I have two main requirements for a new product for my kids. It has to be practical, and it has to be cute. Okay, amend that, I have lots of things that aren’t practical but are cute (can you hear me, Hello Kitty mini water cooler?). I’m mostly concerned with adorable little products for my adorable little monsters.
As soon as I removed my ladybug PalPODzzz from the package, I knew I’d hit the cuteness jackpot. I couldn’t wait to plug this happy little guy in and just stare at his friendly glow (and, of course, reflect on what a good mother I was for providing the girls with flashlight for their comfort and safety). So now that “he” had passed this first (and most important) test, how did he fare on functionality? As it turns out, this is one practical little bug.
First, some of the specs. The Sylvania PalPODzzz (okay, the name stinks) come in two flavors, ladybug or rocketship. They are essentially combination nightlights and flashlights. The charging unit glows when it gets dark, and the flashlight comes on automatically whenever you pick it off the charger (or during a power outage, which is a nice feature). You can also use it like a regular flashlight, with the on/off button. On a full charge, it should shine for about five hours, which is pretty impressive – and I love that it requires no added batteries.
It’s design is meant to be kid-friendly, and there’s no doubt that it is. That was, perhaps, the one real drawback for me. To my kids, a flashlight is one thing – a toy. And since they share a bedroom, it’s a toy to be fought over. So our PalPODzzz became a fixture on the kitchen counter, somewhat defeating the purpose. This shouldn’t dissuade you too much, but keep in mind that your kids might defy your best plans to provide for their well-being (as always).
All in all though, this is a fun, well-made product. It’s about $20, which was pretty reasonable for the quality, and the LED light is apparently very energy efficient. In fact, Good Morning America featured it as one of the year’s best new green products. And it’s not just for kids – I’ve used it myself a couple times at night when I didn’t want to turn on the lights, and wanted to check on the little ones. And of course, most of all, it is very, very cute.
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