Trimlight vs. ColorBit Lights
When you're in the market for something that has a bit of a heftier price tag, it's only natural to want to do your due diligence in researching to make sure you end up with the best bang for your buck. That's why we want to extend a helping hand in your journey to finding your dream lighting solution.
In this article, we will compare ourselves, ColorBit Lights, with one of our biggest competitors, Trimlight. We will not be presenting any opinions, just pure facts.
What's the same?
We'll start off with what the two brands have in common.
Both lighting systems:
- are LED light strings
- can be installed in tracks
- are controlled via a wifi connection
- can be placed indoors or outdoors
- are discrete and can be nearly invisible by day
- can be used residentially and commercially
- allow you to make any colors/animation patterns you want and come with pre-programmed animations
- have apps that are continually updated to give users the best experience
- are extremely energy efficient
What's different?
Here's where we get into the reason you're really here -- to see what exactly is different between these two seemingly similar brands. Well as it turns out, quite a bit actually!
Where the lights go
ColorBit Lights can be installed or displayed anywhere and on anything inside or out. They can be installed however you'd like along your home's roofline, along your deck, patio, pool, or in any other capacity you can creatively come up with!
Trimlight must be installed along the roofline, above a deck or patio, or as a cage around the pool. They can also be installed in specific indoor areas.
How they can be installed
ColorBit Lights can be installed in tracks or with hooks or any other type of method you would typically use to hang lights. As far as installation instructions go, ColorBit Lights has several installation pages for its simple plug-and-play components.
Trimlight has to be installed and in tracks, making them permanently placed wherever you decide to have them installed.
Who does the installation
ColorBit Lights is focused on a Do-It-Yourself Model, meaning it is done by you, the customer, or whoever you hire to do it for you.
Trimlight is focused on an Installer Model, meaning only they or an authorized dealer may install your system for you. They have an extensive dealer network across the United States.
The setup
ColorBit's controller is the size of a key fob and can be hidden directly with the lights and is weatherproof. It has an IP67 rated outdoor power supply.
Trimlight is a more traditional setup, with a large box controller somewhere indoors such as a garage, to which you run the cables. If it needs to be outdoors, it must have a weatherproof box.
The tracks
ColorBit offers customized vinyl channels with 3 standard color options. They allow you to customize the color upon request. The tracks also come pre-drilled every 90mm. Also since it is based on the Do-It-Yourself model, you may choose to buy whichever type of tracks you'd like to separately.
Trimlight offers 5 different types of channels (depending upon the structure of your home) and a choice of 24 pre-selected track colors.
The lights
ColorBit Lights have 100 lights per strand, with light bulbs approximately every 4 inches (100mm), creating a more seamless color and animation illusion.
Trimlight offers 3 different light bulb spacing options (6in., 9in., 12in.). They also have different light bulb options depending on where it is. For example, they have round "globe" lights that can be used outside to illuminate a patio or pool area. They also offer bigger "down lighting" that can be used for security purposes on the roofline and can be set to go on separately from the rest of the system.
The controller
ColorBit Lights can be controlled by Android and Apple smartphones plus any browser. ColorBit did not design its product to be controlled from anywhere in the world because one of its biggest values is privacy. That being said, the founders didn't want users to have to reach out to the internet to use their system and to be able to keep all functionality in their local network. However, if a user wishes to use their ColorBit from anywhere in the world, they just need a remote VPN that connects to their home network.
Trimlight can be controlled by Android and Apple smartphones plus Mac browsers. They also allow users to control their light system from anywhere in the world without the use of a remote VPN.
The app
ColorBit Lights accomplishes timer on/off and calendar functions through the use of smart outlets provided by the customer that can be easily integrated with their home automation systems. The app allows you to store well over 200 patterns depending on their complexity. Within the patterns, there is no set limitation per color, and you could technically use over 500 colors per animation.
Trimlight's app gives users the ability to set a timer to go on/off automatically and sync a calendar for certain patterns to be displayed on certain days (ie. holidays, birthdays, etc.). Their app also has the ability to sync the lights to music. Their app can only store up to 30 animations, and can only show up to 30 colors at a time and do up to 90 bulbs per color in a pattern.
How it's ordered
You can order everything needed online with ColorBit and not speak to anyone if you don't want to (although we're always here to help you if you need it!)
You must fill out a form just to get a quote with Trimlight.
Price transparency
In support of their DIY model, ColorBit Lights provides all products, kits, and packages pricing online. A "Build My ColorBit" feature on the website allows customers to obtain pricing for large installation projects where big enough kits are not individually shown on the product page. ColorBit Lights offers free design consultations to ensure the right products are ordered.
In support of their Installer Model, Trimlight does not display pricing online and requires buyers to contact them directly to obtain a quote for their project and region.
The price
The DIY cost of the system with track (without installation) of 150 ft ColorBit is $1,785. The shipping cost with ColorBit is always free. Once again, all of ColorBit's pricing can be figured out online.
Once again, you must request a custom quote from Trimlight for their pricing, and prices vary depending on where you are located and how your system is installed.
Guarantee
Only ColorBit has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Trimlight offers a lifetime warranty on their system.
In all, both ColorBit Lights and Trimlight are incredible, high-quality options to make your lighting system dreams come to life. It all depends on which specific features you're looking for, and luckily they both have unique qualities that make them stand out from the rest of the bunch.
