Bright Solar Power Outdoor LED Light No Tools Required Peel and Stick Motion Activated (8 LED) by JIAYIDA

The light and the box it came in.

In this package you get one light, one screw, one drywall anchor, two pieces of heavy duty two-sided tape (each is about 1 square inch) and a little key to turn on the unit. It came with some charge in it. I installed it late in the afternoon and it was working that same evening.

Installation was easy. I picked a spot beside my garage door and screwed it into place through my vinyl siding with my power drill. The hardest part was prepping the two sided tape I used to attach the lower part of the back of the device to the wayll.

Once it gets dark, the light turns on in low power mode. It looks like 2 LED light come on at that level (it's hard to tell without setting off the motion detector). If it detects motion, all of the LED lights come on (There are 8) and really brighten things up.

We park a car alongside the garage and this light lights up when a car pulls up and makes it a little easier to walk into the house.

I rate this solar light 5 stars out of 5.

This product cost $15.00 on Amazon.com at the time of this review. Check here for current pricing: Bright Solar Power Outdoor LED Light No Tools Required Peel and Stick Motion Activitated (8 LED)

Note: I was sent a free solar light so that I could write an honest review.

18 LED Desk Lamp by BlueFire

One Issue Prevents this Otherwise Excellent Lamp from Getting 5 Stars

You might question the need for a little desk lamp like this one. After all, you probably already have lighting at your desk and you can see just fine. I know I did, but I don't any more.

This lamp would be completely inadequate for a home desk. It is too small, it isn't tall enough, it would have to sit in the middle of your work space to be of any use.

But, I have found this kind of lamp to be a must for my desk anyway. There are times when you just need a whole lot of light in a little area and that's when I grab this light to show me what I have been missing, especially now that I am getting a little older and I have to use reading glasses to look at the tiny print that come with those little "How to..." guides that come with so many products nowadays.

If you live in a dorm room (or something like that) this lamp would be fantastic. You can light a small space and not bother your roommate when he or she is trying to sleep.

Pros:

-This lamp is not wired. It is rechargeable and each charge lasts up to 10 hours. You can leave it plugged in and use it like a regular lamp or you can take it right where you need the light.

-The strength of the light is adjustable - just slide your finger along the slider to make it brighter or darker. Or, just tap where you think you might want it.

-The base is heavy enough to keep the lamp upright no matter how far you stretch out the gooseneck lamp.

Cons:

The only con is the charging cord. It is a fairly long USB cord (which is cool - it makes it much easier to charge when you can just plug it into your computer) with a non-standard end. A lot of electronics use the Android micro-USB to re-charge their batteries and that is great because then you don't have to keep track of a special cord. You can re-charge your phone, your Kindle, your Bluetooth headset, your wireless speaker and your desk lamp with the exact same cord. But this lamp requires you to keep this extra cord around just for this lamp.

Because of the cord issue, I rate this otherwise excellent lamp 4 stars out of 5.

When this review was written this desk lamp cost $18.99 on Amazon.com. Check here for current pricing: 18 LED Desk Lamp by BlueFire.

Note: I received a complimentary lamp in exchange for an honest review.

Outdoor/Garden Waterproof Solar Motion Light - Wireless Security LED Light by Vont

Easy to install.

During the day

In this package you get one light, two screws, two drywall anchors and a little key to turn on the unit. It came with some charge in it. I installed it late in the afternoon and it was working that same evening.

Installation is easy. I picked a post in my backyard and within a minute of starting to screw in the first screw I was already starting to pack up my stuff. It literally took me more time to gather everything than it took to install it.

Once it gets dark, the light turns on in low power mode. Everything is enclosed, but it looks like 1 LED light comes on at that level. If it detects motion, all of the LED lights come on (I think there are 4) and really brighten things up. 
Now, keep in mind that one of these will not light up your backyard like a professional baseball stadium unless you have a really tiny backyard. But, it does provide a bit of light where you might need it. This would be especially good on decks, stairs, along sidewalks and places like that.

At night.

I rate this Solar light 5 stars out of 5.

This product cost $13.99 on Amazon.com at the time of this review. Check here for current pricing: Outdoor/Garden Waterproof Solar Motion Light - Wireless Security LED Light.

Note: I was sent a free solar light so that I could write an honest review. I am very pleased. 

Wireless Motion Sensing Light with 10 LED Lights - Battery Powered by Albrillo

It Simply Does Not Get Any Easier.

We have a shower that was installed without enough lighting by the previous owners of the home. There has been nearly 18 years of complaints about that shower and the lack of light but no one wanted to get an electrician in and install an overhead light due to the expense.

