adaptive lightning come already?

[@ryou4me]

Hi Anyone got 10m extension on this - does the brightness reduce? Been looking at this, eve and also meross homekit led strips I'm looking to put in my living room which is approx 18m And was wondering if this would be possible with one or 2 strips of 8-10m each with extensions Also does anyone know if this can be hard wired to an actual switch instead of plugging it in? Thanks all appreciate it

[@blockie_2]

i need one im going to stream whit cam do yopu thinbk its bether than elgato or elgato no flikkering ?

[@miriahmartin5344]

Can you sync two starter kits together

[@johnny6437]

Does it flicker in iPhone’s slo-mo video?

[@raduchiperi4924]

How do you actually connect this through thread?

[@ZBB8]

How is it compass to Eve as far as color and brightness?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

On par with each other

[@darkknightforU]

Which one is the best nanoleff or Phillips hue? Got Phillips hue myself at home but might mix nanoleff strip with my pc desktop

[@HomeKitAuthority]

I have hue and Nanoleaf. I think the Nanoleaf is brighter. But I like the colours on the Philips hue

[@darkknightforU]

@@HomeKitAuthority so there is no problem with controlling both of them at the same time through the apps with a smartphone?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

No, they can both live side by side without issue

[@darkknightforU]

@@HomeKitAuthority thanks that’s nice to know 👍

[@sleepee_boy8067]

is there an extention kit for this?

[@VibrGames]

6:37 - Where can I get this ball lamp?

[@WhoRU879]

Probably a stupid question, but once cut, the remaining strip is trash, right? I am looking to run these strips under my kitchen cabinets, but want as few wires as possible to show.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

I have seen that people have joined them back up, however the company does not recommend it

[@paulc8337]

Can you set the light strip to cycle through the colors on its own? I'm also trying to find out if the nano bulbs can do this as well. Thanks for the videos!

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Not at the moment no, but it may come in the future like the panels

[@Twan01]

You can now with both.

[@vladimirsergeev2342]

@@Twan01 Please explain how to set the light strip to cycle through the colors

[@peterrasmussen3100]

So I can’t run the light strip around the 4 sides of my TV. No right angles? No connecting two strips together?

[@mpetrides]

He said in the video that you can extend the light strip and even showed the spot at the end of the light strip where you would plug in the extension.

[@peterrasmussen3100]

OK, you can string them together. But still no right angles or turns of and kind. He said once you cut, it can’t be reconnected.

[@mgnoodle2589]

Just ordered some from Apple’s website and being delivered on Wednesday. Couldn’t find them on Amazon

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Not listened on Amazon yet sadly

[@warrenfontana1325]

mgnoodle, are you also convinced these have ‘thread’ as I can’t see it stated on Apple website.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

They have thread.

[@mgnoodle2589]

@@warrenfontana1325 no idea about thread but mine will be on automation 90% of the time

[@markg1516]

Where did you get them in in stock?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Got them from Apple online

[@mgnoodle2589]

I’ve just bought mine from Apple

[@garethevans8543]

I was wondering if you had this experience my nano led strip and bulb just said that there’s no response even tho I’ve got three HomePod minis in house I had to restart both. Surly that’s not normal as I thought Thread was meant to be more reliable.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

I have had this question from someone else. Have you updated the firmware

[@garethevans8543]

Yes they are both on on latest firmware ive got the bulb and strip in frontroom and a home pod mini in kitchen my bedroom and my sons bedroom, I’ve got another three bulbs coming today so hopefully having more Thread it will sort things out

[@garethevans8543]

I’ve just come downstairs and I’m having a nite mare with these there’s a 5 second if not more now. It’s like it’s trying through Bluetooth but it shouldn’t be. If anyone is having not responding or laggy problems I’d like to hear from you

[@HomeKitAuthority]

This is odd behaviour. Have you download the Eve app to see how they connecting to the network?

[@garethevans8543]

No I haven’t but from about midday yesterday everything was working fine. I’m confused as much as you are lol, very odd experience but so far so good everything is ok atm

[@LIGHTZZZ95]

Does it have any rainbow wave lighting?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

No

[@hussey78900]

Someone help does anyone know where I can buy the extension?? Apple sell the actual light strip but I’m struggling to find the extensions!! I’m wanting these for around my bed (fabric bed) and tv but I have the Phillips hue light strip which I previously bought Been trying to sort the light strip in my room For a while now Any help would be hugely appreciated! Thanks

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Not found the extensions myself yet

[@troypogue1935]

They show extensions in stock on nanoleafs website

[@troypogue1935]

I noticed you said once cut you can’t extend, why can’t you add a 6 pin connector or simply solder them together ? Has anyone tried this method?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

I beleive it can, but the manufacturer does not recommend it. Hence as a reviewer it’s the right thing to follow guidance. I was to say it could, then people could damage a product based on advice given

[@troypogue1935]

@@HomeKitAuthority thank you for response. I thought there would be no reason it wouldn’t work. Looks like they are about a month back ordered through apple, worth the wait I believe. Thanks again.

