LED Bulbs That Don't Need Electricity To Work? Oh Yeah!

[Supervisor42]

This is just for the people that hate fumbling with a flashlight when the power goes out.
What you really want is a lightbulb that doesn't need electricity to work:

DW's aunt discovered these and got us some.
They are LED bulbs with a built-in backup battery.
Here is one hanging from the ceiling fan pull chain in my bedroom (regular lights are on):

And here it is lighting up my pitch-dark bedroom at 6:00 am when it is completely dark outside:

Runtime is supposed to be 3-4 hours in bright mode, and twice as long in dim mode.
When in a conventional desk lamp: if it is on when the power goes out, it automatically switches to battery.
If it is off when the power fails, turning the lamp "on" will light it up.
Disadvantages:
1. Can only be recharged in a live socket.
2. They take a looong time to recharge. >5 hours if completely run down.
3. Cannot be used in a fixture with multiple bulbs.

More info in a following post.

 

[ladycat]

I have some of the Westek emergency lights. I bought one or two at a time until I got enough for at least 2 in every room.
They stay plugged in to regular electrical outlets all the time.
When the electric goes off (frequent in my rural location), they all come on.
They last for a few hours until they run out of juice. Fortunately, the electric is seldom off for more than a few hours.

 

[Haertig]

I wouldn't say that "using a battery" is exactly the same as "doesn't need electricity". But it's a neat idea anyway. If the bulb is totally self-contained and you just insert it into a standard light socket - any light socket - and it will automatically switch between charging and running on backup battery power in an outage. There have always been night-light type things that plug into wall outlets and switch to battery in the event of a power failure. But those are inconvenient (they plug into a wall outlet, which are usually low to the ground). And they are not very bright. I like the fact that these new bulbs could go into any light socket in any lamp in any room and appear to provide quite a reasonable amount of light when on battery. That is cool. I wonder how long they will hold their charge if the wall switch that controls the lamp is in the off position for a long time (as in a room that is seldom used). If the manufacturer didn't cheap out on the batteries (hopefully they use good quality NiMH or Li-Ion) then those will indeed hold their charge for a good long while.

There are only about four rooms in our house where the lights get left on for more than a few minutes - family room, dining nook, and our two offices. We are in the habit of turning off lights when we leave other rooms. Our offices would not be good candidates for these bulbs. Yes, they'd be charged to the max since we have the lights turned on there a lot of the time. But during a power outage we wouldn't be going into these office rooms to use the lights - because the computers would be down! So we could probably get by with two bulbs - family room and dining nook. Bedrooms ... maybe. But we normally use the bedrooms for sleeping and not running around. The bedrooms would benefit from these bulbs in a power outage (we would probably go in those rooms more), but I don't know if the infrequent light usage there during normal times would provide enough recharging for the bulbs. All our lamps are controlled by wall switches, so when we turn them off there would be no power to the lamp to charge the bulb. Many of our wall switches are those electronically controlled things ("Alexa, turn on living room light"). I'd have to check this rechargeable bulb compatibility with electronic wall switches.

 

[Supervisor42]

So we could probably get by with two bulbs - family room and dining nook. Bedrooms ... maybe. But we normally use the bedrooms for sleeping and not running around. The bedrooms would benefit from these bulbs in a power outage (we would probably go in those rooms more), but I don't know if the infrequent light usage there during normal times would provide enough recharging for the bulbs. All our lamps are controlled by wall switches, so when we turn them off there would be no power to the lamp to charge the bulb. Many of our wall switches are those electronically controlled things ("Alexa, turn on living room light"). I'd have to check this rechargeable bulb compatibility with electronic wall switches.

They likely wouldn't work downstream of an electronic switch because they look for the dead-short that the house grid becomes from everything else plugged in with no power, to know to use battery.
Unplugging a lamp will not put them in backup mode because it sees the supply as an open circuit instead and thinks it has just been turned off.
But I am really loving the idea of the whole house not going dark if the power goes out. lightbulb
We have simple table lamps in every room. They are on sometime most every day. The bulbs charge whenever they are running on ac.
Edit: Additional info:
Light output is 800 lumens, about the same as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.
No idea on longevity, haven't had years to test them. Made in China.

