The Best Night Lights/Wall Lights

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray
Published on
April 29th, 2019

Expert BioExpert Bio

Ben’s formal training and certifications in cleaning include the ASD (Advanced Structural Drying), AMRT (Applied Microbial Remediation Technician),
WRT (Water restoration technician), CCT (Carpet Cleaning technician), and bio hazard cleanup, as well as several other certifications from the IICRC. Ben has managed teams involved in cleaning projects around the United States. Ben’s passion for cleaning dates all the way back to keeping his rugby gear tidy while a young lad. Ben holds an undergraduate degree from Oxford, a Master’s degree from Oxford, and a mountain of hands on experience at the school of hard knocks.

The Cleaning Institute

Some people believe that you should no longer “need” a night light once you graduate from elementary school. However, the truth of the matter is that night lights serve quite a number of useful purposes beyond just helping combat a fear of the dark. A good night light can make it easier to efficiently and safely navigate your home during those nighttime trips to the bathroom or kitchen, when it would otherwise be much too dark to make your way around.

Of course, choosing the right night light for your home’s darkest corners takes careful consideration. The The Cleaning Institute team would like to use our 35 years of experience to help make that decision easier for you. In this article, you’ll find our top three recommendations for the best night lights on the market, which we’ve chosen in accordance with the following three testing categories.

Testing Categories

Brightness – One of the most important factors to consider when picking out a night light is brightness. You don’t want something that is so dim you can barely see it. However, you also don’t want something that is so bright that it wakes you up at night. The best night lights are at a happy medium between these two points.

Longevity – A night light can’t be useful to you if it burns out as soon as you begin to use it. We carefully gleaned user reviews to see how long each night light we found lasted and tried to select those with the best lifespans available.

Energy Efficiency – While most night lights aren’t a huge strain on your energy bill, you can never be too cautious in terms of considering their overall energy efficiency. Night lights that burn constantly are still more wasteful than night lights with built-in day/night sensors, regardless of their size.

Top Pick

Sycees Plug-in LED
Night Light with
Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor

The SYCEES set of LED night lights is powerful enough to help you easily see and navigate dark rooms and halls. They can fit anywhere in the home and are energy-efficient.

Price Check

These sleek LED night lights are both space and energy-efficient, thanks to their size and built-in sensors. These qualities make them ideal for a wide range of spaces, from halls to full rooms.

Most notable upside: One of the most interesting features of the SYCEEs LED night lights is their photosensitivity; in other words, they adjust their brightness according to their surroundings, and will not light up in already bright areas. We really like the plugs attached to these night lights, as they are small enough to provide space for you to use the second outlet if you need to. This can’t often be said for night light models on the market, and they’re also guaranteed to last a while. Reviewers have reported these night lights to still be fully functional almost a year after purchase. The design of these lights are easy on the eyes as well, thanks to their sleek, square shape.

Biggest downsides: Some consumers received defective or broken lights within their shipment. Others found the lights to actually be too bright (or, in other cases, too dim) for their preference. The color of the bulbs seems to have changed in recent models from a clean “daylight white” to a yellow-white, which may be unappealing to some. Additionally, the only way for you to manually turn these night lights off is by unplugging them. There is no switch for you to turn them on and off of your own choosing.

4/5
Brightness
5/5
Longevity
5/5
Energy Efficiency

Honorable Mention

eufy Lumi
Plug-in
Night Light

Eufy’s plug-in night light comes in a pack of four, each of which is compact, energy efficient, and highly, automatically responsive to room brightness.

Price Check

While these lights may not be the longest-lived option on the market, they serve their purpose well when used in halls and corners, illuminating the way during nighttime excursions.

Most notable upside: Eufy has taken great care in designing this night light. Like quite a bit of night lights available on the market, the eufy Lumi night light responds to whether it is “day” or “night” within the room or hall it has been placed in. The LED component of the light is also turned downward, so you don’t have to worry about blinding yourself by making direct eye contact. The brightness of these night lights is strong enough for you to clearly see where you’re going during those nighttime trips to the bathroom, kitchen, or elsewhere.

