Why settle for a boring, heavy lamp with one color bulb when you can have portable, dynamic lights that can change color and patterns to match any room? These portable light bars from WiZ are an affordable way to add dynamic lighting to any room while being lightweight, stylish, and easy to use.
Brand
WiZ
Protocol
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz
Hub Required
No
Music Reactive
When Paired With Another Product
These Wiz portable gradient light bars are an affordable and versatile way to add dynamic light and color to any room, thanks to their plethora of color and pattern options and their ability to be placed vertically, horizontally, or attached to other surfaces. Easy to set up and control via an official app, they are a perfect entry-level light for newcomers as well as a great addition to an existing set up.
Pros & Cons
- Magnetic clamps with adhesive allow you to place these light bars almost anywhere.
- Dozens of preset colors and light patterns to choose from.
- Compatible with other WiZ products, it’s possible to connect these to pre-existing light groups.
- Lightweight and easy to reposition when desired.
- Easy to control with the WiZ V2 app.
- Both light bars are attached to the same power cord, limiting positioning.
- The power cord is fairly short at about a foot long, limiting possible placement options without an extension cord.
- The two light bars function as one unit, meaning they are always the same color.
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Price and Availability
On the official WiZ website, these gradient light bars, which come in packs of two, go for $63, which is enough to qualify them for free shipping. On Amazon, they’re $60 without any discounts. There’s nothing to customize and no options to select here; the outer material is black plastic, and the cords are black as well. The plastic covering the bulb is an opaque white when not in use.
You may be able to find the bars on other third-party sites like eBay, but you’re not likely to find them any cheaper than they are already being sold on the official WiZ site or Amazon.
Brand
WiZ
Protocol
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz
Hub Required
No
Music Reactive
When Paired With Another Product
Multicolor Capable
Yes
Number of Panels
1 Each
Service Life
15 Years at 2.7 hours a day
Environment
Indoors
Voltage
100-240V
Wattage
8.4
Price
$63
Length
31.8cm
App Connectivity
Yes, Required
Control Methods
App, physical switch
Light Colors
RGB
Waterproof Rating
IP20
Gradient Lights You Can Place on Any Surface
There are plenty of types of gradient lights out there, but most of them are limited to certain positions, like WiZ’s gradient floor lamp. This pair of WiZ lights, however, has a lot more placement versatility thanks to a magnetic attachment accessory. These are just brackets with an adhesive on the back, with a magnetic clamp that allows them to hold the light bars. These are intended to let you attach the light bars to the back of your TV, but you can technically use them to place them anywhere.
This would allow you to place them on the bottom of desks, on the sides of furniture, directly on a wall, and in lots of other interesting locations that a more traditional lamp with a base can’t go, giving you a lot more options for placement. That said, the power cords for these light bars are very short at approximately a foot long, and the two bars share the cord, so they can’t be placed too far apart. But theoretically, you can make something work with extension cords and clever placement.
You don’t have to stick the light bars to any surface either. They come with stands that allow them to stand upright like regular lamps, and they’re designed to lay on their side too. Basically, almost any position or placement is technically possible, giving you a ton of freedom in how to add these gradient lights to your space. They’re light and easy to move around so it’s easy to relocate them later if you want to. They’re only about the length of a forearm.
Jacob Hudson / How-To Geek
Combined with their sleek, minimalist design, these light bars really can fit almost anywhere you can imagine them, albeit with a few limitations stemming from the way their power cord is set up. They look great attached to the back of a TV, lighting shelves, or just sitting around on your gaming desk.
Hundreds of Gradient Light Combinations at the Touch of a Button
To actually use these light bars, you’ll need to download the WiZ V2 app, set up your personal account, and connect the light bars to your phone via Bluetooth. Not only will you need to have Bluetooth activated on your phone, but you’ll need to have your phone set to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network to properly connect. Connecting without that network will lead to some issues controlling the lights. Most Wi-Fi routers are capable of broadcasting a 2.4GHz network alongside a 5GHz network.
Jacob Hudson / How-To Geek
Once the light bars are connected to your phone, you’ll be able to use the app to select all sorts of static and dynamic light patterns, colors, and routines. You’re even able to create your own colors for the lights to display, either by using an RGB selector or inputting a specific hex or CCT code.
Unfortunately, you aren’t able to make a custom gradient color even though gradient light is kind of the whole point of these things. If you want to select your own custom color, it will be static. That said, there are dozens of preset gradient color schemes and patterns, and you can customize their brightness or the frequency of any dynamic changes. Further customization options include schedules and routines, setting the lights to turn on, off, or change based on the time of day.
There is an audio sync mode, in which the light bars can react to music, but you need another product, the WiZ HDMI sync box, to make it happen, which is just one part of the potential combined light ecosystem these lights can be a part of.
Easily Paired With Other WiZ Lights for Cohesive Ambiance
There is a whole suite of WiZ ambient light products, and most of them can work together in the WiZ V2 app to form one cohesive system of lights. These gradient light bars are no exception. This means you can set up every light you have in one room, for instance, and ensure that they are all producing the same light, pattern, or following the same routine. If you have a WiZ HDMI sync box as part of the system, you can have every light in the room react to music.
Jacob Hudson / How-To Geek
It’s quick and painless to set this up, as all you need to do is group each individual product into a shared space on the app. Though, while we’re on the subject, bear in mind that the two gradient light bars included in your purchase of this product are one cohesive unit; they will both be the same color and pattern all the time. You can’t set one to one thing and the other to something else. Either way, they’re a great additions to a WiZ light ecosystem if you already have one or are looking to start one.
Of course, that doesn’t mean these lights can’t sit pretty in a room with lights from another company like Govee; you just won’t be able to control all of those lights with the same app. They’re definitely still worth considering even if you have lights from other companies already.
Should You Buy the WiZ Gradient Light Bars?
Honestly, this answer comes down to pure personal desire. Nobody needs ambient light bars. They’re essentially a vanity item that you buy just because you like them. So it’s not that you should buy these, but if you are looking for some ambient light options on a budget, these gradient light bars from WiZ are an excellent choice that I highly recommend, mostly because they’re affordable and versatile.
For approximately $60, you can get two separate gradient lights that can be stuck almost anywhere you want, with access to a huge plethora of gradient light options and patterns. This makes them an excellent entry-grade ambient light option if you’re just starting to build out your house lighting plans, or a cost-effective addition to what you already have. They also lack any serious downsides other than short cords or the fact that they have to be placed somewhat near each other.
I’ve had a great time with them so far, and can recommend them to anyone looking for an affordable gradient light option, especially if you already have other WiZ products you can pair them with.
Brand
WiZ
Protocol
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 2.4GHz
Hub Required
No
Music Reactive
When Paired With Another Product
These Wiz portable gradient light bars are an affordable and versatile way to add dynamic light and color to any room, thanks to their plethora of color and pattern options and their ability to be placed vertically, horizontally, or attached to other surfaces. Easy to set up and control via an official app, they are a perfect entry-level light for newcomers as well as a great addition to an existing set up.
