Time to make your outside Christmas lighting smart? 

 

Christmas may have just finished but this time of year is the ideal time to pick up some excellent offers on outside Christmas lights. If you are like us and have decided to keep them up in the garden ready for the summer months. Outside smart lighting would be an excellent offering alongside the BBQ nights we are already planning. 

In this review, Twinkly recently sent us the Twinkly C9 Bulbs which can be used both inside and outside but in this review, we decided to decorate the garden.

First Impressions

Twinkly is a brand we have reviewed several of their range from the Twinkly Candles to the Twinkly Dots, Twinkly Squares and Twinkly Strings that we have used on our Christmas Tree for the last few years now. 

The Twinkly C9 Bulbs are available in two lengths 40 or 80ft (12 or 24M). In this review, we had the 40ft offering that also comes with 40 LEDs so the name is a clue as to how many lights you will get. Price-wise, they are not very cheap but if you consider what they are we felt they are reasonable costing £99 for the 40ft option or the 80ft option £189.99.

The C9 Bulbs offer you to chance to create a brilliant display of colors and effects all controlled via the Twinkly app on your smartphone. 

Installation

Unboxing the C9 Bulbs you are greeted with 40-faced bulbs strung along a 40ft (12M) cable. The bulbs are pinecone shape which is iconic of the Christmas holidays. The faceted surface is designed to enhance the brightness and add sparkle to your outside setting. 

 

Installing them involves positioning them along your chosen area and making sure you are close to an outside power source. Then you need to make sure you pair them to your smartphone as the Twinkly app is essential.  

Can they handle the outside? 

As you might expect Twinkly did not disappoint in this area. Their waterproof design rated at IP44 means they are built to last and are capable of handling most of the UK weather we get.

Twinkly App

Once you have positioned them and connected them to an outside power source its time to get the app ready. The app can be downloaded to either iOS or Android. The app allows you to connect via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and the bulbs seamlessly connect to the app. 

You will need to map the lights with your smartphone camera which if this is your first time can be a little tricky but if like us we have done this a few times now provides a unique feature. This allows you to control each LED. Why you might ask? 

This capability opens up your mind to a world of creativity letting you play with over 16 million colours with dozens of effects to select from. The app is user friendly and you can also create personalized light displays something my wife loves.  

Additional Features

Twinkly have also considered this as they are smart lights and in the integration with smart home systems like Alexa & Google Assistant. Twinkly have also added Apple Homekit which also comes in handy if you like all your devices via your iPhone. We found it helpful to have the same voice command to switch all our lights on and off at the same time.  

If you decide to keep these lights inside they can be used as part of a gaming setup up as they are compatible with Razer Chroma RGB and Omen Light Studio. This allows the gamer to create an interactive experience.

Verdict

The Twinkly C9 Bulbs take outside lighting to the next level the brightness and clarity of the colours are impressive and the faceted design of the bulbs enhances the visual impact. 

You will also like the fact the app allows you to create and save custom patterns something my life loved testing out new patterns plus it was a bonus for me as it kept her busy for a while (Don’t tell her I said that!).

You can switch displays to suit any occasion from Christmas to a Summer evening with friends. 

So if you are looking for outside lights with a difference the Twinkly C9 Bulbs are are clear standout product. They are simple to install, the app integration is a walk in the park and the visual effects will have your friends talking when they come round for some wine in the summer or toast marshmallows in the wintertime.

I have mentioned the higher price tag compared to normal outside lights but with the visual appeal and customization, you will be glad you invested.  

Product Rating    

Design: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Features: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Installation: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Twinkly App: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0

 

Overall ranking: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0 – 5.0 stars  

The Twinkly C9 Bulbs are available via Twinkly.com from £99

 

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