Overview
There are tons of instances where you need a lamp like this, either when the power goes out, or on a camping trip, for outdoor parties or gatherings. Wherever you need light shed on the situation. That’s why so many companies are producing products that illuminate the world around us. There are plenty of applications where they come in handy.
The Claim
They say that some of the best features of the Buddy light is that you can hang it just about anywhere due to its adjustable hook. They also say you can use it on the tabletop as a lantern. They claim that it has two separate and distinct lights, a bright white LED light, and a softer red light that you can switch between depending on what you need at the time. Sometimes you want a very bright light so that you can illuminate the entire room, and other times you just need a soft amber glow so that you can see without necessarily blinding yourself with a light.
The Hype
This product is hyped because it’s just an LED lamp really, and they are banking on its ability to produce a soft red light when you want the light softer. Here’s a quick fix you can do with any LED light: just throw a blanket or a sheet over it. The LED lights don’t get hot so you don’t have to worry about it catching fire, and it will dampen the light to the desired level. Or go with an LED light that allows you to make adjustments to its intensity. There are already lamps that do this, so the product isn’t by itself amazing or cutting edge in any way.
The Cost
The total cost for 2 Buddy Lights is $26. They have this set up as a buy one get one free just pay shipping offer so you end up paying a total of $16 for two plastic lamps to be shipped to you. It only takes some simple addition to realize that you’re being played by a business here. There’s no way it costs them $16 to ship these, and since they’re made of plastic it likely cost them very little to manufacture them, most assuredly somewhere abroad with cheap labor. The end result is the company is making money at the time of your order no matter if you return the product or not. Not a good motivation to produce a quality product.
The Commitment
Because this uses LED bulbs you shouldn’t have to change the bulbs very often, but you’ll need to replace the batteries as needed. Aside from that these don’t require a lot of upkeep on your part. They basically are set and forget and can be kept stored away until you need them.
Evaluation
In order for the Buddy Light to be a success it would have to have some killer features that makes it better than anything else that’s out there. Unfortunately that’s not the case, and we’ve seen tons of LED lighting systems that allow you to vary the amount of light they admit, which matches the feature of the buddy light to do two different types of light.
The Buddy Light is getting our Risky Try rating, because there just isn’t enough information presented to take the risk of ordering it. There are plenty of options with less risk involved, consider this Coleman LED Mini Lantern that gets stellar reviews, costs less than this double package, and has a lever that lets you vary the intensity of the light. This gives it all of the features of the Buddy Light but shows peer reviews telling you it’s a winner and doesn’t gouge you on the shipping costs.
Our Recommendation
This would get our Solid Try rating if they would put the pricing structure in a way that makes it so that you can return it if you’re not happy. Technically you can return it, but you’ll be out shipping costs to send it back, and you’ll only get $10 back for your trouble. This means that you’ll be out $16 plus the cost to send them back, which puts much of the risk on you, and makes it so the company doesn’t really care if the product works or not, just whether you order or not. $10 per lamp is a fair price, and if they set it so you were paying $20 for the products and $6 for the shipping it would be just right.
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View Comments
Sounds like a sophisticated tap light. I love the concept, and they'd be a great tool for camping or outdoors while looking at the stars, as well as in the home. But, like the others, I'm totally turned off by the price. If they were available at Bed, Bath, & Beyond or some other local retailer, I might give it a try. But I'd never pay that much shipping just to see if I like them.
I'd be happy to pay for these, despite the shipping fee/return policy nonsense. They just look so lovely and the advertising copy lured me in by appealing to my love of dim, soothing lights. Plus you get one free! Yes, they are a little expensive with the shipping, but come on, you would be hard pressed to find something cheaper on a store. However, Vanessa is right when she says she's put off by the returns policy, because there is no way of knowing how good they are and then you're stuck with them. But I bet they are sweet little lights and I look forward to having one next to my bed.
I agree with Vanessa B. Without worrying about that awful shipping this sounds like a great purchase! I love having little lanterns like this in our home for those emergencies that happen when you least expect it. And the fact that you could use it as a bright light or with a soft, amber glow is awesome. For example, if the electricity goes out, I like to have light in the home but some lanterns are so bright that it's almost annoying. Also, if they're burning brighter it's possible it's also eating through the batteries faster as well, which will serve no purpose.
The return policy ruins it for me. I'd be paying over $16 just to find out if I liked them.
Besides the shipping policy, though, it does seem like a nice idea. I especially like the option to switch between light modes. The dim light is perfect to keep around the house for people waking up at night, who just want to see their way without the blinding brightness of turning on a lamp in the house. The hook idea seems like it would be good, but I glanced around the room I'm in now and can't really think of anywhere I could hang the lantern on. Maybe if you were using it outside, a tree branch or clothesline could be used to hang it on.