The Luminoodle lights also helped to alleviate the eye strain that comes with watching a bright TV screen in a dark room; indeed, I noticed myself squinting a lot less than I do without any bias lighting at all. A more effective way to attach the Light Rope to anything is with the unique mounting ties. Although, this mounting option has its own challenges. If we are getting down to the nitty-gritty details, the metal hanging loop really requires an additional carabiner to be truly functional. This model has a waterproof rating of IPX6, but the USB port and plug are fully exposed to the elements and prone to getting crammed with dirt and debris. This model doesn't have the longest-lasting battery in its highest setting, so keep it dimmed if you need it to last for several nights. Even with those minor inconveniences, this model is an excellent option when you need a compact light that punches above its weight class. As I mentioned, the unit powers on as soon as it is connected to a power source. The Light Rope is very bright, which is great for some uses, but not all. On the unit I tested, there is no dimmer or on/off switch. Glow-in-the-dark doesn't work very well, hook on the bottom is not very sturdy, hard to reattach bottom after replacing batteries

The Luminoodle Is a Portable LED Light Strip | Digital Trends

The Ultimate Survival Technologies 30-Day Duro is a real marathon runner. While the manufacturer advertises 30 days of power, the lantern we tested ran for 33 days. Even on its brightest setting, it lasted nine hours – one of the best models in our assessment. It has a sturdy, heavy, rubberized, impact-resistant base. A nice addition is the frosted plastic cover that softens the light and makes it easier to look at (and the cover is removable when you need an even brighter glow). This model weighs just under two pounds with three D-batteries, making it a great choice for your picnic table lantern. If you've gone looking for an incandescent lightbulb in the last few years, you probably had a hard time finding one -- and for good reason! Those bulbs are far less energy efficient, far more wasteful, and often more expensive in the long run than their LED successors. Another change to light bulbs designed to improve energy efficiency was set to happen soon, but the Trump administration may prevent the plan from moving forward. And speaking of bias lighting, the Luminoodle’s other color settings could serve as a nice bias light when your TV is off—although again, you’ll probably need to supply your own USB wall wart to make it work if your TV doesn’t have an always-on USB port. Bottom line

Customer reviews

The ties are bright orange with nubs that allow you to adjust the length by pulling them through a small loop at the end of the tie. There is a larger loop to pull the Light Rope through.

Luminoodle USB Bias Lighting - Ambient Home Theater Light Luminoodle USB Bias Lighting - Ambient Home Theater Light

Besides allowing you to power the lights on and off or switch colors, the Luminoodle remote lets you cycle through a trio of modes that fade through all the various colors; you can control the speed of this “color fade” mode using a pair of additional buttons. The mode isn’t good for much beyond funkadelic parties or plain-old showing off, but it’s there. As soon as the Luminoodle is connected to a USB power source, it turns on. This made using the unit a bit problematic at times, which I will get to shortly. I found myself reaching for my trusty EDC flashlight a lot while trying to use the Luminoodle, which kind of defeats the purpose, but it may just be that I need a few more field tests or I have yet to have a problem that the Light Rope will solve. The Luminoodle Light Rope has a reversible USB plug which was a handy addition and was really appreciated when I needed to connect it to the power source in the dark.

A durable lantern with exceptional battery life for extended use that you can rely on when the lights go out This powerful lantern with a rechargeable battery (via electricity or a hand crank) is our top choice for camping trips and power outages

Luminoodle Color Bias Lighting - 15 Color LED TV Backlight Luminoodle Color Bias Lighting - 15 Color LED TV Backlight

We've tested more than four dozen lanterns over the last decade. For this review, we researched dozens of contenders and selected the most popular models to put to the test. We took them on camping trips, assessing how each performed for solo use, small groups of two to three people, and larger groups of more than four. We spent nights through simulated (and a couple of real) power outages, seeing how we fared with just the light of these luminaries. Brightness is the most important metric, accounting for the majority of each lantern's overall score – each lantern underwent eight specific tests to assess the brightness score alone. We measured battery life by timing how long each model could run on its highest setting. We weighed each model and also considered any bonus features or elements that add to their overall functionality. Finally, we consulted with a panel of professional gear testers to judge how intuitive each one is to use. By the end of our testing period, we have run 360 individual tests to assess our selection of the 24 best lanterns on the market.