Shopping for a Nightlight?
Well, you are in the right place!
Whether you are worried about running into furniture on your way to the bathroom, want to get into bed without disturbing your partner, or are genuinely afraid of the dark, a night light is an excellent solution to your darkness-related dilemmas.
Although sleeping in total darkness is best for your brain, having the right night light in your bedroom can help when you need it – without disturbing your sleep. But you need to buy carefully, because not all nightlights are good for you.
New technologies are creating adding more science and intelligence to the good-old candle-shaped nightlight.
For instance, nightlights now exist that brighten as the sun comes up, and warm-colored lights are better for those that have trouble sleeping.
The wrong kind of light or too much light, on the other hand, will impact the quality of your sleep, disturbing your body’s ability to produce melatonin.
This is why it is vital to choose the right kind of nightlight.
But with so many options available, it can be tricky to find the right one for your needs.
This is where this guide will come in handy.
What's In This Buying Guide
In addition to illuminating a dark room at night, nightlights come in a variety of cool colors and shapes to match your bedroom decor.
In this article, we recommend, review & compare the best nightlights for a variety of needs and situations. All are available online and in major retail stores.
After our reviews, we go into more depth about the features to look for when buying a nightlight, including the latest tech options.
So, whether you want a well-lit moon-shaped orb or a motion-activated light, this article is for you.
So let's get started with our top picks:
Best Nightlights
- Most User-friendly: Mr. Beams MB720A
- Most Innovative: Hatch Baby Rest
- Best for Bathrooms: Ailun Toilet Night Light
- Best for Toddlers: Boon Glo Night Lights
Disclaimer: All links below go to Amazon.com
| Product | Award | Weight | Dimensions | Power source | Type of bulb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr. Beams MB720A | Most User-friendly | 4.8 ounces | 3.25 x 3.75 x 1.2 inches | Battery powered | LED |
Hatch Baby Rest | Most Innovative | 0.634 ounces | 4 x 4 x 6.25 inches | Corded electric | LED |
Ailun Toilet Night Light | Best for Bathrooms | 2.12 ounces | 1.18 x 1.57 x 2.36 inches | Battery powered | LED |
Boon Glo Night Lights  | Best for Toddlers | 2.2 pounds | 8.66 x 7.87 x 9.45 inches | Corded electric | LED |
1. Most User-Friendly: Mr. Beams MB720A
The Mr. Beams Stick Anywhere light is designed with amber LED that provides enough lighting for hallways, bedrooms, and bathrooms and is soft enough not to disturb sleep. This user-friendly unit is easy to install, features automatic shut-off, and emits 20 lumens of soft light.
Pros
- 30-second auto-shut-off
- 600 nm light wavelength
- Motion-activated from up to 15 feet
- Battery-powered
- 10 square feet light coverage
- Installs in minutes
- 1-year battery life
Cons
- No timer control
- Inconvenient battery compartment
Our Review
This night light from Mr. Beams comes in amber color, which is highly conducive to sleep. It produces enough bright light to navigate dark areas safely. You can use this light in bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways as it is motion activated and shuts off after 30 seconds of no motion.
The Mr. Beams nightlight is powered by four AA batteries and is perfect for places with a shortage of electrical outlets such as cabins, RVs, and dorm rooms.
Mr. Beams MB720A can produce a year’s worth of amber light with just one set of batteries. It uses LED bulbs that do not get hot, making it ideal for the kids’ room.
The auto shut-off feature helps to prolong the battery life.
Plus, this nightlight comes with double-sided adhesive and screws and is very easy to install.
Mr. Beams night light does not come with timer control that users find pretty inconvenient. The light stays on for just 30 seconds, which is not enough time for bathroom runs, while some users think it should also have a 10 or 20-second option to save battery life.
Also, two screws secure the battery compartment, and it is impossible to access the compartment without a screwdriver, which many find inconvenient and a waste of time.
2. Most Innovative: Hatch Baby Rest
The Hatch Baby Rest is a streamlined, Bluetooth-compatible device that functions as both a night light and a sound machine. You can control it remotely with the help of a smartphone app, eliminating the need to visit your child’s room continuously and cause a disruption.
Pros
- Multifunctional device
- Option to customize
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Perfect for newborns and toddlers
- Provides white noise
- Cool to touch
Cons
- Switching between devices can be cumbersome
Our Review
The Hatch Baby Rest has a very stylish and modern look. You can program this light to be just any color, ensuring that it fits with the color scheme of your room.
