Toy Story Go Glow Light

Toy Story is an animated film series which released by Disney and Pixar. The first film was released in 1995, the second in 1999 and the third in 2009. With each film, a range of branded merchandise was released.

Go Glow Light

'Perfect for your little space ranger'...This Go Glow Light is suitable for children over the age of 3. It is presented in a clear fronted box which contains :

• a low voltage transformer
• a base unit which acts as a charger
• a cone shaped torch which features a rechargable battery inside

The complete unit measures approx 16 x 12.5 x 12.5 cm. This Go Glow Light is marketed as being a '2 in 1' night light and torch.It is currently available from Amazon priced at £18.00. www.childrens-rooms.co.uk offer this light for £19.95.

My Thoughts

When we moved into our current flat, we had a little trouble getting our son to sleep in his own room. He had a Thomas lamp but it was too bright to have on all night incase he woke up. Just before Christmas 2010, I was in Wilkos having a look at the Christmas stuff and came across these Toy Story Go Glow Lights. We would have preferred a Thomas one but I couldn't resist the bargain price. These lights were reduced to £3.50 each! I picked up 3 - one for my son, my nephew and my niece and they have proven to be a very worth while purchase.

18 months on, our Go Glow Light is still used every night. Considering I was only 7 when the first Toy Story was released, I'm surprised it is still as popular today. It isn't as classic as Thomas or Postman Pat but for as long as they are releasing the films, there will be merchandise. My son was aware of Toy Story but has only recently got more into it after seeing the second film on television. All three of the children were impressed with their Go Glow Lights.

To Bed...And Beyond!

The Go Glow Light is certainly designed to appeal to children. My son was younger than the recommended age when he first got this but we only used it as a night light then - he now uses it mainly as a torch. Setting up is easy and it is a case of connecting the adapter to the base unit and switching on the plug. The base unit is a round, blue piece of tough plastic. The torch fits neatly on the base unit and the adapter has quite a long cable which can reach from the plug up to the top of my sons wardrobe.

The torch itself is cone shaped and is designed slightly differently to other branded Glow Lights. The bottom of the torch has three pieces of smooth plastic to allow the torch to look like a rocket - perfectly designed for the Toy Story theme. The torch has a blue and green colour theme. There are a few character pictures on the main body of the torch which are very lifelike and children can recognise them easily. The characters are those who are in all of the Toy Story films - Buzz, Woody and those green alien things that look rather freaky!

Using this as a night light, the torch needs to be sat on the base and turned on. There is a small, child friendly button on the torch. Whilst on the base, it can be turned off to charge or on to charge and provide light. The light from the base isn't too strong. The torch body illuminates to offer a soft, continuous glow which is reassuring for my son. It doesn't interfere with his sleeping pattern but does make him feel more relaxed and content - and less scared overall.

My son is a sensible lad who is nearly 4 and he likes to have the torch in bed or within reach. The space ship 'legs' do mean this isn't as rounded as other Glow Lights on the market so if you have a clumsy child, probably best not to have this in bed with them! I charge the torch up during the day and it is always fully charged by bed time, if not before. The actual torch bit offers a strong light which is centred in the middle behind a plastic panel. I doesn't light up the room too much but if aimed at a wall or at the floor, it does provide a nice level of light.

The torch holds a charge well and my son leaves it on all night usually. By morning, the light is still on but of quite faint as of course the battery life reduces overnight. My son likes having his torch to hand if he wakes up and needs to check his teddy is there or if he has a nightmare, he uses his torch to find his way through his room, across the hall and in for cuddles with Mummy and Daddy. The torch usually sits under his fleecy blanket and still provides a decent level of reassuring light for him.

Conclusion

After 18 months, the quality of this light is still very good. There are a few scratches on the light panel but the recharge still works and my son still gets use from it each night. It is a comforting thing for him to have and he always reminds me to put it on charge when he is at nursery. I haven't noticed a spike in electricity usage despite charging through the day and the unit doesn't get hot in any way. The torch is robust and has survived many drops. I keep the base unit on my sons small wardrobe thought it is perfectly safe to put on a cabinet next to a toddlers bed - we simply don't have plug space there.

Overall I am more than happy with this light. I feel £18.00 is quite high for this and I certainly got a bargain. Given the usage we have had, £18.00 would have been well spent. Recommended by me and my son.

Thanks for reading :)