This is a review of the ARILUX Outdoor LED panel. This is a light that is used to illuminate an area when triggered by motion, and is powered by internal batteries charged by the built-in solar panel.
Here is a video review, showing the light:
The light and specs can be found here:
https://banggood.app.link/DCN6TgrAHO
There is a code for 15% off the price. Use code “ledoutdoor” for the discount.
The light was provided by Banggood for review purposes. I receive no other form of compensation.
Overview:
The ARILUX Outdoor LED Light is a stand-alone unit that illuminates a large area with a panel of 90 LED lights. It has a built-in 4400 mAh battery that is recharged daily via a built-in 3.5 watt solar panel.
The unit is surprisingly small, and is easily installed anywhere using the included hardware. It is also bright enough to light up a fairly large area, using 1000 lumens directed downward where the light is needed. It is meant to be installed on a wall in a high place, at least 6 feet above ground for best effect.
Keep the unit in at least partial sun though some of the day to properly recharge the light. Though, you could get by with no direct sunlight, if the light is not used much during the night.
The unit is weatherproof, so you don’t need to protect it from rain.
The light has 4 settings:
1. Off (you can guess what this does).
2. High - the light is off during the day, and will turn on to maximum for about 30 seconds when motion is detected at night.
3. Low - The light is off during the day, and will run continuous at night in a dim mode (pictured above). If motion is detected, it will turn on to maximum for about 30 seconds. In my opinion, this is the most useful mode, since is provides enough light to see with in the dim state, but will boost to max when needed. It’s a good security light in this case.
4. Medium - The light is off during the day, and turns on to approximately 50% power during night. It will run continuously for approximately 4 hours, until the battery runs out.
In the high and low modes, the motion detection works well, boosting the light to maximum output for approximately 30 seconds. Continued motion will keep the light on max. It has a fairly long range to detect motion, but in my experience small animals did not set it off. Something the size of a dog probably would, though.
Interface:
There’s not much to fiddle with, as the mode selection is controlled by a switch on the back of the unit. Note that once you install the light against the wall, the switch will not be easily accessible, so make your selection before installation.
You can choose to hang the unit off a couple of mounting screws, which would make is easy to take down and access the switch at the back. But depending how high you install it, you might need a ladder to get to it.
The solar panel is at the top of the light, and points upward at a 45 degree angle. The LED panel points down at 45 degrees, and has some extra LEDs at the side of the light for wider illumination.
Batteries:
The unit is not meant to be taken apart, though this is easily done. Once open, you can access the battery compartment, which contains two 18650 cells in a parallel configuration.
They are generic cells, and are wrapped in a protection circuit. Testing indicates the protection circuit prevents over-charging beyond 4.3v. The unit itself contains lithium-ion protection features, and it ceases charging at 4.2v. There is likely under-voltage protection as well (in addition to the protection on the batteries themselves), but in my experience the light would last a full night on the medium mode, but be very dim by the morning. It didn’t cease output completely.
The batteries are supposed to be 2200mAh each (for a total of 4400mAh), but in my separate discharge tests, they were 1800mAh cells. I did not use a full discharge down to 2.5v, and I suspect the solar panel might give a better full charge (since it’s slower), but I don’t imagine they are any more than 2000mAh cells.
In any case, they provide plenty of power for the unit, and it’s nice to know when they eventually die that you can replace them. If you do replace them, make sure to use good button-top protected cells. Even though they should not be necessary, the unit is designed to have that double-protection just in case.
Specifications:
Model: ARILUX AL-SL21
Solar Panel: 6 volt, 3.5 watts
Battery: 3.7V 4400mAh Lithium-Ion built-in battery (probably 4000mAh in reality)
Number of LEDs: 90 cool-white
Sensor Range: 8 meters
Waterproof Level: IP65
Lumens: Maximum level is 900-1000 lumens, as measured by me. (Difficult to get it precisely, because it’s all flood.)
Charging Time: 8 Hours
Warranty: 12 months
Size: 307mm x 115mm x 55mm
Weight: 384g
Construction: Plastic casing.
Package contents: The light unit (includes batteries), manual, screws for mounting, box.
My impressions:
Pros:
- Small, light, and easily installed anywhere you need a security light.
- Surprisingly bright, and will light up a fairly large area.
- Includes batteries, and they can be replaced if needed.
- Solar panel is large enough to fully charge the batteries during the day.
Cons:
- If you use the light in the “always on at night” mode, you will definitely need to mount this on a sunny south-facing wall to fully recharge the batteries during the day.
- It doesn’t mention use during winter, but IMO lithium-ion cells should not be charged below freezing. So, if it’s below freezing during the day, you should probably take the unit down for the winter season.
Summary:
This is a nice little security light. Easy to install, since it is a fully stand-alone unit with its own batteries and solar charging. If you need light outdoors in an area where your home doesn’t already have lighting, the Arilux solar LED lighting fits that purpose nicely.
That’s all for now. Thank you for reading.