[@Collective_Oilers]

New to all this and looking to add some after getting a HP mini. Can more than one person control the strips via HomeKit?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Yes, anyone that has access to your HomeKit home can control it

[@Collective_Oilers]

How many pins are in these strips - seen so many conflicting reports

[@HomeKitAuthority]

What do you mean pins?

[@Collective_Oilers]

@@HomeKitAuthority The number of pins on the strip if I wanted to use a corner connector - 6 pins or 5

[@wimbraber944]

Luminons?

[@MrCarCrazy]

I can’t find any mention of an IP rating...which makes me sad.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Someone said IP44, but not heard this officially

[@nagyba]

Looks like there are not many options in white shades.

[@ypark2877]

The new 2023essentials matter strp has connector issues. Filmsy. Where it connects to power falls out and moves around it their any movement at all.

[@Jay-bf3rh]

Do they have a 16 ft?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

You can extend it

[@docdood9027]

@@HomeKitAuthority would I be able to attach two 1 meter strips together

[@Twan01]

@@docdood9027 yes, up to 5

[@gm2543]

It allways tells you do not turn on in a roll as over heats when setting up lol

[@JRsReviews]

it was on for a matter of minutes

[@eballacharles0302]

👌👍

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Thanks

[@kingjezza6567]

I'm a little unhappy with the light strip... it works well etc but the features and scenes is very basic.... I was hoping for more scenes especially ones where you can have a particular colour running through the strip, or even more than one colour...... or even selection each light to choose a particular colour...

[@villa_fan8882]

Who is Fred?

[@stevec7435]

Bought this yesterday and taking it back today. The fact that my daughters $5 light strip has way more useful features than this blows my mind as to why they even bothered releasing this range. Can't even randomise colours for christ sake 😄

[@friscodog]

I know I've complained about this before, but I still find your pronunciation of "home app" very confusing every time I happen to listen to one of your videos. After a few minutes trying to figure out what this "O map" is, I finally realized this was supposed to be 'ome App.

[@Unterhaltung]

music is very bad. could you replace it please?

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Feedback taken

[@Unterhaltung]

@@HomeKitAuthority the rest is very good :)

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Thank you

[@saeedalsalahi1930]

Get 3 pieces of the yeelight strip light instead of this nanoleaf it's much cheaper with same quality

[@jasonstar9825]

Yeelight is crap, I have had them and kept falling off the network

[@saeedalsalahi1930]

@@jasonstar9825 I have 7 products from yeelight all good

[@henrymontoya4918]

Trust me spend the extra money for LIFX you won’t be sorry... deeper more vibrant colors and 100s more options

[@bendecker7342]

Probably not since it doesn't have wifi... also supprisingly the 3M VHB is just horrible

[@bendecker7342]

good video btw

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Thanks

[@matteo-cu8uv]

Whilst the inclusion of thread is a big plus. The quality of the lights themselves is significantly lower than Lifx

[@ahgflyguy]

Can you specify what you mean by "quality"?

[@matteo-cu8uv]

@@ahgflyguy i had both Lifx and Nanoleaf. Lifx has more colours, and more vibrant colours, and the brightness adjustment is much smoother. Lifx is seemless, whereas Nanoleaf jumps to a lower or higher setting... i just dont like it as much, Nanoleaf is cheaper, but it does feel cheaper for sure!

[@ahgflyguy]

matteo I think what you’re describing is mostly due to thread only sending commands a few times per second, and WiFi (I assume the LIFX was WiFi) can send Colman’s much more often due to being a high-bandwidth connection.

[@matteo-cu8uv]

@@ahgflyguy all im saying is, side by side Lifx looks a lot better

[@MottiWolkenbruch]

This device sucks. It can only show 1 color at the same time. There are no animations, no chaser light, no blinking, nothing. Only 1 color. Super lame, since the Nanoleaf Aurora is perfectly capable of animations.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

It’s a light strip that performs as designed. You can always go for the Philips hue gradient strip if you need all that

[@will300c]

sheesh, why even it then if you are not satisfied. Always complaining about something

[@jasonstar9825]

What?

[@RalfZille]

Don't buy because no logo of Thread! Eve is the best with logo Thread.

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Eve is a good product for sure

[@sebastianalbert9676]

Nanoleaf essentials are supporting Thread. Eve lightstrip is using WiFi currently.

[@kerims.6329]

@@HomeKitAuthority what‘s better in your opinion, eve with wlan or nanoleaf with thread? I‘ve already homepod mini‘s

[@jspafford]

Quit promoting yourself at the head of the videos. Leave that for the end and if people are still interested they’ll listen. If not at least your not annoying every single person watching which makes them skip through the first part.

[@Chitore]

wat are u saying???? i dont understand that gross accent

[@HomeKitAuthority]

Sorry I don’t understand troll 🧌