Great balls of light
Moonlight USA is bringing European light orbs to the U.S. market. What do you think of them?
From Jonathan Gast, San Francisco, California Just a bunch of crap to sell rich people. There is nothing eco-friendly or great about the design. Woopee! It can run on rechargeable batteries; anything can run on rechargeable batteries.
Granted, the company will probably make money off of the rich people niche, who needs a new toy to play with, but otherwise…it is what it is. A light. And nothing about it makes me think new technologies were used in its creation.
From roger. los angeles brilliant.
simple and brilliant
From Suzanne Marketa, stl MO I have these balls and have loved them every minute since I got them five years ago. Unless you see them on and in the right setting, You have no idea how beautiful they are. I can say they are and have been worth EVERY PENNY. and if you cant afford one, or many, dont complain to everyone about the high cost. For those that want something fabulous in their yards, this is the product!
From Bob, Long Beach California A lot of complaining about finding them cheaper somewhere else. There appears to be a market for these, even at the prices stated. Sounds like they found a niche. Good Luck!
From Jean-Marie, Milwaukee Wisconsin A bit disingenuous to photograph the orbs in snow when the product can only withstand a low temperature of 40 degrees Farenheit.
From Marc, North Bergen, NJ This idea is not new. Druids used bluish purple glass orbs with candles in them suspended by leather straps as lanterns and lamps over 2000 years ago. Glass and candles are more environmentally friendly (if you use real wax candles with real natural fiber wicks) then these things. Mentioning nothing about the bulbs or energy consumption they cost.. 300 dollars for a round frosted bulb cover? These people are smoking crack… Personally I will stick with my reproduction roman oil lamps. A gallon of olive oil and 20 or so cotton wicks and I could light my home for two or three weeks if I wanted to (and proper trimming of the wicks and they emit no smoke or soot). And what are we running cars on today to be environmentally friendly? Vegtable oil… 3000 year old technology today…. PS They're made of clay, so will turn back into the dust from which they came.
From Luna, Sioux Falls, SD Hello, Beth,
I bought them from now-forgotten landscaping catalog, but if you look for "solar floating globe" or "solar pond light" you can find dozens. They seem to have gone up since I bought them but they are still not $300!
Here is one for $36: http://www.earthtechproducts.com/p162.html?productid=p162
For people worried about Chinese products, this place has a $50 model available from another German manufacturer in solar:
http://www.grandinroad.com/jump.jsp?&itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=759&k=ZZ50882
I have seen 12-inch versions at Home Depot. My aunt found an indoor model at Walmart last year in the dorm room lighting area (which she had to mention because it was called a Luna Light or a Luna Lamp or something similar.) ;) Target has one in their online shop for $25.
You can even get little 6 inch ones in clear at Amazon if you're going for more of a Christmas-light look.
I wish this guy luck but he seems to have hit on this idea way too late. Once Target and Walmart are stocking similar products it's too late to start on the high-end models. Technology, baby-names and fashion all work on trickle-down adoption. Nothing trickles up. People who can afford these will be late-adopters. I just can't see it happening.
From Beth Atlanta GA Hey Luna, Where did you get them from. I think they are adorable, but too expensive.
From rick muscatine iowa I hope the product is better than the website. NOTHING much works on it, obviously thrown together in a hurry by unskilled developers. Need to find a good web development company, but that would be expensive, just like the product. Quality must not be a priority.
From rick muscatine iowa Nice product but ridiculously priced if the article projection is correct. Too bad, but the price will ruin the product for anybody who doesn't have money to trow away.
From Luna, Sioux Falls, SD I dunno, this new company is importing a product which already exists in several styles and forms in the US, including a solar style which I purchased 6 years ago for $14.95 ea, with a weak dollar and a looming recession, then making it less energy efficient in the current political climate, then charging at least 20 times as much for the cheapest model. Are they TRYING to go out of business?
From Holly, Hubertus, WI Awesome decor for anyone and anywhere…a wonderfully genius idea. Subtle, yet contemporary, elegant but unobtrusive….
From Kadie, Deming, NM Can we count on this company to listen to the consumers?
Sounds like we would support a solar powered moonlight ball made of recycled materials with a price that reflects the "real" cost of production and reasonable profit.
From Derek, Denton, TX 325 to a 1000 dollars? Yeah, good luck with that.
LEDs with solar power could trump these over-priced pieces of plastic. Just the other day I bought a LED lit teddy bear for 20 bucks at Toys-R-Us. That bear probably costs more to make than one of these.
