Lighting up your child’s room

It’s fun setting up a nursery or toddler’s room. You’ll begin with the basics: feeding chair, compactum, cot – maybe a nice rug or bookshelf. And then there’s tech to consider: what monitor should you pick? Does it need a video? Should it work with an app? Are you interested in sound? Movement? Music? More?

But the one aspect new parents don’t always take into account is light. While a lamp is usually a necessity, the brightness (or adjustability) should also play a deciding factor in what you choose. You have to think about where you will be feeding the baby. If you’re bottle-feeding, for example, how much light do you need to mix up the formula in the middle of the night, and, if there’s a power failure, do you have an emergency light?

After considering all of the pros and cons of lighting up both a baby’s and toddler’s bedroom (and going through a fair number of options, some cuter than others), the Philips Disney LivingColors Micro range stands out as a petite, not particularly expensive option that’s both fun and functional.

First up, these are mood night lights that are capable of creating 64 different colours. It’s really easy to choose the colour. There’s no remote control or app; you simply slide a finger along the colour strip to choose a tone – that’s it. And they’re small enough for kids to change the colour settings themselves (it’s fun to show off to friends, and if they’re pretending to be under the sea or in the jungle, the soft colour only adds to the creativity). There is also an automatic colour display option.

What we also really like about these is that, while some lamps are designed for children, not all are made for children. The Philips LivingColors Micro lamps are durable – hello shatter-resistant plastic! – are cool to touch, even after hours of use, and come with a binder to prevent potentially dangerous and loose wires. They even have an adjusted lens that can help to prevent glare, something researchers are now saying can prevent the brain from fully developing.

You can buy the Philips LivingColors Micro lamps on www.globug.co.za for R399 each.