Dwelling

Motion-Sensing LED Amber Colored Nightlight

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Sleep-friendly night light

I picked these motion-sensing nightlights up when we had a baby since I wanted to be able to step into the bathroom without turning on a bright light and waking the kiddo. In addition, I’m interested in minimizing bright blue-tinged light before bedtime.

Right off the bat, knowing this blog, I feel like I have to justify the price. (I got a 3-pack for $23.99 This is the sort of product with no shortage of (no-name) competitors. The fact that going “off reservation” from my preferred brand to save a few bucks also means parsing dozens of products with thousands of shill reviews (even when using fakespot.com) is not worth it for me. I find a slight premium is a good trade for a well made, simple, durable product with good customer service.

I like that this particular model is small, with a minimalist design. I balance mine on the edge of a 3/4 inch thick backsplash behind the faucet and it’s completely out of the way. I also appreciate that they direct the light at a larger white surface, which creates a soft light that’s easier on the eyes. (The one I put in my study I have above eye-level, so I invert it to avoid seeing the diode and in return get an even, gentle glow reflecting off the ceiling.) They shut off after 30 seconds of no detected motion.

I started when I got some of the original “white light” model for my grandparents. I had two C-cell models that I bought for myself after that, and ended up taping CTO (orange gel) over the LEDs to make them nighttime friendly. I was happy when they released this variation. When the batteries get low, sometimes the lights will start tripping without motion. I originally chalked this up to humidity from steamy showers affecting the motion sensor, but I realized it went away when I swapped batteries.

Because they run on AAs, they don’t have a crazy long capacity, maybe 2-3 months, meaning they are a good candidate for Eneloops or other rechargeables, especially if you prefer them at the peak brightness you get from LEDs before the voltage starts to drop. Once they’re in place, it becomes part of the background and it becomes pleasantly automatic – they’re on when you need them. My wife says it’s like living in the future or something. (That’s probably because I’m the one that changes the batteries when the need arises. Otherwise, I agree.)

-- Taylor Bryant 12/4/17

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