Esky 3-Piece Solar-Powered Tulips

Sometimes there’s a product that seems like a good idea, like it could be cute under the right circumstances, maybe enhance a yard or planter. And then it gets here, and you just kinda go “Huh!”, because it just missed the mark, and now you have a product you don’t really know what to do with. That is what my situation is here. It’s not even that I don’t like them, because I do, I just don’t know what I’m going to do with them.

I’m old enough to remember the last couple of waves of solar-powered products. They were overpromised and underdelivered. They didn’t last long, weren’t very bright, not at all efficient and were not very attractive looking. We needed technology to catch up with the innovation. And It looks like it has, because these Esky Solar Tulips are bright and vivid and dazzling and last a good long time after about 6 hours of sun (something we’re not exactly lacking in California!) A single monofilament LED is surrounded by a quartet of vivid cloth “petals”, and a pair of pretty green leaves sprout from the “stem” that is the metal rod used to stand both the flowers and the solar cell that powers them. LED’s like these are a very bright, pure white, but are such a low drain diode that you lots of time lit with very little energy used, and they don’t get so hot that they melt everything they touch. And all powered by a single 600mA rechargeable AAA Ni-MH battery. So it won’t cost an arm and a leg to replace and keep lit for years and years!

In the end, they are bright without being overpoweringly so, and are cute in a very novelty way, but they truly don’t look much like tulips, either lit or in natural light, and stand out in a flowerbed because, really, how many of us have light-up flowers? They do everything they say the would, and it’s up to you whether you think they’ll add to or detract from your garden or decor. For me, the shine came off the apple fairly quickly and I couldn’t find a place to put them where I thought they looked nice, and could weather the California sun and heat and not end up some bleached-out stem of white and pale green “stuff” that lights up at night.

Connect with Esky Products:

• Online
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• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Esky and HisGadget, Inc..  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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Quality Source Products: Red and Green colored Laser Beam Landscape Lighting #Review #LaserLights

I received this item from Quality Source Products and was amazed at the differences between the item pictured and the actual item delivered. In short, it is nothing at all like the item advertised. It has a defective attachment from the cord to the power supply, which is neither weather proof and much less water proof, as stated in the manual.  It is clearly a hazard. It in fact does not meet up at all (connecting to complete a closed circuit) and would probably cause a short immediately. When I notified the company of this, their only response was that they are aware of the problem and have notified the factory. Aaand?! Well, sadly, “and” nothing. That’s it. No offer to replace, return or to refund. Thankfully this is an item the company discounted to me 100% and I didn’t pay a penny of the $199.99 (at the time) price tag.

Retail Price Point: $79.88 via Amazon as of 2/01/2015

It is a laser pointer. Dual color, broadcast over a wide area, but that’s all. There is no timer, no on/off switch. It is not “low voltage”. In fact, the AC adapter provided looks nothing like the power supply pictured. It gets hot quickly, has no way to control any functions, , no timer, and the only way to turn it off and on is to plug or unplug it, but I wouldn’t be too concerned about that because the first morning’s dew will probably short it out anyways since the power connection doesn’t fit properly and won’t lock.  The “instructions” provided make mention of a remote control, but I’m not sure if it works with one or if they sell one. And if they did sell one, if it would even be compatible.

The stake provided is cheap zinc, cast so shoddily it’s crooked. The housing has a gob of black silicone that I suppose is meant to keep out moisture/water, except, it’s pulled away from the housing by the cord, so it won’t.

This is the item as pictured on Amazon:

 

And this is what was delivered:

 

Not even close.

I appreciate the company sending me this item to test, and I usually try to grade these things generously because I’ve not paid for them, but this thing is defective, dangerous and clearly not made to last. There’s just so much wrong with it, I can’t recommend it. In fact, I think it and the company should be avoided. And to add insult to injury, they picture something that they clearly are not selling, and pricing it high for reasons I can’t discern. Purchase at your own risk.

Here’s a view of what the promised results:

Here’s what we got:

Again, not even close. What my pictures simply cannot convey is the overwhelming disorientation hundreds of little laser points cause. Spatial relationships are lost, and I almost felt dizzy. This is a bad product, with no practical applications and what’s worse is they clearly don’t care about quality of their product or the safety of their buyers. To add insult to (potential) injury, casting a laser pointer into the sky, as this is clearly designed to do, can be illegal in some places. I rarely have so many bad things to say about a product, but this company went above and beyond to do everything wrong here.

I received the above product(s) free of charge from QSP.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Connect with Quality Source Products (QSP):

• Amazon
• Website
• #LaserLights

 

Brillante: G40 Clear Globe String Lights #Review #BrillanteLights

Not all light is created equal. Florescent light feels like the workplace. LED’s feel like a showroom. Soft white feels like grandma’s house. But some lights just feel fancy. Like the clear G40(C7) sting of lights from Brillante. Smaller than the regular fixture lights, larger than the mini lights you use for the holidays, these clear mini globes give enough light to illuminate beautifully without blinding everyone.

With a sturdy, green 25ft. long cord, and 25 lights to a string, you can safely run two strings end to end, so it gives you plenty of length to surround your party, your patio, or spa. The soft ambient glow is that “just right” level of light to make everything bright, but not washed out.

I’ve used these lights around the pool and spa, and on a clear cool night, nothing beats a meal under the stars with these Brillante lights. With bulbs rated for 3,000 hours, these are made to last. And G40 (C7) bulbs are affordable to replace and easy to find. I would recommend them highly.

Retail Price Point: $29.99 per strand via Amazon

 

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• Their Website
• Amazon
• On Pinterest

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Brillante.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.