THE BEST KIT

Add that something extra to your home decor – a light that doubles as art

Atmospheric smart lights that double as art

cololight by LifeSmart

£79.99 (6 cells) FRoM lifesmart.com

You can’t have missed the big message in the main story this month: go with a brand you trust. Lifesmart isn’t a brand we knew before this review, but with this Wi-Fi lamp it goes out of its way to completely refute that argument. A gloriously colourful collection of RGB-illuminated hexagons, each of which hides a surprisingly complex 19-LED array, it’s easy to arrange in whatever pattern you choose. It’s really attractive, if frivolous – but software is where things fall down a little. Actually configuring the hardware required a significant investment in time and effort, since it doesn’t play nice (or indeed at all) with 5G Wi-Fi, and the app could do with a little refinement. Here’s hoping the next version irons out these kinks, because this is a promising start.

Nanoleaf canvas

£179.99 (9 panels) FRoM nanoleaf.me

Nanoleaf’s tech is pretty exciting. Incredibly thin light panels, linkable in whatever configuration you like, and expandable to up to 25 squares per power supply, they’re perfect for a fancy wall installation. It’s just a shame they feel the tiniest bit half-baked inside: rather than a large LED array, each panel features a relatively small cluster of lights in the centre, which beams light outwards towards the edges. This limits the sort of effects you’ll be able to pull off, although it’s certainly far from unattractive. We’re also not wowed by its efforts in the app department, with limited connectivity beyond Nanoleaf’s own somewhat rudimentary control options. A nice concept, but if it’s automated atmosphere you’re after, this may not be the best choice.

LiFX tile

£229.99 (5 panels) FRoM uk.lifx.com

Much larger than either of its opponents here, and considerably more expensive per-panel, LIFX’s Tile seems like a tough investment. It’s also not expandable like its opponents: the five-pack is your limit. But in practice, it’s the light we liked the most. Whether that’s because of the bold colours, which are separated into 64 individual zones per panel for some pretty awesome effects, or the smarts – it plays much nicer with Apple’s Home app, and LIFX’s own phone-based controller is superbly designed – we’re not sure, but it’s a winner in its own right. And if it’s atmosphere you’re after, the Tile has it in spades: you can automate it easily, and we urge you to try the fireplace mode for a dash of flickery evening warmth.