Energizer power failure night lights (6) review

What it is and who it suits

The page we could find for this light is Jasco's, the company that sells the Energizer 4-in-1 Rechargeable Power Failure Light Sensing LED Night Light on its own site. It lists a 1-pack, and we found no maker page for a 6-pack, so this review covers the single light, which Jasco lists as model 38511-T1, and assumes a multi-pack holds the same model. Check the model number on any pack you buy.

It suits a household that wants a light at hallway, stair and bathroom outlets that comes on by itself when the power fails, so nobody has to find a flashlight in the dark. This review is researched, not tested. It relies on Jasco's product page, Energizer's page for a related plug-in flashlight, and Ready.gov.

What the four uses are

Jasco describes four products in one: a light-sensing night light, a power failure light, a tabletop light and an emergency flashlight. In normal use it gives off a soft white glow, and a light sensor turns it on at dusk and off at dawn. In an outage it promptly comes on, and you can remove it from the wall and carry it. The plug folds up for storage.

The page recommends bedrooms, bathrooms, hallways and stairs. Because the light stays plugged into an outlet and comes on when the power goes out, it is useful in the first minutes of an outage, before anyone has found a flashlight.

Battery and what is missing

The light has a rechargeable battery that charges while the light is plugged into an outlet. Jasco says it needs no batteries and that the battery is non-replaceable, which means that when the battery stops holding a charge, the whole light is the replacement part. Keep that in mind when you buy a multi-pack for a house. Because the battery only charges while the light is in the outlet, leave each one plugged in, and read the instruction sheet in the pack, since the page gives no temperature range or warnings.

The page gives no run time, no brightness in lumens and no battery size. That is the main gap. For a sense of scale only, Energizer's page for a different product, its rechargeable plug-in compact handheld LED flashlight, lists 40 lumens on high and a run time of 3 hours in its ANSI FL1 table, while its bullet list says up to 3.5 hours. Do not assume the night light matches those figures. Treat it as a light for the first stretch of an outage and plan another light for the rest.

How it fits a plan

Ready.gov's advice is to have flashlights for every household member, and to plan for batteries and other alternative power sources when the power goes out. A night light that comes on by itself covers the first minutes, and a flashlight or headlamp for each person covers the rest. Our power failure light comparison, flashlight and lantern comparison and LED lantern comparison cover other lights for the longer stretch.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you need light for hours: Jasco gives no run time, so add a lantern or headlamp. Skip it if you want a light with a battery you can swap, since Jasco lists this one's battery as non-replaceable. Jasco's page gives no weather rating, so keep it to indoor outlets. The power outage checklist shows where lighting fits in the wider plan.

Does the Energizer power failure night light come on by itself?

Yes. Jasco says that during a power outage it promptly comes on, and that it can be removed from the wall to use as a portable flashlight. A sensor also turns it on at dusk and off at dawn.

How long does it stay lit in an outage?

Jasco's page does not say. It lists no run time or brightness, so do not rely on it for more than the first stretch of an outage and keep a lantern or flashlight for longer.

Can I replace the battery?

No. Jasco says the rechargeable battery is non-replaceable and charges while the light is plugged in, so a worn-out battery means replacing the light.

Does it need batteries from the store?

No. Jasco lists a built-in rechargeable battery that charges from the outlet, with no batteries needed.