Yeelight, part of Xiaomi, is one of the leading international brands when it comes to smart lights for the home, and in its vast line up there is also the bedside one, to recreate any desired atmosphere. We already tried Xiaomi's largest model a few months ago and showed you the control capabilities with Homekit and the Yeelight app.
Compared to its “cousin” this model is smaller in size especially in height but it is always excellent for creating the atmosphere in the bedroom or as an accessory light in the living room. The control modes have always changed strictly touch and Yeelight has seen fit to differentiate the color of the plastic of the device: the top is white methacrylate and a gray at the bottom that is proof against too many touches and aging.
The box of the product that came to us as a preview from China has inside the lamp, a booklet with ideograms and the power supply with Chinese plug. Obviously the international / European versions will have the socket that does not require an adapter.
The most surprising and convenient thing is that the power supply has a normal USB-C socket on the other end and that, reading the specifications, the power supply is 5 volts and 0.2 Amps: in practice we can connect it without problems to any power supply with USB socket and USB-C cable and also to a battery charger to be able to use it regardless of the mains current .
This opens up possibilities for use as a colorful centerpiece on a summer evening or for spot use in the garden with a little charge in a powerbank and puts it in indirect competition (versatility is not so immediate) with rechargeable lights. competitors (like the Eve System Flare we tested on this page).
With a power of 5W it offers WRGB color adjustment, with a color rendering index Ra80. It connects to the home system via IEEE 802.11 b / g / n 2.4 GHz WiFi connection, and does not need any external hub for correct operation. Inside it is equipped with a Bluetooth V4.2 BLE module which probably allows it to be managed and synchronized with the remote controls for the Yeelight ceiling lights such as the ones we tested on this page.
It works primarily as a night light, capable of offering a color temperature between 2700 and 6000K. The lamp weighs just 800 grams, with the ideal dimensions for a bedside table and a medium-sized room, i.e. 14.80 x 14.80 x 14.50 cm.
Among its characteristics, of course, that of being able to recreate any desired atmosphere, with warm and cold white lights, but also thanks to the colors. It is, in fact, an RGB lamp, which integrates perfectly with the Apple Homekit ecosystem and below you can see some screens of its configuration and control.
Obviously with Homekit you have access to Siri voice control but thanks to Yeelight you can insert it in a home automation system with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant.
In addition to voice control, of course, you can also control it from the Yeelight app, available for free in the App Store and Google Play.
The design of this bedside lamp is truly original, also because it practically lights up in its entirety, leaving only the support base off. In addition to the controls via voice commands and apps, there is also a soft touch slider, which allows you to better adjust the desired color temperature.
Unfortunately, the instructions in Chinese cannot explain the interaction necessary for “manual” use but we have summarized below the command possibilities which, as mentioned, are carried out either by pressing quickly or with a 5-second pressure on the power button or by sliding your fingers on the lower part to the right or to the left of the lamp with the methods that we explain below
How to use
Short press on the central button: on / off Long press on the central button: change mode: color temperature / color mode
Scroll on the left side for color temperature adjustment and color choice In color temperature mode: – from the front to the back the color temperature rises and vice versa
In color select mode – any direction: RGB adjustment
Scroll to the right for brightness adjustment – from front to back the color temperature rises and vice versa
To reset, press the front button and keep a finger on the right side for 5 seconds.
Our test
Having verified the efficiency of the “manual” control, which actually requires a few days to remember the various options (especially in the phases close to sleep in the evening and in the morning), we must evaluate that inclusion in Siri is immediate and management is also very simple. through Siri as for all other lamps. The beauty of this lamp is that by choosing the color and intensity well we can really make it work as a system to give an accent even to a living room or create a light that calms the sleep of a child. The “spherical” diffusion also makes it convenient to place it behind a TV if you are in an open space.
The thing that pleasantly surprised us is, as mentioned at the beginning, the power supply with a USB-C: this makes immediate the availability of a power source both fixed and rechargeable.
The choice of differentiating the color of the base from the lighting body is appreciable.
Pro
Versus
Retail price
Yeelight's YLCT01YL bedside lamp is on sale for less than 50 Euros on Gearbest: check the current price at this link.
