Bell + Howell Bionic Spotlight: Illuminating Your Outdoors – Our Review

I bought a house recently. (!!!!) I can’t explain how big of a milestone this is to me — I’ve always felt like home ownership was totally out of reach for my generation, and financially, I didn’t think I’d be able to make it work. But after a lot of patience, saving, and luck, I found a house in a good location for a good price, AND I actually like it! I’m so excited.

But one of the first things I started thinking about was home security. With the down payment and my mortgage, I don’t exactly have the funds for a sophisticated or high-tech security system. Yet I also want to protect the home that I’ve spent so much time and money preparing for!

I wasn’t sure what to do until one of my friends suggested the Bionic Spot Light. I had never heard of it before, but looking back, buying it was one of the easiest and simplest things I did in the entire house-hunting process. It’s been worth every cent.

What Is the Bionic SpotLight? 

The Bionic SpotLight is a motion-activated light that perches next to your garage, pointed into your backyard, or basically anywhere around your home that you want to be lit up at night.

Picture any other motion-activated light system, and you’re probably picturing something similar to the Bionic Spot Light. It detects motion up to 25 feet away and automatically turns on an LED light to illuminate the area.

What Sets the Bionic Spotlight Apart?

There are a few things that set Bionic Spot Light apart from other motion-sensor light systems, and I want to explain those so that you’ll understand why I’m so obsessed with this system.

Solar-Powered

First of all, the Bionic SpotLight is solar-powered. All you have to do is set it up so that the solar panels are in the sun during the day, and it will be 100% functional on its own, with no batteries or wiring required.

To me, solar-powered anything is a no-brainer. I am by no means an electrician, handyman, or DIY’er of any type, so saving that step of figuring out how to get power to the spotlight is a huge bonus for me. Plus, solar power is eco-friendly, and it saves on my electricity bill. So I was a huge fan of that aspect.

I suppose if you live somewhere that doesn’t get a ton of sun – like, in the Arctic Circle – this might not be the product for you. But I’ve found that even just three days of sun per week are enough to charge up my spotlights and allow them to function just fine. So I’d recommend these to almost anyone, regardless of weather pattern.

Resembles a Security Camera

Second, the way the solar panels are positioned over the spotlight almost perfectly resembles a security camera. They’re just the right shape and angle that someone who doesn’t know any better might assume it’s a typical camera-spotlight security setup, and in my mind, that assumption of security is almost worth as much as a whole security system itself.

It’s like having a “Beware of Dog” sign on the fence — you can’t actually see the dog, but the risk that there IS an aggressive dog present is enough to keep you out.

Let me be clear, the neighborhood I’ve moved into is by no means a “bad” neighborhood or dangerous. It just feels risky to have no real security for my brand-new home, and my Bionic Spotlight system feels like the perfect compromise. Not only does it LOOK like I have a high-tech security system around my house, but even the lights themselves are a great deterrent.

If someone is creeping around my house at night, I’m going to notice, because my lights will turn on! And even if I’m not awake, any would-be criminals will still be thrust into the spotlight. To be precise, 600 square feet of LED light. That sounds like a pretty good deterrent to me.

So this system is really a best-case scenario for me. The price point is super reasonable (and MUCH more affordable than more sophisticated home security systems). I feel secure in my home and secure in the knowledge that I’ve taken steps to protect myself.

Convenience

Another benefit that I didn’t really expect from this product is that it’s just NICE to be able to see in the dark! I didn’t have a garage opener for the first three weeks of living here, so I had to get out of my car and physically type in the garage code to open it up. Having my Bionic Spotlight automatically turn on and light up my driveway as I did so was great.

If I see that it’s going to rain overnight and need to bring in my patio chairs right before bed, I can go outside and see everything I’m doing under the spotlight. I imagine if I was a griller or had bonfires in the backyard, I’d appreciate it for similar reasons. No one wants to fumble around in the dark.

Weather-Resistance and Guarantee

I’ve only had my Bionic Spotlight system in place for three months, but so far, it’s been awesome. They’re weather-resistant and have already survived a couple of brutal storms. They also come with a five-year guarantee, so I’m not worried about needing to replace them in the event of damage.

I got 25% off my purchase by buying six at once, which I think is just the right amount to cover all susceptible areas of my house. I have one outside my garage, one on my porch, two over the patio, and two pointing out in the backyard. In my opinion, if you’re going to use the Bionic Spotlight system for security, investing in more than one is the right idea.

If you’re worried about the installation process, rest assured it’s super easy. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m by no means a DIY’er. The handyman gene skipped me, apparently. But all you need to do to set up each spotlight is screw them into the wall, post, siding, or wherever you decide to mount them.

In other words, all you need is a drill or a good screwdriver, and you’ll be set. It was easy for me, and if it’s easy for me, then anyone can do it.

Is Bionic Spotlight Worth the Money? 

Listen, I know I’ve gone on and on about this product, but I just really am blown away by how much bang I’ve gotten for my buck.

The quality of the LED lights, the large activation range (up to 25 feet), the fact that they’re solar powered and don’t add to my electric bill at all, plus the way the solar panels actually look like security cameras — I feel like I’m getting so much out of such a simple product, and it’s really been a relief after the stress of moving and buying a home.

Another thing — Bell + Howell offers a 90-day money-back guarantee, so if your spotlights aren’t quite doing the trick for you, you can return them for a refund, no problem. Although I will NOT be returning mine, it was nice to know that I could if I needed to. A good refund policy is definitely a source of relief for me when I shop online.

If you’re considering any type of home security system or any sort of motion-activated lights, I really cannot recommend the Bionic Spotlight enough. From one consumer to another, this product is well worth the money.