Yeelight’s products have been a good and affordable introduction to the Smart Home for years. The first and second bedside lamps are also very popular with our team, now there is a new, more compact version. now there is a new, more compact version. Is the Yeelight LED bedside lamp 2 simply a mini version of the Xiaomi Mijia bedside lamp 2? Yes, but with nice additional features!
- Yeelight bedside lamp 2 (+shipping)
Xiaomi and Yeelight are relatively close partners, which can be seen not least in the sharing of the Mi Home app, even though Yeelight also offers its own app. Especially with the different lamp gadgets you can see connections. The various night lights are hardly distinguishable from each other, both manufacturers offer smart light bulbs and this Yeelight bedside lamp 2 is also very similar to the Xiaomi Mijia bedside lamp 2. Since I have been using them for quite some time, I took a closer look at the Yeelight bedside lamp 2.
Technical data of the Yeelight LED bedside lamp 2
| Size | 14,8 x 14,8 x 14,5 cm |
| Colour | white-silver |
| Input | 100-240 Volt |
| Consumption | 5 Watt |
| Extras | App operation, dimmable, HomeKit support, Slider, USB-C |
Scope of delivery
The second Yeelight bedside lamp arrives in a relatively high-quality cube-shaped box, in our case directly from the GearBest warehouse. You can immediately see that Yeelight is an established manufacturer by the design. Unfortunately there is no “Global Version” of this smart lamp, the print is almost completely in Chinese. Only the reddot award 2019 and the reference to the HomeKit support are in English.
This also applies to the operating instructions, which are in the box: unfortunately completely in Chinese. After all, there are QR codes for the Yeelight app, the Mijia (Mi Home) app and the HomeKit code. Apart from that, there is also the lamp and the power cord with Chinese plug. But here is a small unique selling point: the power supply is not fixed to the lamp. In fact, the lamp is even equipped with a USB-C input, the included charging cable also uses USB-C. This means that instead of an adapter, one can also simply use a USB charger with USB-C cable. Since the lamp only needs 5W input power, you can use any USB charger for this – very practical! So I also use the lamp with my 3-Port AUKEY charger on the bedside table. Theoretically it would also be possible to use it with a powerbank.
More compact design
The new Yeelight LED bedside lamp looks something like the Xiaomi Mijia bedside lamp 2 has been squeezed a little bit. The new generation measures 14.8 x 14.8 x 14.5 cm, while the old one is a good deal higher at 20 cm in length. Nevertheless, approx. 80% of the surface consists of semi-transparent polycarbonate, which is also convex-shaped on the upper side. This looks much more modern than in the first generation.
The base, which is again made of plastic, is kept in a dark grey. On the underside there are three rubber strips, so the lamp has a firm stand on the table. Apart from that, the lamp is rather plain, at the front side, the Yeelight lettering is still visible above the power-button. I have nothing to criticize in the workmanship, it is of a high quality according to its price. I also like the optic. Whether I prefer the more compact or the larger form of the Mi bedside lamp 2 is hard to say. But for an already small bedside table, the Yeelight version is a bit more suitable.
Operation via touch slider
As with the Xiaomi bedside lamp 2, there are basically two ways to operate it: via app or directly at the lamp. On the front side there is a small round button with which the lamp can be switched on and off. By holding it pressed for a long time, one can also change the light mode: Colored light (RGB) or white light. As in the second generation, the operation is also done by a touch slider, but there are now two of them: one on the left and one on the right of the base. The left slider is used to change the colour temperature or the colour in RGB mode, the right slider is responsible for the brightness.
The way of operation works well overall, the layout is sensible and it’s fun to adjust the color and brightness so intuitively. In contrast to the Xiaomi variant, the slider is much more discreet and thus visually more appealing, which partly leads to not hitting the slider. Thus, you sometimes have to reach for the slider again, especially if you don’t look at it.
Features
A few key figures of the second Yeelight bedside lamp with the model number YLCT01YL. The new generation requires a power input of 5V1A, i.e. 5W, which is permanently supplied via the supplied power cable or another USB-C charger. In “white light” mode the lamp needs 6 x 1W (?) and in RGB mode 0.5W per LED, so there seem to be six LEDs installed. The Yeelight YLCT01YL is also equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 LE and 802.11 b/g/n WiFi for connection to the smartphone and integration into the home network.
Integration into the App: Mi Home, Yeelight & Apple HomeKit
The Yeelight LED bedside lamp 2 can be integrated into your own home network via various apps. First of all, of course, there is the Yeelight app (download: Android | iOS). But I connected the Yeelight app with the Mi Home app (Download: Android | iOS) and integrated the lamp into my WLAN via the Mijia, i.e. Mi Home app. To be on the safe side you should reset the lamp first. To do so, simply press the power button and the right touch slider for 5 seconds. When you are in the Mi Home app, you should already see a pop-up window pointing to the lamp.
Alternatively, simply click on the “Plus” symbol in the top right corner, scan the lamp or search under “Lighting” and follow the steps. For this you need to know your WLAN password. The app does the rest on its own. Since it is a Chinese device, you have to set the China server in the Mi Home app (Settings -> Language and country settings -> China; you can use other languages). The same applies to the Yeelight app. You also have to deactivate the 5 GHz network of your router, otherwise the lamp cannot be integrated. Depending on your router you might want to use a guest network with 5 GHz disabled.
Functionality
By integrating it into the Mi Home app, the lamp can also be controlled when you are not at home. You can use your mobile phone to adjust color and brightness, create scenes, timers and/or a schedule and add them to a room. In addition to the schedule and the timer (switch-off delay of 15 minutes) there is also the night light function, so that the lamp switches on automatically at night. At this point we can also recommend a Yeelight socket night light.
One function that only the Yeelight bedside lamp 2 has and that we like very much is the touch function. You can switch the bedside lamp on and off by double “tapping” on the top. This is practical both in the morning and in the evening at the bedside table. Alternatively, you can also use the Google Assistant as an intelligent voice assistant and switch the lamp on and off using it.
Integration via Apple HomeKit
Since the last generation of smart Xiaomi and Yeelight lamps, HomeKit support has also been included in almost every new product. However, many older generations also get the possibility to be integrated into the Apple Home via firmware updates. With the Yeelight LED bedside lamp 2, you only need to scan the 8-digit HomeKit code on the bottom or from the user manual in the Apple Home app and the rest is done by automatically.
Contrary to the Mi Home and Yeelight app, the functional range is unfortunately more limited. One can of course adjust the color temperature and brightness, but beyond that only the creation of scenes is possible. At least the Siri voice control is directly integrated, but similarly limited. Additionally, some automations can be defined.
Conclusion
The Yeelight bedside lamp 2 is not a completely new generation of the popular bedside lamp, but a slight upgrade, as was the case with the very first generation. Personally, I have the Xiaomi Mijia bedside lamp 2 at home, which I still like very much. This one has now been redesigned under the Yeelight brand and produced even more compact. The small highlights are the smaller design, the entire operation including switching off by knocking and the USB-C input, which allows a little more flexibility in operation. Apart from that, it doesn’t really matter whether you take the Yeelight or Xiaomi bedside lamp 2. I would simply go for the better price.
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