This model MLN-15WL-02 LED Nightlight is GREAT! It has a white cover and is easier on the eyes at night. It also lights the area so you can see to navigate throughout the dark very well. All of our families preferred this model we bought 48 of them (24 two packs) including the first 2 test models. We purchased these nightlights in June, July and August of 2008. We received 2 defective ones. Maxxima promptly replaced them. One wouldn't light at all and one only worked on low setting. I am writing this review on June 11th 2009 so it's been about a year and none of them have burnt out (including the other models).
This model MLN-11-02 we use in our stairway we have it shinning down on the steps. It works well for that purpose. Good if you don't want much light around the room or light hitting you in the face at night.
Model MLN-10 LED nightlight is we would say the dimmest of the 5 models. It has a directional cover that you can spin around but we did not like this light. You can aim it down also. But through the vents in the top it has annoying beams of light that shine up.
Model MLN-09 LED nightlight has a clear lens and is hard on the eyes at night. It lights the area pretty well. But we did not prefer this model of nightlight
Model MLN-15CL-02 LED nightlight is a bright night light that lights up a room well. But this clear lens is also hard on the eyes at night. We didn't prefer this model.
All of these models save energy! And we all prefer the bluish white light they give off opposed to regular nightlights.
we have owned these nightlights for 13 months so far there has been no failures.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
INTRODUCTIONMy name is Al Massicotte (Alofbennington@yahoo.com). I'm a professional broad-spectrum product innovator. But like most people who would read an Amazon review, I simply want to buy an excellent product for an affordable price.
As a safety-conscious consumer, I've maintained an arsenal of nightlights throughout my house for the past 33 years. I've been through countless nightlights of the incandescent and fluorescent kind. But my experience with the Maxxima MLN-15WL is limited to 16 units over the past 22 months.
Fortunately, my profession gives me access to some meters and test equipment that can facilitate an in-depth study of the MLN-15WL. And I feel privileged to share my findings with the Amazon community, whose vast library of reviews has empowered me in the evaluation of hundreds of products.
AUTO OFF
This nightlight includes a light sensor that shuts off the lamp when ambient illumination reaches a certain maximum point (max). Then it turns the lamp on when ambient illumination reaches a certain minimum point (min). The max and min are suitably separated. And that's probably why I have observed no cusp flicker, an annoying, stroboscopic effect that another reviewer has noted.
A value in turning the lamp off is to preserve the life of the LEDs. According to Wikipedia (Wikipedia.org), the lifespan of an LED, unlike that of an incandescent lamp or fluorescent lamp, is not diminished by cycling. Accordingly for example, if the LEDs in the MLN-15WL have a good-performance lifespan of 1 year when operated 24 hours a day, that will be extended to 2 years when operated only 12 hours a day.
But if you're looking for this feature to save you energy, forget about it. Maxxima does not claim that Auto Off saves energy. And, in fact, my lab tests reveal that the fixture's power consumption is no less with the light off than on.
I am slightly distracted when a nightlight automatically turns on or off. My knee-jerk response is that trouble is looming. That's probably owing to decades of experiencing this behavior in incandescent and fluorescent lamps only when they entered their death throws. So I have chosen to cover the light sensor with a ¾" square of black electrical tape. This assures that the fixture stays lit 24/7. While this measure will increase the long-term cost of fixture replacement, it will not increase the cost of electricity.
HI/LO
The nightlight has a two-position mechanical slide switch to enable some control over brightness. It gives the user a choice between "Hi" (maximum lighting) and "Lo" (throttled-down lighting).
On Hi the MLN-15WL produces a generous volume of light, 70% that of a 4W incandescent nightlight. Nevertheless, the lamp's ability to illuminate the immediate area should meet the expectations of most users in all locations throughout a house.
Some reviewers have observed only a minuscule change in brightness by switching to Lo. But my lab measurements reveal that the amount of light generated is actually reduced by 32% (48% that of a 4W incandescent nightlight). While most folks may always want the nightlight to produce as much illumination as it can, others may be happier opting for Lo at some selected locations. But even without a switch one can usually lower any objectionable brightness by moving the nightlight to a different outlet, placing a vase or other object in front of it, or buying a nightlight that consumes even less power than the MLN-15WL.
Regrettably, just as Auto Off saves no energy, switching from Hi to Lo doesn't either. And the switch, especially because it is mechanical, invites failure.
