It’s not a popular opinion within the hobby, but I’ve always found mood-setting decorative lights to be a bit kitsch. I understand the appeal, especially for streamers and content creators looking to jazz up the backgrounds to give viewers something to look at, but it’s that demographic that’s kept me at arm’s length. Don’t get me wrong, I have no ill will towards streamers, but some little part of me felt like if I started RGBing my office I would end up signing off every sentence with “right chat?”
Those preconceptions have recently been put to the test, as well-known smart lighting brand Nanoleaf sent me a few items from their product range to take for a spin, including the Floor Lamp and the Screen Mirror Lightstrip. I’m not about to launch a Twitch channel and livestream a full playthrough of The Order: 1886, but I’ve come to realise that mood lighting is more than set dressing; it’s a relaxing and enjoyable way to spruce up your space.
Promising myself that I would go in with an open mind, I cracked into the box of goods and got to setting up the first bit of illuminating gear. Out of the two, the Screen Mirror Lightstrip was the furthest out of my comfort zone, falling squarely into the aforementioned streamer space that I have a strange hang-up with. Applying the strip to the back of my monitor was a stressful situation, with it initially looking like the adhesive didn’t wasn’t going to agree with my monitor’s particular flavour of plastic. The realisation that I needed to put some anxiety-inducing elbow grease into pushing the strip down helped secure it, but there were definitely a few moments of apprehension before the deed was done.
The strip comes complete with a remote and a USB-C cable for power and input. The basic solid-colour options that sparked into life when I plugged it into my PC immediately had my eyebrows raised with surprise. My office is a fairly dreary space with sparse white walls, so the injection of some colour was a welcome sight.
I wasn’t done being humbled, however, as installing the Nanoleaf software and flicking on the screen mirror option got those eyebrows into The Rock territory. I took the new kit out for a test drive with the recently released Keeper, a game with an extraordinary colour palette, and boy howdy was it impressive. I’ve always assumed that the added splash of colour would be overwhelming, but it was quite the opposite.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that it was life-changing or revelatory to the extent that I won’t be able to go back, but the extra immersion of the colours on-screen bleeding out into my office was undeniably cool. The most impressive aspect, for me, was how easy the whole thing was. Sure, getting the strip fastened to the monitor was a bit of a chore, but outside of that, it was plug-and-play.
While I’ve moved more and more into gaming on my PC, my office is still primarily a space for work and writing. To that end, the lightstrip and its multicoloured preset scene have been a calming presence. The mirroring capabilities have been utilised, don’t get me wrong, but it’s the soothing glow that I genuinely appreciate. Even more so when I’m able to accurately apply WellPlayed teal thanks to the insane range of colours on offer.
I had broken the ice and expanded my horizons with the Screen Mirror Lightstrip, but it was the Floor Lamp that had me reconsidering my life choices. Thin and unobtrusive, the slender lamp stands at 1.4m and is designed to face a wall or be sat in a corner to illuminate a space softly. Shipping in a few pieces, I had the frame constructed in just a few minutes with a screwdriver. The light itself is a long, thick, and flexible lightstrip that’s pressed into the frame.
If I had apprehension with applying pressure to the small strip on my monitor, you would see me in shambles getting this bad boy in place. You’ll need to be a little rough with the light, but it’s genuinely very flexible and tough, so it can take it. Once installed and plugged in, I was able to get straight to vibing the in-built remote attached to the cable, allowing me to change brightness, colour scheme, and mode immediately.
Positioning the lamp in the corner behind my desk, I was instantly taken by the glow it provided to the room. My home office is a space that I find hard to love, mainly because I associate it with work and commitments that steal my free time. What I didn’t realise was that my apathy towards the room also stemmed from its harsh, cool lighting that made the area feel clinically sterile and devoid of creativity.
Downloading the Nanoleaf mobile app, connecting the Floor Lamp, and customising my profile were the final steps in my evolution into a full-blown vibe lighting lover. Choosing the colours and vibrancy of my own personal theme let me take control of my mood, eliminating the negative cloud that often loomed over my workspace.
I was taken aback by just how bright the Floor Lamp was able to get. I’m conscious of working in low light, as it’s not great for the eyes, but the lamp had me covered when I needed to lock in, lighting up the room enough for me to sit comfortably and smash out a review and some edits without feeling any kind of strain.
As someone who will always switch on a lamp in favour of the dreaded big light, I’m disappointed in myself for not realising that the same concept could be applied to my office as well. The small taste of Nanoleaf’s lighting range has, thankfully, set me straight. The Screen Mirror Lightstrip is more engaging and atmospheric than I would have ever expected, but it’s when it’s used in collaboration with the Floor Lamp that my office is transformed into a space that I actively want to spend time in. I’m not ready to emblazon TheVacuumVandal on my wall in LEDs, but dipping my toe into Nanoleaf’s product range has made me understand that mood lighting isn’t just for streamers, it’s for anyone who wants to take charge of the vibes.
Am I right, chat?
Review units supplied by the manufacturer
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