From Alice, Halethorpe Maryland They remind me of glow globes from Dune…. I agree with the others. These could be much cheaper and much more environmentally friendly.
From Nate, Dallas TX great. more energy sucking devices for the rich.
From Hannah, New York I feel like these would be great for party organizers and restaurants! Especially considering that they're able to function on rechargeable batteries ^__^ I feel like a lot of outdoor late-night parties might use them, or places that need less light but a more romantic feel (like bars or discotheques). I wish I could afford one though!
From Camilla Delsid, Redding, California Just wunderbar.
Beautiful things are meant to bring pleasure to the senses even when they do not make sense. That is one defining factor of the Arts. Logic, reason and functionality are usually not part of it.
From Derffie, Clifton Park, NY simple business 101.. you have no barriers to competition.. you will be chewed up by vietnamese knockoffs after you've burned through all your investor's monies creating the market…
next up color globes.. that change and pulse to the music.. and here we are in 1968 all over again..
so first we will see the pretentious posers who have money to waste… followed by tacky neighbors who enjoy polluting the visual environment…
From Joe, Orlando FL The Moonlight Globes are not new they have been available in the US for over 6 years through this web site http://www.luxuryhomeproducts.com
From Dieter Kondek, Moonlight USA, Cape Coral, FL Many of you asking for a US web site for Moonlight which is:
From Charles Browne I checked out their website. It's the most obnoxious, self-important and useless website I've seen in at least a year. I mean, come on — it plays music that's only 4 bars long and repeats it endlessly! Music on porn from the 70's is better!
From Amy, Las Vegas NV VERY beautiful and a neat idea! Too bad they're so expensive. $325-1000 each is not something most people would want, particularly in today's economy. But an AWESOME idea!
From Virginia, Portland, Oregon Very striking, however, too expensive and the idea of making them in China is disgusting. Don't need another product made in China – ugh! And not very environmentally friendly. Anyway, solar is the way to go.
From Josh, Kansas City, MO $325.00 for $0.10 worth of blowmolded polyethylene? Wow.
From Ben, Boise, Id Beautiful idea, but they should be solar or alternatively powered to be truly brilliant. Love looking at the pictures, but constantly charging the batteries or plugging them in takes a little away from it for me.
From Jay, Chicago, IL Too expensive. I've turned my $20 IKEA "ball" lights into multi-colored glowing orbs by adding an LED base. I can change the color remotely, or simply dim/brighten white (or colored) lights. Cost me $250 for 8 of them, plus a couple hours of tinkering. Man, I should sell these at $250 each — cheaper and better than this junk.
From B Williams These have a couple of problems. One, most of the light goes up, so it is wasted and creates light pollution in the sky. Second, they use batteries or wired electricity. Why not solar?
From Anonymous Sounds like another fad. The price is out of line with what most Americans can afford, but look for the idea to be stolen and reproduced at a much more affordable cost. I think the glowing orb would be a boon for the photography industry.
From Tom Meyers I don't get it; they're bulbs inside of plastic spheres…what's so innovative about that? If they talked or did laundry, that would be different.
From Corey, Fort Worth Texas I think these will quickly become the new target of destructive American teenagers. These orbs are more expensive and would probably be "cooler" to smash than the traditional mailboxes and Christmas lawn decorations. What a waste of money and energy.
From TH, Chicago IL they look really cool. artsy and relaxing. i just wish they weren't so expensive!!! or else i might just buy one. i guess i will wait for them to show up at Wal-mart :)
From Jake They look great! I would love to have a few. Unfortunately for the entrepreneur featured here someone in China has started production already and will sell them for $14.95…
Made by children in a toxic plant.
Dont mind the lead.
But hey at a $325 discount…. Who cares right?
From JERRY LISTER THESE LIGHTS ARE COOL, HOWEVER IT LOOKS LIKE A FAD TO ME…. AN EXPENSIVE FAD AT THAT.
From Florida I think they are beautiful…pictures and words do not do them justice!
From Sue, poplar bluffs, ar Oooh! Another trifle for us pampered, over-stimulated, but recession-bound Americans
From ALAN LUTKUS, BRATENAHL, OHIO Well Moonlight Lamps are eerily lovely, and if inexpensive would probably be everywhere in a few years.
However priced as dearly as they are, only the really rich can afford the extravagance of more than just a few.
