Everything about Nanoleaf, the smart light panels with HomeKit

What are Nanoleaf light panels?

Nanoleaf makes light panels that you can control with your iPhone. They work with HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Siri and IFTTT. The possibilities are endless and in this guide we list them.

• What makes Nanoleaf special?
• Nanoleaf products
• More possibilities

What makes Nanoleaf special?

Nanoleaf is a small Canadian manufacturer that has been making light panels for years. What is special is that they always work with HomeKit and that the manufacturer also supports the latest developments such as Thread and Matter. Some panels can be combined with each other.

Another special thing is that you decide which pattern you stick on the wall. There are few manufacturers who market such light panels. You can make the light patterns move with the rhythm of the music, thanks to a separate or built-in music module. You can also have the panels color along with the content of your computer screen, for example while gaming. As a result, these panels have also become very popular with gamers and content creators. You have several options for operating the lamps, including Nanoleaf’s own Remote.

Nanoleaf products

Nanoleaf has gradually released more and more products. Below you can read how they can be distinguished from each other and when they appeared.

• Nanoleaf Lines (2021)
• Nanoleaf Elements + Wood (2021)
• Hexagon (2020)
• Canvas (2018)
• Aurora and Light Panels (2016)

Nanoleaf Lines

Nanoleaf Lines was released in the fall of 2021. These are light sticks that you can stick to the wall in any desired pattern. They are lightweight and change color. The beams are backlit and can be connected to each other at an angle of 60 degrees, so that you get a geometric pattern. You can also set two different color zones at the same time. They are compatible with HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT, so you can go anywhere. Each Line bar provides 20 lumens of illumination, which is relatively little. With a color temperature of 1200K to 6500K you can make it both cozy and productive. The beams can display more than 16 million colors and you can connect up to 18 lines per power cable. You can operate it via the Nanoleaf app, via a remote or voice control.

Nanoleaf Lines has been available since the end of 2021. You buy a starter package for €200 at Bol.com, Coolblue or other stores. Read our Nanoleaf Lines review for more information.

Nanoleaf Elements

Nanoleaf Elements Wood Look Hexagons is a light panel with a wood structure. These are almost identical to the Hexagons that we discuss below, but they also look nice when turned off. This is due to the wood veneer that is glued to the hexagonal tiles. The panels can only emit white light, from cold to warm. You can also connect up to 22 light panels per power adapter and you can connect a total of 80 panels together. This way you can always form a nice pattern. The panels are touch sensitive and respond to music. Moreover, they can be used as a Thread border router, so that they can form the connecting link between your other smart home products.

Read our Nanoleaf Elements review for more information.

Nanoleaf Essentials

Nanoleaf also has a number of cheaper lamps in its range. In the Essentials range you will find a standard A19 lamp and a 2 meter light hose. This doesn’t offer many advantages over the products you find from other manufacturers, except that it works with HomeKit and several other protocols. In terms of price, they are not much cheaper, but if you already have Nanoleaf products, it can be useful that you can arrange everything from one app.

Nanoleaf Hexagon: hexagonal light panels

Available since summer 2020: hexagonal light panels from Nanoleaf. If you look closer, you will see that the corners are slightly rounded, making them almost circles. The panels have the same functions as the Nanoleaf Canvas. They are touch sensitive and can show visualizations based on music.

It also includes LayoutDetect, a solution to ensure that the color changes take place subtly, based on the pattern you have chosen. You can control them with Homekit, Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings, IFTTT and even Razer, if you want to use them in combination with your computer screen while gaming.

Nanoleaf Canvas: square light panels

If you prefer square panels, there is the Nanoleaf Canvas. These are smart RGBW LED panels with touch control. You can connect up to 500 pieces for a spectacular (but pricey) effect, but you will need to have its own power source for every 25 pieces. These light panels are more interactive and are fully luminous. However, you do see a kind of plus shape in the middle, which makes them less tight.

Just like the triangular light panels, they are modular and can be glued into almost any pattern. They are light enough to stick to the ceiling, again with the included 3M adhesive strips. The standard package contains 9 panels, which you can further expand with packages of 4. You can possibly start with a few tiles and expand further later.

There are buttons in the Canvas panels that allow you to change the colors and settings without opening the app. If you press on one of the panels, a kind of ripple is created, like water. You can also double tap and swipe. At Canvas there is one control panel with power supply. This looks like the other tiles, but has additional control options and a built-in music module. Read our Nanoleaf Canvas review for more experiences.

