As a general rule, a fully darkened bedroom is most conducive to sleep. But there are valid reasons to want a bit of light in your bedroom, bathroom, or another room in your home. First and foremost: A little light makes it easier to navigate through a darkened room at night without tripping over laundry, the bed frame, a sleeping pet, and so on. And it lets you move around without turning on a lamp or overhead light, which could make it harder to fall back asleep or disrupt a sleeping partner. Dim lighting can also help a child who’s afraid of the dark sleep more comfortably.
This is where glow lights come in. Glow lights are essentially night lights that provide a small amount of light that makes it easier to navigate around a darkened bedroom, bathroom, hallway, and so on. They come in a variety of colors, designs, and brightness options, so it’s easy to customize a purchase to your personal preferences. To find the best glow light for you, start by checking out our roundup of stellar options!
Editor’s Choice
AUVON Rechargeable Motion Sensor Night Light
Pros:
- The light comes with a magnetic mounting strip and adhesive pads, so it can be placed pretty much anywhere.
- The light has a variety of modes, so it’s easy to customize it to your needs. These include two brightness modes and three lighting modes, including a motion sensor option.
- Instead of using batteries, the light is rechargeable. The manufacturer says that a two-hour charge should last for up to 180 days (depending on the mode).
Cons:
- This could also be a pro, but the adhesive materials are very effective. So be sure about where you want the light to go before you apply it!
- It seems like the motion detection capabilities might not always be consistent.
AUVON Rechargeable Motion Sensor Night Light
The AUVON Rechargeable Motion Sensor Night Light can be placed anywhere you want a little extra light thanks to its magnetic mounting strip. The light has a variety of modes, so it’s easy to customize the brightness and functionality to your personal needs.
Sleepopolis Score
4.70 / 5
Contender
MAZ-TEK Plug-in LED Night Light
Pros:
- A sliding switch allows you to adjust the brightness to your desired setting.
- The dusk to dawn sensor ensures that the light turns on automatically when ambient light diminishes and turns off as the room is brightened by sunlight or other lights.
- The light is equipped with energy-efficient LED technology. The manufacturer says this should last for up to 50,000 hours while using very little power.
- This is a budget-friendly glow light.
One con? Though rare, it’s possible that the occasional unit might stop working before it should.
MAZ-TEK Plug-in LED Night Light
The budget-friendly MAZ-TEK Plug-in LED Night Light lets you adjust the brightness to suit your preferences. The dusk to dawn sensor and LED technology both make this an energy-efficient option.
Sleepopolis Score
4.70 / 5
Also Consider
Kalmiris LED Night Lights
Pros:
- The energy-efficient LED light system is designed to provide up to 20,000 hours of use.
- The night light rotates through eight color options and has two brightness modes, so you can customize the lighting to your preferences.
- The dusk to dawn sensor prompts the light to turn on at night and turn off automatically as the room naturally brightens.
- This is a budget-friendly glow light.
One con? There aren’t a ton of options for customizing the light’s brightness.
Kalmiris LED Night Lights
The energy-efficient Kalmiris LED Night Lights are designed to last for up to 20,000 hours of use. The glow light rotates through eight color options and features two brightness modes to suit different preferences.
Sleepopolis Score
3.30 / 5
Honorable Mention
Maxxima MLN-50 LED Night Light
Pros:
- The dawn to dusk sensor saves electricity by ensuring the light only operates when necessary.
- The night light comes in a pack of two, making this an especially budget-friendly option.
- The bright LEDs have an output of 25 lumens, so this is a great option for folks who want a brighter glow light.
One con? Depending on your perspective, this could also be a pro. But it’s worth noting again that this light is especially bright, which won’t appeal to everyone.
Maxxima MLN-50 LED Night Light
The Maxxima MLN-50 LED Night Light comes in a set of two, making this a budget-friendly glow light option. The dawn to dusk sensor saves electricity by automatically shutting off the light when it’s not needed.
