Generally speaking, if you want to add a dimming function to your lights, you’ve got to do two things: First, make sure that the bulbs you’re using are dimmable in the first place, and second, replace your old wall switches with dimmer switches. Needless to say, this is a fairly labor-intensive project.
But thanks to a brilliant innovation from Toronto-based startup Nanoleaf, you’ll soon be able to skip the latter step. The company’s upcoming product, the Bloom, is a low-power LED bulb that can be dimmed using your normal wall switches. — so there’s no need to install a dimmer switch.
Instead, Nanoleaf has designed the bloom with special onboard microprocessor that enables it to understand dimming commands from an on/off switch. To turn the light on, simply flip the switch like you normally would and the bulb will come on slowly, reaching full brightness after about three seconds. To stop the bulb at your desired brightness setting, jog the switch off, then back on quickly. It’s as simple as that.
Not only does this dimming functionality draw less power and help you cut down your power bill, but Bloom also happens to be ridiculously efficient even when running at full brightness. Operating at 120 lumens/watt, this bulb is the most energy efficient light bulb on the market. and can reach a max brightness of 1200 lumens (75 watt equivalent) using only 10 watts of electricity. It’s basically a new-and-improved version of Nanoleaf’s first product, the NanoLight, but outfitted with some special hardware to enable dimming.
To raise funds for large-scale production, the company has once again turned to the crowdfunding community on Kickstarter, and once again, it’s already blasted past its initial funding goal. With more than a month left in its campaign, Nanoleaf has raised more than $125,ooo — more than four times its original 30K goal. Therefore, if you back the project now (bulbs are going for about 40 bucks a pop) it’s a fairly safe bet that Nanoleaf will make good on its promise and ship one to your door this December — especially when you consider the fact that they’ve done this before, and are already in touch with manufacturers.
