We try the new ones Flex smart lights from Twinkly, with the look of neon lights but with better features and also compatible with HomeKit.
Surely you have seen neon lights with fantastic designs in many videos and photos on social networks and you would like to have yours with a totally personalized design. Twinkly Flex allows you that and much more, thanks to its extraordinary light mapping system, to be able to create the design that you imagine yourself and all the possibilities offered by HomeKit automations and environments.
Features
- Length 2 meters
- Cable 2 meters
- Type of lights: LED
- Number of lights: 192
- RGB colors (+16 million)
- Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity
- IP20 certification (suitable only for interiors)
- HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility
Installation
Everything we need for installation is included in the Twinkly Flex box. The two meters of lights are encased in a translucent plastic cover that keeps the tiny LED bulbs from being noticed and gives them that neon-like look. It is also completely flexible, so we can create designs of all kinds that we can fix on the wall (or any other smooth surface) thanks to the included fixing pieces, a total of 16 clips (12 straight and 4 at 90 degree angles) that we can fix with adhesive (included) or with screws .
For the designs we can choose to use our imagination, or use one of the templates included in the box. If those designs do not convince us, we can download other designs from the Twinkly website (link) or as I said before, use our imagination. You have to take into account the length of the LED tube (2 meters) and the clips available, but the possibilities are almost endless. It is a very simple process although you will probably need someone to help you because there are situations in which you are short on hands.
Configuration
Once you have placed your lights in the desired design, the setup process is very simple thanks to the Twinkly app (link). You must have the lights plugged in and when you open the application they will automatically detect you thanks to Bluetooth. During the configuration process you must follow the instructions of the application (in the video you can see it in full) to give it access to the WiFi network, which will be the means of connection that the lights will use once configured.
Inside the setup process light mapping included. It is the system that Twinkly uses to recognize the design created so that the animations and colors are perfect in its lights. It is a process for which the camera of our iPhone is used and that no matter how many times I repeat it, it never ceases to amaze me by how well it works. If you have never seen it, I recommend you watch it in the video in this article, because it is one of the keys to why Twinkly's lights are different from the others.
Twinkly App
The official application will be the one that we use for the entire configuration process, but also for the control of all the functions of the smart lights. If we want to use 100% of the features that these Twinkly Flex offer us, we will have no other alternative than to use their application, because it will be the only one that allows us download all the effects and animations that are what make the difference with the rest. We have a very extensive catalog within the application, but we can create our own designs, we can even "paint" the lights with the colors we want with our finger.
Of course we also have the most basic functions of on, off, brightness control and we can even set automatic on and off schedules. And it will be the application that allows us the firmware update lights, a must to access HomeKit compatibility. There is also the possibility of creating perfectly coordinated light sets with other lights of the brand.
Home App
After a quick firmware update we got HomeKit compatibility. No need to enter any QR code, the application itself is the one that adds the lights to the Home application, but we can get the code for future installations and save it on our reel, because inside the box we will not find any card with the code.
With Casa we do not have access to animations, multicolored designs, or other effects. HomeKit doesn't allow those features (it's about time I added them), but we get plenty of other options in return. The first is the possibility of controlling the lights through our voice, using Siri on the HomePod, iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or any other Apple device. Also we have the environments and automations, which will allow us to coordinate the lights of Twinkly with the lights of any other brand. Set them on or off depending on whether you arrive or leave home, create environments with lighting adapted to different times, such as playing the video game console, watching movies, dining with friends or creating a relaxing environment...
Editor's opinion
The new Twinkly Flex smart lights give you all the features we know from smart lights, with Twinkly's amazing light mapping allowing you to create fantastic lighting effects. The manufacturer has also added a new flexible design and a translucent finish that create an effect very similar to that of neon lights, with the advantage that you create the figure you want yourself, which makes them unique in their category. And all this with a lower price than you can imagine: €74,25 on Amazon (link)
- Editor's rating
- 4.5 star rating
- Exceptional
- Twinkly Flex
- Review of: Luis Padilla
- Posted on:
- Last modification:
- Integrated
- Installation
- Application
- Price quality
Pros
- Custom design
- Amazing effects and animations
- light mapping system
- HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility
Cons
- Not valid for exteriors
