While much of the smart home smart world is inside your home, there is a growing market for convenient solutions for the outdoor atmosphere. Security cameras and video bells are some of the most common outdoor accessories. However, smart weather-resistant lighting is also becoming more mainstream, with light bands and light bulbs driving the charge.

Other types of outdoor lighting also slowly get a smart design, including classic flood light. I recently created a pair of Novostella smart LED projectors for my home and was pleasantly surprised at how much connected technology can fit into a small, yet powerful, accessory and still maintain the level of weather resistance needed to function. in the toughest. elements. I can certainly see that this type of accessory is commonplace in the near future, although it needs a few refinements to bring it to fruition.

Classic connected

Novostella Smart LED Projector: features

The Novostella Smart LED projectors, which are sold in pairs, have a rather unobtrusive design, which is mostly black, with a large window in front of a LED bench. The projectors do not have physical buttons or switches on the device, all controls coming from an application or by voice using Amazon's Alexa or Amazon Assistant. The bulbs are weatherproof, with an IP 66 rating, which is usually referred to as full dust protection, in addition to high pressure water protection.

Behind the headlights, there is a support that rotates on the top or bottom and has screw holes for fixing it to the side of the house. A 3-foot power cord is supported at the bottom, and along the top of the headlights is a terminal for a screw antenna, which is optional, but adds an increased wireless range.

The smart part of the bulbs is only activated via Wi-Fi connectivity only on the 2.4 GHz band. The projectors connect directly to the home network without the need for a separate hub and no subscription fees are involved, just a simple registration is all that is needed to get everything up and running.

In terms of lighting, Novostella Floodlights supports what appears to be the industry standard of 16 million different shades of color and white. The projectors can be completely reduced and are capable of reaching up to 2,000 lumens of light using only 20 watts of energy. Each flooded light projects its illumination at an angle of 120 degrees and no additional supplements such as motion detection or more color areas are included.

Robust exterior

Novostella Smart LED Projector: What I like

When the Novostella Smart LED projectors came in, I was immediately surprised at how compact they were and I was amazed that the company managed to pack two of the packages. I was also surprised by the built-in quality of the lights, as they appear to be made of solid aluminum, which makes them quite heavy and gives me the impression that they will stand the test of time.

Even the power cord itself felt substantial, and the place where it connects to the inside of the light was rigid and had what appeared to be a bushing that was really meant to hold water. The mounting bracket or portion was also made of aluminum and I liked that the flood light can be mounted in various directions, although I will note that the actual mounting screws are not included. The Wi-Fi antenna is removable, which is nice if you intend to keep your lights near your home router and give the whole package a much cleaner look.

Turning on the lights for the first time I immediately lit them to maximum intensity with a clean white light, which gave me no doubt that they could reach the claims of 2,000 lumens. The colors on the headlamps were also bright and vivid, the color reproduction being the same as most other intelligent lighting, each with adjustable temperatures.

The color, brightness and temperature settings were quick and easy in the associated application, with various slide and color wheels available. Preset colors are also available, putting some of the more common patterns, such as a "read mode", only on a tap, though most do not align quite well with exterior lighting. The changes sent from the application occurred quite instantaneously, due to its direct connection to the network via Wi-Fi.

Mating problems

Novostella Smart LED Projector: What I do not like

Setting up the Novostella Smart LED headlamps was an interesting experience, to say the least. While Novostella includes a QR code in the user's guide to direct you to the list of applications for the appropriate application, the application itself is not marked for company or lights. Instead, the app seems to use a captivating approach, which lists a wide range of accessories that can work with a bunch of different brands, including one from my recent reviews.

As the application is not specific to flood light, the steps, images and terminology of the user manual do not align quite well with what is actually presented. Obviously, this created some confusion, but I managed to get to the pairing process after randomly choosing a Wi-Fi bulb as an accessory, where I was presented with another problem: my lights were not ready for pairing. box. Turning on the lights caused them to stay on and not blink fast, as indicated by the application to indicate they are ready to squeeze.

Instead, I had to perform a light reset, which involved turning it off and back on it about five times quickly. This process was no longer aligned with the reset process in the application, but I thought the flood light does not have a manual power switch on it, this was the way to finish the job. Of course, the experience of the application is why I prefer accessories that work with Apple's HomeKit platform, because it offers consistency, but unfortunately, Novostella headlights do not support it.

As for the hardware side of things, I discovered that I couldn't stand in the vertical light, as shown on the marketing material. This is due to the design of the flood light, with its Wi-Fi antenna projecting from one end and the heavy power cord that attaches to the other. You can choose not to install the antenna, but it will limit the range and cause the power cord to sit at the top of the light, which looks kind of weird and probably not good for weather resistance. Speaking of cord, I thought it was quite short (3 feet), although it guarantees that it will need an extension for outdoor placement.

Mixed bag

Novostella Smart LED Projector: Bottom line

3
out of 5

Finally, the Novostella Smart LED Floodlight is somewhat of a mixed bag. On the one hand, the stable, robust and weather-resistant exterior, accompanied by bright and clear colors, makes it suitable for most outdoor lighting needs. However, the process of pairing less than stellar, short cord and faulty stand design, prevent it from being one of the markings in the category.

Of course, you can get a lot out of the Novostella Smart LED spotlight if you are willing to put in a little work. Mounting the headlight with its own screws can avoid the problem of the support, offering its own extension cable can cancel the problem of the short cable and knowing the tricks for pairing can undoubtedly contribute to the quick start-up. However, for most people, it just seems to ask for the price of admission.

We may earn a commission on purchases using our links. Find out more.