NANLITE Cookie and Cookie-S Review - Best Pocket Lights for Smartphone Video

Share with friends

Bad lighting can ruin a good smartphone video faster than a shaky hand. One minute you’re ready to shoot, the next your face looks dull, the background goes noisy, and the colors feel off. That’s the real reason many phone clips don’t look “pro”, not the camera, but the light.

The NANLITE Cookie and Cookie-S are made to solve that problem in the simplest way possible. These tiny USB-C plug-in LED lights snap straight into your phone and give you clean, controlled light anywhere. You get two looks in one tool: a soft side for smooth, flattering face light and a hard side for crisp detail, plus three brightness levels and three color temperatures (3200K, 4300K, 5600K) to match any scene. If you want sharper, brighter, more natural smartphone video without carrying a full kit, these pocket lights are worth a close look.

Key features of the NANLITE Cookie & Cookie-S

USB-C plug-in, no battery inside
Ultra-small and lightweight (pocket-size)
Dual-sided lighting: soft side + hard side
Three brightness levels
Three color temperature modes (warm, neutral, daylight)
High color accuracy (great skin tones)
Both sides can light at the same time
Two shapes: Cookie (round) and Cookie-S (square)
Simple one-button control
Comes with a small carry pouch

USB-C plug-in power with no internal battery

These lights do not have a built-in battery. They pull power directly from whatever USB-C device they’re plugged into, like a phone, tablet, laptop, or power bank. That design keeps them tiny and light. It also means they’re always ready. If your device has power, the light works.

In real use, this matters a lot. For short clips, it’s fine to power from your phone. For long filming sessions, brightness level 3 will drain your phone faster, so a small USB-C power bank is a smarter choice.

Ultra-small and truly pocket-friendly

Both models weigh 21.4 g (0.76 oz) and are about 50 mm (2 inches) long. That is smaller than most compact on-camera lights. Because they’re this tiny, you don’t have to “pack gear.” You just carry it like you carry your phone.

This size also makes them great for tight spaces. Car interiors, hallways, crowded rooms, quick street shots, spaces where bigger lights are awkward.

Dual-sided lighting: soft side and hard side

The Cookie lights are two lights in one.

The soft side uses diffusion. It spreads light gently, smooths shadows, and makes skin look cleaner. That’s the best side for selfies, beauty content, talking-head videos, and video calls. If you want flattering, soft light, this is your default.

The hard side uses focusing lenses to push a tighter, punchier beam. The hard beam angle is about 45 degrees on the round Cookie and about 50 degrees on the square Cookie-S. Hard light gives more contrast and sharper shadows, which helps in night vlogs, street filming, or product shots where you want texture.

Brightness and real output (lux numbers)

You get three brightness levels. The control is simple: short presses move from level 1 to level 3.

Because these are close-range lights, the lux numbers are strongest up close. At 0.3 meters (about one foot) using the hard side at 5600K, the Cookie hits about 2836 lux, and the Cookie-S hits about 2976 lux. That’s a lot for something this small.

At 1 meter using the hard side, the Cookie measures about 236 lux and the Cookie-S about 244 lux. This shows the real purpose of the light: close-up faces, small scenes, and quick fills, not lighting a whole room from far away.

Three fixed color temperatures

A long press switches between three preset tones.

The warm tone is 3200K. Use this in yellow indoor light so your skin doesn’t go too cool or grey.

The neutral tone is 4300K. This works best in mixed lighting, like a lamp plus window light, or indoor spaces where you want a balanced look.

The daylight tone is 5600K. Use this outdoors, near windows, or in bright white indoor places.

These three options are enough for most phone shooters. You don’t have to fight white balance in your camera app, you just match the room quickly.

High color accuracy for natural skin tones

Color accuracy is a big reason these feel more “pro” than cheap mini lights. The Cookie and Cookie-S are rated around CRI 95 and TLCI 98. In simple terms, that means faces don’t go weirdly green or pink, and colors stay close to real life. This matters for fashion, beauty, food, and any content where color trust is important.

Both sides can light at once

You can run soft only, hard only, or both together. Running both sides is useful for dual-camera phone shoots. If you’re filming yourself with the front camera while showing something with the back camera, both angles get light without extra gear. This is a small detail, but it’s very practical for vloggers and short-form creators.

Cookie vs Cookie-S (round vs square)

Performance is the same. The only difference is shape.

The Cookie is round, with a body around 5.6 x 4.95 x 1.6 cm. The Cookie-S is square, around 5.08 x 4.7 x 1.6 cm. If you care about eye catchlights, round gives round highlights that feel more natural for beauty shots. If you prefer a flatter edge that sits neatly with some phone cases, the square body may feel better. Either way, lighting specs stay the same.

How to Use Them (Step-by-Step)

Plug the short USB-C cable into your phone (works with Android, iPhone 15/16, iPad, even laptops).
Double-tap the single button to turn on.
Single tap to cycle brightness (15 levels).
Hold 2 seconds for CCT mode; tap to slide from 2700K to 6500K.
Hold 5 seconds for effects mode (police lights, candle flicker, etc.).

Hidden trick most people miss: Cover the light sensor (tiny hole next to the button) with your finger and it instantly jumps to 100% brightness, perfect for quick power bursts.

Pricing & Availability

The NANLITE Cookie and Cookie-S launched at a price of $12.99 each. They were announced in mid-November 2025 and started shipping soon after. Availability depends on region and store stock, but they are already listed through major camera and creator retailers. Both models come in three color finishes: Cyan Blue, Lavender, and Coral Pink.