Im thinking that if internally the orbs contained pv cells and LEDs the things could be made more of a green
wonder and self-sufficient lighting adjuncts to yard and home.
From Mary, Phoenix AZ a little pricey, and not so novel.
From Mary, Portland, Oregon These are absolutely amazing! I would love to get some.
From MD Audubon, NJ Gorgeous glowing globes gobbling gobs of $Gs – definitely not a "green" product however lovely to look at, but not for me!
From KB Middletown, Ohio stupid waste of energy and money
From Paul, Rancho Cucamonga, CA For the rest of us…
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2041
From George, Phnom Penh, Cambodia They look great, but you haven't explained what is remarkable or new or different about them. You actually haven't described the light or the material at all, except in vague terms. How bright are they, how could they light a room, how much power do they use, what size batteries, what sort of bulb, etc.? Also they are, as others have pointed out, pretty expensive. And it would be better to have them self-recharging using solar energy. They look environmentally friendly, but actually they're not.
From Debbie, Austin, Texas I would love to see these in person. They look great, although I probably couldn't afford them. P.S. the temperature range given in the article said Minus 40 F to 170. Not 40 F.
From Ben Dover Washington, DC You write that the light can operate in an environment down to 40 degrees F. Most of the US reaches temperatures below that. You didn't catch that?
How long does a light burn before it needs to be charged again? Who would want to move one of those lights around to recharge it? All in all the price seems a bit high considering there are so many alternative options.
From Alex, Seattle WA These are absolutely amazing! I don't know if they have a practical in-home use (especially at the current price) but I can see them around a landscaped yard, garden or pool for some ambience.
There are loads of homes (and even new condo towers) with amazingly landscaped gardens around Seattle, I can see these being a bit hit here.
From darryl, baton rouge,la the orbs are nice for wealthy homes, that is where the market is.
From SEC, Arlington, TX Great product, but can't find any mention on website of USA operation. "News" link takes you to article posted in 2006. "Contact" link refers you to only their Germany office. Overall, the article seems to be dated by 2 years. I'd love to discuss product with representative, but I'm not calling Germany……..
From George, Blacksburg, VA these great balls of light can be bought at the large swedish furniture store. however, they are offering only one size, about a foot in diameter, made out of glass, included is a bulb and wire, costing a few bucks. these balls of light can be used for target practice, its fun to shoot at.
From J, Washington DC Rechargeable batteries eventually stop and need to be thrown out, adding toxic chemicals to land fills that WILL eventually leak out. Plus the hardwired into an outlet option has power coming from Coal (which pollutes, EVEN "clean" coal), Hydroelectric (which destroys ecosystems), and Nuclear power. The odds it's power coming from Solar and Wind are very small and even if they are coming from an Eco-friendly source that’s power could have been making its contribution to cleaning up this world by powering something more useful.
The power needs of lighting, while not the “main” contributor to pollution, is adding to pollution on a massive level. We need to have non-power wasting lighting (lighting that only shines as bright as NEEDED and only WHERE needed). There should be a TAX on this for adding to pollution and an electric bill tax for wasting power. If you want this then you pay for its damages not the rest of us.
Every little bit contributes to pollution, so consider the cost of this "beauty." Don't forget to include the fuel for overseas shipping then the shipping to your home.
Plus a polyethylene globe can be broken easily (there at a nice kicking level and they look like nice seats when half buried) and will just end up in a land fill, plastic in a land fill won't ever go away unless some one removes it from that land fill.
They also would be great target for thieves who would then sell this designer light on eBay.
The only reason they use the misnomer "moonlight" is that they don't want us to think of solar power. The moon just reflects the suns light for those who think the moon just naturally glows.
From Steve, Lansing MI I can't see them being anything more than a fad for bored people with money to blow. If they are bright enough to provide any useful light, they are too bright to be comfortable on they eyes. The photos are interesting to look at but I can't see much use for the product around a typical home.
From Susan, Ashdown, Arkansas They are absolutely fabulous but I am an artist afterall. Of course I would love them. I can't afford the price, though, and I have enjoyed all the other comments, especially the one about the moon not making it's light. Good point! Thanks for giving me a good laugh for the day!
From david olson waterville mn i'll buy a dozen…at $50.00 ea.
From Carla Kansas City, KS I think if they were solar they would be great of landscaping. Like the other have mentioned Radio Shack has the means to make something like this.
