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Philips 818566 LivingColors Translucent Changing LED Lamp with Remote
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I’ve been waiting for this lamp to come out in North America for over a year now. I first saw this while visiting friends in Hong Kong. I was smitten at first sight and purchased one for myself. On a subsequent trip, I bought a second one and I use them on each of nightstand alongside my bed. These lamps are just plain sexy. My best friend, who is a designer, loved it at first sight and she’s a picky one. Two of them are almost bright enough to read by but not quite. However, just one lamp can drastically change the mood of a dimmed room. These are not bright enough to have any impact during normal daylight hours. It’s more of a subtle device.
For a sense of scale, these lamps are about the size of a volleyball.
I recently purchased my THIRD lamp (that’s how much I love this product) on Amazon.com but it was defective and had to be swapped out. However, I can tell you that there are subtle differences in the Asian and North American lamps.
1) the faceplate with the bulbs is a bit sturdier and has a few plastic dimples
2) the function which continuously cycles the colors is very gradual v. the rapid-fire changes in the Asian-market lamps
3) These lamps ARE NOT the new Generation 2 lamps that are currently out in Europe. Amazon.uk has these lamps but will not ship to the USA for some incredibly stupid reason even though the AC transformer can handle US voltage with a simple three prong adaptor. Gen2 lamps have SEVEN bulbs and are 50% brighter. These are the Gen1 lamps with 4 bulbs but they are still plenty bright.
4) There are some theorized mounting accessories in the works for these lamps but I have not seen any yet
Now, all this being said, I also recommend this over the mini-lamp due to the RF remote which can operate up to six lamps simultaneously. The remote, by the way, uses a touch-wheel similar to an iPod and it also allows a dimming function and an intensity function which means you can change the illumination to a white light, if so desired.
The only drawback I have with this lamp is that it’s pretty easy to roll off of its infinity-shaped base-plate (which actually, now that I think about it may not be part of the US-release), or the flattened area at its base where the cord inserts. This is not a lamp that you want to have near a high-traffic area or in a home with kids, pets, or clumsy folks.
Bottom line? This is a spendy, but endlessly pleasing product with killer looks, and a “wow” factor that will amuse even the most demanding consumer. You won’t need to paint your walls anything but white and with a couple of these installed you’ll be able to change the entire look of the room with just swipe of the remote. Now some people will argue for LED bulbs with a remote, and it’s true that they are much cheaper, but the aesthetic of this product can’t be beat.
Buy one. Buy two, actually.
