Sun and Moon solar powered jars review

Let the sunshine in

24 October 2008 14:00 GMT / By Katie Scott

There are plenty of solar lamps out there from sturdy models for camping through to the ones you stick into your flower bed.

But the Sun and Moon jars, which are available now from IWOOT, must win out in the dinkiness stakes.

As their name suggests, these solar jars, designed by Tobias Wong, take sunlight, store it up, and then, when the day is ended, glow. The Moon Jar gives out a gentle blue light while the Sun Jar gives out a mellow yellow glow.

But what’s novel about these is that they look good even whilst sitting on your kitchen window sill during the day.

And you also get a green badge for eco-friendliness as they have already won the Eco Friendly Gift of the Year Award because they use a "highly efficient" solar cell, as well as a rechargeable battery and low energy LED lamps. So you leave them in the sunshine, and then they will give out as much as 5 hours of light on one charge.

The jars have a light sensor so will come on as the sun goes down but there is an override switch inside the lid so you can turn off the light at night and conserve battery life if you want.

As we found out by mistake - balmy evening, soggy morning, they are also watertight so are perfect for the garden.

Also worth a mention is that the jars are safe for kids aged 5 and above so could make a great, low cost night light for any littlies worried about monsters under their bed.

Verdict

You can't go far wrong with the Sun and Moon jars, they are discreet and funky, providing an eco-friendly way to add a little atmosphere to any room, indoor or out.