REVIEW – No filter was used for this picture! You’re looking at the XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights, which are an update to a model that I reviewed back in March of this year. These lights are waterproof and completely programmable via the app for customized light displays all year around. We’ll look at the features of this model and how it compares to the older version below. To the review!
What is it?
The XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights are a set of weatherproof string lights that can be controlled and pre-programmed for all sorts of effects through an app on your smartphone.
What’s included?
You’ll get the lights, a user manual, a set of zip ties and hooks for hanging, and 2 replacement bulbs.
Tech specs
Click to expand
30 lights, 96 foot total length
IPX65 waterproof
Alexa, Google Home compatible
RGBCWIC technology
2.4 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth compatible
49 preset dynamic lighting patterns
40 lumens white brightness
Design and features
Earlier this year I reviewed the XMCOSY+ Outdoor String Lights, which have been hung around my deck and chugging along ever since. The XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights represent a new model with upgraded technology and a new design. We’ll talk about the differences where appropriate as we walk through the review of this new model.
The XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights leverage a gemstone-style bulb design. These bulbs are made for year round outdoor use with an IPX waterproof rating of 65, heavy acrylic shatterproof materials, and sealed plugs that add to the water resistance.
Each bulb measures roughly 3.5″ long and 1.25″ wide at the widest point of the bulb. Here’s a shot next to my 10 ounce coffee cup for a size reference.
The top (or cap) of the bulb features a two-way hanging system. It’s a mini cylinder that has a pass-through for a nail or hook to hang perpendicular to the light string. If you look closely in this pic to the right of that spot, however, you’ll also see that there is a slot cut in the cylinder that runs parallel to the cord so that you can string these up on a wire.
The string runs 96 feet from end to end, with a 10′ lead until your first bulb. Bulbs are placed about 33″ apart across the string. Your power brick is also jacketed for outdoor use.
Before you start you’ll want to download the XMCOSY app so that you can play with all the customizing features. I have it loaded already from my tests with the previous version of these lights. When you first press the power button, the lights will blink red as they seek to pair with the app.
The XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights are Bluetooth and WiFi compatible, so you don’t need to connect through your WiFi network if you don’t want to. I was able to get connected in about thirty seconds. I opened up the XMCOSY app and chose “Add device” as shown below…
… then the app went and found a new discoverable light set. I selected the appropriate model (the first one in the list)…
… and the lights blink white to indicate that I am connected!
I also gave them a name so that I could select between the new set and the old set I have hooked up in my backyard. Each set of lights can be customized and programmed independently from my home screen on the app.
Tap into your lights and you can start building your light show. You have four options across the bottom menu. The first one (the light bulb icon next to the big power button) allows you to set the color and brightness for the whole string as a solid color.
You can also switch to “single” mode to select individual lights to set color patterns like I am showing here. The color slider allows you to choose from an endless variety of options. You could set every light in the string to a different color and brightness.
Moving over to the “scene” option (the paint palette icon) allows you to choose from a menu of 49 different preset options. These include color schemes and lighting patterns themed for seasons, holidays, and general moods. Each pattern leverages different colors and lighting effects including chasing lights, blinking patterns, light fades to match the vibe.
And if you REALLY want to get crazy, you can go into DIY mode. Tap that DIY menu option at the top, then click “create.”
Set a name for your new scene. I made a Halloween scene here.
Now I can choose from 20 different lighting patterns as a base, and start adding lights to the pattern to build out my custom show!
In the example below I started with a single color, then started adding different holiday-themed colors (yellows, reds, oranges) to the scheme. You can hit the preview and the lights will take on your new light scheme so you can tweak the patterns and settings in real time.
Performance
I think this may be a good time to highlight some of the differences between the XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights and the XMCOSY+ (the previous model I reviewed). I string them up side by side so you can see the differences.
The obvious difference is in the design. The previous model (right, below) uses a standard smooth bulb design, and the bulb itself is dropped from the main line on a bit of extra wire. The new design is more compact, uses the gemstone design, and the housing is integrated with the main line.
When you zoom out you can see the difference in effect with the way the bulbs are positioned. The new design is also placed with slightly closer spacing (about 33″ vs 36″ between bulbs).
I also found that the thick gemstone bulb design projects very differently, especially at dimmer settings. The new design tends to project light down in a cone shape more than the older bulb design, which tends to project in a wider radius.
This can lead to some pretty stunning effects under the right circumstances. I took the new lights and hung them from my tree in the front yard. Check out how the light projects and washes my front yard in color!
Here’s another angle that shows the lights cycling between blue, white, green and red. Pretty cool right?
I keep finding new ways to play with the lighting patterns. You can set them to blinking, fading, chasing, and popping in all sorts of patterns. Some effects make it look like a meteor running down the string, random blinking, or stacking patterns. You can customize the speed, direction, and brightness of each pattern however you like. It’s a lot of fun to mess with. You can also add a second set of lights to the same set if you want 170 feet of lights to play with.
The app interface is a little different for the new lights, taking advantage of some of the newer technology to make it easier to manage & customize your effects. It’s much easier to pick and peck your way through the different options and customizations with fewer menus and simpler interfaces. What’s interesting is that the old model uses the old interface, even though they are both controlled through the same app.
I’d love to report on weather resistance, but we have literally been in a drought here in PA for the last 2 months. Given the fact that my older model has been going strong while exposed to elements since March, I don’t expect to see any issues here. We’ll see what happens when the cold and nasty weather sets in.
What I like about the XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights
- Bombproof build
- Gorgeous lighting
- Infinite options for colors, patterns, brightness
- Excellent, intuitive app interface that improves on the previous version
What needs to be improved?
- No issues to report so far!
Final thoughts
What kind of lighting do you need? The XMCOSY Smart Acrylic Lights mark some notable upgrades over the previous model in both capabilities and ease of use with that improved app interface. I think the new gemstone build design is particularly dramatic and visually striking. I’m still a big fan of the XMCOSY+ model I tested previously, however, and I think the style works nicely in my backyard. I personally like these new ones for holiday lighting. You can’t go wrong either way, however. They’re a fun year-round addition to your lightscaping however you plan to use them!
Price: Currently $99.99 for the 30 bulb 96 foot version
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by XMCOSY. XMCOSY did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
