What Is a Toilet Light and What Can It Do For You?
Whether you’re trying to train a young one to hit the target, or you’re bumbling around the bathroom in the middle of the night by yourself, a toilet light might be just the thing to solve your water-closet woes.
What Is a Toilet Light?
Exactly what it sounds like: A light affixed to your toilet that illuminates the bowl — or, less popularly, the area around the bowl — to help you find the right spot in the dark. It also may serve as a novelty while toilet-training a tot.
Most toilet lights come with an adjustable arm to hook on the bowl, and an LED light with a motion sensor. The light flicks on when it senses you’re in the room or approaching the toilet. Some toilet lights stay on for a few minutes to give you enough light to see your way back to bed.
Many online reviewers say they purchased one as a novelty gift, or for a laugh. Then, once installed, they found it indispensable.
Pros and Cons of a Toilet Light
Pros
- Navigating midnight trips to the bathroom easily and safely. No flicking on the light and blinding yourself, or waking up the rest of your house while you fumble around.
- Reduced risk of tripping and falling. They’re recommended by aging-in-place experts.
- Affordability. Most models cost less than $20.
- Use little energy. Most are battery operated and a couple of AAs or AAAs last for months. Some are rechargeable.
- Most are universally easy to install, allowing you to change or choose a color for illumination. Some come with additional features such as aromatherapy tablets, UV-light sanitizing or other light options.
- Could help make potty training easier by providing a visual target, a novelty experience and a monster-slayer at night.
Cons
- Some reviewers complain the device didn’t last as long as they wanted it to.
- Not all reviewers feel the one-size-fits-all arm attachment fits properly.
- Most need to be cleaned by hand.
Toilet Light Considerations
Here are the main features to consider while purchasing a toilet light:
- Attachment: Most toilet lights attach via an adjustable arm. Check your toilet bowl for any irregularities or odd dimensions, because some reviewers note the arm didn’t fit as tightly as they’d hoped. Some toilet lights attach via a sticky pad on the back of the device. Those tend to be mounted on the wall or side of the bowl and only illuminate the area around the toilet, not inside the bowl.
- Motion activation: Most toilet lights are motion activated, while some are based on the light level in the room. Still others have switches. Most reviewers prefer motion activation. Be sure to read reviews to see how sensitive or how wide a range the motion activation has. Some stay illuminated for a couple of minutes after you move away from the toilet, giving you time to wash your hands and return to bed.
- Light color options: Most toilet lights offer various color options, including customization between hues. Some even have a dimmer switch.
- Power source: Most take two or three AA or AAA batteries. Others offer a recharging cord to plug into the wall when the battery runs low. Some rechargeables have a low-battery warning light.
- Cleaning options: Most toilet lights must be wiped clean. Some are submersible or waterproof. Still others — and this is less common — offer a built-in UV light, which sanitizes the light and bowl on a schedule.
- Other options: Some models offer aromatherapy or a spot for deodorizing tablets.
Best Toilet Lights
There are lots of options on the market with great consumer feedback. Here are a few of our picks.
Illumibowl Multi-Color LED
The Illumibowl toilet light appears to be the original. It began with a Kickstarter campaign. Then the team went on Shark Tank to pitch their product.
Since the launch, the brand updated the installation arm to make it fit more tightly. It also improved the motion sensor and battery life, and added a three-stage dimmer to set it to the perfect brightness. The light transitions between colors and allows you to freeze the color at any time, giving infinite color options.
Vintar Rechargeable RainBowl
The Vintar rechargeable toilet light earns great marks for its 16 single-color options, five brightness levels, wide motion detection and automatic shutoff in brighter light. It’s also waterproof.
Sunnest Motion Activated
The Sunnest toilet light comes with a built-in UV light for sanitizing the light and bowl. It also offers 16 changing colors, a warm-white night light and a slot for aromatherapy tablets.
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