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Welcome to the practical side of OLED lighting. You've probably already held an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) mobile device in your hand or enjoyed such a digital display on your big screen television. This enhanced technology has merged into the home lighting sphere. And why should you care? Because OLED picks up where LED leaves off.
Long-lasting LED lighting was the new kid on the block after many of us had already switched our incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescents (CFL).
Though the CFL's did save energy - basically what they were supposed to do, our love affair for these mostly swirly bulbs was anything but perfect. In came the LED's to save the day.
What is OLED lighting? From a non-scientific person's observation, if you take light-emitting diodes (LED's) and add an organic conductor component, you now have an OLED, which in a nut-shell, translates into better digital displays and clearer, easier-on-the-eyes lighting. For those of us who loathed the low beam of the CFL's in our reading corner, OLED's may be just what we're looking for.
The aerelight A1 is a good example of OLED lighting. It's a desk or table lamp with an ultra thin lighting panel, plus a secondary feature that makes it super practical for our 'smart' lifestyles. This lamp was intriguing to say the least and since I spend several hours at my desk each day, I wanted to check it out. Keep reading for my evaluation.
Product description of the aerelight A1 OLED Desk Lamp with charging base:
- Ultra-thin OLED light panel
- Natural soft glare-free light for zero eye strain
- Touch controlled tri-state dimming
- Anodized aluminum frame
- Available in red, black or grey
- Does not emit ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) light
- Base is accented with American walnut
- Hand-crafted in Canada
- Watch You Tube video
- Wireless charger for compatible devices
- MSRP: $299
- Learn more about the aerelight
- Buy from Amazon
- Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
The light panel is about 4.25" square, super thin and the lamp overall has a slim high-tech style that will blend into any decor. The rigid 2.25" wide arm keeps the lighting panel positioned about 10" to 11" above the desk and the base has a reasonable weight to make it stable.
The design of this lamp especially the slant of the arm was well thought out, to keep the light focused on the task at hand. I positioned it to my right and it projected light for an area of about three and a half feet square, illuminating more than I really need. By design, the light behind it is dim.
This is a touch lamp - there is no on/off switch. In fact, if you try to move it, you'll be turning it on or shutting it off. There are three intensities of light, which allows dimming. The illumination is conducive to working with a warm and comforting light that's not taxing on the eyes.
Sound good so far? Aesthetics aside, here's the really important stuff. The OLED light panel has an expected life of about twenty years (the life of the lamp) with no bulbs to replace. Ever. It uses between 1 watt on low to 9 watts on the highest setting, and more than 80% less energy compared to a traditional incandescent bulb.
But there's more. The base's significance is that it can charge compatible Qi wireless and PMA 1.5+ protocols supported devices (see list). Some smart phones might require a charging case; others do not. Unfortunately, I was unable to test the charging feature, since I could not find a charging case for my iPhone 4 locally. And none of my visitors had a compatible device.
Overall, I love the style of this desk lamp and especially how it brightens my desk space. It does however, lack one of my must-haves - a flexible neck. The price for this cutting edge OLED lighting will not likely fit everyone's budget, but those who love to be on the cusp of emerging technologies will no doubt enjoy this lamp.
Confirming that you can charge your devices on the base is recommended so you enjoy this lamp's dual functions - essential energy efficient lighting and practical wireless charging.