You can operate the Hatch Baby Rest night light remotely via a phone app that is very simple and works for both IOS and Android. You can set the start and finish time and choose the light color, brightness, and volume of sound according to your preference.
The sound machine function allows you to choose from a wide range of soothing background noises, including singing birds, rippling water, rain shower, white noise, crickets, and 3 sets of music.
The Hatch Baby Rest is also designed with an ‘Okay to get up’ feature, which comes in quite handy if you have a toddler. You can set the nightlight to turn a particular color at a specific time, signaling to your toddler that it is time to get out of bed.
However, this nightlight pairs with a smartphone via Bluetooth and not Wi-Fi, which has been problematic for some users. Only one person can log in at one time. So, if one parent wants to adjust the volume, he will not be able to do so until the other parent logs out.
3. Best for Bathrooms: Ailun Toilet Night Light
The Ailun toilet night light makes it safer for children to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It is designed with a flexible PVC arm, making it easy to fix this light on the bathroom bowl.
Pros
- Small size
- Motion-activated sensor
- Flexible PVC arm
- Long battery life
- 8 colors to choose from
Cons
- May be difficult to set the color of your choice
Our Review
Whether you are a senior or have kids in the house, you can attach this specially designed night light to the side of your toilet bowl to save yourself from any unfortunate accidents in the dark. Its soft neck conforms to your toilet bowl to ensure a secure hold.
This night light also features a smart motion-activated sensor that turns on the light when there is movement in the bathroom.
You can choose from eight display color lights – orange, red, dark blue, pink, green, light blue, green, or magenta. Or you can rotate through each of them.
The Ailun toilet night light is powered by 3 AAA batteries that can last a long time. These lights come in a pack of two and are very budget-friendly.
However, some users found it difficult to set the color of the display light according to their choice. It took them some time to figure out the technique.
4. Best for Toddlers: Boon Glo Night Lights
The Boon Glo is a multi-colored, interactive night light that will make your children look forward to their bedtime. The removable Glo balls are perfect for an extraordinary game of catch and can be safely tucked into bed with your child.
Pros
- Removable Glo balls
- Sliding lever to choose the color
- Glow for almost 30 minutes
- Made without Phthalate, BPA, or PVC
- Safe to hold
Cons
- Expensive
Our Review
Many nightlights are designed keeping toddlers in mind, but the Boon Glo night light has something extra for kids. It has a modern and funky design that makes your child excited for bedtime.
You can program this night light to shine in a number of colors.
You can even remove the Glo balls from the base to act as portable lights. They emit a gentle glow for almost 30 minutes after being removed from the base, making them perfect for late-night bathroom breaks.
Constructed without PVC or BPA, these night lights are completely safe and can be tucked into bed with your toddler to help him sleep or read under the covers.
But compared to other nightlights available, the Boon Glo night light is a bit expensive.
Nightlights Buying Guide
Types of Night Lights
Nightlights come in various sizes and shapes. Some are designed with daylight sensors and turn off or on automatically depending on how dark the room is, while some feature a motion sensor that triggers the light whenever someone walks past it.
The most popular kinds of nightlights are:
Plug-in Fixtures
Plug-in fixtures are typically what first come to mind whenever you think of the term ‘nightlight.’ They usually have a flat or low-profile design, which means they do not jut out away from the wall.
Plug-in lights are powered by a 120V electrical outlet and are available in various patterns, sizes, and shapes. They produce a soft light that illuminates the area around the outlet. Plus, these nightlights are the least expensive type available.
Projectors
Night light projectors help create calming and soothing visual environments that allow users to relax and fall asleep easily. They are usually placed in the bedroom and display images on the room’s ceiling or walls.
These lights are usually dome-shaped, while some are designed to play music at timed intervals. You can put them on a desk or a nightstand to project the patterned lights overhead.
Tabletop
Tabletop night lights are typically placed on flat surfaces near the bed. Some of these may look like tabletop lamps or standalone lights, but they often come with added functions such as a music player, clock, and white noise function.
Tabletop night lights are available in a variety of options and styles. They can either be powered by 120-volt electrical outlets or battery operated. Some units can also be operated via smartphones.
Portable
Portable night lights are battery-operated and can be placed anywhere in the room. However, it is best not to place them in bed with a sleeping child.
What to Look for in a Nightlight
To choose a night light that matches your needs, you need to know the features that are important for you. Night lights have come a long way, and keeping the following considerations in mind can help you find the best option:
Price
Typically, nightlights are quite inexpensive. Even if you’re on a short budget, you can find a suitable option.
