Review: Dekala Arches Smart Sunrise Alarm Clock – Enamoring versatility in lamp colors and sleep aid

Explore the Decala Arches Smart Lamp’s features, setup, strengths, weaknesses and its worth... Read more

Specifications

Brand	Dekala
Color	White
Style	App Version No wireless Charger
Special Feature	无线充电
Product Dimensions	6″W x 5″H
Power Source	Corded Electric
Room Type	Bedroom , Nursery
Shape	Arches
Material	Plastic
Theme	Baby

Introduction

Welcome to another tech journey, folks! Today, I’ve decided to go on a quest to try and review the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp. On its face, it’s an ambient lamp with, frankly, some pretty impressive promise. It boasts compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, boasts a high-fidelity speaker that syncs with music, smart voice control, and even features like a sleep sound machine and a wireless charger. All of it wrapped on a slick appearance that could add some character to any room.

Meet the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp

This cheeky little Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp claims to be what I like to call a ‘Tech Swiss Knife.’ This thing seems to be ticking a lot of boxes, from aiding sleep with features like sleep sound machine and sunrise alarm clock to brightening up your room with color and light therapy. It even promises a cool 16 million colors! But as I’ve learnt, the devil’s in the detail, isn’t it?

Untangling My Thoughts: Initial Impressions

Aesthetically, the Decala Smart Ambient Lamp seemed like a pretty sleek piece of tech. But remember, an exceptional user experience goes beyond just an attractive shell. As soon as it arrived, I was eager to unpack the unit, test out its claims, and provide a thorough, no-strings-attached review of this multipurpose device. So, without further ado, let the review commence!

Unboxing

• Decala Arches Lamp compatible with Google and Amazon Alexa
• Features sleep sound machine and sunrise alarm clock
• Optional wireless charger feature offered

It’s always interesting to dive into a product, fresh out of the box, and the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp is no exception. My first impressions began to form as soon as I examined the packaging.

Navigating the Box: What’s Inside?

The Decala lamp arrived in a neat, professional-looking box. It displayed a range of features including compatibility with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, a HiFi speaker that syncs with music, numerous color options, and even a sleep sound machine. I was intrigued by the emphasis on sleep wellbeing, highlighting its sunrise alarm clock and color and light therapy features.

One interesting mention was an optional wireless charger feature. Though skeptically noted, the promise of a two-year warranty, lifetime customer support, and a 30-day money back guarantee did garner initial trust.

Delving into the Details: Checking Out the Lamp and Its Features

Once I opened the box, the first thing I noticed was the lamp itself, neatly packed and presented. Removing it, my attention was quickly drawn to an unexpectedly large booklet of instructions. My interest piqued, I tucked it aside for later exploration.

Breaking through the packaging, I was greeted with a sleek and modern design. Its innovative design certainly appeared premium. The metallic buttons on the bottom with the speaker integrated into the base was a surprising touch of ingenuity. However, it immediately brought up concerns about the durability of such a set-up.

Accompanying the lamp was its power brick. Looking over the device, I noticed that it’s not a standard USB-C cable, potentially complicating or limiting replacements if needed. I mentally noted to relay my feedback to the company about preferring common, easilyreplaceable cable types with their products.

With the contents examined, it was time to power up the device and put it through its paces. I eagerly set off to explore the features that Decala promises with this innovative lamp.

Connecting and Set Up

• Setting up Decala lamp involves Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity
• Bluetooth connection and Wi-Fi setup had technical issues
• Could impact initial user experience for non-tech-savvy users

One crucial part of my interaction with the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp revolves around getting it ready for use, and this is where my journey into connecting and setting up this intriguing device begins.

Battle with the Bluetooth: Connecting the Lamp

First up, I had to deal with establishing a Bluetooth connection. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as smooth sailing as I anticipated. I ran into what I’d describe as some minor technical hitches which were a bit of a letdown. This lamp surely pushes the boundaries of the price-performance ratio when it comes to connecting it with other devices. The synchronization process didn’t quite hit home with my expectations, requiring more time and effort than I’d typically appreciate.

