Light the Way: We Put SnapPower Guidelights to the Test

SnapPower outlet hallway

Walking around the house at night, have you ever tripped on a toy left out or bumped into a table? You could either turn on the lights, if the switch is near you, and hurt your eyes, or plug in one of those bulky light sensor flashlights into your outlet, but this uses up the plug! SnapPower has a better solution: what if you could turn any of your outlets into guide lights?

The SnapPower Guidelights sounded right up our alley: you can install them yourself and improve your home. We tried out a couple around the home and were pretty happy with the results.

The SnapPower was easy to install, but you do have to be careful, since you’re dealing with electricity. Make sure you turn off power to the outlet through your circuit breaker and test the outlet to make sure it really is off. Once everything is safe, the cover can be switched out with the SnapPower.

installing SnapPower outlet

It took us less than five minutes to install the device. All you need to do is unscrew anything holding in your existing outlet cover, make sure there’s nothing blocking the screw terminals inside (don’t worry, the SnapPower comes with a diagram so you can be sure), and simply pop the new SnapPower cover in. You can then tighten the screw on the new cover and you’re all set.

The secret is in the prongs on the inside of the SnapPower. They are in direct contact with the screw terminals to draw power to the LED lights that are placed discreetly on the bottom of the coverplate. Don’t worry though, the LEDs will only use about ten cents of energy per year and lasts over 25 years.

The design is so simple, it’s amazing this hasn’t popped up anywhere before. We used them down our hallway, lit up our staircase, and even put one in the bathroom so we could see everything we needed without having to turn all the lights on. The LED light is very clear, but low and directed downward so it won’t become bothersome. There’s a small sensor on the front that detects the room’s light levels and adjusts the strength to match what you’ll need.

closeup SnapPower outlet LEDs on

However, since it relies on a sensor attached to the device, this does mean the light can turn on if placed in an area of the room that has a shadow cast on it. This may be beneficial, as you can light up a dark corner, but if you don’t want it on all the time you should choose your placement carefully. However, the light is so unobstructive that it didn’t become bothersome for us.

We honestly love this little device, it’s so easy to install and freed up our outlets from the plug in lights we had before. It looks like all our other outlets too, and comes in 3 different colors and two designs so it should fit most homeowner’s interiors as well.

You can buy SnapPower Guidelights on their online store. Prices start at $15 for one, and discounted prices for multipacks. The company also makes an outlet cover that doubles as a USB charger that looks a little different, but should easily add some convenience around the house for the more tech-minded homeowner.