Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels can be an impressive addition to your PC build especially if you are interested in RGB lighting and home personalization. Here is our review of the Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels.
Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels Review
It goes without saying that this concept is not new and this is in no way a revolutionary product. We have seen premium LED triangles that join together and we have seen cheap knock-offs as well. What Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels offer is a balance of price and decent lighting as well as build quality. Not to mention the software integration which seamlessly connects with the rest of the range of lighting products that the company has to offer.
Packaging And What Is Inside The Box
At first glance, the box is pretty good. There was some weight to it and the information on the box was very clear. From the box itself, you know that the product works with Google Assistant, Smart Things, Razer Chroma and Amazon Alexa. So if you are using these devices in your home then the Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels are going to fit right into your setup.
You can get the starter kit that comes with 6 light panels, this is the kit that I got. Alternatively, you can buy the starter kit and 3 additional panels or get 3 additional panels separately. Inside the box, the panels are neatly packed the there is a sheet between the panels that keeps them from scratching one another.
Inside the box, you get the controller that has different buttons including the power button and an audio jack so that you can connect your phone to it and sync the lighting with the music. Inside the box, you also get an audio jack splitter. You also have the charger, which comes with 2 different plug options, so you can plug it into the wall. The wire for the power adapter is pretty long and I had no trouble wiring and powering the device.
The box includes a pretty long aux cable which will allow you to connect your phone or other devices to lighting panels. You also get some double-sided adhesive strips so that you can stick the panels to the wall and the connectors that allow the panels to communicate with one another. Furthermore, there is an instruction manual that tells you how you can set up the panels in a variety of different languages.
Installation And Setup
The installation and setup are pretty simple. Once I had the panels out of the box, I put them on a table and decided on a shape that I wanted to make. I then arranged the panels in that layout but upside down and used the included adhesive strips on the back of the panels. I then put the connectors in each of the panels so that I would slide the panels into one another on the walls.
After that, it was a matter of sticking the panels to the wall one after the other while connecting them together. I connected the controller to the panel in the middle and connected the port cord to the left-most panel. Once I powered on the device, the panels lit up. I then synced the lights with the Yeelight app that only took a couple of seconds. All in all, it takes about 15 minutes to install the panels and a couple of minutes to get everything up and running on the software side.
The Experience
The panels are very versatile and as long as you have enough panels, you can make any design that you like. Furthermore, there are plenty of colors and effects to choose from. There are buttons on the controller that allow you to turn the lights on and off. There are buttons to change colors and effects as well.
While there is an audio jack that allows you to connect the lights to your phone and sync them with music, that is optional. There is a music sync button on the controller itself and it can pick up sounds and sync the music accordingly. But it does pick up noises around it such as people talking. So, for a better experience, we do recommend using the aux cable.
Since I already have the Yeelight smart RGB bulbs, the integration was seamless and the panels work with my Google Assistant as well. Not only can I use the panels via the controller and my smartphone but I can use my voice as well, which is very convenient. I have my Yeelight app linked to the Google Home app so I can control all my smart devices from a single place. If you do the same then you can use this feature as well. Alternatively, the panels work with the Mi Home app as well.
In the Yeelight app, there are a couple of different presets that you can choose from and you can change the color of the lights to whatever you fancy. You can also change the level of brightness and program the lights according to a schedule. I was sent the kit ahead of the official launch so I expect that the level of customization and the software are only going to get better after release.
The panels support Razer Chroma, so if you have that set up and play a supported game then you can sync the panels with not only the rest of your lighting but the game that you are playing. That is something that I personally liked and I think that gamers are going to appreciate this added support.
All in all, my experience with the product was very positive. Everything worked as it should and there were no bugs or glitches. This is surprising keeping in mind that I was testing this unit before the official launch. Usually, when I test something ahead of release, there are bugs and problems that need workarounds. I can only imagine that the experience for the actual consumers will be even better.
Conclusion
The Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels are not revolutionary but they do what they do very well. They are built well and the level of customization is pretty good. They are much better than most of the cheap lighting panels that you can find online and I have had a great experience with them.
PS: It is worth mentioning that I have been using Yeelight products for a little over a year now and none of them have failed me so far. All of the smart bulbs that I have and the lighting strip are still working. Furthermore, I was a bit bummed that I only got 6 panels out of the box. I really want to get some more and mess around with different designs.
If you are interested in buying the Yeelight Smart LED Light Panels then you can check out the official store page. If you want to check out the other products that the company has to offer then you can check out the official Yeelight website.
