UPDATE: Big Ass Fans has discontinued their line of Haiku Lights. However, they are still a quality product and will continue to offer support for them. Philips Hue offers a potential alternative to these lights. The Philips Hue white ambiance Being fixture provides similar smart light capabilities with the advantage of working on the well-developed Philips Hue app.
If you’re not familiar with Haiku Home products, let me take a minute to enlighten you.
Haiku Home is focused on dressing up your home’s ceiling. Their Haiku series fans really are a cross between a ceiling fan and a work of art. Now with the Haiku light, they’ve expanded to making beautiful light fixtures, too.
Best of all, their SenseMe technology links their lights and fans to each other and to your smart home. This gives you unprecedented automation ability and control.
Overview
Best Features
- Automatic on/off operation using reliable motion detection and scheduling
- Voice control with Amazon Alexa
- Set the mood with adjustable color temperature and 16 light intensity settings
- High-end look will impress your friends
Drawbacks
- Expensive
- Limited smart home integration: No HomeKit, IFTTT, or SmartThings support
- Color temperature (CCT) is adjustable, but color is not
Installation
The Haiku light is a quick install. Standard installations shouldn’t take any more than 10 minutes.
It can be installed in an existing 5 or 6-inch recessed housing or a 4-inch outlet box as shown in the video. It can also be mounted directly to the ceiling.
The light fixture mounts flush to the ceiling so there is no place for dust to accumulate.
The Haiku light is rated IP52 for dust and water exposure which means it can be used indoors or in covered outdoor areas.
Premier Haiku Lights Shift Their Color Temperature
The Premier Haiku lights have the ability to adjust their color temperature.
Color temperature isn’t the same as color. Some other smart LED’s can change their color from all the different colors of the rainbow. Haiku lights shift from a warm yellow-reddish glow (2200K) to a cool blue-white light (5000K).
Use the appropriate color temperature when getting dressed. Heading out for a romantic dinner? Turn it down to 2200K to see how you look. Important business presentation? Turn it up to 5000K and make sure you look your best.
The Haiku Home app allows you to schedule a gradual shift of color temperature that mirrors the natural daylight cycles.
Your body’s hormones react to light color temperature. You will wake up and feel more alert more quickly with cool, white light in the mornings. In the evenings, warm, yellow light will help prepare you for a good night’s rest.
How Bright Is The Haiku Light?
The Haiku light ring consists of 144 high-efficiency LEDs that shine with a luminous flux of 1378 lumens. That’s the equivalent brightness of 3 60 Watt incandescent bulbs.
The light intensity is adjustable to 16 different settings. You can schedule the brightness settings to automatically adjust. Or, you can always manually adjust the brightness using any of the available control methods.
How Does The Haiku Light Automate Your Lighting?
The most basic but necessary function of any light is switching it on and off. The Haiku light has an integrated motion sensor that automatically turns on the light when triggered.
You’ll never have to worry about lights being left on either. Haiku lights will automatically shut off after not detecting any motion for a period of time. You can choose how long to set the time in the Haiku Home app.
You can override the motion activated control and schedule the light to turn on and off at predetermined times.
The color temperature and light intensity can be scheduled too. For example, if you have a hallway light, you may want cool, white light when you’re getting ready in the morning. But, if you happen to be walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you probably want warm, dim light.
The Haiku light can sense the ambient brightness in the room and adjust accordingly. The feature is called Active dimming and it can save energy by dimming the lights when natural light is already lighting up your space.
How Else Can I Control My Haiku Lights?
If you set up your schedule, you will rarely need to intervene to control your lights. However, if you do, there are a few options.
Your Haiku lights work with Alexa. Using voice control through the Amazon Echo products, you can turn the light on and off and adjust the brightness, but you can’t adjust the light color temperature.
They will not work with Apple’s HomeKit, so if you’re looking to control it with Siri, you are out of luck for now.
The optional Haiku wall control gives you a traditional wall switch to control your Haiku devices. Multiple lights and/or Haiku fans can be paired together with a single wall control. Fan speed, light intensity, and light color temperature can all be controlled from the wall control.
You will receive an IR remote which can control your lights too. If you can avoid losing it (or spending 10 minutes tearing apart the living room looking for it) the remote gives you access to all the light’s features.
The Haiku Home app gives you control of all your Haiku devices, although it’s probably the clunkiest method of control (its main use is for setting up schedules). The act of picking up your phone, opening the app, and waiting for it to connect is by far the least efficient method of control available (unless your only other option is the remote you can’t find).
The app operates on your home network without using the outside internet. This means that your data is potentially more secure. But, it also means that you will have to be connected to your home network to use the app. Therefore, you cannot control your Haiku devices from anywhere in the world.
What’s the Difference Between The Select Model and the Premier Model?
There are two different tiers of models: the Select model and the Premier model.
The Select models don’t include the ability to shift their color temperature. Instead, they shine at a constant 2700K which is roughly equivalent to the glow of a standard incandescent bulb.
The Select model Haiku lights are only available in either black or white powder coated aluminum. But, the Premier model comes in five different finishes: black, white, satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, and polished aluminum.
But, the Premier model comes in five different finishes: black, white, satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, and polished aluminum.
How Long Will The Haiku Light Last?
In order to justify the premium price tag, the Haiku lights better be made to last.
The LED bulbs are rated to last for 50,000 hours. That comes out to over 20 years if you use them an average of 6 hours per day.
The light’s housing is made from aluminum which helps to dissipate any heat generated by the light. This helps ensure the long life of the LEDs.
No one wants to look up at their luxury light fixture and see a bunch of dead bugs accumulating inside the fixture. That’s why the unbreakable circular lens is sealed to keep out bugs, dust, and moisture.
Each unit is factory tested before shipment so you can expect it to show up ready for action. Also, the manufacturer backs up its product with a 5-year warranty.
Final Thoughts
The Haiku light is an intelligent, high-quality design that should last for years. Price could definitely be a limiting factor. But, if you’re looking for the best and you’re willing to pay for it, this is it.
