We’ve all seen the YouTube videos with the oh so strategically placed  colorful glowing furniture.  We might have pondered the utility, and cost, of that seemingly magical under-cabinet lighting that we see in fancier kitchens.  We may have even dreamt of jumping on the bandwagon and adding that cool backlight effect to our televisions.  These applications are all the result of the continual drop in price of LED lighting and, more specifically, LED light strips.  It seems that anybody who is anybody in the smart lighting, or even smart home space has one of these magical strips on offer and the gang over at VOCOlinc is no different.  This post aims to highlight some of the features of their recently released and new and improved LS2 SmartGlow Light Strip, examine some of its potential downsides, and hopefully help you to make a more informed purchasing decision.

A review unit was provided to myHomeKithome for the purpose of this review, but no compensation was received nor was the content reviewed before publishing. All thoughts expressed are purely those of my own.

Though VOCOlinc did provide myHomeKithome with a review unit, no compensation was given nor waas the material reviewed before release. All thoughts are purely those of my own.

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Features

• 16 million colors and tunable cool to warm whites 
• Dynamic lighting effects through the LinkWise app
• Works with Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa
• 2.4 gHz WiFi band, no hub necessary

Need to Knows

• 250 lumens maximum per meter
• 2 meters (6.6 ft) length with the option to extend up to 4 meter
• Not rated for outdoor use

Pros

From the moment you set eyes on the LS2 SmartGlow Light Strip, you notice something striking before you even open the box and that is the box itself.  If you are familiar with the big brother to the SmartGlow light strip, the LS1, you’ll no doubt have something to say about the packaging.  The LS2 manages to significantly reduce the amount of packaging used, although essentially the same components are included with the LS1 and LS2.  Not only were they able to reduce the size of the external packaging, but they also adjusted the internal component packaging leading to a much more pleasant unboxing experience and a better night’s sleep knowing that this light strip has less of an environmental impact.  Oh, those younger generations.

For me, one of the stand-out features of all of VOCOlinc lighting products are the lighting effects that we can access through the LinkWise app.  With the SmartGlow series, we actually get 5 different lighting effects as opposed to the 3 that we get with their first gen lighting products.  While these effects aren’t going to stun and amaze, they can definitely add a subtle nuance to a space and is something that other vendors have simply overlooked.  We’ll go into these features more in our discussion of the app.

Cons

We’ll start off with what may have jumped out at you above.  The LS2 has a 250 lumens output.  It’s predecessor and the vast majority of its competition on the market sit at around 450-550 lumens.  While in my humble opinion, 250 should be adequate for most home decor applications, considering the price point of the LS2, it’s a bit of a head-scratcher.  Furthermore, the LS2 draws a maximum of 12W of power when in use.  I’m no electrician, but the L3 A19 bulb which boats all of the same features, but with a whopping 850 lumen output only draws 9W of power. 

Another point that I find rather perplexing is the LS2’s extendability or rather lack there of, especially when compared to the first generation version.  We can double its length to four meters with an extension pack which is great and all, however the LS1 can more than double that at a maximum of 10 meters.  That being said, this is likely due to a drop-off in flux after 4 meters which is experienced by the LS1.

The App

I mentioned earlier that in the LinkWise app not only can we schedule timers and other basic automations through HomeKit, or the VOCOlinc Cloud for those other platforms, we also get a few different lighting effects.  The Flow effect, my personal favorite, subtly glides from one color to the next and is great for relaxed moods.  The Breathe effect pulsates fading in and out adding a bit of suspense and drama to you lighting setup.  Blink would be great for a party as it more abruptly jumps between colors with a quicker fade rate creating a sense of energy and urgency.  Finally, the Flicker and Candle effects are essentially the same with seemingly randomized fade rates and brightnesses with the former being adjust throughout the lightstrip’s 16 million colors and the latter sticking to a very warm white hue.  In addition, we are also able to select between six different colors for the first 3 effects and we can also adjust the interval time and overall brightness for all of the effects.

In addition to the aforementioned lighting effects, like its cousins in the L3 SmartGlow and L2 bulbs, we are also able to simulate daylight shifts throughout the day through 3 different time frames based on our preferences.  Whether we would like the likes to give us cool temperatures in the early morning hours to help energize us shifting to warmer whites as the day goes on or vice versa and anything in between, the Daylight feature of the LinkWise app has us covered.

Final Thoughts

I’m honestly confused on the LS2 SmartGlow Light Strip.  Most of the time when a company releases a second generation product, it strives to be significantly more improved over the first generation.  Sure, the packaging was dramatically reduced and we have enhanced app functionality, but in my opinion what we lose in IP rating, luminous output, and extendability far outweighs the enhancements.  The LS2 would also be a more compelling product if its price point were much lower, but this is not the case.  Its predecessor is honestly a really tough competitor not just for the LS2, but for all other light strips in the HomeKit space and I personally don’t see any real advantages of the LS2 over the first generation offering.  With that, the LS2 is by no means a bad product.

Have you compared the LS1 and the LS2 light strips from VOCOlinc?  What is your preferred HomeKit lightstrip and why?  The comment section awaits.  Don’t forget to stop by our social media @myhomekithome for more HomeKit-related content.

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Links & Resources

VOCOlinc LS2 SmartGlow Light Strip: https://amzn.to/2YC2BEs

https://www.vocolinc.com