Skip to main content

Nanoleaf upgrades its modular lighting system with Nanoleaf Blocks

Nanoleaf Blocks on a wall.
Nanoleaf

Nanoleaf has long been a leader in the smart lighting industry, and it’s upping the ante once again with the reveal of Nanoleaf Blocks. Boasting a unique mix-and-match system, Blocks should make it easier than ever to personalize your space and bring intricate lighting patterns to your home

Nanoleaf Blocks are essentially the successor to Nanoleaf Light Panels. The primary components are Square Blocks (available in two sizes, small or large), which can be combined with Textured Squares or Light Pegboards and Shelves to create highly customizable layouts. The company says these Blocks have been “completely re-engineered and upgraded” from the old square light panels, now offering a thicker profile and enhanced durability.

Recommended Videos

More importantly, they now feature seamless illumination — ensuring your lights reach all the way to the corners of the blocks to eliminate dark spots. And since there are a variety of shapes and sizes to choose from, it shouldn’t be hard to create customized patterns and designs.

The Light Pegboards are a great addition to the Nanoleaf Blocks lineup, as they allow you to bring functionality to your space along with cool lighting. When used properly, you can use the Pegboards as a way to store your headphones, hold your collectibles, or stash your controllers and other accessories.

As you’d expect, Nanoleaf Blocks work with the Nanoleaf App. This allows you to access thousands of preset Scenes or develop your own. It also offers a Rhythm Music Visualizer to bring your music to life and a Screen Mirror that adapts the Nanoleaf colors to match those on your display.

Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings are all supported by Nanoleaf Blocks.

All products in the lineup are now up for preorder, with a release date set for October. The Squares Smarter Kit features six squares for $200, while the Combo XL Smarter Kits, which feature Squares, Small Squares, and Light Pegboards and Shelves, is $250. You’ll also be able to pick up Add-On Kits featuring additional Squares, Textured Squares, and Shelves and Pegboards for $50.

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
Nanoleaf is permanently slashing prices of its best products
Nanoleaf Blocks on a wall.

Nanoleaf is permanently lowering the prices for its most popular products, including the best-selling Shapes, Lines, Elements, and Blocks smart lights. According to the company, it has been working with both the manufacturing and supply chain teams for the past two years on this initiative -- and the result is a 36% price reduction for select items.

Officially known as the SmarterLife Pricing Initiative, a variety of Nanoleaf products are now permanently listed at a lower price. For example, the Blocks Combo XL Smarter Kit is $200 (was $250), the Shapes Hexagons Expansion Pack is $50 (was $70), and the Shapes Triangles & Mini Triangles Smarter Kit is $160 (was $250).

Read more
Samsung expects to ship Ballie, its futuristic AI robot, later this year
A close-up look at Ballie from the side.

Samsung first revealed Ballie several years ago at CES 2020 -- only for the home bot to go dark, before reemerging with a new design at CES 2024. At CES 2025, Ballie once again took the stage, and Samsung is officially claiming that the adorable robot will be coming to store shelves sometime this year. It’s been a long time coming, but it seems as if Ballie is ready to become your new household companion, and we’re excited about all the possibilities it can bring to your smart home.

Ballie is a home bot that makes liberal use of AI technology. It’s billed as a “self-propelled, autonomous home robot” designed with companionship, health monitoring, and entertainment features to help streamline your day-to-day tasks. Its built-in projector and speakers are the main way it’ll communicate with users, and they seem to be pretty robust.

Read more
Ring shows off new Kidde smoke alarms and free 2K camera upgrades at CES 2025
A person setting up a Ring Smoke Detector.

Ring made a big -- though rather surprising -- announcement at CES 2025, revealing that it has partnered with Kidde to launch a new collection of smart smoke alarms. Arriving in April, the collection includes the Kidde Smart Smoke Alarm and Combination Alarm, the latter of which detects both smoke and carbon monoxide. They’ll sync with the existing Ring app to send users alerts should anything trigger its sensors, and they should be an enticing option for folks who have already bought into the Ring ecosystem.

While customers will receive alerts via the mobile app, they can also sign up for the new Ring 24/7 Smoke & CO Monitoring Subscription for $5 per month. This is a professional monitoring service that lets a trained dispatch team keep tabs on your detectors -- and if they’re triggered, the dispatch team can automatically contact emergency services and send them to your home. That should provide more peace of mind than your normal smoke alarms, which might ring out loud and clear but can’t alert the fire department.

Read more