Nanoleaf Lines aren’t anything new; they’ve been around since 2021. An official collaboration with Esports giant FaZe Clan? Now that is something new. I recently had the chance to review Nanoleaf’s Ultra Black Triangles, so when I was asked if I would like to check out the Lines FaZe Clan Limited Edition Smarter Kit, I quickly accepted the offer. Available exclusively through Best Buy, the Nanoleaf x FaZe Clan Lines collab could be the first of many special editions if it’s a big hit. Honestly, though, that’s a big if.
The FaZe Clan Special Edition Smarter Kit includes the standard Smarter Kit, which is comprised of nine light lines, ten hexagonal 60° connectors, one controller cap, and a power cord. Along with the basic set, the Special Edition box trades out the regular white connector caps for a set of black caps emblazoned with the FaZe clan logo and a set of matte black line skins. The $219.99 price tag would be the same as a standard Smarter Kit and a reskin kit combined, so there isn’t an added premium to show off your FaZe fandom.
The skins fit snugly on the front of each line and are easy to pop on and off to give you the option to go with white, black, or a combination of the two colors. It is a little disappointing that the control connector and power plug are not blacked out as well, and the absence of the original white caps means the Special Edition set will look out of place should you decide to add more white expansion kits in the future.
Setting up my design was fairly straightforward. After attaching the first connector to the wall with the pre-applied command hook-style tape, I easily snapped the first Line into place, snapped another connector to the other end, and attached it to the wall. After placing the first two Lines using the eyeball method (what can I say, I’m lazy like that), it noticed I hadn’t placed them perfectly horizontally. After temporarily holding a third Line in place, it was obvious the error would be an eyesore.
Starting over with a tape measure in hand, the rest of the installation was easy and uneventful. My biggest complaint about the installation is the limitations imposed by the hexagonal connectors. I understand that 60° connections allow for equilateral triangles, and they are a good design choice. There are regular kits that have square connectors instead of hexagonal, and the two styles can easily be mixed together in a single display. Circular connectors sold in a kit or as a standalone option, like the generic black-out kit, would be the perfect option. They might require some extra engineering, but with a circular connector, you would have the flexibility to create any shape. Just imagine what could be done with that freedom.
Unlike other Nanoleaf products where the LEDs illuminate the front panel, the Lines have a unique aesthetic. The bars connect on the outermost surface of the connectors, leaving a half-inch gap between the wall and the bars. The backward-facing LEDs - each bar has two light nodes - glow brightly behind the bar, with the light diffusing across the wall and into the surrounding area. On their lowest setting, the lights are barely strong enough to light up the wall directly behind the bar. On their brightest setting, the LEDs are still bright enough to illuminate a room with a soft glow without the in-your-face glare you get from front-facing kits.
Just like the Nanoleaf Shapes we reviewed recently, the Lines can be controlled through the Nanoleaf App on any PC or smartphone. They also work with other SmartThings devices, like Amazon Alexa, Thread, and Apple Homekit, as well as Razer Chroma and Corsair iCUE. Controlling the Lines through Nanoleaf’s app, both on my Android phone and PC, is simple. You are able to set up multiple rooms if you have lights spread throughout your house, and there is a Groups option that allows you to control multiple displays at the same time.
Shining bright!
There is another glaring issue with Nanoleaf Lines, and it’s the same problem seen across all of Nanoleaf’s various products. Although Lines, Shapes, and Canvas all fill the same ecosystem, they don’t play well together. They all have different connectors, so linking them together on a single controller is impossible. And although they all share the same app and multiple products can be grouped together, a single lighting effect plays on each product independently. Nanoleaf needs to improve its app so that all of the pieces can be identified as a single design and have effects flow seamlessly across the entire display.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to lighting up your gaming space - or living room as I did - Nanoleaf’s Lines do a good job. The thin bars have a minimalist look and are a nice departure from Nanoleaf’s larger geometric shapes. The backward-facing LEDs don’t overpower the Lines, so the bars aren’t just the canvas, they are part of the art itself. I can only imagine, though, just how much better the Lines would be if they came with circular connectors or had better integration with other Nanoleaf products.
Turning the lights down low
As for the FaZe collaboration, I don’t quite get it. The FaZe logo isn’t backlit itself, so the only time you would notice the logo is in daylight. Even then, you’d still have to be looking for it to notice it unless you had other segments of your design without the logo. Seeing as how the FaZe branded Smarter kit is the same price as a Smarter kit and a set of the standard black skins, I think it would make more sense to sell the FaZe caps and skins as a separate accessory.
