Our 18-month-old daughter S has long mastered the "fine art" of sleeping through the night, however sometimes it takes her a little while to settle down in her crib. We often hear her talking to herself, singing and sometimes crying a little bit before she drifts off to dreamland, and this can can go on for 30 minutes or longer. To help her transition, we started giving her a few "stuffies" and a plush sound machine to play with in bed (once she was no longer at risk of SIDS). However, with all the lights off she couldn't really see all her little friends! Due to this, we ended up buying her a plug-in night light which fascinated her greatly, but also frustrated her since it was all the way across the room and she couldn't explore it directly. Another issue was that it stayed on indefinitely so we had to remind ourselves to shut it off once she was asleep so we didn't waste unnecessary power.
When I discovered the company KinderGlo and its line of portable LED night lights, I knew I'd found the perfect pre-bedtime lighting solution for our daughter!
KinderGlo night lights are designed to be played with and snuggled by your little one directly. They never overheat, they're made of soft and durable, BPA and lead free material and they hold a battery charge lasting 8-10 hours. Each one is equipped with four different colour modes (solid blue, green, red and a rotating colour spectrum) and two power settings (stay on mode, and 30 minute "gradual fade") mode. Both of these settings are easily controlled via a single button at the bottom of the unit. The KinderGlo is super-easy to charge - just plug in the charging base and set the unit on top. And, to top it all off, it's available in the most adorable selection of characters!
Take a look at the following video for more product information on the KinderGlo, as well as some cute clips of toddlers enjoying their li'l glowing pals!
The company offered me the opportunity to review a KinderGlo portable night light of my choice. Naturally, I let my daughter choose, and she pointed at the elephant with a big grin on her face. ("Guess she's over the Hickory Dickory Dock incident!" I noted.)
Here's a product photo showing the elephant in its charging base.
And here's the actual night light and charging base that we received. Nice & simple!
The KinderGlo comes fully charged, so we were able to get "testing" right away.
It was love at first sight for our daughter! S was immediately transfixed by the colours and wanted to snuggle and kiss her new "Elphie"!
She quickly learned how to change the colour modes via the button at the bottom of the light. I like how the same button controls the stay-on vs. fade off setting but requires a 3-second press. Both a simple approach, and effective at allowing little hands to control the "fun" colour setting, but making it more difficult to activate the other one, which most parents would probably prefer to keep control over!
The product video mentions that the KinderGlo is tough enough to withstand teething and slobbering. Snotty noses too, apparently! :)
Elphie has definitely made a welcome addition to S' crib ensemble. When I peek in on her just before she nods off or when she's beginning to stir in the morning, I often catch her snuggling her glowing pal or changing the colour mode. Though sometimes she prefers to play "toss Elphie out of the crib" - usually when she's a little on the crabby side and wants to get Mommy or Daddy's attention! (Evidently she's learned that her elephant makes a much louder thump than her stuffies in this scenario!) I'd be a little concerned by this if the KinderGlo weren't so durable; clearly (in addition to saliva and boogies) it can handle prototypical toddler abuse as well!
So far, Elphie has stayed with S in her bedroom (aside from a trip to Gramma's for a sleepover) however I can definitely see bringing the light on a long car ride for a little extra entertainment and comfort, and I like the concept of it being a portable travel night light for potty-trained toddlers and preschoolers heading out on a late night bathroom trip.
As for battery life, I was super impressed by how long the KinderGlo's first charge lasted. We got over 2 weeks of regular use before the light started to fade! When it does need a charge, the process is indeed as simple as advertised. That said, I did find a few details on this missing from the instructional booklet (which is otherwise clear and comprehensive), so my PR contact filled in the blanks. It takes 4-10 hours to charge fully (depending on the starting battery life) and the light turns from red to green when fully charged. Periodically letting the battery drain fully is recommended as well to extend its life. Since other parents might have the same questions, I recommend that the company adds these details into the booklet and on their website.
We've run into one minor snag with the KinderGlo so far. When the battery life was getting low, it got stuck in a state with the light on, and the button had no effect. According to the instructions, this is known but rare behaviour, and inserting a paper clip through the pin hole at the bottom is advised to reset the device. Thankfully this worked for us, and following another charge Elphie was back to her old self. When I let my PR contact know this happened, she was apologetic and even offered to replace the light if it continues to happen for us! Clearly this is a company which takes pride in their products, and strives to ensure their customers are 100% satisfied. Now that's what I like to see!
All in all, I think the KinderGlo portable night light is a wonderful product. It is fun, versatile, cuddly, cute and practical, and completely safe for babies and young children. Two thumbs up from this mama!
Buy It:
To purchase a KinderGlo portable night light for your own sweet li'l monkey, you can choose your favourite (or better yet, let the little one pick!) directly from the KinderGlo store, or visit their Where to Buy page to find an online or local retailer.
Bonus: KinderGlo has generously offered M2M readers a discount code worth $5 off each night light ordered from their web store! To redeem, enter HES6HKNHCA2J as your coupon code at checkout!
Win It:
One lucky Manager to Mom reader will win a KinderGlo portable night light of their own! Winner selects style.
To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Comments do not count as entries, however feel free to add a comment to remind yourself that you entered!
Disclosure: The prize is being provided and shipped to the winner by Blue Moon Lites Incorporated. I received no financial compensation for writing my review or offering this giveaway, although I did receive the sample item free of charge. This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.
These are sooo cute. I really like the Hippo.
ReplyDeleteOur 17 month old has long since mastered the art of making sure I don't sleep through the night :(
ReplyDeleteLeaving a light lit during the night seems to make anyone feel more comfortable while sleeping. Good review.
ReplyDelete