Wi-Fi Woes: My Struggles in Setting Up the Connection

Once I hurdled past the Bluetooth backlash, it was Wi-Fi’s turn to put me in a spot. Connecting the lamp to my Wi-Fi initially gave me a run for my money, mostly due to the slight inconsistencies stemming from what seems like a speed issue. It’s not every day you encounter this with smart devices and, considering this lamp’s price, I found it relatively disturbing. The initial connection was far from being a breeze with a couple of failed attempts.

In the end, switching from a guest network to the main one proved to be the magic fix. Even so, I must confess that part of me was left longing for a more seamless connection process.

While there’s no glaring reason to hit the panic button, these experiences could potentially lead to a frustrating initial user experience. It’s something I believe Decala needs to address, to cater to less tech-savvy consumers. After all, a smooth set-up process is one of the key determinants of a superior user experience.

Reviewing the Features

• Decala Lamp boasts over 16 million color versatility
• Nightlight and Rainbow settings are standout features
• Includes wireless charging and sleep sound machine

Alright, it’s time to dive into the most interesting part: exploring the multitude of features that the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp has to offer.

Lighting Up: Exploring the Color Versatility

One of the first features that truly grabbed my attention is the color versatility. The Decala Lamp boasts a claim of over 16 million colors , a feature that any tech enthusiast or lover of customizable gadgets would definitely look forward to. While I wasn’t able to validate the full 16 million, I can assure you that the variety of hues, shades, and tones is impressive. The colors are vibrant and the transition between them was intriguing, despite the occasional lag.

Exploring the Nightlight and Rainbow Settings

Among the pre-set modes, the Nightlight and Rainbow settings stood out . The Nightlight was a surprisingly soothing feature, providing just the right intensity of light for a tranquil ambiance, while the Rainbow setting put on a mesmerizing color-changing spectacle, seamlessly transitioning between different spectra of the color wheel.

Decala: More Than Just an Alarm Clock – Wireless Charger and Sleep Sound Machine

Decala has managed to squeeze a lot into this neat little package, making it more than just an ambient lamp or alarm clock . The wireless charging feature worked without a hitch, providing an added convenience that is greatly appreciated in the era of cord clutter.

• Aside from its lighting capabilities, the Decala Smart Ambient Lamp also doubles as a sleep sound machine. Whether it’s the soothing sounds of a night in the forest or the calming lull of shore waves, its audio options are designed to promote sleep. This, in combination with the ability to adjust the light to your preference, is a commendable attempt at creating a relaxing sleep environment.

The only downfall of these features was the lag that seemed to plague the device’s operation, something I’ll discuss further in the sections to follow. Nonetheless, the concept behind this multifunctional device is impressive on its own.

The Downside

• Decala Lamp has lagging performance issues
• Speaker quality disappointing, not worth the price

As an unbiased reviewer, I am bound by honesty to tell it as it is. While the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp has quite a few impressive features, it also has some noticeable cons that are quite hard to ignore.

The Unpleasant Surprise: Lagging Performance Issues

In my experience with this product, the elephant in the room was, without a doubt, the frustrating latency issues. Even though the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp is marketed as a device that can connect to different servers and controlled remotely, I was left disappointed with its laggy response time whenever I tried to operate the lamp via the app. It felt as if there was this endless wait for the app to register and act on any given command. This lag appeared evidently during my interactions on the app while trying out different functionalities of the lamp.

Example of the Lag Issue:

• On multiple instances, it would take too long for the color of the lamp to change when I adjusted it through the app.
• At times, the app wouldn’t respond at all, leaving me no choice but to restart the app and try again.

The Expectation vs Reality: A Speaker That’s Not Speaker-Worthy

Another aspect where the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp fell short for me was the speaker capability. Considering the price point, I was hoping for a more impressive quality of sound. However, the sound output I received was quite far from it. I experienced a distinct lack of clarity in the audio, with the bass sounding muddled and the highs being slightly ear-piercing.

Example of the Speaker Issue:

1. On maximising the volume, the speaker began to crackle, which disrupted the audio experience majorly.
2. For a product priced at £150, the speaker quality was comparable to a £20-£30 speaker – a value not commensurate with the cost.

In conclusion, while there is much to praise about the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp, these downsides did put a damper on my overall user experience.

