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Product Reviews>Smart Lights

Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles and Mini Triangles Review

By Rashko Arnaudov/ Last Updated January 13, 2023

Sitting at a desk working and studying all day made me feel depressed and out of breath. After acquiring the Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles and Mini Triangles smart lights, my sense of awe, relief, and pleasure returned to me, seeing the reflection of the lights on my laptop.

The $249 Nanoleaf Light Panels, which snap together like custom puzzle pieces, pair with your voice assistant of choice and bring a healthy dose of chaos to a boring work-from-home setup. With all their brightness settings, color patterns, and pulsating music modes, these smart color panels are unlike any of the best smart light panels around.

9.8/10

Pros

Cons

Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles Overview

Simple to set up and crafted for versatile combinations, the HomeKit-compatible Triangles and Mini Triangles offer the same vibrant lighting scenes and features as the Hexagons. You can effortlessly tap or swipe them to manage other smart devices in your home.

However, akin to the Hexagons, the Triangles and Mini Triangles come with a steep price tag. Despite their ability to create an impressive display, their design doesn’t prioritize practicality.

(Credit: Nanoleaf)

Design

However, akin to the Hexagons, the Triangles and Mini Triangles come with a steep price tag. Despite their ability to create an impressive display, their design doesn’t prioritize practicality.

(Credit: EasyGates )

In terms of dimensions, the Shapes Triangles closely resemble the original triangles, whereas the Mini Triangles are considerably smaller, marking Nanoleaf’s most compact panels to date. The standard triangles boast measurements of nine inches in length and 7.75 inches in height, while the mini triangles come in at 4.5 inches long and 3.8 inches high.

The compact size of the Mini Triangles makes them perfect for a modest wall-mounted arrangement, perhaps behind a desk, while the standard Triangles are better suited for more extensive lighting configurations.

Nanoleaf’s entire product range is crafted from white plastic material, a design choice that might not appeal to everyone when the panels are inactive. It’s worth considering that the Triangles and Mini Triangles truly shine and showcase their best appearance when illuminated, a factor to bear in mind when selecting their placement.

(Credit: Best Bay )

The Mini Triangles, when used individually, offer subtle accent lighting. However, when combined in sufficient quantity, or when paired with both Mini Triangles and standard Triangles, the Nanoleaf Shapes emit a substantial amount of light, capable of serving as a substitute for traditional lighting.

The brightness level largely depends on the number of panels utilized and can be quite intense. I typically adjust my panels to approximately 20-25 percent brightness, yet at their maximum setting, they can fill my office with a flood of light.

Installation and setup

Attaching the Triangles and Mini Triangles to a wall is remarkably straightforward, but it’s advisable to plan your design. For a more structured approach, you can utilize the Layout Assistant within the Nanoleaf app.

This tool allows you to select the number of Shape panels you possess and experiment with various arrangements. Additionally, you can use a button to randomly shuffle them until you find a visually appealing setup. Once you’ve settled on a design, an augmented reality (AR) view provides a preview of how the panels will appear on your wall.

In the end, I settled on a horizontal line using a combination of triangles and mini-triangles.

Now that you’ve got your design game on, it’s time for the epic wall-mounting adventure. If you choose the sticky approach, it’s as simple as slapping that double-sided adhesive tape onto a panel’s pre-attached mounting plate, firmly pressing the panel onto the wall, and engaging in a 40-50 seconds circular dance of panel affection.

After that romantic moment, snap a link onto the back of the panel (pro tip: it’s easier to do this pre-wall-mounting), hook up the next panel in your grand design, and voilà – rinse and repeat the adhesive tango.

Note:

Before you start gluing the Nanolead panels, I advise you to clean very thoroughly the place where you will position them so that they do not peel off. (I made the mistake of not cleaning the wall before gluing them and after a while the panels came apart making it impossible to glue again).

If you’re not in the mood for a sticky situation, there’s the option to secure the panels to your wall using screws through the two screw holes in each mounting plate. However, the adhesive is crafted for painless (well, relatively painless) removal. Simply disconnect a panel from its mounting plate, then gracefully pull the adhesive tape downward. I successfully liberated a few panels from my wall without leaving a mark on the paint.

(Credit: Techhive)

Once you’ve conquered the wall-mounting quest for your Shapes, the next adventure begins – plugging in the power cord. This cord boasts a chunky plug, ready to assert its dominance over your precious outlets. Fear not, for it brings along a trusty sidekick – the controller. This sleek companion features touch-sensitive power and brightness buttons, alongside controls that open up a realm of possibilities, allowing you to effortlessly switch and shuffle through an array of captivating lighting scenes.

You can attach these controllers to any connection connector on your panels where it’s convenient and fits seamlessly into your design without looking sloppy.

It is necessary to note that there are various limits on the number of panels that the PSU can power, For example, one controller can drive up to 28 regular triangles or 77 mini triangles, so if you’re planning a larger panel installation, the calculator on the Nanoleaf site can help you figure out how many PSUs you’ll need it .

App Controls

Nanoleaf Triangles and Mini Triangles offer a palette of over 16 million shades, with different movement options. With the Nanoleaf app, you can create bright, colorful wall art that responds to touch, movement, or even voice commands.

You can set all your panels to glow the same color, but the thing I like the most is to create a color palette of colors by going through the panels. By being able to choose how your chosen colors move through the panels from the various settings such as burst, fade (my favorite option), wheel, flow, and random.

(Credit:The Verge)

Nanoleaf features a rhythm module that allows shapes to be set to change color based on the music’s beat. For me, setting up color palettes and choosing to move around the shapes is the most fun part of owning nanoleaf lights.