Bulb Used
Night lights use different bulb varieties, including incandescent, LED, CFL, and halogen.
LED nightlights are the most energy-efficient as they last 40 times longer than average incandescent bulbs. These nightlights are safe and remain cool to touch.
On the other hand, halogen, incandescent, and CFL nightlights carry a burn risk and are not as efficient. However, they are available at a much lower price point.
Another viable option is electroluminescent nightlights. These lights are quite inexpensive, and they contain no bulb.
Dimensions
The overall size, including the width, length, and height, helps determine whether the nightlight is suitable for the room depending on available surfaces, outlet locations, and other factors.
Also, take the light’s shape into account to ensure that it adds to the room's aesthetic.
Sensor
Many nightlights today feature daylight sensors that automatically turn these units on and off, depending on the time of the day.
Motion sensors are also quite beneficial for parents and children as they trigger the light when someone enters the room.
Motion-activated night lights are also a better choice for you if you do not want these units to stay on the whole night.
Warranty
Most nightlights come with a relatively short warranty, which typically does not extend beyond one year, but some lights come with a warranty of up to 10 years.
On the other hand, some models do not have any product warranty.
Wattage
It goes without saying that you do not want a night light that is too bright.
Typically, night lights are of 4-7 watts.
It is best to go for a shaded and diffused light so that it does not hurt your eyes when you wake up in the middle of the night.
Also, a bright night light can result in a restless, broken sleep, and your child may wake up disgruntled and grumpy if he does not get enough sleep.
Hot to the Touch
LED lights are cooler than incandescent bulbs; however, that does not mean that LED bulbs do not produce heat.
If you plan on using these lights in your child’s nursery, ensure that the lights you choose do not get hot to touch.
Power Source
Keep the layout of the room in mind before choosing a night light.
If the power outlet is close to your baby’s crib, a plug-in unit is a good option; however, if the outlet is too far away from the bed, a portable battery-powered unit or one that comes with a long power cord is more suitable.
Bed-Friendly
Not all night lights are safe for your child to sleep with.
Plush toy night lights are the best option for parents of newborns or toddlers who are particularly afraid of the dark.
Benefits of Using Nightlights
A well-placed night light can have many benefits, such as:
Minimal Sleep Disruption
Nightlights illuminate the room with a soft light that does not interfere with a child’s sleep pattern.
Some of the best nightlights use LEDs, low-light bulbs, or electroluminescence to create the perfect visual stimuli for melatonin production. Bright lights, on the other hand, have the opposite effect.
Nightlights are also beneficial for parents as they can fall asleep easily after checking on their children in the middle of the night. Bright overhead lights can make it difficult for parents to fall back to sleep.
Relieves Stress
Kids afraid of the dark may feel intense anxiety and stress when they are alone in their room. Night lights provide them with a sense of security and calm them so that they can fall back to sleep easily.
High Visibility
There are definitely going to be clothes, toys, books, and other items lying around in your kid’s room, no matter how much you tidy it up.
Nightlights help parents navigate the room without stepping or tripping over any of these obstacles. You can also place nightlights to point out the stairways for safety purposes.
Cost-Effective
Compared to overhead lights, nightlights do not add too much to your electricity bills.
For example, if three 7-watt bulbs with a 3,000-hour lifespan are enough to light a room for one year and you are billed 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, then the overall cost of using a nightlight will be less than $20. This equals almost $6 per bulb.
Installation of a Nightlight
Installing a nightlight does not require any special wiring or electrical outlets.
You can insert plug-in nightlights in any suitable power outlet, while battery-operated units need batteries to operate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it okay to have a nightlight on all night?
Nightlights do not get as warm as traditional lights; therefore, you can leave them on during the night without worrying about them burning out or overheating.
Which type of night light promotes better sleep?
Warm night lights help stimulate melatonin, which makes them best for sleeping.
What color night light helps stimulate sleep?
Amber- and red-hued lights are the best colors to use in the bedroom as they do not affect your circadian rhythm.
Final Verdict: What is the Best Nightlight Sold Today?
The features and performance of the Hatch Baby Rest night light are quite impressive.
This portable unit combines a nightlight, time-to-rise alert, and sound machine all in one. You can easily operate it from your room via Bluetooth, ensuring that you do not disturb your baby.
With a pleasant preset sound and soothing color combination, you can create an excellent sleep environment for your child.
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