From Brian, Farmington, MI These are actually pretty cool, but not 350$+ cool. If they come out with a solar battery version, then I might be willing to get some glow balls. Otherwise I have a Radioshack across the street and could just make my own.
From Elena Haskins, Grass Valley, CA Beautiful.
They would be wonderful for enchanting videos.
Solar recharging sounds like a good idea.
How sad that so many nasty comments have been posted. No one is forcing anyone to buy anything here. Perhaps your rancor would be more appropriate for remarks about the war in Iraq or tax rates.
From megawatthunter All i can say is TACKY. Just like those giant inflatable XMAS and holloween decorations they have now. I hope to god I dont see my street littered with those things. Just goes to show you can make anything and someone will buy it.
From E Presley My balls are brighter, albeit a bit hairy as well :).
From ERIK, FORT MYERS, FL DIETER,
WE HERE IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS ART DISTRICT ENJOY YOUR BIG GLOWING ORBS!!!!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK…..
LOVE,
DOWNTOWN FORT MYERS
From Seattle, WA At $350 ~ $1000 a pop I am not sure I would leave these on my front lawn for the neighbor kids to kick down the street, I'll wait for the $30 knock-offs from China coming in several weeks.
From Cheryl Fox, Dallas, TX I think they are gorgeous!
From Ross Williams, Grand Rapids MN Do you charge for advertising?
From Marcus, Dallas, Texas $3.20 for 1 gallon of gas.
$50.00 for 1 tank of gas.
Why would I spend $1,000.00 for a "glowing ball" when I can make the thing for pennies? Besides.. it's so Euro-trash!
From R Gray, Dublin, Ireland It seems Fortune are specialists in Ball-oney these days.
From Parent Hmm- I like them, but my son made some last year for a science project with LED lights bought cheaply from a local store, and a couple of light weight children's rubber balls from a discount store. Do the project with you child, save money, and put them on your porch.
From greg harrisburg,pa. I love them. I would buy one in a heart beat.. I think there great… greg
From eb. San Antononio, TX Sorry, but I won't buy something from a person who's so ignorant that they think the moon creates its own light.
From Tom Ness I intentionally live in one of the darkest, least-populated areas of the US, southwest Oregon. I delight in the starry nights and dark mountains around me. It is only marred by the fools in the valley below me who think they have to blow off electricity (made by burning coal in Wyoming)into the night sky to light up their yards all night, every night. I will know electricity has finally gotten expensive enough when those lights begin to wink out one by one.
From Dick, Mesa Arizona Too expensive for the results that are shown. Malibu has better options
From Linda, Roselle IL Just what we need more light pollution. It is amazing we can see the stars at all.
To top it off, these are just ugly.
From Ken Columbus, Ohio I predict they will become widely used in the U.S. The price is a little high. But I love the concept.
From mountainview, ca He says "They create light like the moon," but the moon does not create light, it reflects light. Silly Germans!
From Tim, Denton TX Excellent — I'm always glad to see the, shall we say, less bright members of the wealthy class get taken advantage of. I especially like the way that all the photographs are taken without any people in the picture. Most likely if there were people, it would be obvious that the light is shining in their eyes and that they can't see a thing.
I'm amused by the poster who says that "well designed functional products" are more pervasive in Europe. If this product is functional, I'm a gila monster. Only someone with no concept of lighting design whatsoever would use these for any purpose beyond making oddball photos.
From jared beautiful, but really overpriced. visited the website and you can't even get ordering info. they need to work on the website before they get a write-up on CNN. I would buy them if they were about half the price.
From Benjamin Luther, Pittsburgh, PA One poster commented that this is an example of superior European design. Do the Europeans have no creativity? Globe shaped lighting has been around for hundreds of years and a quick trip to Home Depot will turn up many light globes for about $20.
The biggest surprise is that CNN Money/Fortune chose to cover this. I would guess that we are seeing a good example of how business connections work. Someone with a poorly conceived business idea calls his good friend at Fortunes and gets vast quantities of free advertising.If I were the editor of CNN Money, I would be angry that this was allowed to slip through.
From Joe – Toronto – Canada In todays time and all the talk to save an energy? This is one of the worst idea…!! We take one step forward and 3 back…!! We all, SHOULD know that solar is the way to go…!
From Anonymous The concept is so simple. I love the visuals.
From Buc Bau, Trenton, NJ With the dollar as weak as it is, importing high-end products from Europe is more or less the opposite of a good game plan now.
