We are excited to bring the latest lighting innovations to the Kasa Smart lineup, helping to turn every home into a smart home,” said David Li, CEO of TP-Link Research America. “Our amazing new Vintage LED Filament Bulbs are a modern classic, while our new Light Strips let you easily customize any room with endless lighting effects and colors.” We've tested more than four dozen lanterns over the last decade. For this review, we researched dozens of contenders and selected the most popular models to put to the test. We took them on camping trips, assessing how each performed for solo use, small groups of two to three people, and larger groups of more than four. We spent nights through simulated (and a couple of real) power outages, seeing how we fared with just the light of these luminaries. Brightness is the most important metric, accounting for the majority of each lantern's overall score – each lantern underwent eight specific tests to assess the brightness score alone. We measured battery life by timing how long each model could run on its highest setting. We weighed each model and also considered any bonus features or elements that add to their overall functionality. Finally, we consulted with a panel of professional gear testers to judge how intuitive each one is to use. By the end of our testing period, we have run 360 individual tests to assess our selection of the 24 best lanterns on the market. We especially like the products with dimmable power outputs (as opposed to fixed settings like low, medium, and high). Many of the lanterns we tested have this feature, but the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 and Lighthouse Mini V2 can also adjust to cast 180 or 360 degrees of light.

Luminoodle LED Light Rope review - The Gadgeteer Luminoodle LED Light Rope review - The Gadgeteer

The immediate feature that sets Lifx apart from so much of its competition is that it does not require a hub. Unlike the similar Philips Hue brand of lights, Lifx bulbs connect directly to the Wi-Fi without the need of an intermediary connection point. Glow-in-the-dark doesn't work very well, hook on the bottom is not very sturdy, hard to reattach bottom after replacing batteries A more effective way to attach the Light Rope to anything is with the unique mounting ties. Although, this mounting option has its own challenges.

Conclusion

Besides allowing you to power the lights on and off or switch colors, the Luminoodle remote lets you cycle through a trio of modes that fade through all the various colors; you can control the speed of this “color fade” mode using a pair of additional buttons. The mode isn’t good for much beyond funkadelic parties or plain-old showing off, but it’s there. The Luminoodle lights also helped to alleviate the eye strain that comes with watching a bright TV screen in a dark room; indeed, I noticed myself squinting a lot less than I do without any bias lighting at all. Our servers are getting hit pretty hard right now. To continue shopping, enter the characters as they are shown

Luminoodle Color Bias Lighting - 15 Color LED TV Backlight Luminoodle Color Bias Lighting - 15 Color LED TV Backlight

As I mentioned, the unit powers on as soon as it is connected to a power source. The Light Rope is very bright, which is great for some uses, but not all. On the unit I tested, there is no dimmer or on/off switch. If we are getting down to the nitty-gritty details, the metal hanging loop really requires an additional carabiner to be truly functional. This model has a waterproof rating of IPX6, but the USB port and plug are fully exposed to the elements and prone to getting crammed with dirt and debris. This model doesn't have the longest-lasting battery in its highest setting, so keep it dimmed if you need it to last for several nights. Even with those minor inconveniences, this model is an excellent option when you need a compact light that punches above its weight class. A durable lantern with exceptional battery life for extended use that you can rely on when the lights go outUnlike battery-powered versions that are limited to their size of disposable batteries or integrated power banks, gas-powered models can be used with larger canisters. By purchasing the proper adapters, you can hook many types of propane lanterns to full-sized tanks rather than the smaller camping canisters. And speaking of bias lighting, the Luminoodle’s other color settings could serve as a nice bias light when your TV is off—although again, you’ll probably need to supply your own USB wall wart to make it work if your TV doesn’t have an always-on USB port. Bottom line The Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini gives you the option to light up both sides of the lamp (left) or conserve battery by only illuminating half (right). The ties are bright orange with nubs that allow you to adjust the length by pulling them through a small loop at the end of the tie. There is a larger loop to pull the Light Rope through. As soon as the Luminoodle is connected to a USB power source, it turns on. This made using the unit a bit problematic at times, which I will get to shortly.