 

[Supervisor42]

Deleted double post.

 

[Spikedriver]

I could definitely see myself using one of these in my stairwell. It's downright dangerous if the power is out at night because the stairs are so steep. Only downside is, having to leave the light on to charge. I'm only in my stairwell for a few seconds at a time so it seems like a waste to leave the lights on. But then again my kid forgets to shut the lights off so much that the batteries would probably stay well charged...

 

[Supervisor42]

I could definitely see myself using one of these in my stairwell. It's downright dangerous if the power is out at night because the stairs are so steep. Only downside is, having to leave the light on to charge. I'm only in my stairwell for a few seconds at a time so it seems like a waste to leave the lights on. But then again my kid forgets to shut the lights off so much that the batteries would probably stay well charged...

You can charge them without the light being on.
Turn it on and immediately turn it off and on again= light off but charging.
They make a very faint red glow when charging like this that changes to green when they are charged.

 

[ladycat]

There have always been night-light type things that plug into wall outlets and switch to battery in the event of a power failure. But those are inconvenient (they plug into a wall outlet, which are usually low to the ground). And they are not very bright.

I'm in an antique farm house with the outlets chest high. It makes a big difference.
True, the emergency lights aren't super bright, but it's enough to get around without crashing into anything.
Also, I keep bright battery and solar lanterns handy, so I just place those where I need more light.

 

[Haertig]

Normally I don't need any additional light at night. A modem here, a router there, a microwave, a humidifier, a fan, ... everything these days thinks it needs an LED in it. But then the power goes out, and the house is actually DARK. But being flashaholics - both my wife and I - we have 25 bazillion flashlights all charged and praying to be brought into service out of their dismal lives stuffed in drawers and various corners of the house. They would love to spring into action to serve their masters. Just one flashlight I have will go for 48 DAYS of CONTINUOUS illumination. If you turn it off when the sun comes up and when you're asleep it would probably last for over a year in a powerless world. True, that's only 1 lumen of light on low, but you'd be surprised how much that seems to dark adapted eyes in the middle of the night. It's more than enough. Crank it up to high - 900 lumens or something ridiculous like that - and it's plenty bright enough to cook a hamburger if you require that service, but you only have a few hours at that intensity level. LEDs have certainly revolutionized the world of illumination.

 

[Spikedriver]

Normally I don't need any additional light at night. A modem here, a router there, a microwave, a humidifier, a fan, ... everything these days thinks it needs an LED in it. But then the power goes out, and the house is actually DARK. But being flashaholics - both my wife and I - we have 25 bazillion flashlights all charged and praying to be brought into service out of their dismal lives stuffed in drawers and various corners of the house. They would love to spring into action to serve their masters. Just one flashlight I have will go for 48 DAYS of CONTINUOUS illumination. If you turn it off when the sun comes up and when you're asleep it would probably last for over a year in a powerless world. True, that's only 1 lumen of light on low, but you'd be surprised how much that seems to dark adapted eyes in the middle of the night. It's more than enough. Crank it up to high - 900 lumens or something ridiculous like that - and it's plenty bright enough to cook a hamburger if you require that service, but you only have a few hours at that intensity level. LEDs have certainly revolutionized the world of illumination.

I too am somewhat of a flashlight freak. I confess I tend to buy cheapo lights from Harbor Freight and go for quantity over quality. But I have the little AA battery lights stashed all over. I've got the ones you stick on the wall, that look like a regular light switch, in every room that has no windows. I've got a pop up 360° lantern on my table and I have my favorites - the $3 Harbor Freight triangle warning lights with the red flashers and magnetic back - in my bags. And that doesn't count headlamps. Yeah I know, batteries die quickly. But generally I don't need a light for very long...

 

[Sparky_D]

Last Summer, I got a bunch of Obulbs from Olight.

https://www.olightstore.com/obulb-3colors.html
USB Charging so they are Solar and Powerbank friendly, and on Low Mode they have a 50+ hour run time.

