Hands on with the triangular Nanoleaf Aurora smart lighting system

Enlarge / The Aurora lights in action. (credit: Terry Dunn)

I have to admit that I’m lagging behind with lighting technology at my house. As someone who hasn’t yet even finished replacing my incandescent and compact fluorescent bulbs with LEDs, smart lighting and the concept of “lights as art” has never entered my mind. Of course, I divulged none of this when I accepted an offer to review the $200 Nanoleaf Aurora—a modern, WiFi-controlled, artsy LED-light set. And I’m glad I spent the time getting to know the system. As it turns out, you don’t have to be a cutting-edge smarthome guru to appreciate good connected lighting.

About the Aurora

Nanoleaf's Aurora system is built around a number of linked LED light panels. Each panel is an equilateral triangle measuring about 9-3/4” (250mm) per side, with a thickness of 5/16” (8mm). An outer lens does a super job of diffusing the light from the LED sources within. This results in each panel appearing as a single, homogenous, glowing light source. The system can produce more than 16 million different colors.

The Aurora "Smarter Kit" includes nine light panels, connectors, the controller unit, and a power supply. (credit: Terry Dunn)

Your initial options for creativity relate to how you join multiple panels together. Sockets molded into the midpoint of each side can accept panel connectors the size of postage stamps. These connectors bridge the panels electrically and mechanically, and you can bind the triangles in any orientation that you want. A straight line, pyramid, squiggle—you can snap the panels together in whatever shapes you want. The “Smarter Kit” that I reviewed provides nine triangles, but the included power supply can support up to 30. Additional panels can be purchased in packs of three for $60.

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