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There are snakes in the garden, electric ones
Photo: Berti Kolbow-Lehradt
If you want to immerse your garden, terrace or balcony in indirect mood lighting, you will quickly reach your limits with conventional light bulbs.
This can be done more precisely with flexible LED strips.
You can even control it flexibly via app, voice and automatic.
The two to five meter long, millimeter-thin silicone strips flank, for example, the back and underside of the garden bench, nestle against window sills or meander elegantly through the bed.
There they can be illuminated discreetly but effectively at the right time via smartphone or automatic switching - in the white spectrum or in bright colors, sometimes even with animated effects.
There are a number of models for indoors, but the selection for outdoors is much smaller.
Five weather-protected light strips from the brands Cololight, Innr, Ledvance, Philips Hue and Tint had to prove which smart light tricks they master in a test.
The tested models at a glance:
Cololight Strip (65 euros):
The two-meter-long WLAN strip from the Chinese manufacturer Lifesmart can color each of its 120 LEDs differently.
The variant with half as many LEDs costs 15 euros less.
Innr Outdoor Flex Light Color OFL 122 C (70 euros):
With 220 diodes, the two-meter strip from the Dutch brand enables a very diffuse light with no visible light cone.
The double length is available for 120 euros.
Both models transmit with ZigBee and require a box as a switching center for the WLAN router.
Ledvance WIFI Smart+ Outdoor Neon Flex (85 euros):
The Ledvance brand is continuing Osram's range for smart light and is adding new WiFi products such as this three-metre lightstrip for outdoors.
A two meter longer version costs 105 euros.
Tint Outdoor LED Strip (130 euros):
The light strip from the German manufacturer Müller-Licht is five meters longer and therefore more expensive than the other test products.
As a ZigBee device, it can receive commands over long distances.
Philips Hue Outdoor Lightstrip (130 euros):
The most expensive product in terms of length comes from the Dutch market leader for smart light.
This ZigBee strip measures two meters.
A five-meter alternative costs 220 euros.
This is how we tested:
Light impression
: How bright are the stripes?
To what extent are there additional lighting effects such as pulsing to the beat of music?
How comfortable is the lighting?
The more LEDs are arranged on the strip, the more even and diffuse the light appears.
Commissioning:
Ideally, the strips are so weather-resistant that they can be placed anywhere outdoors without hesitation.
Another criterion is how easy or complex it is to establish contact with the wireless network.
Operation
: Sensible smartphone apps and voice commands are a must, plenty of control features a plus and a physical switch or remote control a bonus.
What else is possible when the internet or the home network goes on strike?
Automation
: As lightstrips for the smart home, the models should be able to be integrated into the preferred lighting concept in as many different ways as possible by time or sensor automation or be controlled together with other devices.
Cololight Strip
The tested variant of the Cololight Strip is on average bright with 800 lumens. This corresponds to a nine-watt bulb.
With a total of 120 LEDs, it lights up nicely and evenly.
There is nothing wrong with the color fidelity in the practical test.
Thanks to the USB socket, the strip can also draw energy from a power bank if necessary.
As a result, it can also light up a picnic far away from the nearest socket.
If you prefer to use the socket, you have to provide a power supply unit yourself.
There isn't anything in the box.
At 1.4 meters, the power cable is shorter than that of the other test devices, so the light strip must not be far away from the energy source.
The strip adheres to the substrate with a self-adhesive backing or in screwed metal guide clips.
Installed stationary, the darker variant of the two-meter-long base strip can be extended to up to eight meters, and the lighter variant to a maximum of six meters.
This is not possible with any other outdoor lightstrip.
The Cololight model can theoretically be shortened after each diode.
However, this is not an option for outdoor use if it is to remain sealed according to IP65.
Only then will the strip keep out dust and water jets.
The small switch box on the cable is not sealed at all, so it should be protected from the rain.
It is best not to leave the Lightstrip outside in winter, as it is only designed for temperatures down to minus five degrees.
It is the only light strip in comparison that has a button on the power cord that can be used to start and stop it or switch through a number of pre-set light scenes.
This means that it can also be operated in the dead zone on the green field.
For the full range of functions, we connect it to the WLAN home network via a smartphone app.
The dynamic scenes can be adapted to your own ideas.