Magnetic base and they float too. I keep the charged ones on the side of my nightstand safe so they're easy to reach.

I got a killer deal on them with their huge Summer Sale (and a couple free as bonuses).

Worked well with the last power outage we had and I gifted one to my massage therapist for when her office goes dark (she's sensitive to some candles and used her phone flashlight the last time).

Not for everyone, but a nice option out there for those interested.

Olight also has a new Multi-colored model that can create some interesting mood effects.
Not worth the extra monies to me, so I'll stick with what I have for now.

For emergency use, like @Spikedriver , I have dozens of other lights conveniently stashed in just about every room. Heck, I have 4 within arms reach of my recliner right now...

 

[Haertig]

For emergency use, like @Spikedriver , I have dozens of other lights conveniently stashed in just about every room. Heck, I have 4 within arms reach of my recliner right now...

Heck, I have TWO in my pants pockets at the moment. That's sick. I'm sick. Sorry. But at least I'll be able to see if the lights go out.

 

[Haertig]

"Obulb Wireless Ball Light"

Initially, I was wondering why you'd need to light up that area. But I imagine the multi-colored version might be quite the hit at the office Christmas party - it would fit in well with the lampshade on your head while dancing on the table.

Hopefully the light is not a clip-on.

 

[Sparky_D]

Heck, I have TWO in my pants pockets at the moment. That's sick. I'm sick. Sorry. But at least I'll be able to see if the lights go out.

To be fair, my pant's ARE within my arms reach...

"Obulb Wireless Ball Light"

Initially, I was wondering why you'd need to light up that area. But I imagine the multi-colored version might be quite the hit at the office Christmas party - it would fit in well with the lampshade on your head while dancing on the table.

Hopefully the light is not a clip-on.

Or a, er, uhm, nevermind...

 

[Supervisor42]

I too am somewhat of a flashlight freak. I confess I tend to buy cheapo lights from Harbor Freight and go for quantity over quality. But I have the little AA battery lights stashed all over. I've got the ones you stick on the wall, that look like a regular light switch, in every room that has no windows. I've got a pop up 360° lantern on my table and I have my favorites - the $3 Harbor Freight triangle warning lights with the red flashers and magnetic back - in my bags. And that doesn't count headlamps. Yeah I know, batteries die quickly. But generally I don't need a light for very long...

We have lots of flashlights too.
Two kinds:
Rechargeable ones in drawers that haven't been plugged up in a year or 2 and are dead.
Ones in drawers with alkaline batteries that have green fungus on the ends that don't work.
Every year at hurricane season, I change batteries in at least a dozen that will likely never even get turned on.
There had to be something better that would stay 'ready-to-rock' with just ordinary use.
I think these will.
The big thing is, they light up a whole room and not just a 4" circle on the kitchen counter.

 

[Haertig]

The big thing is, they light up a whole room and not just a 4" circle on the kitchen counter.

That is a big plus. Especially if you put them in a normal lamp with a lampshade so they are not glaring into your eyeballs, like so many stand-alone emergency lights will do.

 

[Supervisor42]

That is a big plus. Especially if you put them in a normal lamp with a lampshade so they are not glaring into your eyeballs, like so many stand-alone emergency lights will do.

That's where they are as we speak, and where they will stay unless needed in another specific location.
Screw a bulb into a switch socket, turn it on, and hang it anywhere it's needed .

 

[Neb]

In the UK flash lights are called torches.

My departed buddy brought over his uber flash light that literally set a piece of paper on fire!

Ben

 

[Spikedriver]

In the UK flash lights are called torches.

My departed buddy brought over his uber flash light that literally set a piece of paper on fire!

Ben

Once upon a time I had a fireman's light. I won it in a raffle at the volunteer fire dept fundraiser. It was flat on the sides, about 6" long, and was supposed to fit in a little bracket on the side of a firefighter's helmet. My Lord that thing was bright! The beam could illuminate out to about 1/3 of a mile. It ran on some kind of special batteries that I couldn't find, so when it died I put it in a box and it's long lost now...

