Home Reviews

Longer Home 3D Printer Cube review

REVIEW – I’ll admit that I am a novice when it comes to 3D printing, but I do have an expert on call in my teenager (he built his own printer). We’ve been playing with the Longer Home 3D Printer Cube, which Longer says is an ideal starter printer for kids and adults. How does it measure up to my expert’s standards? To the review!

What is it?

It’s a starter 3D printer for kids, designed to be cost-effective and easy to use.

What’s in the box?

You’ve got everything you need to get started in the package, including:

  • The printer, pre-assembled and ready for work
  • A stand/spool for the filament roll
  • A small roll of starter filament
  • Some tools to make adjustments
  • An SD card pre-loaded with the software

An instruction sheet is also included in the package.

Hardware specs

  • Base unit is 9.5″ by 9″ by 10.5″, with a weight of about 8 pounds
  • Operating Temperature:5℃-35℃; Relative Humidity:30%-90%
  • Electricity:Input:110-240VAC 50-60Hz; Output:24V 3A. MaxPower:72W
  • Build Volume:140mm(L)*120mm(W)*105mm(H)
  • Layer Thickness:0.1-0.3mm. Printing Speed: 30-60mm/s
  • Heated Bed: NO
  • Filament Diameter:1.75mm.Filament Type:PLA
  • Compatible Software:Cura, Repetier,etc
  • Operating Systems:Windows/Mac/Linux
  • File Format: Gcode,STL
  • Connection:SD card

Design and features

The Longer Home 3D Printer Cube is designed for ease of use. The footprint is about 9″ by 9.5″ by 10.5″ deep, so it fits neatly on the corner of a desktop or counter. It also comes pre-assembled in a complete unit. Here’s the front face:

The rear face of the unit is where your power cord goes, and where the SD card port is to upload your models:

The left side of the unit is where you’ll find the filament feeder:

Longer also does a nice job of supplying everything you need to get going on your first printing projects. You need filament to print, and they give you a small sample roll to get going.

One of the things that you’ll find out quickly when doing 3D printing is that you’ll need lots of filament. You can buy all kinds of colors and types in larger spools, and Longer provides a spool stand that ensures your filament wont get tangled while the printer is doing its work. It takes big rolls too, as shown with the roll my son provided for some of our tests:

A bright color touch screen display is used for all functions. The interface is friendly and easy to follow for beginners and experts, and the touch screen interface responds well to even the clumsiest of fingers. Some sample shots follow:

 

The printing surface is magnetic, flexible, and removable. This is a very good thing for a 3D printer, as you typically have to separate the finished product from the print surface. Here you can just pop off the plate, and remove your finished product. Here’s a geometric test sample we printed on the unit in progress:

When it was completed, we popped the printing surface out so that we could easily remove the finished piece. Simple and convenient.

You’ve also got a SD thumb drive that includes modeling software, the full documentation, and some sample models that you can start with.

From a basic configuration standpoint, my in-house expert is impressed. You’ll often find 3D printer kids that require some modification or upgraded parts to be reasonably functional. This unit comes with quality components right out of the box. Let’s have a look at getting ready for your first print job.

Setup & Operation

The first thing we found out when we started the setup was that the instruction sheet isn’t great. It covers all the bases, but the English translation of the instructions is a bit unclear. The full docs are on the SD card and are excellent, however. I’d suggest orienting yourself to the setup process with the card, but go to the digital docs for the details.

You’ll start by removing the packing material that stabilizes the unit for shipping. You can see them in this pic in the middle of frame, connected to the rods by zip ties. The pop off with a few quick snips.

Next up is leveling the base. You’ll use the Alan wrenches included in the kit along with the leveling screen on the device to lock your settings. The instructions walk you through the process.

You’ll also need to orient the printing head to the the four corners of the printing pad. Again, the instructions get you there pretty efficiently.

The next step is to insert the filament into the feeder on the side of the device. Follow the instructions to load it and run some test material, and you’re good to go.

The printing process is all about uploading the desired model. The included software on the SD card allows you to convert 3D computer models you’ve made or acquired into the GCode format for printing. It also has some preloaded models to play with. You select the model from the card with the settings desired (such as printing speed; see the instructions for details), and off it goes!

A status screen keeps you up-to-date on the printing process, time remaining, and all of that good stuff. It’s got some nice features like the ability to resume printing if you run out of filament or lose power. But once it gets going, you’ll pretty much let it do its thing until the job is done.