Exploring the App

• Decala lamp app had lagging issues
• Dynamic Music feature delay frustrating
• Sleep Aid setting is serene and relaxing

Just as essential as the physical features, the app that accompanies the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp plays a vital role in the complete user experience. Naturally, my curiosity led me to the app store where I downloaded the necessary software to unlock my lamp’s full capabilities.

Diving into Decala’s Dynamic Music Feature

Upon successful installation and setup, I decided to dive headfirst into the one feature that had piqued my interest from the start: the Dynamic Music feature. As a music enthusiast, I was thrilled at the prospect of my lamp dancing along to the rhythm of my playlist. Ideally, visualizing the beats and rhythms was going to be an amazing spectacle. However, it turned out to be a bit of a chore to get the function working smoothly.

The Dynamic Music feature certainly took its sweet time reacting, which can be slightly frustrating especially given the feature’s primary appeal is its immediacy in visualizing the beats. Despite the delays, I can say that when it did finally catch up, it was definitely entertaining.

Test-Driving the Sleep Aid Setting: An Unexpected Shining Moment

Next on the list was the Sleep Aid setting. Given that the lamp includes sound and light therapy, I was keen on testing it out. It’s fair to say the resulting experience was nothing short of serene and relaxing. Various sleep sound options like frogs’ sounds and waves are available, complete with adjustable lighting. Especially, the “frog sound” was far more relaxing than I had anticipated. I found the dynamic light feature working hand in hand with the ambient sleep sounds to create a calming atmosphere that made winding down after a long day feel like a tranquil retreat.

However, the excitement was short-lived as I again confronted the app’s lagging issue, this time in transitioning from one feature to another. More often than not, the app failed to respond to instruction or took longer than acceptable to process commands, a matter that warrants urgent attention from the developers.

In conclusion, while the app promises a plethora of impressive features and controls to enhance user experience, it falls short in providing a smooth and responsive interface. Given the price point of the Decala lamp, an immediate and efficient software companion is imperative. Therefore, my advice to potential buyers and the developer team alike is to address the lagging issue, so this otherwise brilliant product can truly shine.

My Final Thoughts

• Decala lamp impresses with design and color versatility
• WiFi setup, speaker quality, and price disappoint
• Wireless charger and sleep-aid setting function well

After spending some quality time with the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp, I’ve formed a relatively balanced perspective about it – a blend of impress, some dissatisfaction, and suggestions for improvement. Here’s a dive into my final views.

All in All: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Starting with the packaging and physical build , the lamp comes in a compact package and feels quite sturdy with its minimalist design. It’s nothing short of visually impressive with the metallic legs and sleek display.

The color versatility is undoubtedly a win for the Decala team. There’s a therapeutic aspect to the different colors and light modes, ushering in a calming ambiance, an appreciable feature indeed.

On the downside , my encounter with its Wi-Fi setup was a slight disappointment. The pairing was more time-consuming than anticipated, and this might be unappealing for those looking for quick connectivity. Moreover, the speaker quality was subpar. You’d expect a richer sound output from a speaker tagged along with a product that boasts a significant price point.

The Verdict: Is it worth the Price?

Price-wise, I believe 150 dollars is a hefty tag for this lamp, especially when taking into account the speaker quality and app latency issues.

However, let’s not overlook its positive aspects. The Wireless Charger and Sleep Aid setting worked seamlessly. The Sleep Aid mode, in particular, stood out. It’s soothing with a wide array of calming sound options that assuredly aid your sleep.

Yet, while the device has its pros and cons, the price doesn’t wholly justify the experience. In my opinion, a price tag around the region of $49.99 makes more sense. Tweaking the price, improving the speaker, and fixing the latency issues could thrust this product forward in attention.

Closing Thoughts: Would I Recommend it?

Well, it depends vastly on the user’s priorities and willingness to overlook certain aspects for others. If you’re someone who values aesthetic appeal, cordless charging, and sleep-enhancing features, this lamp might be up your alley. Those expecting a high-performance speaker and quick setup might want to reconsider.

Ultimately, despite some hiccups, the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp offers a unique blend of features that could make a statement in your space while also serving the functional aspect of a smart lamp!