 

[backlash]

"Obulb Wireless Ball Light"

Initially, I was wondering why you'd need to light up that area. But I imagine the multi-colored version might be quite the hit at the office Christmas party - it would fit in well with the lampshade on your head while dancing on the table.

Hopefully the light is not a clip-on.

I have 2 olight ball lights.
They have a magnetic base and come with a stick-on and screw-on disk to mount them. They have a low light mode, bright mode, red mode and flashing red mode. I just looked and the new model seems to have 7 different colors. They have a magnetic charging cable.
My wife loves them because she can turn it on and not be blinded by the bright light.
I really like olight even though they are expensive. I have bought about 25 lights from them. The keychain lights make great stocking stuffers.
We actually lost power last week for over 4 hours. A very unusual event.
We have had no rain for a long time so the dust builds up on the power poles then it rains and that causes them short out and catch on fire. There were 10 power pole fires that day.

 

[Aerindel]

In the UK flash lights are called torches.

My departed buddy brought over his uber flash light that literally set a piece of paper on fire!

Ben

I melted the TV remote with my headlamp once.

 

[kd4ulw]

I got some of these bulbs, they are marketed from many different manufacturers. Mine started failing after 6 months of constant “in lamp” use. First thing I would notice is the bulb would continue to glow dimly after I turned off the lamp. Probably the type I ended up getting, hope yours last longer.

 

[Woody]

I use the outdoor solar lights as my emergency backup. The ones that you push into the ground for walkways and such. I found some that have an on/off switch so they can be charged and stored until needed. About a buck each on sale at random places.

I did not do any modifications to them, like put ‘hangers’ on them or take the spike off, just use them like they are. Not a room filling kind of light, but more than enough to use to walk around or even read by. Plop them in a flower vase on the table and it is enough to see your way room by room, all I need. They hold a charge for a long time, no idea how long they would hold it. I put them out maybe 2 or 3 times a year for a day then put them back on the shelf. They have always been ready when I needed them.

For a really bright solar light, you could use one of the solar spot/flood outdoor light fixtures. I have one by the back door patio for grilling in the evening/night. Mine has… I would guess 40 LED’s and is bright enough to light up any room like full sun! LOL

 

[Supervisor42]

I got some of these bulbs, they are marketed from many different manufacturers. Mine started failing after 6 months of constant “in lamp” use. First thing I would notice is the bulb would continue to glow dimly after I turned off the lamp. Probably the type I ended up getting, hope yours last longer.

That's the reason I didn't post a link where to get them.
It will take a while to see if they are crap or not.
I just wanted people to know that they exist.
Wouldn't it be great if a reputable American company like GE decided to make them?

 

[Neb]

That's the reason I didn't post a link where to get them.
It will take a while to see if they are crap or not.
I just wanted people to know that they exist.
Wouldn't it be great if a reputable American company like GE decided to make them?

Like GE

Ben

 

[SheepDog]

All led lights need electricity to work. The battery in these lights is enough to keep them working for a time but when it is used up the light goes out. You might be able hack then and either recharge the battery or replace it with a rechargeable.

 

[Supervisor42]

All led lights need electricity to work. The battery in these lights is enough to keep them working for a time but when it is used up the light goes out. You might be able hack then and either recharge the battery or replace it with a rechargeable.

The batteries already in them are rechargeable:

You can charge them without the light being on.
Turn it on and immediately turn it off and on again= light off but charging.
They make a very faint red glow when charging like this that changes to green when they are charged.

They also charge whenever the bulb is on and running on ac.

 

[kd4ulw]

I still have some that weren’t being used all the time and I need to remember to charge them a few hours every few months. They are very handy to have on hand.

 

[Supervisor42]

Additional info:
So how do you know if a bulb needs charging?

I finally discovered the state-of-charge feature, which is not in the instructions.
When the bulb is in a lamp and you turn it on, for a split-second you will see the green or red glow when it comes on.
Green= it is charged. Red= it needs to charge.
lightbulb

 

[Supervisor42]

Like GE

Ben

Sorry I am late for an update.
After 1-1/2 years of testing, the ones we got were not garbage.
In answer to Ben's question, GE does make some, but they are expensive at $16.48 per bulb .