Note that there is no modeling software included in the package; the software converts other 3D models to the GCode format. The included software is PC-only, but you could get your own software to create/convert models to the GCode format on Mac or PC. Note that the version of the software included is outdated, but an update is available online for download once you install it.

Performance

My son is a 3D printing veteran, having built his own printer and modded it a number of times. He’s been very impressed with the overall quality of the unit. For a beginners model, the printing space is quite generous. The removable base plate is a nice feature for removing models after printing. The color touch screen controls are also a nice plus from what you’ll find in many inexpensive printers, with full control over all aspects of the printing process like filament flow rates, temperature control, etc.

Printing quality is outstanding for a beginner’s model. You’ll find some cute little models to play with on the SD card to warm up:

Bu the real ability of the printer to handle detail work starts to shine with more complex models. Check out our little tree-friend from a galaxy far away. The detail in the wood & facial features is excellent.

And have a look at this close up on the top of his head. All those little nooks and crannies come out super clean with very little residue:

After the initial tests, my son queued up a few models specifically designed to test the printer’s ability to handle fine detail like textures, overhangs, and layer/edge transitions. This boat is one common model used for testing. Have a look at the edging detail around the windows, the side arch, and the rails!

Next up was a texture test that shows how the printer handles gentle curves and detail. Again, I’m told this is a really good demonstration of rendering those little elements that can show up as clumsy on lower quality printing units.

Finally, we have this articulated dinosaur model. The initial print is one solid piece. The rods and holes that allow the pieces to swivel are all printed together with the pieces as a single unit, with little strands of plastic between the pieces that allow the printer to run the whole thing in one job. If the detail capability of the printer is good, you should just be able to twist and crack those little tabs and end up with a model that allows free movement of each piece, so additional assembly required. The Longer Home 3D Printer Cube nailed it:

We did have a few issues we identified during the testing process. We encountered a weird buzzing noise from the cooling fan during setup & testing. It looks like an adhesive bit that keeps the wires from sitting on the fan had come loose in shipping. The good news is that you just unscrew one panel on the bottom to get to the innards, and everything is neatly organized. It was a one-minute adjustment.

We also noted some dings in the housing that you can see in the pictures. It’s entirely possible that these were the result of our tester being an evaluation unit.

What I like

  • Nice desktop-friendly footprint
  • Very easy to operate out of the box
  • Excellent quality for a starter 3D printer

What needs to be improved

  • Setup could be easier; don’t rely on the printed instructions

Final thoughts

I think that the Longer Home 3D Printer Cube mostly lives up to the promise of being a great starter kit if you and your kids want to get into 3D printing. It’s fairly easy to set up and operate, and is perfectly sized for most desktop surfaces. Just keep in mind that there is a learning curve around the technologies and tricks associated with any 3D printer kit. As far as most options go, however, it’s a good one with high quality components at a very good price for a pre-assembled unit.

Price: Under $200
Where to buy: Amazon.
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Longer.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Longer Home 3D Printer Cube review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 14, 2019 at 8:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Tail it global range GPS trackers review

REVIEW – We all have “stuff” that we like to keep track of, from our backpacks full of expensive computer gear, to our luggage and even our pets. We’ve reviewed a variety of tracker devices here on The Gadgeteer over the years, but most of those tracking fobs are only useful when they are within Bluetooth range of your phone. What if you want to keep track of something that is a few miles away or even across the country. That’s where a GPS tracking device like the Tail-it Tracker comes in handy. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

Tail-it trackers are credit card and smaller sized tracking devices that have a built-in GPS and cellular SIM card that allow them to be used anywhere, not just within range of your phone.

What’s in the box?

The image above contains the contents of the Tail it+ and Tail it Pet packages.

  • Tail it+ or Tail it Pet tracker module
  • Pre-installed SIM card
  • Screwdriver
  • USB charging cable
  • Tail it Pet also comes with a silicone case that can be attached to the pet’s collar

Design and features

There are five styles of the Tail it devices but we were sent the Tail it+ and the Tail it Pet. There’s the Tail it+ shown above on the left which is a black soft-touch plastic credit card sized device.

It that has a USB-C charging port on one side and a small oval button that doubles as a status LED on top.

Note that the Tail it+ can charge wirelessly too. Just place it on a Qi charging pad and you’re good to go.

Then there’s the Tail it Pet which is a much smaller device that charges with a proprietary magnetic USB charger and also an oval power switch/LED status light on top.

