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Motion-sensing LED mini-lights
10-05-09

Philips SpotOn

When I bought my refrigerator it wasn’t until it had been delivered that I realized there was no light in the freezer compartment. It wasn’t enough of a pain to go through exchanging refrigerators, but for the past 15 or so years, it’s been a minor annoyance, requiring me to turn on a kitchen light to see what’s in there. Until I remembered these motion-sensing LED lights I’d already placed in about a dozen spots throughout my house. Who says I can’t put one of those in the freezer compartment, such that the motion of opening the door turns on the light? So I did just that and darned if it doesn’t work beautifully. Better 15 years late than never.

These small Philips lights (3.1 x 2.7 x 0.8 in ) automatically go on when something in their motion-sensing field moves, give a nice bright light, and automatically turn off after 15-20 seconds without detectable motion. I’ve found them great for closets, cupboards and cabinets -- much better than those press-to-turn-on iterations that automatically go off but require you to first find them in the dark to turn them on.

You have three ways to mount them if you choose that option: included double-sided adhesive pad; included magnets; screws/nails through the pre-drilled holes in the back panel. Battery replacements are simple and don’t require dismounting. The one change I’d like to see would be an off switch to disable them during daylight hours.

-- Joseph Stirt 

Philips SpotOn LED Motion Sensing Portable Light
$17 (3 AAA batteries included)

Available from Amazon


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Comments

 
#1 | Mon, 10-05-09 07:29
Dave

These use AAA batteries, and you're putting them in the freezer?

Regular alkaline batteries get pretty useless at temperatures much below 0 deg C; even lithium AAAs have limited power and life at temperatures likely to be found in a freezer, especially when they're left there for quite a while. I'm surprised to hear that this is a functional solution.

 
#2 | Mon, 10-05-09 09:32
maytag man

how do you know the light goes off when you close the door.....just saying......

 
#3 | Mon, 10-05-09 09:39
Jive_Turkey

Here's an option at 1/2 the price...not a recommendation though as I have not used this item.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3156

 
#4 | Mon, 10-05-09 02:23
Simao

Finally a cool tool I can buy in Europe.. :)

 
#5 | Mon, 10-05-09 03:03
Tom

I would have dismissed this solution, for placing AAAs Battery inside a sub-zero freezer and expecting it to work

 
#6 | Mon, 10-05-09 03:50
c-dub

I’m a big fan of the design work going on at Philips. Apple gets disproportionate accolades for a handful of products, while Philips quietly turns out thoughtful, well-considered designs across a huge spectrum of categories. I bought a Philips Sonicare toothbrush a few months ago -- a really nicely put-together product. Dutch design is hard to beat these days.

This light is another example – but I wish they would have added a small photocell which, in conjunction with the motion sensor, would allow the unit to come on only when needed.

 
#7 | Tue, 10-06-09 04:42
thom

I live in the coldest weather in the United States. I wonder why my flashlights work in sub-zero weather?

 
#8 | Tue, 10-06-09 07:32
Matt

Amazon message:

Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

 
#9 | Tue, 10-06-09 08:10
elon

I checked with Philips, and the SpotOn is still in production. It isn't available through Amazon at the moment, but a quick search should turn up other online retailers that have it in stock. --es

 
#10 | Tue, 10-06-09 11:01
Joe Stirt

I buy mine here:

http://www.energycircle.com/store/philips-spoton.html

Cheap, fast, under control.

 
#11 | Tue, 10-06-09 01:43
wylde21

C-Dub - Not to burst your bubble about Phillips "Dutch" design work, but the Sonicare line was a Phillips purchase when they bought Seattle based Optiva Corp a few years back (early 2000s). The original design work and all new design work is done by that now division of Phillips in the USA. I do agree they have some cool designs, though.

Reference: http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2000/08/21/daily9.html

 
#12 | Tue, 10-06-09 08:16
c-dub

@wylde21:

Thanks for the information! I didn't know any of that, and it's nice to know we Americans can design such a good product. I still stand by my claims about Philips, though: they have an uncommonly strong corporate design ethos.

 
#13 | Thu, 10-08-09 01:56
steve21

Maxxima make a range of LED lights with both a motion senor and a
daylight sensor, so it only activates at night.


http://www.amazon.com/Maxxima-LED-Occupancy-Sensor-Light/dp/B0017166N6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1254992156&sr=8-3

 

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