You can also view 16.4 million colors here and choose from all kinds of color nuances and patterns, choose a random color palette or create something yourself.

Nanoleaf Light Panels: triangular light panels

This is where it all started: triangular light panels previously known as ‘Aurora’. They have been available since 2017 in starter packs with 9 pieces and extensions with 3 or more panels. You can make any conceivable pattern: in the accompanying app you create a design based on the number of tiles you have purchased. The app also gives suggestions for this: enter that you have 9 panels and you will immediately see examples of possible patterns. With augmented reality you get to see what it looks like on your wall.

You can then stick them to the wall with stencils. There are mounting pieces to connect the tiles together, which look like small SIM cards. One panel is connected to the socket. The Nanoleaf Light Panels have been discontinued, but continue to receive software updates and support.

Installation is easy, thanks to the included adhesive strips. But if you have a plaster or wallpaper wall, it is good to know that you cannot simply move them. The panels are not easy to remove and if you pull them off aggressively, you will be left with a hole in your wall. You can also attach them to a wooden wall with screws. Read our Nanoleaf Aurora review to read about our experiences with mounting it on the wall and using it in combination with HomeKit.

In the app you will find various light patterns, which, for example, imitate a fireplace. If you purchased the first generation Nanoleaf Aurora, you can purchase the Aurora Rhythm music module separately. This is already included in later versions. The panels can be connected on all sides, so you can really create a pattern to taste. But be careful, because the spectacular patterns in Nanoleaf’s photos require so many tiles that it becomes expensive.

These triangular light panels are hardly available anywhere anymore, but you could look in the second-hand circuit.

Or look at this somewhat newer version in the Shapes line:

• Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Starter Kit 15 Light Panels: at Amazon
• Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Starter Kit 9 Light Panels: at Amazon
• Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Starter Kit 4 Light Panels: at Amazon
• Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Expansion Pack with 3 Additional Light Panels: at Amazon

More possibilities with Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf offers even more possibilities. The system works together with all kinds of partners, so that you can also control a Hafa bathroom mirror. Read on to discover what else you can do with it!

• Connect+
• Music module
• Remote

With the Nanoleaf desktop app you can also ensure that games, films and other content influence the light patterns. This way you get a kind of light show while watching Netflix or playing a racing game. If you are a PC gamer and use Razer products, you can also make the Nanoleaf panels respond to your mouse, keyboard and headset.

Nanoleaf is compatible with HomeKit, Siri, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT. So you can devise smart automations in which the lamps respond in all kinds of ways. You can of course make sure the lights turn on when you get home, or flash when you have a new follower on Twitter. If you are hearing impaired, you could make the panels flash when someone rings the doorbell.

You can also imitate the sunrise by letting them slowly change color. In the same way, you can dim the panels when you go to sleep at night.

Nanoleaf Connect+

New shapes are constantly being added to the Nanoleaf light panels. To ensure that they connect with each other, Nanoleaf has devised the Connect+ technology. This logo can be seen on products that are mutually compatible. You can combine panels with Connect+.

Rhythm music module

The Rhythm music module is a separately available accessory for Nanoleaf tiles that do not have the function built-in. In later products the module is supplied as standard and is part of the control unit. The separate music module is especially interesting for the first generation of Nanoleaf Light Panels, also called Aurora. It contains an audio sensor with microphone and an AUX line-in for a 3.5mm audio jack. Most starter kits now already contain a music module as standard.

The Rhythm module ensures that the lamps respond to music, TV programs or games. The built-in microphone listens to the sound. The module receives power via the light panels, so you don’t need an extra socket or batteries.

Nanoleaf Remote: remote control

Nanoleaf also has a striking remote control for the lamps: the Nanoleaf Remote looks futuristic with its five-sided appearance and has 10 numbered surfaces. It works not only with Nanoleaf light panels, but also with other HomeKit products. You can use each of the 10 surfaces to control a different device, for example lock the door, turn up the heating a few degrees and turn off the lights.

The Nanoleaf Remote is already configured out of the box, but you can customize this to your needs. It contains AA batteries. The connection is made via Wi-Fi, making the remote completely wireless and can be taken to any room.

If you want to know more about HomeKit lighting and bulbs, check out our separate guide. Or view our other articles about Philips Hue and the LiFX lamps.