Tracking using the Tail it app



To use the Tail it devices, you have to activate the SIM cards and then install the Tail it app on your mobile device. The app’s interface is a basic dashboard where you can see the tracker’s battery status and last seen details. Clicking each device will then allow you to call, share, or delete the device.

The Call feature is confusing. It’s really meant for the GPS watch version of the Tail it Kids which gives the parent a method of calling the watch in an emergency situation. But for the Tail it+ and Tail it Pet, tapping Call just makes your smartphone call what looks like an international number which then results in a busy signal.

The Sharing feature will let the people you give permission to also be able to see where the tracker is at any given time.


The app will also allow you to turn the LED light on the tracker and turn a sound alert on which causes it to make a high pitched beep.

Both of these features can help you locate the tracker when you’re in close range.




Tail it devices use GPS and WiFi to determine the tracker’s location. GPS accuracy is within 5m or 16.4 ft and WiFi accuracy is within 50m or 164 ft. The fallback method that is used when GPS and WiFi is not available is LBS and it’s only accurate within 2km (6561.68 ft) which won’t help that much if you’re trying to find a lost item or pet.

The Multi-LBS system collects data from more than 3 GSM base stations and calculates accurate placement by analyzing, direction and ephemeris from satellites.

The app provides a map or satellite view of the Tail it device and gives you the option to turn on live tracking for emergency situations. Note that live tracking will cause the device’s battery to drain quickly because it updates the location every 5 seconds.

During my time testing the Tail it trackers, I would have to say that if I needed to locate a lost item, I would not want to rely on the Tail it app to help me find the item because the accuracy of the location even when using GPS was been pretty bad 80% the time and really bad a the rest of the time. It would also take the app a few minutes to update locations and many times it would say the update failed.

Even if the accuracy was good, it would still mean that the item could be within a range of 16 ft in the best of situations. I guess as long as the item you’re trying to find is pretty large, you’d be fine, but most of the time I used it, it didn’t show the tracker remotely close to where it really was.


Just as an example, in the images above you can see the purple circles which are the locations that the Tail it app says the trackers are located and the red dots are where they are really located. I guess that accuracy would be fine if you were trying to find a dog or a cat, but for a backpack or something smaller, not so much.

Battery life

The Tail it+ has a standby time of 8 weeks per full charge and the Tail it Pet has a standby battery life of 2 weeks on a full charge.

What I like

  • Can track globally
  • Simple to use

What needs to be improved

  • The app does not provide any geo-fencing features to alert you when the tracker has gone out of a pre-defined zone
  • Location feature provides inconsistent location results
  • Can’t get a history of movement
  • Won’t work in remote locations where there isn’t cell coverage or WiFi

Final thoughts

The best thing about the Tail it tracking devices is that they can be used globally but the worst thing about the Tail it tracking devices is that the location accuracy isn’t… well… accurate and it takes entirely too long to update locations through the app if they even work. If they can improve the accuracy and update speed, these trackers could be very useful but as is, I can’t recommend them.

Price: $99.00 for either version. This does not include the monthly subscription which is $4.99 per device if paid for 1yr in advance or $5.99 for a month at a time
Where to buy: Tail it
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Tail it.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged: ,

Tail it global range GPS trackers review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 13, 2019 at 12:00 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Jabra Elite 85h wireless noise-cancelling headphones review

REVIEW – Over-the-ear headphones have grown on me over the past few years. I have preferred sport-centric earbuds due to their portability and ability to survive sweaty, nasty workouts. But I have come to appreciate the comfort, sound quality, and added features that over-the-ear headphones bring to the table. My current go-to earbuds are the Jabra Elite Active 65t’s that I carry with me most of the time. So, when Jabra announced their new Elite 85h active noise-cancelling wireless over-the-ear headphones, I raised my hand and volunteered to check them out, hoping they live up to their smaller sibling.

What is it?

The Elite 85h’s are Jabra’s first active noise cancellation (ANC) over-the-ear headphones, engineered to compete with the likes of Bose, Sony, B&O, etc. Their design is comfortable and compact, meant to go with you throughout your day and world travels while providing a top tier listening experience.

What’s in the box?