Sleepopolis Score
4.70 / 5
Best Bargain
Uigos LED Night Light Lamp
Pros:
- This is a very budget-friendly glow light.
- The dusk to dawn sensor saves energy by ensuring the light turns off automatically when the room gets brighter.
- The light utilizes energy-efficient LED lights. The manufacturer says that using the lights for up to eight hours a day uses only 2.2 Kwh of electricity per year.
- The lights are small enough to plug into an outlet without covering the second outlet.
Cons:
- There’s no option to manually turn the lights on or off.
- The lights lack customization options. The brightness level that the lights put off is what you get.
Uigos LED Night Light Lamp
The energy-efficient Uigos LED Night Light Lamp offers reliable light at a budget-friendly price. The lights are small enough to plug into an outlet without blocking the other outlet, and they feature a dawn to dusk sensor for energy efficiency.
Sleepopolis Score
4.70 / 5
How We Picked
When you start researching glow lights, you’ll quickly realize that there are a ton of options. So it’s important to develop some benchmark criteria to assess all those choices. To select our picks for best glow lights, we focused on the following criteria.
Customization
The best brightness and color for a glow light come down to personal preference. For instance, one person’s “bright” could be another person’s “dim,” and vice versa. Some people want a white light, while others prefer different colors. And so on. So we prioritized options that allow users to customize the brightness (in most cases) and/or the color (in some cases) of their glow light.
Functionality
Much like brightness and color, the best functions on a glow light come down to personal preference. For instance, some people will want a glow light with a dawn to dusk sensor; some will want options that are continuously on; some will want lights with a motion sensor function; and so on. Similarly, some people will need a glow light that’s small enough to use one outlet without blocking the other outlet, while that won’t be an issue for folks with ample outlets in their bedroom. And some people will want a glow light that doesn’t need an outlet altogether, because they’re trying to add lighting to an area without an outlet.
As a result, we included glow lights with a variety of functions. Across the options on this list, you’ll find dawn to dusk sensors, motion sensors, continuous operation options, various sizes and aesthetic designs, and one rechargeable option that doesn’t require a wall outlet. There should be an option to serve pretty much every need you could have for a glow light.
Sleepopolis Buying Tips
Still trying to settle on the best glow light for your needs? Consider the following:
- Where do you want to use the glow light? Is there an outlet in that area, or will you need an option that can adhere directly to the wall? If there is an outlet, will the glow light need to be small enough to share that outlet with another plug?
- Do you have a color preference? Most glow lights emit a warm white light, but some come in a variety of colors, including blue and red. If you want a colored light, that’s a quick way to narrow down your search.
- What functions do you need? Do you want a light with a dawn to dusk sensor so you don’t have to deal with turning it on and off? Do you want a motion sensor option? Clarifying the functions that are essential to you will help you identify the best options for your needs.
A functional glow light will help protect against nighttime trips and falls while minimizing the disruption that brighter lights might have on your or a partner’s sleep. To find the best glow light for you, think about where you want to use the light and your preferences when it comes to color, brightness, and functionality.
FAQs
What is a glow light?
A glow light is essentially a night light. It’s a small light that emits varying levels of brightness to help illuminate a bedroom or other room without using brighter lighting. This can help people navigate around their rooms at night (for instance, to get from the bedroom to the bathroom) without needing to turn on brighter lamps or overhead lighting.
Are glow lights safe to leave on all night?
Glow lights (aka night lights) are typically designed for overnight use, so they’re safe to use in this manner. Of course, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using any kind of light. It might also give you peace of mind to look for a glow light that meets UL standards, meaning it adheres to certain safety requirements.
Do LED glow lights lose their brightness?
As a general rule, LEDs are designed to last for a long time. Instead of burning out suddenly, LED lights tend to gradually fade over time. For this reason, you might notice that an LED glow light gradually gets dimmer with long-term use.