From Marita Palo Alto CA Can you imagine Moonlight integrated into the landscape of gardens of Richard Neutra or Joseph Eichler style houses – especially when used in a composition – They look so great!
From Erin, Minneapolis, MN Steve, that's minus 40 degrees, not 40 degrees. That's why they are shown in the snow.
From bob, clifton park, ny nice but i think i can build one for $20. $350-$1000 is high
From TD Morin, Galisteo, NM Solar would be the only way to go with this…please make it work!
From Dieter Kondek, Moonlight USA, Cape Coral, FL Thanks for all you remarks about the Moonlight Products.
These products have low energy consumption (5-23 Watt), and they are also available with LED's, integrated sound system and rechargeable batteries.
Today the production is in Germany but we are planning to manufacture the products also in the US very soon, to insure we are able to deliver the most reliable and highest quality level products.
From Yash, Charlotte, NC very nice product, looks beautiful,but is expensive.
From dave, cape canaveral, fl I like the product and see several useful applications for it. For greater appeal, I would like to see small versions for indoor use. Moonlight is refreshingly new, pleasing to the eye, and practical in a real world sense. However, the price is excessive.
From Jason-Milwaukee Brilliant! Is the product made from recycled materials? America=small business. Good Luck.
http://www.greenbugz.com
Recycling Today For A Greener Tomorrow
From JLC Fort Wayne, IN Although nice to look at, I'd much rather buy stock in this company.
From Joseph Loch; East Greenville, PA How sad! Another piece of worthless junk in bad taste that can go next to the deck and outdoor gyms of the Mac Mansions that the middleclass American can't afford and shouldn't even have.
From jan martin dallas texas I think they are amusing, creative, fun. Design is appreciated more readily in Europe, I believe, because well designed functional products are more pervasive; raising the overall level of sophistication to appreciate the beauty of this type of product. We should support classes of art and culture in our schools, support our museums and artists, and architects so that our lives can be enhanced.
From Duane, San Antonio, Texas We all need to remember the greatest product ever sold … the pet rock. Low on cost, low energy consumption, environmentally friendly, and made out of recycled materials.
This just goes to show that P. T. Barnum was right when he said "There's a sucker born every minute". Some people will buy anything…
This product already exists in the U.S. and is solar powered.
http://www.smarthome.com/3312.html
http://www.cetsolar.com/anycolorglobelight.htm
From Charles Oxford, Sherwood, AR. They are cute and neet…but extremely overpriced.
From Theresa Van Laeken, Winchester, VA Another stupid product for our wasteful human society…do you want your house lighted?, get solar lamps!
Great balls of waste and pollution!!
From Leo Blanco, Winchester, VA Bad idea, bad design. If the balls work with solar energy during the night, and re-charges during the day. That's a good idea. This is another bad product in our markets, to pollute more (plastic) and waste more energy, (burning electricity generated from fossil fuel). I do not get it….and we have still people that will buy those stupid things. What's next lighted squares!!!
From Shana Reno, NV I think they are fun! Geez…. they use rechargable batteries get over it!!!
From Steve Doob, Durango, CO The description of the balls says they are good at temperatures between 40 and 170 degrees fahrenheit. So, how come there are picture of them in snowy landscapes? Do the balls turn blue when cold?
From drhall/bearcreekresearch BearCreekResearch sees great potential in the hotel lighting, playgrounds, offics and some home yards for aesthetic value IF the ball were made of RECYCLED MATERIALS and LED lighting.
The typical retail purchasing price … should be around $98 to $149 bucks.
From Erwin, Signal, Wyoming Far too overpriced and uses far too much energy. It's an opaque ball with a lightbulb in it. The key to classy, well designed lighting is a design in which no one notices the lighting.
It would have been smarter for him to design one himself and contract that manufacture out to China like the Germans did.
Any snob who pays the high price of these thinking they are getting the 'Mercedes' of outdoor lighting gets fleeced.
From Matt, Boise ID Do we really need one more way to burn fossil fuels? Given the high price of oil, the fact that we buy oil from some of the worst regimes on earth, and oh yeah, that little thing called global warming, I think it's reprehensible that people are designing products to waste energy.
I purchased these for my pool, they rock. Yes, they are expensive, but they are practically indestructible. Not sure what to make of the "uses energy" comments, they use CFL. 7 watts at that. I you want your run of the mill $99 home improvement lamps, go ahead.. these globes we will have for years.