Conclusion:

The SnapPower Guidelight is a simple, but very smart solution to a situation many people may have. All of us have electric outlets, and many of us have nightlights, but now there is no need to lose an outlet because you have a nightlight. With the Guidelight, both outlets remain accessible while still providing more than enough light when it is dark. The automatic sensor only turns the nightlight on when it is dark, and I found that it works much better than other automatic nightlights that generally leave the nightlight on all day unless exposed to direct, bright light. The other key benefit is that you no longer have to worry about the nightlight being left unplugged because someone needed the outlet and forgot to plug it back in when they were done. There have been a few times I know my oldest daughter unplugged the nightlight to plug in blow dryers, straighteners or whatever it is she has, and that night the bathroom remained dark and I believe kept her little brother being bold enough to venture out there...



One thing I would like to see from the Guidelight is that the they offer larger plate sizes. I like the ones that are 3/8" larger than normal in length and width, but on occasion I use the ones that are 3/4" wider. It all depends on the condition of the wall, and how well the original electrician cut his openings. It seems like it would be easy for SnapPower to offer these options, and I know I would be interested in some of the SnapPower Chargers if the plate sizes were bigger.

One major obstacle to getting overly excited about these is that they are much more expensive than a typical outlet cover... Or even an outlet cover plus an automatic nightlight. A nylon duplex outlet cover the same size as the Guidelight sells for 31 cents at Home Depot, while the midsized one I prefer is 48 cents. Home Depot also has a 4-pack of the automatic nightlights like I was using (except these would be LED and not incandescent) for $5.97. So, about $1.50 for each LED nightlight, plus 31 cents for the cover plate, means you can put together something for about 1.81. It would not be nearly as cool, attractive, or convenient as the Guidelight, but you could basically do more than ten outlets for the same amount of money as one Guidelight. Amazon.com lists them for $18 each plus $6 for shipping (no Prime option), while SnapPower sells them for $15 each plus $5 shipping. $20 to $24 per cover plate is quite an investment, and the best deal you can get from SnapPower is to buy a 10pack which would work out to about $12.60 each including shipping.

The SnapPower Guidelight is definitely a great idea that is easy to install and works very well. The only real damper to my excitement about them is price. In the end, they earn the Bigbruin.com "Great Idea" and "Recommended" awards.



Pros:

» Very convenient - no outlets lost / blocked in order to have a nightlight
» Easy to install
» Available in all the common styles and colors
» Decent light output
» Unlike many other automatic nightlights, this one actually turns off during the day

Cons:

» Only available in one size, would prefer to see midsize and larger sized cover plates
» Much more expensive than buying a typical outlet cover plus a plugin automatic nightlight

Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.