This is recommended because the default high speed of the color change is annoying.
Too bad: The software decides which LED lights up and how.
It cannot be accessed individually.
The app masters switching on and off, dimming, toning in full colors or color gradients as well as group control and schedules.
If desired, it also uses the microphone of the smartphone or the switch unit on the power cable and lets the light pulse to the beat of the music.
A nice party gag for the next barbecue party.
A cloud account and an internet connection are not generally required, only schedules and voice commands require web access.
Cololight can be addressed via Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri or controlled together with other devices.
Alexa and Apple HomeKit enable automatic functions, for example with motion sensors.
Innr Outdoor Flex Light Colour
Innr's strip offers a mediocre brightness at 660 lumens.
That's fine for a decorative light.
With 224 diodes, it offers the most evenly distributed light.
The semi-transparent protective coat additionally reinforces the diffuse, natural light impression.
The color fidelity gives no reason for criticism for the intended use.
At the place of use, the LED strip can be positioned with screwed metal clips.
Like most outdoor models, it cannot be lengthened or shortened to prevent accidental leaks at the interfaces.
Because the strip meets the IP67 standard, it is not only dustproof, but can also withstand a half-hour puddle bath.
However, the IP44 power supply cannot take more than a few splashes and should therefore be covered.
Overwintering is not a problem because of the frost protection down to minus 20 degrees Celsius.
There is no physical switch.
The strip can only be operated smartly.
Because it works with the ZigBee standard, but not smartphones, the Innr Bridge BG220 (40 euros) is required as a link to the WLAN home network.
It is not weatherproof and needs a place in the dry.
The advantage of ZigBee devices: They form a meshed network and pass on switching signals.
With additional strips, the radio range can be extended far into the garden.
With three other ready-made lamp models, the Innr range for outdoors is relatively small.
Innr's smartphone app is well-rounded with features for manual shifting, timed schedules, and connections to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
The automatic geofence is practical: it switches the outdoor lighting on when a connected smartphone approaches the address and off when it moves away.
Nothing works without the cloud, and the strip cannot be used in the event of an internet failure.
Alternatively, thanks to the ZigBee radio, the strip can also be paired with the bridges from Philips Hue, Homey and Samsung SmartThings and then controlled locally.
Ledvance WIFI Smart+ Outdoor Neon Flex
The LED strip from Ledvance offers the lowest brightness in comparison with up to 520 lumens.
But it scores when light in the white spectrum is required.
In addition to a color diode for red, green and blue, it has two for cold and warm white.
This allows him to mix shades more precisely.
In addition, the semi-transparent diffuser layer ensures a beautifully even light.
In the visual inspection, the light strip shows no perceptible color cast.
According to the IP65 protection class, the lightstrip is sealed against dust and a quick shower from the garden hose.
However, the IP44 power supply only takes a few splashes.
At the place of use, the light tube is held on screwed plastic clips.
The socket must not be too far away because of the two-meter cable.
The model only responds to smart remote control and has no physical switch.
Because of the built-in WLAN chip, there is no need for a switching center and it transmits directly to the home network.
Ledvance's smartphone app for WiFi products requires a personal account in the manufacturer's cloud.
The light strip cannot be operated without contact to the web servers.
The internet connection should therefore be stable at the place of use.
The range of functions of the app is convincing.
In addition to the usual manual controls, schedules and an off timer, it also offers music sync.
This causes the LED strip to pulsate to the beat of a summer hit or other song of your choice using the smartphone microphone.
The option of being able to have the color temperature change automatically over the course of the day from cool white in the morning to warm white in the evening is more useful for basic indoor lighting.
If the LED strip is to listen to your every word, it accepts commands from Alexa and Google Assistant.
It can be controlled with motion sensors via Alexa.
The manufacturer app itself has a geofence automatic on board.
For the time being, the Ledvance WiFi system does not get along with other automation platforms.
Philips Hue Outdoor Lightstrip
With a maximum of 850 lumens, the two-meter variant tested offers a slightly above-average brightness.
Among other things, this trumps a typical nine-watt bulb from the same manufacturer.
The other lighting properties do not stand out from the test field.
The diffuser layer ensures an even light, the color fidelity is not significantly higher than that of cheaper products.
The Lightstrip offers advantages for other criteria.