Craft designs tailored to match every mood, occasion, or time of day, infusing any room with a burst of vibrant color and light. The touch-enabled Triangles and Mini Triangles allow you to effortlessly sweep your hand over them, initiating a delightful shift in colors.

Yet, fear not the absence of a smartphone, for touch gestures take center stage. A double tap, a graceful swipe up, a subtle swipe down, or a swift swipe left or right can be personalized to execute tasks like illuminating or dimming the panels, toggling scenes, and more. Designate one Triangle as the Control triangle for these touch-based maneuvers, ensuring convenience by keeping at least one within the reach of your hand.

(Credit:Nanoleaf)

I don’t and I know you’re not very interested so I won’t go too much into the Nanoleaf App, but I want you to know that the app offers an extensive setup for controlling triangles and mini triangles. As I already mentioned you can create color palettes, adjust brightness, turn lights on and off, set schedules, even download light scenes created by other people.

Integrations

Smart integrations include IFTTT, Google Assistant, Apple Homekit, Amazon Alexa, Razr Chrome, and Samsung SmartThings.

Maybe one of my first tasks when I got these Nanoleaf forms with Google Assistant, was to turn on, turn off, and all these options that I can do only by voice message (really very convenient). You just say something like ”Turn on the lights in the living room”!

Another great option is setting a schedule for when the lights turn on in the morning to wake you up. Indeed, waking up to the Nanoleaf smart panels is significantly more pleasant than a screeching and annoying alarm. With the Nanoleaf shapes, it is a seamless, pleasant, and exceptional start to the day.

Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles and Mini Triangles Specs


Touch Control
Music Sunc
Screen Mirror
Colour Temperature	1200K – 6500K
Max Colours	More than 16 million
Voltage	110VAC – 240VAC
Max Power Supply Power	42W

Conclusion

I’ve been using Nanoleaf shapes for a while now, and in the short time I’ve had them, I’m impressed. Until we had them, my office work in front of the computer was boring, stressful, and unpleasant, which restrictively reduced my reproductive possibilities. I got the Nanoleaf molds out of the box, my reproduction capabilities have increased dramatically, and my desire to work in the office has returned.

I also can’t lie that they are quite expensive considering they dont’t offer much in the way of benefits, but in my case the benefit was an all-day desire to work in the office. Nutarally, they find use everywhere in your home, standing impressively anywhere and giving such a home coziness, even I did not expect it to give.

How We Tested?

Do Nanoleaf lights get hot?

Does Nanoleaf use a lot of electricity?

What is the difference between Nanoleaf Shapes and Triangles?

Can Nanoleaf react to music?

How We Tested?

We spend a lot of time testing various smart innovative technologies these days that make our daily lives easier. We conduct extensive research on the manufacturers of the various products to ensure they meet our standards.

Once we are confident in the capabilities of a product, we fit it into our home to see what it’s like to live with it every day. The reason for this is to see to what extent the product integration process is facilitated and whether the features the product boasts are real.

From there on, we evaluate how the products perform by subjecting them to different conditions. It’s the process of rigorously testing every single feature to make sure the product adds a specific benefit to the smart home. Once we know what it’s like to live with the product, only then do we offer our recommendation.

(Credit: Smartify)

Do Nanoleaf lights get hot?

Nanoleaf lights, specifically LED-based panels like the Nanoleaf Shapes or Nanoleaf Canvas, typically do not get very hot during normal operation. LED lights are known for their energy efficiency and low heat output compared to traditional incandescent bulbs.

While the Nanoleaf panels may generate some warmth during use, it is generally minimal and should not be a cause for concern. However, it’s always a good idea to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines regarding installation, usage, and any safety recommendations to ensure optimal performance and safety.

If you have specific concerns or questions about a particular Nanoleaf product, it’s advisable to check the product documentation or contact Nanoleaf customer support for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Does Nanoleaf use a lot of electricity?

Nanoleaf LED panels, like many modern LED lighting systems, are designed to be energy-efficient. Compared to traditional incandescent bulbs, LED lights, including those from Nanoleaf, generally consume significantly less electricity for the same level of brightness. LED technology is known for its efficiency, durability, and lower energy consumption.

The exact electricity usage can depend on the specific Nanoleaf product, the number of panels used, and the intensity and duration of usage. However, in general, Nanoleaf lights are considered energy-efficient and can be a more sustainable lighting option compared to traditional lighting sources.

What is the difference between Nanoleaf Shapes and Triangles?

Nanoleaf Shapes and Triangles are two unique product lines, each offering distinct features:

Nanoleaf Shapes:
- Modular LED panels are designed with a triangular shape.
- Allows for creative customization, enabling users to arrange panels in various geometric patterns.
- Features touch sensitivity, allowing interaction through tapping or swiping for control.
Nanoleaf Triangles:
- A specific product line within Nanoleaf’s collection consists of triangular-shaped LED panels.
- Provides customization options for creating personalized designs on your wall.
- As of my last update, Nanoleaf Triangles were not touch-sensitive, meaning they do not respond to touch gestures.

Can Nanoleaf react to music?

Yes, Nanoleaf offers products that are designed to react to music. The Nanoleaf Rhythm module, for example, is an accessory that can be added to certain Nanoleaf lighting systems, such as Nanoleaf Shapes or Nanoleaf Light Panels. The Rhythm module enables the lights to synchronize and react to music or other ambient sounds.

When the Rhythm module is active, the Nanoleaf lights can dynamically change colors and patterns in response to the rhythm, beats, and volume of the music being played in the vicinity. This feature enhances the immersive experience of both lighting and music, creating a visually dynamic environment.

It’s worth noting that the compatibility and features can vary between different Nanoleaf products, so it’s recommended to check the specifications and product details for the specific Nanoleaf lighting system you are using.