VARIABILITY BETWEEN SAMPLES
When comparing 6 new fixtures, I found considerable variance in light generation. With all fixtures set to Hi, the dimmest fixture produced only 59% as much light as the brightest. With all fixtures set to Lo, the dimmest fixture produced only 54% as much light as the brightest.
POWER CONSUMPTION
The manufacturer claims a power consumption of 1.0W. Were that the case, this would certainly be a frugal fixture. But the reality is even better. I found the actual power consumption to be 0.77W, regardless of the brightness setting. And at 20¢ per KWh, that's an annual cost of just $1.35, no matter whether Auto Off is disabled or not.
LIFESPAN
Both the Maxxima website and Amazon's "Product description" specify the MLN-15WL's lifespan in glowing statements: (1) "The LEDs are rated to last 100,000 hours." (2) "Replace your incandescent night light with a Maxxima LED night light and you'll never replace it again".
Based on the "100,000 hours" claim, the fixture should run 24/7 (Auto Off disabled) for 11 years. Yet Maxxima warrants the fixture for only 1 year. The implication is that their confidence in the durability of this fixture is only 10% that of the claimed lifespan.
My first purchase of this product does not support Maxxima's claims. I had 6 ML-15WL fixtures in service, Auto Off disabled, for just 14 months. Yet that resulted in an average light output loss of 36%, rendering the lights too dim to do their assigned jobs. Roughly speaking, I would say the MLN-15WL loses about a third of its brightness in the first year of operation.
I conclude that the "100,000 hours" claim goes way beyond optimism. And "you'll never replace it again" is simply absurd. These claims are blatantly false advertising. I think the lifespan claim should be reduced to no more than 10,000 hours maximum. But, after factoring in the month-by-month loss in brightness, a more honest claim would be "six months of excellent performance and an additional six months of marginal performance".
ALTERNATIVE LED NIGHTLIGHTS
The only other LED nightlight I've tried was a Maxxima MLN-51. It has a couple of nice features--upside-down mountability and a power draw of only 0.46W. But the longevity of those I purchased in February of 2010 was unacceptable. I disabled the Auto Off on four new fixtures and put them into service around the house. But over a period of 12 months each fixture lost about 80% of its original light output.
MAXXIMA CUSTOMER SERVICE
I found Maxxima's customer service personnel to be exemplary. They spoke fluent English, were always attentive and courteous, and they resolved issues promptly. Case in point: Twelve months after buying 8 Maxxima nightlights, I called customer service to report a loss in brightness. They replaced them all at no charge and even covered the shipping both ways.
RATING
Although Maxxima's marketing is bent on hype, the MLN-15WL nightlights are nevertheless excellent. But plan to replace them annually, if not semiannually.
Best Deals for Maxxima LED Night Light With White Lens (Pack Of 2)
Love the lights especially the frosted lens but 3 out of the 4 I bought have failed and don't work anymore within 2months. Called company and I have to return the items to them for the replacement ridiculous since it costs as much to send the lights to Maxxima than to just go buy a new one. In short, Great Product but poor quality control.Honest reviews on Maxxima LED Night Light With White Lens (Pack Of 2)
I bought this package of two, along with Maxima's MLN-09 and MLN-10. I like these the best, except that the switch on one of them is not working. It now will not turn on unless you are actively pressing the switch. I would return it, but I doubt it's worth the time and money.I like these best because the others don't have a light diffuser to provide a gentle light. The others expose the LED and are actually too bright at night when walking down the hallway. Since these are not so bright and intense, I put them in my girls bedroom.
The sensor is not as sensitive as I would like. The area must be well lit from multiple windowns at mid-day before the sensor will turn the light off. Mine typically stay on for most of the day because of this. But heck, they consume MUCH less power in the long run than most other methods!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Maxxima LED Night Light With White Lens (Pack Of 2)
I bought two packages of these (total of four night lights). Of the four, one was dead on arrival. The other three work great. Per other reviews I read, this seems to be common that have a terrible DOA rate. After I had ordered these, I saw some similar items in the local Target. Per the experiences of others that have reviewed it, it seems that it will cost more effort to return the defective one that is worth. As such, you might just want to buy something similar locally without having to go to the hassle of returning the defective one that you have a good chance of receiving.
0 comments:
Post a Comment