  • Elite 85h ANC wireless headset
  • Carrying case
  • Audio cable
  • USB C charging cable
  • Flight adapter

Hardware specs

General
  • Main unit dimensions (LxWxH): 195 x 82 x 225 mm
  • Weight (headphones): 296g
  • Operating temperature: -5° C to 45° C
  • Materials used (outside): Fabric, leatherette (PU), PC/ABS,PC/ABS with metallic paint, PBT, SUS with PVD(MIN part), PC
  • USB cable length: 30 cm
  • Audio cable length: 120 cm
  • Warranty: 2-year warranty against water and dust
Audio
  • Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Digital Hybrid ANC uses 4 of the device’s 8 microphones
  • Passive Noise Cancellation: Yes
  • Noise reduction on outgoing voice signal: Yes, advanced call technology uses 6 of the device’s 8 microphones
  • Wind Noise protection: Yes
  • Voice Assistant access: Yes, one-touch access
  • Adaptive audio with SmartSound: Yes
  • Number of microphones: 8 microphones
Connectivity
  • Connection: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-c, 3.5mm jack
  • Supported Bluetooth profiles: HSP v1.2 , HFP v1.7, A2DP v1.3, AVRCP v1.6, PBAP v1.1, SPP v1.2
  • Operating range: Up to 10m (33ft)
  • Paired devices: Up to 8.
  • Multi-Connect: Two devices can be connected at one time.
  • Auto pause music: Yes
Battery
  • Music & Talk time: Up to 41 hours (with ANC off) / Up to 36 hours (with ANC on)
  • Sleep mode: Yes
  • Standby time: >1 year (auto power off after 72 hours)
  • Charging time: 2.5 hours (with dedicated 500mA USB wall charger)
  • Battery after 15 min charging: Up to 5 hours (with dedicated 500mA USB wall charger)
  • Charging plug: USB-C

Design and features

As I mentioned, the Elite 85h’s are Jabra’s first ANC over-the-ear headphones but this is far from their first rodeo in term of bringing music or phone calls to your ears. The 85h’s include an impressive list of features and baked-in technologies including an 8 microphone array, 36 hours of battery life (w/ANC on), hands-free Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri support, 40mm custom-engineered drivers, SmartSound customization technology to name just some of the capabilities of these headphones.

The Jabra Elite 85h has eight microphones in total: four dedicated for calls, two for the Digital Hybrid ANC, and two for SmartSound. In combination, six (of the eight) microphones are used in the Elite’s advanced call technology and four microphones for their SmartSound adaptive noise-canceling.

The Elite 85h charges via USB-C (cable included) and has a fast-charge feature with 15 minutes of charging that provides 5 hours of playback. In addition to the USB-C power port, the only other port on the headphones is a 3.5mm jack for hard connecting the headphones (via included cable) to your device.

There is a dedicated button for accessing Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa and muting the mics during a call on the bottom of the left ear cup. And another on the opposite side that toggles between noise-canceling ON, “Hear-Through” mode, and ANC off. The up & down volume and select/answer buttons are located on the exterior of the right ear cup. All the 85h’s controls are intuitive and easy to use.

The Elite 85h’s are water-resistant with a nano-coating to protect them from sweat and dust.

Setup

Like most Bluetooth headsets these days, Jabra makes connecting the Elite 85h’s to your smart device simple and easy. Once you pull the headphones out of the box and twist the ear cups 90 degrees for the first time they immediately go into pairing mode. Simply select them in your Bluetooth menu and you’re good to go.

Once paired, you should download the Jabra+ app to fully customize your listening experience. The app enables you to tweak the headphones to your liking. There are various situation profiles that give you a great deal of management and control over how your headphones sound and operate depending on conditions.

Performance

The bottom line is these headphones sound excellent. They have great precision with very good clarity, depth, and spatial definition. Everything I listened to had noticeable separation at all levels with a solid, yet not over done bass response giving a nicely balanced listening experience. While I played with the Jabra+ app for this review, I preferred the sound settings Jabra had right out of the box. According to Jabra, “SmartSound automatically analyzes your sound environment and applies your personalized sound settings, to give you the best calls and music experience, every time”.

The Elite 85h’s have Bluetooth 5.0, enabling it to be paired with up to 8 devices and actively connected to two devices at once. The headphones switched back and forth between my iPhone and iPad seamlessly. Their range is very good, I can leave my iPhone at one end of the house and be in the far end, rooms away with no connectivity issues.

The active noise-canceling is solid and gets the job done but is not quite as effective as the equivalent Bose and B&O headphones. They did a good job blocking out road, plane, and wind noise but I could definitely hear the kid making noise or dog barking in the background occasionally. Where the Bose and B&O’s filter out that sort of noise a little better.

That said, call quality is very good. The way Jabra has engineered the multiple microphone array makes for an excellent call experience on both sides of the conversation. It was as if the people I was talking to were right next to me.

