Twinkly Dots, the new fully flexible LED strip

We analyze the new Twinkly LED strip, with a Total length of 10 meters, RGB colors, HomeKit compatibilityAlexa and Google Assistant and full flexibility to fit any design you can think of.

A LED ribbon different from what we know

There are many LED strips, although we limit the search by adding compatibility with home automation systems such as HomeKit, Alexa or Google Assistant. If we add that they can display different colors at the same time, we already refine the results a bit, but if we add a length of 10 meters and a completely flexible structure that allows you to create any design and adapt to any use, indoors or outdoors, the only result that will appear will be the new Twinkly Dots.

With years of experience in decorative lights, Twinkly’s commitment is clear: add compatibility to any virtual assistant, including the one we’re dealing with here, HomeKit, and use its efficient and unique scanning system. through the camera of our iPhone to recognize the design we have created in order to adapt its drawings and animations to the figure we have created. If to this we add very reliable operation, WiFi connectivity and a well-designed app With many configuration options, the result is a lighting and decorative element that will add a very special touch to your room.

specifications

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
200 LEDs and a length of 10 meters (models with 60 LEDs and 3 meters, 400 LEDs and 20 meters)
Plug-in power supply (60 LED model with USB power supply)
Fully flexible cable, transparent or black
2.5 meter long power cable
RGB colors
Compatibility with HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant
Remote access
musical entertainment
Waterproof

Setup and setup

For the installation of the LED strip we have the possibility of “rolling” it around any element, and if we want to fix it on flat surfaces, small transparent stickers included that we can remove without leaving any type of residue. The strip is very light, so it will withstand any installation without any problems. The model we tested in this review is the one that includes 200 LEDs and has a length of 10 meters, so we can imagine any possible design and create it without problems. You can choose to see the LEDs directly as I did in the analysis, or place it so that you only see the light they emit, under a table or behind a piece of furniture so that it reflects on the wall.

The configuration process is very simple and is done through the Twinkly application that we have in the App Store (link) and also in Google Play (link). When opening the application, the LED strip will be automatically detected thanks to Bluetooth, and from there, following the steps indicated by the application itself, we will give it access to our WiFi network, which will be the means she will use from now on to control him. Also from the application we can add it to our home automation network, which in the case of HomeKit, it will require a firmware update which is already available and you can also do it from the app.

Light mapping is essential in all Twinkly fixtures and is its hallmark from other similar products. By letting you know the exact design we have created, the animations adapt perfectly to this design and we achieve spectacular effects. We can do the mapping all at once, or scan different areas

until you get the full light map, which is recommended in an LED strip as long as this. It is a very simple procedure using the camera of our iPhone.

Effects, designs and animations

Once the installation procedure is complete, more or less laborious depending on the design you have chosen, we will be able to start controlling the Dots from the application, and for this we have the usual on and off commands as well as the ‘intensity. But best of all is being able to apply different color designs and animations. We have dozens of them from the app, we can upload several to our strip of lights, and alternate between them, we can even create our own. One of the options offered by the application is to “draw” our own design, and we will do it directly on the screen of our iPhone, seeing the result on the LED strip in real time.

Another of the functions that Twinkly offers us is the possibility that the animation goes to the rhythm of the music we are listening to. To do this, we must first choose a design that is compatible with this function, then use the microphone of our iPhone, which will be the one that listens to the music, transmitting the rhythm to the lights, which will dance to the rhythm of the music. Twinkly offers an optional accessory that allows you to do this without the intervention of your iPhone, called Twinkly Music, which costs around 30 $ (link).

HomeKit

Integration with HomeKit comes courtesy of a firmware update that you’ll surely need to apply as soon as you set up Twinkly Dots with the Twinkly app. You can even download the setup QR code, but you won’t need to use it because from the manufacturer’s app will be automatically added to your Home app. What does integration with HomeKit give us? Integration with all the devices we have added, regardless of brand, environments and automations, in addition to being able to use Siri on our iPhone, iPad, HomePod and Apple Watch to control it.

However, as with all accessories of this type, we will not be able to configure the colors of the verbs, nor establish the animations. For this we must always resort to the official application. It’s time for HomeKit to add this kind of functionality because the Casa app is very lacking in this regard.

Editor’s review

Twinkly Dots is a very versatile LED strip due to its great length, its ability to adapt to any structure or design and the countless options offered by the Twinkly application. With the quality of the materials that characterizes the manufacturer and the incredible light mapping system that allows us to adapt the animations to the design that we have created, this LED strip is unmatched today. Its price is 165$and although it cannot be purchased on Amazon at the moment, there are other online stores that sell it and we can find them on the Twinkly site (link).