Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is a comparative review of three Maxxima night lights: the MLN-15 with 2 LEDs, the MLN-51 with 3 LEDs, and the MLN-50 with 5 LEDs. They are all similarly priced, and all have sensors to turn them on automatically when the room darkens. I was looking for a bright night light to illuminate a hallway for my elderly mother. Online product descriptions did not give me a good sense of how bright the different models were, and existing reviews raised concerns about whether they maintained their initial brightness over time, so I decided to find out for myself. I purchased two of each, plugged them all in side by side, and compared them by eye. I did not use any kind of measuring instrument, but I did observe carefully. The differences in brightness were not as great as I expected; the 2 LED and 3 LED models, MLN-15 and MLN-51, seemed quite similar in total light output, while the 5 LED model MLN-50 was a bit brighter. The members of each pair were initially identical in brightness. All of them produced enough light to enable someone to safely navigate a darkened hallway. I left one of each pair plugged in, and set the others aside as controls. After three months, I compared them again. My least favorite was the 2 LED MLN-15. It is the smallest (roughly 2" wide by 3" tall) and its bright white LEDs are enclosed in a frosted ivory enclosure, which gives it a slightly warmer light. There was no detectable difference in light output after three months of use. I did not like this model because of its sensor, which only turned off during the day when the room was brightly lit; it would come on when the sun went behind a cloud, and at night it would stay on even when the overhead light (two 60-watt bulbs) was lit. I liked the 3 LED MLN-51 somewhat better. It is larger (2.25" wide by 4" tall) and has a similar frosted enclosure for a warmer light. The sensor worked correctly. However, this model's light output was noticeably dimmer after three months of use, when compared to the control unit, although the difference was not large. My favorite was the 5 LED MLN-50. It is just under 3" square, and has a clear faceted enclosure, so its light is a bit cooler. Again the sensor worked correctly, and with this model there was no detectable difference in brightness after three months. This is the one I will be using in my mother's home.