The best smart outdoor string lights: Nanoleaf vs. LIFX

I’ve tried a lot of different ways to light up my backyard patio so I can sit outside and enjoy it into the early morning hours. Everything from fairy lights to path lights to standard string lights are wrapped around myrtle or dug into borders. But none lasted more than a few hot summers in South Carolina. So I was excited to test out two new smart outdoor string lights from Nanoleaf and Lifx.

The Nanoleaf Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Light (49-foot string, 20 bulbs, $129.99) and the Lifx Outdoor SuperColor Light String (24-foot string, 12 bulbs, $129) both feature individually addressable Full-color and tunable white LED bulbs capable of producing gradient lighting effects. This makes them super versatile.I can host a green and gold themed St. Paddy’s Day party in March, a red, white and blue themed Fourth of July bash, and a lovely pastel candlelit white dinner fresh Any time.

Both are compatible with all major smart home platforms, so I can set the lights on a schedule, control them with voice commands, and use contact sensors to turn them on when the patio door opens. Best of all, both brands’ string lights are very sturdy. After seeing them survive a spring storm last week, I’m hoping they’ll be a more permanent solution for brightening up my backyard.

I tested Lifx and Nanoleaf head-to-head for two weeks. Read on to see which ones rank highest and which ones are best for your garden this summer.

These are not your mom’s string lights. Nanoleaf and Lifx feature bold industrial designs, with Nanoleaf producing gorgeous light bulbs based on its dodecahedral heritage. The faceted surface creates a lovely effect that looks like crystals hanging from a tree, dazzling even when closed.

The Lifx sports an ultra-modern Tron-esque look—a tubular shape with a light rod inside. They’re stylish, but lack the style of the Nanoleaf. I do like that the Lifx bulbs attach directly to the string and don’t hang as far away as the Nanoleaf, creating a cleaner look. This makes Lifx a better choice for hanging on structures like porch walls.

Both lights feel sturdy and durable, and the acrylic bulbs won’t break if dropped. The cables and plugs are also extra heavy-duty, weatherproof, and able to withstand rough handling during installation. Neither comes with replaceable bulbs, but both strings come with a two-year warranty if a bulb breaks.

The Lifx’s color rendering and tunable white light are very impressive. With a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 90 and a white light range from a rich warm candle of 1500 Kelvin to an icy blue cool white of 9000 Kelvin, Lifx has better color and a wider white range to 6500K than Nanoleaf (80CRI and 2700K) ).

Its color is also more saturated; the red on Lifx is real red, whereas the colors on the Nanoleaf are pinker and softer.But while the brighter the bulb the better, I think accent light is something you might not like in your garden need Find the smartest people.

Each Lifx bulb has three addressable zones that blend together in an almost magical way. It’s hard to tell which color you’re seeing; instead, it’s just a muted vibe, which is a welcome change from the jarring multi-color effects on most addressable lighting I’ve tested Variety.

While Nanoleaf bulbs can only display one color per bulb at a time, the cut-glass design does create a range of different hues. Nanoleaf’s scenes can also cycle through different colors, giving a similar effect to Lifx’s, but Lifx’s technology is better.

Lifx also offers more options for gorgeous effects. Options like flash, color cycle, strobe, and morph create a fun atmosphere on my patio, and I can adjust features like speed, color, and direction. Lifx has a nice library of colorful lighting designs and I really like the art series inspired by works like Van Gogh starry night.

However, Nanoleaf has many more designs to choose from, including hundreds of user-generated designs. A few were created specifically for string lights; my favorites are Sunset Sky, which cycles between warm reds and oranges, and Twilight, which has refreshing White and soft gray.

I can create my own designs in both applications, with Lifx being the easiest to use. Nanoleaf’s app is confusing and often crashes, but its new AI scene generator makes it easier to create new designs without having to wade through the app.

Lifx’s app also has basic features like setting a schedule, but Nanoleaf frustratingly doesn’t have this option – to set a schedule, you need to use a third-party smart home platform.

While both light strings start at $130, the Nanoleaf delivers 20 bulbs at a distance of nearly 50 feet, while the Lifx only offers 12 bulbs at 24 feet (30 feet, including power cord). However, the Lifx’s spacing is closer at 23 inches, while the Nanoleaf’s spacing is 28 inches.

Nanoleaf is a better choice, especially for large areas like my patio. A 98-foot-long light string with 40 bulbs sells for $200, and a 147-foot-long light string with 60 bulbs sells for $300. By comparison, the Lifx costs nearly $400 for its maximum length (three strings strung together for a total of 74 feet and 36 bulbs).

Nanoleaf and Lifx lights work over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. While the Lifx connected easily, I had trouble connecting the Nanoleaf to the same network, even though both lights were set up in the same location. Eventually, moving the router closer to Nanoleaf did the trick.

Both lights work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings. Part of the Nanoleaf Matter Essentials series, Nanoleaf string lights connect to smart home platforms via Matter-over-Wi-Fi. This means it works on any Matter-compatible platform. However, you will need a Matter controller to connect.

Lifx relies on separate integration with each platform, so it can use less hardware but doesn’t require any additional hardware. Lifx says a firmware update will bring Matter-over-Wi-Fi compatibility options later this year.

As with my course with Matter, it took several attempts to get the Nanoleaf light onto the Matter platform. I can’t connect with my iPhone 15 at all. Ultimately, I used a Samsung Galaxy S22 to connect to SmartThings, and from there I successfully used Matter’s multi-management capabilities to share lights with Apple Home and Amazon Alexa. You don’t have to use Matter with Nanoleaf; you can connect directly to the Nanoleaf app via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but you need Matter for smart home integration.

These are very pretty string lights. They are expensive but durable. While the Lifx has better lighting effects and an easier-to-use app, the Nanoleaf has the advantage in terms of overall appearance. The shape of the bulb is so gorgeous and looks so pretty in my backyard. While not as bright as the Lifx, the whites and colors provide enough richness and warmth for outdoor ambient lighting. The effects and color blending of the Lifx are very impressive, but the Nanoleaf’s soft, shimmery glow won me over. Plus, it’s more affordable.

Both Lifx and Nanoleaf have other smart outdoor lighting options so you can sync their lighting effects throughout your landscape. However, Philips Hue has the most outdoor options (although, oddly enough, no string lights).

There are other options for smart string lights, including products from Govee, Twinkly and Wiz. But these are the traditional round bulb shapes. Nanoleaf and Lifx add a unique twist to the look of outdoor string lights, and both do a great job.

Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy/The Verge