Nanoleaf Essentials Smart Bulbs review: The new go to for Apple fans

On paper, the Nanoleaf Essentials might seem like just another smart bulb. They're bright enough at just over 800 lumens, they light up in any colour of the rainbow, and they work with Siri and Google Assistant. What makes them more interesting than the average smart bulb is support for Thread. Well, that and a cool geometric bulb shape.

Thread is a new low-power connectivity standard for smart home devices. The biggest difference between Thread and standards like Zigbee is that it creates a mesh network between your devices. Each device is ostensibly a mini-hub, instead of having to report back to a single base station. In theory, this means a faster response time, improved reliability, lower power consumption, and better security. All good things.

To use Thread-enabled smart home products, you still need a device to act as a border router. Right now, there are two options: the HomePod mini and the 2021 Apple TV 4K. The new Google Nest Hub supports Thread, but Google has yet to enable this.

As it stands, this makes the Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs a little bit niche. You need the right equipment to get the most out of them, but if you've got it, they're a dream. I've got my Nanoleaf bulbs running alongside Wi-Fi LIFX bulbs in the same room, and the difference is noticeable. The Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs turn on instantly, while there's a slight delay on the LIFX.

The Nanoleaf bulbs are more reliable too. My LIFX bulbs occasionally drop out and I need to turn them off and on again to reconnect them to the WiFi, but that hasn't happened with the Nanoleaf. I had one instance where they seemingly fell back to Bluetooth rather than using Thread, but my hunch is that was an issue with my HomePod mini, as restarting it fixed the issue.

If you don't have a HomePod mini or 2021 Apple TV 4K (or another Thread-ready border router that's now on the market if you're reading this in the future), you can still use the Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs over Bluetooth. I definitely wouldn't recommend this, however. Bluetooth is much slower, and there's a very noticeable lag between when you ask your virtual assistant to turn on the lights (or hit the button in the app) and when the lights turn on. It's long enough to be annoying. It's also worth noting the Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs don't work with Alexa.

The Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs have a companion app, but it's pretty barebones. While you can use it to pick colours and toggle lights, you can't use it to schedule your bulbs. You can use the Apple Home or Google Home apps to do this, however. In reality, the only reason worth keeping the Nanoleaf app installed is to install firmware updates.

Each Nanoleaf bulb has its HomeKit QR code printed on it, a welcome design addition. If you're setting up the Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs to work in an Apple smart home, you must scan the QR code to set them up. Other smart bulbs I've tested have the QR code on a separate piece of paper, which can make it tricky to work out which code belongs to which bulb if you need to set them up again in the future.

The real selling point of the Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs is the price. They retail for $39 and sell for as little as $31. It's not as cheap as a regular bulb, but it's very cheap for a high-quality full-colour smart bulb. The most affordable LIFX bulb around is $34.99, and that's only white at one colour temperature. You'll pay $69.99 for a colour option. A Philips Hue white ambience bulb retails for $45 while upgrading to colour takes you to $75.

Sure, there are some cheaper smart bulbs around, but if you're looking for something that works with HomeKit, the Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs are as cheap as they get.

And honestly, that's the crux of it. The Nanoleaf Essential Smart Bulbs are a great, affordable connecting lighting solution for those in the Apple ecosystem and pretty much no one else right now. That will change when Thread becomes more mainstream, but for now, they're a no-brainer for anyone with a HomePod mini who wants a seamless smart bulb experience that doesn't break the bank.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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