Mr. Beams Motion Sensor Stair Light

We swear that we are not reviewing the Mr. Beams(TM) Motion Sensor Stair Light ($24.99) simply because the product nearly shares the same name as British comedian Mr. Bean (a.k.a. Rowan Atkinson). 

(With or without lighted stairs, we suspect Mr. Bean would take a pratfall...)

But for the rest of us, Mr. Beams could be a lifesaver or at least quite a handy eco-friendly convenience.

Basically, as the name suggests, the Motion Sensor Stair Light is a safety light intended to provide temporary light when needed to help in navigating stairs or other dark areas.

The product attaches to a wall using either double-sided tape or screws (both included). During the day or when the room is illuminated, the light conserves its battery power by remaining dark. When a light sensor detects that the area is dark, Mr. Beans automatically lights up with a low glow. Then when a motion sensor detects further light is needed, Mr. Beans ramps up the brightness and provides a beacon for up to 20 seconds or 1 minute (depending on the setting chosen).

Generally speaking, we're very impressed with the Mr. Beams Motion Sensor Stair Light, though we do have a few reservations. First the good points:

• In our unit, the light sensor and motion sensor worked splendidly.

• We were very impressed with the brightness of the LED at even the low-glow setting. When the light detects motion and amps up the brightness, the light is practically dazzling. That's mighty impressive for a very small bulb, but Mr. Beams says that it's using the latest LED technology -- 12-times brighter than standard LEDs.

• Mr. Beams does seem very convenient. No wiring is required. The batteries are supposed to last for approximately $1 year. Basically, the light strikes us as a very efficient (and thus eco-friendly) device. It's even supposed to be waterproof if you want to use it outdoors (although the Mr. Beams Spotlight might be better suited for that task).

Still, in the spirit of constructive criticism, we don't think Mr. Beams is quite perfect yet. Here are a few observations we hope that Mr. Beams can take into account for the next edition of its stair light:

• Internal controls aren't very convenient. Maybe it's necessary from a weatherproofing standpoint, but the switch that toggles the Stair Light between 20 seconds and 1 minute of illumination are located inside the device. If you want to change the setting, you have to unscrew the back (easily done with screwdriver or even a coin), remove all three C batteries and then struggle to read the tiny letters around the tiny switch.

• The switch is a little inscrutable. On the 20 second setting, the lamp really did seem to stay bright for 20 seconds when motion activated. On the 1 minute setting, it never wanted to go off. We waited several minutes (without moving) and then turned on the lights so that the light sensor would switch off the light. We would prefer the 20 second setting anyway (it's certainly long enough for most people to go up or down a flight of stairs or even go into the bathroom at night for a drink of water), but if you want to use the 1 minute setting, that's something to be aware of.

• The C batteries are a bit bulky and make the unit a little heavy. Also, we had to go online to make sure that it's possible to buy rechargeable lithium ion C batteries and a C battery charger. (It is.) We wish that Mr. Beams could make a smaller, lighter unit that used AA batteries - the type commonly used in digital cameras and many other electronics. We'd even be willing to recharge the batteries more frequently (every 3-6 months?) if we could have a smaller unit.

Still, overall, we're impressed with Mr. Beams. The company has given us even more enthusiasm about the bright future of LED lighting. Perhaps that's not quite as funny as Mr. Bean, but much more illuminating.

Where to Buy:

Order directly through the Mr. Beams website or via e-tailers like Smarthome and Amazon.com.