The Elite 85h’s battery life has some pretty long legs as well, with up to 36 hours of uses with active noise-canceling enabled and up to 41 hours with ANC off. They can go around the world and then some without needing a recharge.

The Elite 85h have automatic ear detection that pauses playback when the headphones are removed and resumes after placing them back over your ears.

Build Quality

The build quality of the Elite 85h’s is very good as well, made from fabric, leatherette (PU), and PC/ABS with metallic paint. The main casing is constructed from a dense plastic that holds up well to use and folding/unfolding as you would hope/expect. I have yet to discover any marks or scuffs on the plastic casing from about a month of use.

The exterior of the ear cups and headband have a densely woven fabric covering that doesn’t get dirty all that easily. Though I did get flour on them that took a while to clean off/get out of the material but it did eventually.

The headband is lined with a padded leatherette making for a soft, comfortable ride.

The ear cups are made from the same leatherette material as the headband.

Comfort

As I mentioned, the Elite 85h ANC headphones are very comfortable and can easily be worn for hours at a time (though my ears do occasionally get overly warm). The ear cups are soft, form-fitting, and large enough for most ears. These headphones are average sized for this tier of active noise-canceling wireless headphones and weigh in at two-thirds of a pound. Both sides of the headphones can be extended for larger heads.

Portability

The Elite 85h’s are designed to be portable, engineered to twist and fold in upon themselves for minimal volume for their size. I think that Jabra has done a more than solid job pulling this off.

I was initially a bit hesitant taking them in and out of their case, not wanting to damage them. But Jabra has used metal internal components to strengthen key points that take the most wear and tear.

Here you can see the Bose and Jabra travel/storage cases compared. They both take up approximately the same volume with the Jabra case made from slightly tougher material.

Pictured left to right: Bose QuietComfort 35 II, Jabra Elite 85h, Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H9, and Shinola Canfield headphones. When you consider size, weight, toughness, and portability/foldability the Jabra is the best of the lot.

I find the Jabra 85h more comfortable and better engineered than the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. The Bose just feel more flimsy and breakable when compared to the 85h’s. But to be fair, my wife (who is pretty rough on her tech gear) has been using the Bose for approximately a year and they’re still going strong.

What I like

  • Well-built design
  • Comfortable
  • Excellent sound, call quality, and battery life
  • Portable
  • USB-C charging
  • Water-resistant nano-coating
  • Auto ear detection
  • Bluetooth 5 and multi-connect
  • Dedicated one-button access to Google Assistant, Alexa, and Siri

What needs to be improved

  • Active noise-canceling could be more pronounced
  • My ears get hot with extended use

The Elite 85h’s are available in Black, Titanium Black, Navy, and Gold Beige. Jabra backs these headphones with a 2-year warranty against moisture/sweat and dust.

Final thoughts

I really like the Elite 85h wireless active noise-canceling headphones. Jabra has done a great job creating an ANC headset that competes in a pretty crowded tech-space. Their sound experience, build quality, comfort, and engineering are all excellent. I also prefer their hardier form factor, design, and portability to other headphones I have tried. Their impressive battery life and comfort make them a better option when compared to earbuds on long flights or all day @the office.

Price: $299.99
Where to buy: Best Buy
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Jabra.

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Jabra Elite 85h wireless noise-cancelling headphones review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 13, 2019 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

NOVOO Portable Charger USB C Power Bank review


REVIEW – These days, you can find hundreds of portable power bank choices both on the internet and in the stores. The more that these types of devices become a part of our EDC bag, the more the demand for more power capacity in a smaller package. And, we also want as many built-in I/O options that we can get. Enter the NOVOO Portable Charger USB C Power Bank.

What is it?

The NOVOO power bank is a 10000mAh small and light with a large capacity. It measures just 2.3 x 3 x 1.1 inches and can deliver power via a conventional USB-A port as well as via its USB-C port.

What’s in the box


1 x Novoo Portable Charger/Power bank
1 x USB-A to USB-C Cable
1 x User Manual

Design and features

Specification
Capacity: 10000mAh @ 3.7V (37Wh)
USB-C Input (PD): DC 5V 2.1A/9V 1.4A/12V 1A
USB-C Output (PD): DC 5V 3A/9V 2A/12V 1.5A (18W Max)
USB-A Output: DC 5V 2.1A/9V 2A/12V 1.5A (18W)
Total Output: 18W
Size: 2.99”x 2.32”x 1.06”
Weight: 180 g

On the top surface, there is a power button and the LED battery charge level indicator that shows 4 LEDs. Each LED represents 25% of the charge.
On one side of the Power Bank, there is a USB-A port for conventional USB charging.