In addition to the lamp itself, the control unit and the power supply are also dustproof according to IP67 and are prepared for an immersion bath.
This makes the Hue model the most robust choice for outdoor use.
The cable is almost three meters long.
In winter, thanks to frost protection, it can stay outside down to minus 20° Celsius.
It is a bit stingy that the manufacturer only uses plastic clips instead of metal for mounting.
In the absence of a switch on the power cable, the LED strip only reacts to smart control commands.
Operation requires a non-weatherproof ZigBee radio box as a connection point to the WLAN.
Such a "Hue Bridge" costs 60 euros extra.
Unlike other current Hue products, the outdoor strip does not accept Bluetooth control commands sent directly from the smartphone.
The greater effort of the ZigBee setup is well worth it.
Together with other outdoor lights from the manufacturer, a seamless wireless network can be set up even on large plots of land, which automatically forwards signals to each other and thus reaches even the furthest corners of the garden.
In addition, the app for Hue's ZigBee range offers a full range of manual control functions, schedules and motion sensor and geofence automations.
If you have a Spotify subscription, you can also match the Hue strip with the sounds of your playlists.
Because both apps exchange data directly and do not require a detour via the smartphone microphone, the light disco harmonizes better than with Cololight and Ledvance.
In addition, the Hue Strip is more connectable than any other model.
In addition to Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit, it can also be connected to practically all other relevant automation systems.
This means that a particularly large number of devices from other manufacturers can be combined and integrated into switching scenarios.
A cloud account with Philips Hue is required for interaction with other systems, voice commands and remote access, but not for local operation.
Therefore, the Lightstrip can also be operated during an internet failure, as long as the WLAN and ZigBee bridge remain accessible.
Because the Hue Bridge has established itself as a kind of universal device, it can be coupled with cheaper light strips from Innr and Tint, for example, if the original products exceed the budget.
Tint outdoor LED strip
At five meters, the LED strip is the longest of all test candidates and therefore also the brightest.
The maximum output of 1200 lumens is not only suitable for decorative purposes, but also for basic lighting.
The light, which is evenly distributed by the diffuser layer, and the color fidelity are pleasing.
Dust and rain do not bother the lamp body because it is sealed to IP65.
The power supply (IP44) is a little less robust.
Plastic clips for attachment are included in the box.
After installation at the place of use, the LED strip is far from ready for use.
In the absence of a physical switch, we need additional technology.
The manufacturer itself does not offer an app or a bridge for the ZigBee wireless standard used.
So you either need the ZigBee remote control from the manufacturer's accessories (25 euros) or a wireless bridge from another brand.
The technology works, for example, with the control centers from Philips Hue, Telekom Magenta SmartHome and Samsung SmartThings.
The outdoor strip can be switched on and off, dimmed, tinted and given a color temperature with the non-weatherproof Tint remote control.
If you don't always want to set the color and brightness manually, you can select a pre-programmed light scene with one of six buttons.
Coupled Tint bulbs can be bundled into three groups and controlled together by the remote control.
If you also want time control, voice control, remote control outside the home and automatic sensors with third-party devices, you depend on which functions the outdoor strip offers in combination with control centers from other manufacturers.
In the practical test, the strip can be easily connected to a Hue Bridge and then operated almost exactly like a conventional Hue product.
Only a few things don't work then.
For example, it cannot be synchronized with Spotify.
Firmware updates with new functions are currently not possible in this way either.
Conclusion
The Philips Outdoor Lightstrip offers the most control functions, the most robust weather protection and the greatest connectivity to smart home systems.
That justifies the high price and lets you overlook the fact that the light properties are nothing special.
The price-performance winner is the strip from Cololight, which has great decorative light including dynamic treadmill effects up its sleeve for a small budget and harmonises with the large smart home platforms.
Due to the USB connector, it can also be used on the move to a limited extent.
The lack of weather protection for the control electronics on the mains cable restricts the outdoor installation location.
In addition, Cololight and Ledvance can be considered if the setup is to cause as little effort as possible.
They do not require an additional control center and can be integrated directly into the WLAN.
Tint offers a lot of brightness for the money and is therefore a good entry-level solution for anyone who initially prefers a classic remote control but wants to leave the option of smart functions open.
Background: Product tests in the Tests department
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