Novelty Place Color Changing Mini Nightlight, Multicolor LED Mood Lighting - Night Light for Kid's Bedroom, Bathroom, Living Room - Battery Powered

What these mini lights are and why I tried them

I’m always looking for low-effort, low-heat ways to add a bit of ambient light in places where cords don’t make sense—kids’ rooms, hallways, inside a tent, or on a shelf for a party. This 12-pack of mini color‑changing nightlights from Novelty Place looked like an easy solution: each unit is about the size of a tea light, runs on a single CR2032 coin cell, and smoothly fades through a rainbow of colors. I used the full set across a couple of weeks in a child’s bedroom, a dim bathroom, along a hallway baseboard, and on a weekend camping trip.

Design, build, and setup

Each light is a small hard‑plastic puck (roughly 1.4 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall) with a diffused top and a flat base that houses a simple on/off switch. There’s no remote, no app, and no mode button—turn it on and it slowly cycles through colors; turn it off and it stops. That simplicity suits the size and price. It also means there’s nothing to pair, recharge, or update. All 12 units in my pack worked out of the box.

Build quality is better than I expected at this size. The diffused dome softens the LEDs into a gentle glow without obvious hot spots, and the seams are tidy. The base is stable on a flat surface; I could tuck them onto bookshelf edges and along a hallway without them wobbling. They’re light enough to scatter around a room, but not so light that they wander when you brush past them.

You get a CR2032 coin cell in each light. The battery is replaceable, though the compartment is tiny—plan on a careful hand, and keep spare cells on hand if you’re using these frequently.

Light quality and brightness

The fade effect is the standout. Instead of flashy party strobes, these transition smoothly through seven colors. The result is calming and more “ambient glow” than “disco.” The lights are bright enough to mark a path, accent a shelf, or provide a bedside glow, but they are not task lights. Think in terms of safe, portable tea lights with a gentle color cycle.

A few practical observations:
- In a completely dark bedroom, one unit on a dresser is enough to orient yourself without waking anyone.
- In a small bathroom, two units placed near the sink and toilet create a comfortable night route without harsh light.
- On a tent floor, four spaced along the edges provide convenient markers for late‑night shuffles.

Color rendition is pleasant—blue and green feel clean, red and amber are especially cozy, and purple is a nice in‑between. There’s no color lock, so you can’t freeze it on, say, warm white. If you need a steady single color (or white only), these won’t do that.

Battery life and efficiency

The manufacturer cites up to 120 hours on a single CR2032. In my use, real‑world life varied with environment and duty cycle:

• Continuous runtime test: a single unit left on non‑stop reached a clearly dimmer state after roughly two days and kept glowing faintly beyond that. Usable brightness for ambience was around the 40–60 hour mark.
• Nightly use: a unit run about 8 hours each night stayed at comfortable brightness for five nights before dimming.

LEDs mean the lights remain cool to the touch, even after hours on. That’s great for safety and for tucking them into fabric nooks or under translucent toys.

Two caveats:
- Coin cells aren’t expensive individually, but swapping 12 of them adds up. If you plan to run the whole pack nightly, budget for replacements or rotate which ones you use.
- As the cell drains, brightness fades rather than cutting off suddenly. That’s gentle, but you’ll want to check them before relying on them for navigation.

Everyday uses that worked well

• Children’s bedtime: One light inside a translucent toy bin or on a dresser gave a reassuring glow without overstimulating. The slow fade is soothing compared to blinking modes.
• Hallway and bathroom guidance: A couple along baseboards create a clear path for night trips without turning on ceiling lights.
• Camping: Four units marked the tent entry and interior corners nicely. They’re not weatherproof, so I kept them under cover; they stayed cool and ran all evening.
• Parties and decor: Clustered under a frosted glass bowl or along a shelf, they add inexpensive mood lighting. They’re ideal stand‑ins for candles where open flame isn’t an option.
• Play and sensory activities: Tucked under translucent blocks or magnetic tiles, the color cycling is engaging and turns simple builds into light sculptures.

Limitations and trade‑offs

• No color control: There’s no way to hold on a single color or choose white only. If you need a steady warm white for sleeping, this isn’t the right product.
• No brightness control: Fixed brightness means you can’t dim them further for ultra‑dark rooms or pump them up for larger spaces.
• Coin cell dependency: CR2032s are common, but using many lights nightly means frequent replacements and battery waste. These are best as accent or occasional-use lights.
• Small form factor: Great for portability, less so for lighting coverage. You’ll need multiples to fill a room with glow.
• Not water‑resistant: Treat them as indoor/dry-use lights. They handled tent life fine, but I wouldn’t leave them exposed to the elements.

Safety notes

Because these run on button batteries, treat them as you would any small device around kids:
- Keep spare cells out of reach and secure used cells immediately.
- Make sure the battery compartment is fully closed before giving a light to a child.
- The lights stay cool, but they’re small and hard; I kept them on stable surfaces or inside containers in a child’s room.

Tips to get the most out of them

• Rotate usage: Instead of lighting all 12 nightly, rotate a few to extend overall battery life.
• Group strategically: Three lights placed together behind a translucent object create a larger, softer “lamp” effect than a single unit.
• Path lighting: For hallways, place them low and out of foot traffic—baseboard edges or under a console table—so the glow reflects off nearby surfaces.
• Battery management: Buy CR2032 cells in a reputable multi‑pack and store them safely. If you’re using these primarily for travel, pull the battery or switch off firmly to avoid accidental drain in a bag.

Value

The combination of a 12‑pack, included batteries, and a smooth color fade makes these compelling for simple, cordless ambience. There are brighter, rechargeable puck lights with remotes and color selection on the market, but they’re larger and cost more per unit. There are also cheap LED tea lights, which are great for warm white but can feel one‑note and lack the soft rainbow fade. These sit neatly in the middle: more playful and versatile than tea lights, simpler and smaller than full‑size puck lights.

If your primary need is decorative or wayfinding light without wires, the value is strong. If your need is a dedicated, steady-color nightlight that runs nightly for weeks, a plug‑in or rechargeable option is a better long‑term buy.

The bottom line

These mini color‑changing nightlights are compact, cool‑running, and pleasantly simple. The smooth fade creates a calm atmosphere in small spaces, the 12‑pack invites creative placement, and the portability makes them especially useful for travel and camping. The trade‑offs—no color lock, no dimmer, and coin cell upkeep—are real, but reasonable for what they’re designed to do.

Recommendation: I recommend these if you want affordable, low‑maintenance ambient accents or portable guide lights. They excel at creating gentle mood lighting, kid‑friendly comfort, and flexible placement without cords. If you need a single‑color or white‑only nightlight with set‑and‑forget endurance, look to a plug‑in or rechargeable alternative; otherwise, this set is a practical, fun addition to your lighting toolkit.