In the meantime, compact fluorescent bulbs came in to vogue but they still had the same problem - An electrician would still be required.

But, LEDs use so little power that a battery-powered light is actually a realistic alternative. So, when I was offered this light in exchange for an honest review, I knew that I had an immediate use for it.

There are 10 LED lights with a motion sensor in the middle. They are powered by 4 AAA batteries. Installation was a breeze. The entire back of the light is magnetic and comes with a long magnet attached. On the back of the magnet there is a sticker. Stick the sticker to the wall and then attach the light to the magnet side of the sticker.

When the batteries fail, grab the light, change the batteries and then stick it back to the magnet side of the sticker. It simply does not get any easier. 

This product cost $13.89 at the time of this review. Click here for current pricing: Wireless Motion Sensing Light by Albrillo.

LOHAS® LED Bulbs 12W A19 Natural Daylight 5000K, 75Watt LED Light Bulbs Equivalent, E26 LED Base(Medium Screw)

LED bulbs are the future. They are replacing traditional incandescent bulbs and those irritating fluorescent bulbs - not just because they are the law but because they actually do the job.

In my household we have used a lot of those fluorescent bulbs over the years. At first we thought it was just a matter of finding the right brand, but over time we figured out that they just don't do the job all that well - they work about twice as long as a regular bulb but not 10 or 20 times as long like everyone promised. But, the price dropped and if you picked up a multi-pack on a sale it didn't matter.

The bright light is the LED bulb. The dimmer one in the
background is a fluorescent bulb. Laverne and Shirley are
on the television watching the beer bottles go by.

I got this bulb for free to try out and write an honest review. I have had it in my family room for about 7 months in a canister fixture above my fireplace. It has been through cool temperatures and very hot temperatures since my gas insert fireplace heats a lot of the house and that heat flows right past this light fixture. The bulb still works and works well. It is very bright and comes on instantly.

Long term result: Great bulb.


Recommendation: get the multi-pack. They are cheaper by the half dozen.

Get the single bulb here: Single bulb.

Get the multi-pack here: Multi-pack.

LITOM Soleil P2 Solar Spotlight

Quick and Easy Solution for Outdoor Security Lighting

This is my second solar-powered spotlight. I use them both as security lights on the side of my house where we don't go much. They turn on automatically when it gets dark and they turn off when they detect light.

This all enclosed system has a a shaft with an attached solar panel and spotlight. You can move around the lights and the panel to whatever position you think might work best.  Keep in mind that it turns off when it detects light so don't put it someplace where other lights will keep it off.

The spotlight is designed to be staked into the ground but if you want you may remove the stake and attach the base to a wooden surface. They have included three screws and three drywall anchors.

The system is waterproof and I have been using it for a little more than a month. Winter time is not the best time to be using a solar light for three reasons: 1) there is longer nighttime in which would like the light to be working; 2) there is less daytime to charge the light; 3) the limited daylight is of less quality in the winter because of the angle of the sun in the sky so the batteries have a harder time charging.

While all of that is true, I used my head and countered by setting the light on the low setting. So far, I have had light shining no matter how late I come in. The sun sets before 6PM here and it can be pitch dark by 5PM if the cloud cover is right. Still, this light is glowing strong after midnight.

This would also be great on a camping trip, assuming you set up camp in time to let the solar battery charge up.

The instruction manual is well-written in easy to understand English.

As of the time of this review, this solar spotlight cost $20.99 on Amazon.com. Check here for current pricing: Litom Soleil P2 Solar-Powered Spotlight

Note: I received a free spotlight in order to make an honest review. 

MADKING RGB LED Globe String Lights 50LED 16ft/5m Indoor Outdoor Use

These are very interesting decorative lights. First of all, they are indoor/outdoor so they are very versatile. They are LED lights so they are unlikely to create a fire hazard with the heat a traditional bulb can create. They are not in a traditional Christmas light design so they can be used for any sort of party. But, they could certainly be used as Christmas lights - either on the tree or outside.

This string of lights is 16 feet long with 50 different bulbs. Each bulb is just a bit smaller than the end of an adult's index finger. When you first plug the set in it starts out a light blue color but soon each bulb starts to change color. Sometimes it looks like there is a pattern, sometimes the bulbs change randomly. The colors are blue, white, purple, red, green and yellow. You cannot set the lights to a certain pattern - they just do what they want to do. It doesn't bother me any but some people like to control such things.

The light set has a plug at the end of it so you can string together multiple sets. The set uses just 20 watts of power. 

