Twinkly Dots, the new fully flexible LED strip

We analyze the new Twinkly LED strip, with a 10 meter total length, RGB colors, HomeKit compatibility, Alexa and Google Assistant and total flexibility to adapt to any design you can think of.

An LED strip different from what we know

There are many LED strips, even if we limit the search by adding compatibility with home automation systems such as HomeKit, Alexa or Google Assistant. If we add that they can show different colors at the same time, we already narrow down the results quite a bit, but if we add a length of 10 meters and a completely flexible structure that allows you to create any design and adapt to any use, both indoors and outdoors, the only result that will appear will be the new Twinkly Dots.

With years of experience in decorative lights, Twinkly's commitment is clear: add compatibility to any virtual assistant, including the one we are dealing with here, HomeKit, and use its effective and unique scanning system through our iPhone's camera to recognize the design that we have created in order to adapt its designs and animations to the figure that we have created. If to this we add very reliable operation, WiFi connectivity and a well-designed app With many configuration options, the result is a lighting and decorative element that will add a very special touch to your room.

Specifications

• WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity
• 200 LEDs and a length of 10 meters (models with 60 LEDs and 3 meters, 400 LEDs and 20 meters)
• Plug-in power (60-LED model with USB power)
• Fully flexible cable, transparent or black
• Power cable with length of 2,5 meters
• RGB colors
• HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility
• Remote access
• musical animations
• Waterproof

Installation and configuration

For the installation of the LED strip we have the possibility of "rolling it" around any element, and if we want to fix it to flat surfaces, small clear stickers included that we can remove without leaving any type of residue. The strip is very light, so it will withstand any installation without any problem. The model we tested in this review is the one that includes 200 LEDs and has a length of 10 meters, so we can imagine any possible design and create it without problems. We can choose to see the LEDs directly as I have done in the analysis, or place it so that we only see the light they emit, under a table or behind furniture so that it is reflected on the wall.

The configuration process is very simple, and it is done through the Twinkly application that we have in the App Store (link) and also on Google Play (link). When opening the application, the LED strip will be automatically detected thanks to Bluetooth, and from there, following the steps that the app itself indicates, we will give it access to our WiFi network, which will be the means that it will use from that moment to control it. Also from the app we can add it to our home automation network, which in the case of HomeKit it will require a firmware update that is already available and you can also do it from the application.

Light mapping is essential in all Twinkly lighting fixtures and is its distinguishing mark from other similar products. By letting you know the exact design that we have created, the animations adapt perfectly to that design and we achieve spectacular effects. We can carry out the mapping at once, or scan different areas until you get the complete light map, which is recommended in an LED strip as long as this one. It is a really simple procedure using the camera of our iPhone.

Effects, designs and animations

Once the installation procedure is finished, more or less laborious depending on the design you have chosen, we will be able to start controlling Dots from the application, and for this we have the usual on and off controls as well as intensity. But the best of all is being able to apply different color designs and animations. We have dozens of them from the application, we can download several in our strip of lights, and alternate between them, we can even create our own. One of the options offered by the app is to "draw" our own design, and we will do it directly on the screen of our iPhone, seeing the result on the LED strip in real time.

Another of the functions that Twinkly offers us is the possibility that the animation goes to the rhythm of the music we listen to. To do this, we must first choose a design that is compatible with that function, and then use the microphone of our iPhone, which will be the one that listens to the music, transmitting the rhythm to the lights, which will dance to the rhythm of the music. Twinkly offers an optional accessory that allows you to do that without the involvement of your iPhone, called Twinkly Music, which costs around €30 (link).

HomeKit

The integration with HomeKit comes from the hand of a firmware update that you will surely have to apply as soon as you configure Twinkly Dots with the Twinkly app. You can even download the configuration QR code, but you won't need to use it because from the manufacturer's app will be automatically added to your Home app. What does the integration with HomeKit offer us? Integration with all the devices that we have added, regardless of the brand, the environments and the automations, in addition to being able to use Siri on our iPhone, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch to control it.

However, as with all accessories of this type, we will not be able to configure verbs colors, nor establish the animations. For this we must always resort to the official app. It is time for HomeKit to add this type of functionality since the Casa app falls very short in this regard.

Editor's opinion

Twinkly Dots is a very versatile LED strip due to its great length, its ability to adapt to any structure or design, and the innumerable options offered by the Twinkly app. With the quality of materials that characterize the manufacturer and the amazing light mapping system that allows us to adapt the animations to the design that we have created, this LED strip is unrivaled at this time. Its price is € 165, and although at the moment it cannot be purchased on Amazon, there are other online stores that sell it and we can find them on the Twinkly website (link).