Noon Home, Inc., a company founded by executive with histories at Nest, August, Google, Roku and more, launches today. With that launch, Noon Home introduces its first product, the Noon Smart Lighting System. The system is designed to integrate existing light fixtures and bulbs into a layered light experience, and its $400 starter kit includes one room director switch, two extension switches and three wall plates.
Layered light is a type of lighting design that blends each of the lights in a room to improve how the room looks and feels. Noon based its research on studies done by John E. Flynn in the 1970s exploring the way a room’s lighting changes a person’s perception of the room, in addition to a person’s mood. Noon’s system identifies your existing lights and creates optimal, layered lighting for that environment.
Noon uses a patented bulb detection technology to identify bulb type by reading electrical currents and using algorithms decide what type of bulb is present. It’s compatible with dimmable and non-dimmable bulbs, incandescent, LED, CFL, fluorescent, ELV (electronic low voltage) and MLV (magnetic low voltage) fixtures. The room director switch also communicates with the expansion switches wirelessly via Bluetooth, while the Noon app guides you through setup to tell Noon which fixtures and rooms it’s controlling. Once everything is identified, Noon uses the bulb, fixture and room information you’ve provided to minimize low-level popping, flickering and buzzing.
The kit’s room director switch powers the system and controls companion extension switches via wireless Bluetooth technology. Once you install it, the room director switch also becomes the system’s touchscreen, OLED control panel.
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Noon Home’s room director switch controls expansion switches to create a lighting scene.
Noon Home, Inc.Noon automatically creates three scenes: Relax, Everyday and Bright. Homeowners can create their own custom scenes and select them at the switch or in the Noon companion app.
The system is designed for DIY installation, but it does involve tinkering with your home’s wiring. For that reason, Noon offers professional installation through InstallerNet. Professional install starts at $149 for up to three switches and $20 for each additional switch.
The Noon starter kit itself is expensive at $400. While the system is clearly aimed at open-concept living spaces, should you decide to expand into multiple rooms the costs will add up quickly. The room director switch and extension can be purchased separately for $200 and $100 respectively. Starter kits are available at select Best Buy stores, b8ta and online at NoonHome.com. A handful of Home Depot locations will carry Noon products starting November 15.
At launch, Noon will support voice activation with Amazon Alexa, though it won’t integrate with any other smart home platforms. By comparison, Lutron connects with Alexa, Nest, IFTTT, Apple HomeKit and more with its reliable and simple smart-lighting design.
We’ve seen the touchscreen approach to lighting control before, too, with the ill-fated Wink Relay among others. Noon Home may face a similar uphill battle gaining consumer interest in touchscreen controls. Lutron’s Caseta smart lighting kit is by far the product to beat, and we’ll see how Noon Home stacks up as we test the system in the near future.