I rate this light set 5 stars out of 5. I love the randomness of the light pattern.

Note: I received a free set of bulbs so that I could make an honest review of the light set. I will be using them this Christmas.

As of the time of this review this set cost $12.99 on Amazon. Click here to check current pricing: MADKING RGB LED Globe String Lights.

Brightech String Lights with 120 Warm White Color LED's, 20-Feet

So, here's what you get -  a 6 foot wire heading out to a 20 foot string of 120 LED lights. The lights look like they are attached to a naked copper wire but the wire is actually covered with some sort of clear coating so you don't get the shock of your life.

The fact that the wire is basically just a wire makes it pretty easy to install. You can easily wrap it around nails, screws, go around corners and more. Be careful, though. The fact that the wires are so thin means that they are easy to kink and can get damaged.

These are for indoor use only and the instructions recommend that they not remain plugged in for more than eight hours at a time.

I rate these lights 4 stars out of 5.

As of the writing of this review these lights cost $19.99 on Amazon. Check here for current pricing: Brightech String Lights with 120 Warm White Color LED's, 20-Feet

Note: I received a free set of lights from Brightech for review purposes.

The Original Starry Solar String Lights by Brightech - 20ft LED Light String Set with Solar Panel: Warm White / Cool White / Multicolor

Note: this is a review of three different light sets. They are identical except for the color of the lights.

So, here's what you get with each of them - each has a solar panel with about an 8 foot wire heading out to a 20 foot string of LED lights. The lights look like they are attached to a naked copper wire but the wire is actually covered with some sort of clear coating so you don't get the shock of your life.

The fact that the wire is basically just a wire makes it pretty easy to install. You can easily wrap it around nails, screws, branches, go around corners and more. Be careful, though. The fact that the wires are so thin means that they are easy to kink and can get damaged. They are made to be outside in the elements but they would also work well inside, so long as you can get the solar panel out in the sun.

The solar panel comes with a stake to put it into the sunlight (it needs 8+ hours of good sunlight to make a full charge). But, if you want, the box also includes a wall mount with two screws and two drywall anchors.

How bright are the lights?

Well, you cannot use them to light your backyard, but these would make great accent lights along a deck railing, in a gazebo, under picnic tables or under an awning. If you have a patio, these would be great on bushes, lattice work or even on a tree. Make sure that the solar panel is not in a location where it gets exposed to light during the night - if it does the lights may flicker or not even work at all.

The paperwork makes it very clear that the battery will have to be replaced after a year of use. The panel looks fairly straightforward to remove with a screw driver. 

As of the time of this review, a set of these lights cost between $23.99 and $29.99 on Amazon, depending on which set you are interested in. They can be found here: Warm White LEDs and here: Cool White LEDs and here: Multi-Color LEDs 

These are a lot of fun. I rate them 5 stars out of 5.

Note: I received 3 sets of lights at not cost so that I could evaluate them in order to make an honest review.

HOONT BRIGHT OUTDOOR SOLAR POWERED LED SPOTLIGHT WITH STAKE

Solar lighting is making great strides. The prices are dropping while the quality of the light is getting better thanks to energy-saving LED bulbs. Hoont's solar spotlight provides good quality accent lighting and is super-easy to install. 

 Positives: 

 -Assembly and installation are easy. There are five steps: 1) take the protective film off of the solar panel, 2) turn on the solar panel with the switch on the back (also choose if you want bright or low light), 3) put the stake on the bottom of the panel (they fit together snugly and go together easily), 4) stake the device into the ground, 5) adjust the panel and the light so that the light aims where you want it and the panel gets the most exposure to the sun. 

 -the device recharges quickly. 

 -it is waterproof,

 -it works in very cold temperatures. We just had a stretch of below zero days and the light worked perfectly. 

 

The Hoont spotlight placed next
to my Bic pen for the purposes of
size comparison.

-it can be easily moved for mowing or trimming.,

 -This would be great to take camping. 

 -It turns itself on and off automatically. 

-Recharges in 8 hours of sunlight.

 Negatives: 

 It does not shine throughout the night. Granted, we are in February and there are more dark hours than light hours right now, but it would be great to use this as a dependable security light. 

 -HOONT says that the batteries will last 18 months and then will need to be replaced. The battery case has screws so it should be easy enough but...who knows? 

I was skeptical when I first saw this product but it does work.

At the time of my review, each light was $22.95 on Amazon.com. Click here to check on current pricing:The Hoont™ Bright Outdoor LED Solar Spotlight / Solar Powered Outdoor Light  

Note: I received one free light to try out in order to write an honest review.