You might be looking to add that wow factor to your home inside or outside and smart lighting does just that. In this review, we are looking at Twinkly Cluster which are perfect for use indoors or outdoors.

The Twinkly Cluster are the latest product we have reviewed from this brand after testing the Twinkly C9 Blubs, Twinkly Candles, Twinkly Dots, Twinkly Strings & Twinkly Squares. The Twinkly Cluster come in three options:

  • Gold & Silver
  • Multicolour & White
  • Multicolour

In this review, we were sent the multicolour version of the lights that come with 400 bulbs and cost £169.99. These lights per perfect for adding a little extra to your garden area or using them inside as part of your Christmas decorations or creating a nice mood for a romantic dinner.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed about these lights is they are identical in design to that of the Twinkly Strings we use on our Christmas Tree every year. The shape of the bulbs to the cable material used and even the controller put them next to each other and you would not be able to tell the difference which is not a bad thing.

The Twinkly Cluster 400 only seems to come in the 6-meter length that I can find online, but you can select if you want black or green cables depending on your preference. In this review sample, we were sent the black option. As the name might suggest you get 400 LED lights on this model.

As with all the Twinkly lights we have tested you can connect multiple packs which is a great idea as you can create some cool artistic designs. The downfall is they are premium lights that come with a premium price tag. So, buying multiple packs can become a very expensive task.

The main features of the Twinkly Cluster 400 Multicolour include:

  • Denser distribution of LED lights
  • Instant setup
  • Sync with music
  • RGB Lighting with up to 16 million colour combinations
  • It is compatible with the Twinkly App to allow you to enjoy a variety of customizable effects that are ready to use. The app also allows you to dim the lights, apply timers etc.
  • Rated IP44 making them waterproof
  • Option to use as part of an indoor gaming set-up as they are compatible with the Homey app, Razer Chroma RGB & OMEN Light Studio to ensure you have an optimal gaming experience.
  • Compatible with smart home assistants such as Alexa, and Google Assistant and is compatible with Apple HomeKit.

Setup

The Twinkly Cluster 400 multicolour comes with 400 RGB LEDs separated by 8 cm between each LED. I found the build quality to be very premium as you might expect, and they feel nice and sturdy. They use a diffused flay lens to uniformly diffuse the emitted colours you select.

At the end of the cable, you are provided with an in-line controller near the end of the cable measuring 12.5 x 3.8 x 2.3 cm. The in-line controller allows you to cycle through the colour options without the need for the app.

I found doing this gives me about 30 different options but like I will discuss later in this review the app offers so much more.  Finally, beyond the controller is a large 24V power adapter which might cause you an issue if you are thinking of using an outdoor plug socket.

Installation is very simple unwrap the lights then start positioning the lights along your chosen area making sure you are close to that power source. Once you have laid them out or hung them in the desired location now you need the app!

Something to know before we jump into the app the Twinkly Cluster is IP44 so they are waterproof meaning they should be able to handle most of what the UK weather can offer.

Twinkly App

If like me, you have used the Twinkly app before on their various products you will know just how easy it is to navigate around the app. If this is your first time with a Twinkly product you need to download the app which is free to do so and available on both Android & iOS. The app allows you to connect them to Bluetooth & Wi-Fi.

Once you follow the instructions you need to map the lights as this will give you full use of the app and all the functions the lights provide.  So to map the lights you need to use your smartphone which I felt was a little tricky the first time. My advice is to map the lights before you hang them overwise it’s a bit of a nightmare. Just lay them on the ground and you can do the whole mapping process with ease. You might be asking why I would map the lights.

The reason for this is simple it opens your mind to a world of creativity letting you play with over 16 million colours and dozens of effects to select from. The app also allows you to create personalized light displays. Once mapped the app allows you to check the status of your devices and sync up with Twinkly music.

Something I loved about using the app is the gallery there is a huge number of effects in the gallery and you can also tweak them to get them just right. With over 30 preset animations such as Rasta, Unicorn Sun, Rainbow Stripes, Carnival, Glow, and Candy Cane to just name a few there is something for everyone.

You can even select several playlists that will cycle through up to 10 effects so you have Glow for 2 minutes then it will switch to Carnival and then a different colour option like Unicorn Sun and run on a cycle.

Finally, if you want to get creative, you could always try the FX wizard. This allows you to create stunning effects in seconds. All you need to do is pinch, zoom and rotate your lights on the screen and create unique effects and animations.

Special Features

As you might expect with these being smart lights, they are exactly that so it’s no surprise you can integrate with smart home systems like Alexa, Google Assistant and even Apple HomeKit. However, using Apple HomeKit does limit you to the functionality of the lights if you are happy with just standard colours it’s fine but for any of the special effects I would use the app. What I also liked about connecting it to your smart assistant is using voice commands to switch your lights on/off I know it’s lazy but it’s quite cool to do especially if you have friends over.

Want to use these lights as part of your gaming setup good news they are compatible with Homey, Razer Chroma RGB and Omen Light Studio. This should allow for an interactive experience. Finally, they dance to your music using music mode and will follow the rhythm of your music with amazing synchro capabilities. Just be careful as the microphone built into the controller also picks up your voice.

Verdict

The Twinkly Cluster 400 Multicolour LED smart lights make for an impressive addition to either inside or outside your home.  They are easy to set up and the app takes what is effectively a premium set of string lights and takes them to the next level. Below are some example shots of them in action in our garden:

Price wise at £152 they are a little on the expensive side but considering you should get at least 30,000 hours from these lights. They are a good investment if you’re looking to add some premium lighting with the ability to change the colour and add that wow factor to your home. Integrating these lights into your smart home setup is great when it comes to voice commands and setting timers. I would say if they could improve this element, it would include more of the Twinkly app into your smart home setup.

Overall, if you can look past the expensive price tag for these lights, they offer a premium build, are easy to set up and the app will give you hours of fun.

Product Rating    

Overall rating: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars – 4.0 stars

Twinkly Cluster 6m 400 Smart LED Cluster Light Multicoloured available from Robert days for £162.99

Thanks for reading this review, please continue to support us and check out our other reviews and follow us on Social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Linkedin don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter below.