As of today, the OG Nanoleaf Rhythm Light Panels—the triangular RGB wall lights that took the world by storm—are officially retiring. That’s right, we’re saying goodbye to Nanoleaf Light Panels.

But…why? How exactly does a panel retire? And what does that mean if you still want them, or already have them? We’ve got all of your answers here.

The Light Panel Legacy

In 2014 the entire lighting world was racing to produce the cheapest LED light bulbs. That’s because at the time they followed one simple formula: Lighting = Bulbs. But Nanoleaf’s founders came together on a mission to  “Rethink What’s Possible,” and create lighting that broke those boundaries, and went…beyond the bulb!

After CEO and cofounder Gimmy Chu saw the Northern Lights in real life for the first time out of the window of an airplane, they were all inspired to create a product that would capture the light and beauty of the sky above us. And so they decided to bring the sunrises, sunsets, starry nights, and other magical moments inside, to deliver a truly transformative experience to our spaces.

And by 2016 this dream became a reality, with (drumroll please) Nanoleaf Light Panels! Formerly known as “Nanoleaf Aurora”, Light Panels were the first of their kind in the smart lighting game. They went beyond the genres of lighting, smart home, and decor to create a completely new category: “Smart Decor.”  But the groundbreaking impact on the industry didn’t stop there. Within a year of launch, Light Panels received a CES 2017 Innovation Award, and even moved to #2 in smart lighting on Amazon.

Suddenly, you couldn’t browse the internet without seeing these triangular lights everywhere. We’re talking Twitch streams, YouTube videos, Instagram setups, and that was just the beginning. Everyone from huge streamers to world renowned DJs fell in love with our Light Panels. You could even find them in fitness studios and museum exhibits, as well as in the background of commercials and music videos. Because they were unlike anything anyone had seen before, they inspired a wave of innovation in their wake that truly changed the smart lighting world forever. 

Well, innovation, and imitation—the sincerest form of flattery.

…That’s when we knew we had something special.

Not only were they huge for smart lighting, but also for Nanoleaf as a company. Their success let us grow from a small startup of only 10 people to a thriving global team of over 100. Our products can be found in over 200 retailers and across 100 countries worldwide. They also allowed us to build an incredible community of millions of users. And many of these amazing individuals took them to new heights that we never imagined possible with their endless creativity. Without that support, none of this would have been possible.

Rethinking What’s Possible: Nanoleaf Shapes

As wonderful as they were, and as much as you loved them, Light Panels did have their limitations. They could only connect to one another and not to different shapes, like the square Nanoleaf Canvas. Their flush mounting system meant the tape had to be visible or else removing it to dismount was difficult. The dark corners that allowed for even lighting were quite large, detracting from the potential size of the illuminated surface area. And by not having touch reactivity they were missing out on a lot of features like Touch Actions, Touch Gestures, and the most fun of all, Touch Games.

As we continued to grow and to innovate, we took all the feedback and input from you in our community and from our team and used it to create a product that took the original Light Panel experience to the next level: Nanoleaf Shapes. 

We improved the existing hardware with: a snap-on mounting system for easy set up and take-down; smaller corners for a larger illuminated surface area; Touch Reactivity for hands on control; an updated Controller with additional buttons; a built-in Rhythm music visualizer; and NFC tap for easy pairing.

Now say all that 5 times fast.

And that’s not all. The Thread network protocol stepped into the industry, so we made the Shapes Controller double as a Thread Border Router. This allowed it to provide fast and reliable control for Thread-enabled devices (like Nanoleaf Essentials Bulbs & Lightstrips). And best of all—and most highly requested—we developed a technology called Connect+. This let these new panels connect to other shapes, like Hexagons and Mini Triangles, for even more design freedom.

But where did that leave our OG Light Panels? As the years ticked on, our technology improved. But they still held their own and, may we say, looked pretty damn good while doing it.

Now that they had found a suitable successor, there was no need for them to continue the grind. Shapes Triangles, along with their family of Hexagons and Mini Triangles, brought in a new energy as the new generation. And so, finally, they proudly took their place as the new face of Nanoleaf.

Hence, retirement.

The Next Steps

With this retirement, we’ll no longer be selling the original Rhythm Light Panels Smarter Kits. If you’re looking for Triangles, there’s an excited box of Nanoleaf Shapes Triangles on a shelf somewhere just waiting for you to take them home! As for the OGs, you can imagine they have hopped off that same shelf and are now chilling on a beach somewhere in Florida, sippin’ on a Mai Tai, taking it easy and finally soaking up some rays of their own.

What If I Already Have a Set?

Congratulations, you own an iconic piece of technology straight from the smart lighting hall of fame!

If you’re still looking to expand your setup there are still a few Expansion Packs and other accessories left (which are currently on 30-50% OFF MEGA SALE.) But you’ll want to grab them quickly before they run out!

As for your current set, we’re going to continue to have app support for them. Basically, all the great stuff you can do now with your lights, you’ll be able to keep doing in the future, no problemo. You’ll even be able to control them together in a Group Scene with any other current or future Nanoleaf lights you may have your eye on.

For everything surrounding warranties:

Nanoleaf offers a 2-year warranty on all products, so your warranty and replacements will continue to be available as expected from the date of purchase. So no worries about being short-changed there, we’ve got your (and your panels’) back.

A Final Goodbye

Saying goodbye to Nanoleaf’s Rhythm Light Panels is truly bittersweet. Of course, we’re very excited for everyone to experience the new Nanoleaf Shapes and everything they have to offer, along with all of our other fantastic products. But, at the same time, Light Panels were really what made Nanoleaf into what it is today. That’s not only a brand, but also a family of hard working, creative, and passionate out-of-the-box thinkers striving to do incredible things. 

That’s why we’ll forever be grateful for all of the love and support that you showed our Light Panels that made our dream into a reality and hope to continue innovating and creating even more for you to love.

Find us on Instagram @nanoleaf, Twitter @nanoleaf, or Facebook @thenanoleaf and join the Nanoleaf Community.

READ NEXT: Answering Your Questions About OG Light Panels Retirement