The Casper Glow Light Is a Versatile Sleep Tech Product That I Actually Like
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Some products that we've tried have stood the test of time and remain our faves to this day. In our series 10/10 Would Recommend, we're giving the final word on well-known products that we fully stand behind.
The Product
The Casper Glow Light, a hybrid nightlight, lamp, wake-up light, and lantern with Bluetooth connectivity.
The Stats
The Price: $129 for a single lamp; $249 for two
Year It Came Out: 2019
Reviewed By: PCMag, Forbes, Glamour, The Verge
What Does It Do?
Launched in February 2019, the Casper Glow Light is the first tech product from the well-known bed-in-a-box brand. The 5-inch-tall cylindrical device charges up on its own wired base, but it can also be used independently of it. Its diffused polycarbonate shell softens the light as it glows, so that the internal LED lights, even on the brightest setting, never look harsh. The Glow Light's 2700K color temperature is atmospheric and warm, and it has an approximate constant run time of 7 hours, though it can be used intermittently for much longer.
You can turn the Glow Light on and off by flipping it upside down and adjust the brightness by twisting it clockwise or counterclockwise. The Glow Light does have its own app with additional functionality, though you’re not required to download it in order to use the light. The app does allow you to program the light via Bluetooth, letting you set wake-up timers, check the battery level, and change the dimming time. All other functions — turning the lamp on and off, adjusting brightness, and using the lamp as a dimming night light — can be used sans app.
The gadget retails for $129, which is a comparable price to similar wake-up light products like the Hatch Restore ($130) and Philips SmartSleep ($160). The difference is that the latter two products serve more of an alarm clock function: They must be plugged in to work and are meant for bedroom use only. Meanwhile, the Glow Light can detach from its dock and be used as a regular light in virtually any room for hours at a time.
Why Do I Love It?
For me, the Casper Glow Light has lived many lives beyond its original sleep-tech purpose. I've used it in an office as my main desk lamp, enjoying its warm, comforting light that counteracted the cold, overhead fluorescents. And in my time working from home, it has served the same function in my workspace to light up a corner of my apartment that's too tight for a floor lamp.
In my off-hours, I twist down its brightness, and it becomes an accent light that I take into the kitchen to provide candlelight-level ambiance while I eat dinner. Then when it's time for bed, I place it on my dresser and allow it to dim gradually over the course of 45 to 90 minutes. In the morning, this effect is reversed to simulate the sunrise. And once during a weird 5-day period when I lost power, the Glow Light was there to function as a lantern to help me navigate through my home after dark. That's when this lamp was officially promoted to Light of My Life.
The Casper Glow Light is certainly a quirky product, but it fills a satisfyingly specific niche in my home life, rather than creating more complications as some gadgets tend to do. While the charging dock's chunky, horizontal plug is probably the one aspect of the light that I'd consider an aesthetic design flaw, I love the lamp's minimalist form, wireless versatility, and playful functionality (flipping it over to turn it on is an unexpected delight each day). When unlit — a rare occurrence in my home — it could easily pass for a sleek smart speaker.
Speaking of its smart capabilities, as previously mentioned, the light does pair with a proprietary app, but using the app is not a requirement if you typically avoid downloading apps to use certain gadgets. If I were a tech editor, I might feel differently about this (as the folks at The Verge did when they reviewed this product), but as a home editor, I find that the Glow Light's lack of smart-assistant integration makes this a simpler and less intrusive product.
The Final Word
Light has the power to affect mood, and for me, having total control of the atmosphere in my direct surroundings has been a small but significant way to feel more grounded at home. The Casper Glow Light may not be a SAD lamp, but having it illuminate my space every day certainly makes me happy.
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