On the opposite side of the Power Bank, there is an in/out USC-C port. This port is used for charging the internal battery of the Power bank and is also capable of Power Delivery for charging devices.

Performance

The Power bank arrived with approximately 50% charge as shown by the 2 lit LEDs in the picture below. If you short press the power button it shows the level of charge. Once you fully charge the Power Bank, it is ready to go.

The picture below shows my iPhone 10X max being charged with a USB-A to Lightning cable. I was able to charge my phone from 31% to 100% in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

For the second test, I purchased a USB-C to lightning “Apple Certified” cable to charge my iPhone via the USB-C port.

It took 1 hour and 22 minutes to charge my phone from 54% to 100% which is about the same compared to charging my phone via the USB-A port.

The 2 tests were performed within 5 days, and after the tests, there was a 50% charge left on the Novoo.

What I like

  • The compact size
  • The build quality
  • The internal battery capacity
  • The Quick Charge capability

What can be improved

  • A USB-C cable to Android/IOS should be included (Possibly one with an adapter for the other)

Final thoughts

This portable USB Power Bank works quite well and is compact enough that you can just throw it in your bag and carry it with you at all times. The battery size is good enough to make it very useful, and the USB-C port is a nice feature especially since these days, USB-C is becoming a standard port on everything. The build quality for this device is good and the charging time is also good. For the price, I give it two thumbs up.

Price: $25.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Sample: The sample for this review was provided by Novoo

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

NOVOO Portable Charger USB C Power Bank review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 12, 2019 at 10:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Loftek LED light ball review

REVIEW – The Loftek LED ball is a versatile ambiance-creator, with multiple modes and color options to inspire anything from a high-charged dance party, to a romantic evening, to some quiet, personal meditation.

What is it?

It’s an 8-inch, waterproof, indoor/outdoor sphere-shaped light.

What’s in the box?

  • LED ball
  • Charger
  • Instruction manual
  • Remote control

Hardware specs

  • Weight: 1.2 pounds (lamp only)
  • IP Rating: IP65 (completely sealed against dust ingress and moderate water jets)
  • Power: 1.2W
  • Input: AC 100V-240V 50/60Hz
  • Output: DC 5V 1A
  • Battery capacity: 1100mAh
  • Work time: 6-12 hours (depending on brightness and color settings)
  • Charge time: 4 hours

Design and features

Setup

Setup was simple. Just charge it until the adapter light switches from red to green, and you’re good to go.

An orange tab clicks in and covers the charging port when you’re ready to use it, making it completely cordless when not powering up.

Controls

The remote control is easy to understand and fun to play with. You have 16 color options to choose from. The dark blue was my personal favorite!

You can also adjust the brightness with five levels of dimming, using the sunshine buttons in the upper left corner.

It features four different effects:

  • “Flash” made it quickly jump from color to color, in what I would consider a flashy, disco party style.
  • “Strobe” is exactly what you’d imagine, using only white light.
  • “Fade” makes it fade from color to color, and you can adjust the transition speed with the brightness button.
  • “Smooth” is similar to fade but makes a smooth transition instead of a fading transition.

Performance

We used ours only outside and in hot, humid, cool and even stormy conditions with no problems. We accidentally left it in the pool overnight with no ill effects. Clearly, it’s waterproof and weather-proof.

The battery life is amazing. We’ve used it well over 10 hours,  mostly on peak brightness, and it’s still going strong.

In the water, my teen and his buddies tossed it around a little, and it didn’t harm the light at all. But they quickly confirmed it’s not as fun to throw as a real ball and left it alone.

It does, however, look beautiful on or next to the water in every mode we tested. (These pictures don’t do it justice!)

My only minor complaint is that the remote control had a pretty short range. I could change it from across the width of my pool, but not length-wise and certainly not from the porch or inside the house.

What I like

  • Easily adjusts to your ideal mood, from partying to relaxing
  • Sleek, simple and durable
  • Long battery life

What needs to be improved

  • Longer range on the remote control

Final thoughts

It’s an attractive, easily adjustable indoor/outdoor light. Would be stunning for an outdoor wedding and fun for any nighttime backyard/pool party.

Price: $32.99
Where to buy: Loftek and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Loftek

Filed in categories: Reviews

Tagged:

Loftek LED light ball review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 12, 2019 at 9:00 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.