Biggest downsides: Again, you can’t manually turn this night light on or off; your only option is to plug it in or unplug it. It can also be too bright to look at directly, and doing so when you are half-asleep can wake you up entirely. Additionally, be sure to plug this night light into the top plug only. If you plug it into the bottom, you won’t be able to plug anything else into your top plug, as the night light is too large. Quite a few consumers felt these lights are much too bright for normal bedtime use. These lights also don’t seem to last for very long; in one case, a reviewer had their set of lights burn out completely after just two days.

4/5
Brightness
3/5
Longevity
5/5
Energy Efficiency

Also Consider

GE Moroccan
LED
CoverLite

GE’s LED CoverLite can appeal to the more aesthetically oriented, thanks to its Moroccan-inspired cover. This indoor light automatically cuts off and on depending on the time of day.

Price Check

This night light is very pleasing to the eyes, and can be a great alternative to other standard night light models.

Most notable upside: We really love the unique face of this night light and recommend it for those looking for something beyond the typical clean, square, white night light. Like most of the options listed here, this night light doesn’t obstruct the whole socket (as long as it’s plugged into the top socket), so you can plug in other items while using this night light. It also doesn’t use up too much electricity when it’s turned on. They are quite long-lasting and have been reported as functioning for nearly half a year with little problem.

Biggest downsides: This night light relies on a sensor to turn on and off, so you can’t trigger it manually. In some cases, this night light stopped functioning just after a couple of months. When the light does go out, you cannot replace it; instead, you’ll just have to purchase a brand new one. The sensor also isn’t quite as functional as other night light models. There have been reports of the night light staying on even during daylight hours.

5/5
Brightness
3/5
Longevity
3/5
Energy Efficiency

All Our Picks

Tips for Effective Night Light/Wall Light Usage

Be conservative in terms of how many night lights you install within your home. You don’t necessarily need them in every room. Some of the most common (and best) areas to install night lights include bedroom closets, bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and hallways. Placing night lights in these locations can make it easier for you to navigate and locate specific items, such as slippers, remotes, and the fridge. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the standard square LED design either; a night light can be just as appealing an element within your home as any other furniture or fixture you have installed.

A Note About Safety and Storage

While night lights are actually meant to increase overall safety around the home, there are some situations where a night light may be unsafe to use. If you notice sparks, smoking, or similar signs of electrical shortage coming from the socket you’ve plugged your night light into, remove it immediately. Do not expose the night light to water.

The Best Night Lights/Wall Lights

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Sycees Plug-in LED
Night Light with
Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor

Brightness

Longevity

Energy Efficiency

eufy Lumi
Plug-in
Night Light

Brightness

Longevity

Energy Efficiency

GE Moroccan
LED
CoverLite

Brightness

Longevity

Energy Efficiency

All Our Picks

Sycees Plug-in LED
Night Light with
Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor

eufy Lumi
Plug-in
Night Light

GE Moroccan
LED
CoverLite

Tips for Effective Night Light/Wall Light Usage

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

The Best Night Lights/Wall Lights

Your guide to this review today is by Cleaning expert Ben Murray

The Cleaning Institute

Testing Categories

Sycees Plug-in LED Night Light withDusk-to-Dawn Sensor

Brightness

Longevity

Energy Efficiency

eufy LumiPlug-inNight Light

Brightness

Longevity

Energy Efficiency

GE Moroccan LED CoverLite

Brightness

Longevity

Energy Efficiency

All Our Picks

Sycees Plug-in LED Night Light withDusk-to-Dawn Sensor

eufy LumiPlug-inNight Light

GE Moroccan LED CoverLite

Tips for Effective Night Light/Wall Light Usage

A Note About Safety and Storage

Quick Links

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Sycees Plug-in LED
Night Light with
Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor

eufy Lumi
Plug-in
Night Light

GE Moroccan
LED
CoverLite

Sycees Plug-in LED
Night Light with
Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor

eufy Lumi
Plug-in
Night Light

GE Moroccan
LED
CoverLite