Product review. The prodeli solar light.
A few weeks ago I reviewed the Phillips life light as a good solution for lighting in a shed particularly on an allotment where mains power is unavailable. Since that review getting hold of those lights have been pretty difficult so I have been testing an alternative product. A solar light from Prodeli and I have reviewed it in this article.
The Prodeli solar light.
In the pack, this light comes in 2 simple parts. Firstly we have the solar panel and lead with a micro USB end. This lead is not detachable from the solar panel itself and therefore has to remain with it all times. At least the lead won't get lost or used for something else. The solar panel itself is about the same size as a deck of playing cards so pretty small. The rear of the solar panel has a sticky foam piece for sticking down to a clean flat piece.
The second piece is the light itself which is very similar to a normal household bulb. The difference being the end where there is a micro USB input as well as a switch. At this end, there is also a hook to be used to hang up. Within this bulb, there is a battery that holds 850mA of power which is enough to power the bulb for about 4 to 6 hours. The battery is charged through the supplied solar panel or can also be charged from a micro USB lead from a computer or similar.
The light itself is a 12 piece diode producing 130 lumens of light which is about the same as a 15w incandescent bulb.
Installation
The installation of this kit is pretty easy although a little fiddly a certain point.
I started by connection the solar panel to the light by inserting the micro USB end into the port. I then hang the light to a wire I had in my shed. This is where the tricky bit was as the light would either twist over or the micro USB was in the way. However, a little bit of patience and all was fitted. As the kit is not recommended for outside use (despite being sold as suitable for camping etc) I kept the solar panel on the inside of my shed, in a well-lit window. I was surprised to find that this worked and charged the light perfectly adequately. However, I have read on the Amazon selling page other users have left this outside with no real problems.
Verdict
I have to say that I am really happy with this light. It's pretty cheap and provides a decent amount of light to see what I am doing in my potting shed, as demonstrated in this photo.
However, while the light is good enough to see my way around the shed and water etc I would say that for anything intricate or needs good bright light it is a little dull for that sort of work. However, it is very rare that I do that sort of work when its dark outside anyway.
I would also say that the Phillips life light home is certainly a lot better having 2 lights and a large battery but for the price and availability of the prodeli if all you want is a little light then this is a great piece of kit.
If you are interested in this bit of kit then click on the image below and it will take you straight the Amazon page for this item where you can find the current price, read more reviews and questions or buy it.
