Smart LED light strips that are well designed yet reasonably priced are hard to come by, which is why we're enthusiastic--to a degree, anyway--about the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip. But like Nanoleaf's other Essential's product, a 120-sided A19 smart bulb, the Essentials Lightstrip comes with some important and potentially deal-breaking caveats. For starters, the Lightstrip's most advanced features depend on Thread, the IP-based wireless protocol backed by such tech stalwarts as Apple, Google, and Samsung. Thread is attractive for a number reasons, including low latency, low power consumption, and--best of all--beefed-up security. Thread requires a "border" router, and the only consumer model on the market right now is Apple's $99 HomePod Mini.