Closing Thoughts: Would I Recommend it?

So, here we are – at the end of my in-depth exploration of the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp. It undoubtedly packs a punch with its multi-functional features. But when it comes down to making a decision, would I recommend it?

Appreciating the Pros

Firstly, it’s impossible not to acknowledge the range of features this lamp has to offer. From its versatile colour choices to the amazing sleep aid setting, there’s a lot to appreciate here. Plus, its sleek design is undeniably attractive and can easily fit into any bedroom aesthetic.

Addressing the Cons

However, no product review would be complete without a fair look at its downsides. In Decala’s case, the biggest drawbacks lie in its laggy app performance and the subpar speaker. While I certainly loved the vast array of features, dealing with the slow response times on the app proved quite frustrating and time-consuming.

On top of that, for a product touting its speaker capabilities, the audio quality was undeniably disappointing. Muffled bass, crackling at high volumes, and a substandard overall sound output were hard to ignore, especially when considering the price point of this product.

Final Verdict: Is it Worth it?

While the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp definitely brings a unique mix of features to the table, it’s important to consider whether the price tag justifies the experience. In this case, the cons somewhat tip the scales, leaving me feeling that the product could benefit from a price revision and significant app improvements. So, while I value the ingenuity present, in its current state and pricing, I can only partially recommend it.

For instance, if you’re seeking peace and tranquility from your bedside lamp in the form of calming sounds and a helpful sleep aid feature, this might just be worth your investment. Otherwise, for the price, you might find better-performing speakers and quicker, less frustrating apps elsewhere.

Constructive Suggestions for Improvement

To wrap it up, here’s what I believe could boost Decala’s value:

• Work on improving the response time and user experience on the app
• Improve the speaker quality for an enhanced audio experience
• Review the product pricing to better match what it offers

With these improvements, I believe the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp could truly go from being ‘partially recommendable’ to becoming a ‘must-have’ product.

Should you buy the Dekala Arches Smart Sunrise Alarm Clock?

Buy it if…

You want a multipurpose device

The Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp acts as a nightlight, alarm clock, speaker, and wireless charger. It’s perfect if you are looking for a product that can do it all.

You value relaxation

With its sleep aid setting, ambilight and calming sound features, this product could really help you relax and potentially get a better night’s sleep.

You’re tech-savvy

If you love exploring gadgets and their extensive features, this device with its connectivity options and smart voice control capability could be an exciting venture for you.

Don’t buy it if…

You’re expecting high performance

From the review, it appears that the speaker quality is subpar and the app performance is laggy, which might affect your overall user experience if you expect a certain level of performance.

You’re on a budget

Considering the reviewer’s opinion, the product might not offer value for money. For a price of $150, the reviewer suggests that there are other options that compete better on cost.

You’re not patient with tech

From the review, it is clear that setting up and connecting the device might require some time and technical know-how. If you prefer simple set up and instant use, this might not be the right purchase for you.

FAQ

Does the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp come with a user manual?

Yes, it comes with a fairly detailed manual that you can refer to for any queries or doubts.

What things does this Smart Lamp offer?

The Lamp offers a wide range of features such as night light, alarm clock, music syncing, color versatility, wireless charging, and a sleep sound machine.

Can you adjust the brightness and colors of the lamp?

Yes, the lamp allows you to adjust both the brightness and the colors according to your preference.

Is there any issue mentioned with the functionality of the lamp?

The review mentions a lag with the lamp’s app which can make the control experience slow and underwhelming. Also, the speaker sound quality was found to be sub-par.

How does the smart lamp connect to external devices?

The lamp uses both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to connect to various devices and Internet.

Is the Decala Arches Smart Ambient Lamp worth its price?

Based on the review, it is suggested that the lamp, priced at $150, seems expensive considering the lagging performance issues and subpar speaker sound quality.

Is there a sleep aid setting in the lamp?

Yes, the lamp has a sleep aid setting with different sounds to aid relaxation and sleep.

Are there any improvements suggested for the product?

Yes, the reviewer suggests improvements in terms of a better speaker, fixing the app latency issue, and a possible price drop.