Night Owl LED Reading Lamp - Pinup Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $175.00
Sale Price: $148.00
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

UPDATE Manufacturer changed this model, so my review is obsolete. Noting the design changes, it looks like the new model will be eadier to install, eliminating both the base plate and tiny set screw. Wish they offered a trade-in cause I sure do like the new model better. BTW, the two I bought in 2009 are still working great, and used every single day. I'm sure the new model is even better than the old. only this time, I'd go for the 3-watt model.

I bought two of these from Lightology in Chicago about a year ago. After many quarrels about turning on my reading light in the middle of the night, my wife and I took a trip and stayed in a hotel that had LED reading lights mounted above the headboard on each side of the bed. Turning this on did not disturb her at all. She asked me to find something like that. I tried to find that same fixture, but the closest I could come was a fixture made in England that isn't available here. I tried several different models that I bought from Lowe's, Target, OfficeMax, etc. but took all of them back because they were ill-designed and cheaply made. Most of them had goosenecks with multi-LEDs that sagged because the LED "head" was too heavy. They only pointed at the wall. I decided to buy the Night Owl only after the sales person at Lightology promised I could return it if I didn't like it. She added, "You won't return it, you will love it." She even threw in a first time buyers discount, so I ended up paying $, instead of $.We love it! It's made very well and the 3-position (high, off, low) switch is very high quality, like you would find on an aircraft or professional sound equipment. The single, 1-watt LED is attached to an 18-inch gooseneck that is also like you would find on professional equipment. The LED throws a small, bright spot of light that is perfect for reading. When you turn it on in a dark room, it hardly lights up anything except what you aim it at. It looked a little peculiar, at first, sort of like a giant insect antenna rising out from behind our headboard, but now we're used to it, and think it looks modern.

We ordered the pin-up version, and it was tricky to attach it to the wall. I didn't have a major problem, but I used to troubleshoot guided missiles and the electronic equipment used to test them. If you aren't used to DIY, here's how:

The instructions cover the canopy version, but don't tell you how to install the pin-up, and how to do it is not self evident. You need a very small allen wrench (which is not included) for a tiny set screw that holds the fixture to a mounting plate. First, you need to detach the fixture from the mounting plate, a procedure that is poorly illustrated and not described. Then, you attach the mounting plate to the wall using the two small screws (supplied), paying close attention to which end of the mounting plate is "up." You need to hold the fixture very firmly against the mounting plate, while you tighten the set screw, or the fixture will wobble, and if you drop and lose the set screw, you have to go to the hardware store for a replacement, they don't include any extra ones. Your best insurance is to take the fixture to the hardware store, and buy the allen wrench and extra set screws at the same time. If you can do all that, and you need an excellent quality reading light, this is it.

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**UPDATE TO REVIEW. BELOW IS THE REVIEW I ORIGINALLY POSTED. MY OPINION ON THE ITEM I RECEIVED IS UNCHANGED. HOWEVER, I WAS CONTACTED BY LIGHTOLOGY (THE SELLER) ABOUT ONE MONTH AFTER THE PURCHASE. THEY SAID THEY LOOKED IN TO MY CONCERN, DETERMINED I WAS SENT A LAMP WITH A CUSTOM, LONGER GOOSENECK BY MISTAKE, AND THEY WOULD SEND ME A REPLACEMENT UNIT WITH THE CORRECT 19" NECK. WELL, I JUST RECEIVED IT, AND THE GOOSENECK INDEED DOES NOT SAG. SO, IT APPEARS THE LAMP IS AS ADVERTISED, AN EXCELLENT LED HEAD WITH A PERFECTLY SERVICEABLE, NON-SAGGING NECK. I AM VERY SATISFIED AT THIS POINT. THE ONLY THING LEFT TO DO IS TO USE IT AND SEE HOW IT HOLDS UP OVER TIME. I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT IT IS ENCOURAGING TO PURCHASE FROM A COMPANY THAT IS CONCERNED ENOUGH TO MONITOR FEEDBACK AND ACT TO DELIVER A GOOD PRODUCT. THANKS LIGHTOLOGY!**

I'm wondering if the other reviewers had a vested interest in reviewing this lamp... The fact is, the LED itself is perfect for the intended purpose, couldn't be happier there. Bright enough to read by, but narrow, focused and soft, so that it doesn't light up anything but the reading material. The big beef I have is exactly what I thought I would avoid by spending the premium bucks ($130!)a sagging gooseneck. Sorry to say, but the gooseneck does, indeed, sag. Very disappointing, given that it seems such a minor detail, and frankly such a pivotal one. Also, the unit itself just feels a little chintzy. I'm a mechanic, so I have an eye for how things are put together, and this light just isn't that well made. NOW, don't get me wrong. If this thing cost $50 or less, I'd give it 5 stars. It really is OK, and probably better than anything that actually costs $50. The thing is, when you shop around and spend the extra money, the burden is on the manufacturer or seller to meet the expectation.

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My husband and I ordered 2 of these lamps for bedside reading. They have 2 settings, low and high, and only use 1 watt of power! The LED light is a bright white, but not blue, like some LED lights are. This is a very focused light, similar to having someone hold a flashlight over your shoulder as you read. It does not light up the whole room, but works very well as a task light. It is not terribly bright when on at the same time as our overhead lights are on, but makes a huge difference when there is dim or no light in the room. Since the light is very focused, it makes it very easy for one of us to stay up and read without the light bothering the other.

Honest reviews on Night Owl LED Reading Lamp - Pinup

Great lamp, low power, excellent quality. it wont disturb your bed-fellow. The only thing that kept it from five stars was the price.

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Took a bit of a gamble given the price of this light and not seeing it in the flesh. In retrospect, very pleased with the purchase. Well built with quality materials. 3-way toggle on-off is dainty but solid with a nice tactile click between settings (on low, off, on bright). Light quality is also pleasant, not incandescent-warm but not far off and nothing near the cold-white or full-spectrum-white that are the most common complaint about LED-based lights. Also light is diffused by a frosted flat lens. Neck is also high-quality and should stand up to years of adjustment. Have to agree with other opinions that instructions are limited, but if you take your time to look over and study the mounting plate it should not be more than half an hour to install the light.