Bon Charge Blue Light Blocking Bulb review

Red light bulbs in the bedroom can seem like setting the stage for a seance than restful slumber. But the Bon Charge Blue Blocking light bulb emits a red glow to prevent exposure to blue and green light, which can hinder sleep. We gave the light bulb a try to see if it really made a difference in our sleeping patterns or if it was all marketing hype. 

While it might not be the best fit for everyone, it could be a good addition to fold into your bedtime ritual. Here’s why. 

$20 at Bon Charge

What is the Bon Charge Blue Light Blocking Bulb? 

The Bon Charge Blue Light Blocking Bulb is a standard light bulb that you screw into a lamp next to your bed so you can more easily fall asleep at night. It emits a red glow that's designed to remove all blue and green light in your sleeping quarters.

So why a red light bulb? There's science behind it: Research reveals that exposure to any light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, which is the hormone that impacts your circadian rhythms and sleeping patterns. Light in the blue and green spectrum is known to suppress the secretion of melatonin the most severely.

Bon Charge—an Australian-based company that was formerly known as BLUblox and recently underwent a rebrand—also creates sleep masks, blue light glasses, red light therapy devices like an infrared sauna blanket, and sleep masks.

The Blue Light Blocking Bulb is intended to be a dimmer light. In other words, ideally you turn it on a few hours before you hit the sack and it should help get the melatonin in your brain flowing to fall asleep easier.

What I loved about the Bon Charge Blue Light Blocking Bulb

It has a calming effect

Initially, I was skeptical about how this light bulb could help me sleep. How could this red glow that created room vibes that more closely resembled something that could be found at a tiki bar or “Soul Train” dance party improve my bedtime routine? 

I turned it on shortly after preparing for bed. After testing it out every night for two weeks straight, I did feel a wave of warmth as I lapsed into slumber. After taking my usual sleep pills, which are a mix of melatonin, L-Theanine, GABA, and magnesium supplements, it took me about an hour or so to start to doze off. I didn't start to feel the effects until about a week after testing this out.

And to be fair, as someone who has a history of terrible sleep hygiene—admittedly, former me would often be found splayed out on the sofa, still in my work attire, with all the lights turned on—having an actual bedtime routine has been a game-changer. And having a light bulb that blocks blue and green light helps with the transition between busy monkey mind and quiet, calm time.

It isn't overpowering

The Blue Light Blocking Bulb is meant to be a dimmer light to help you transition to sleep, it has a low electromagnetic field (EMF) and doesn't flicker. It's been found that even low exposures to EMF has been linked to headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and depression. The light can be turned on for longer periods of time. I didn't find the red glare to be overwhelming or overpowering.

You have 30 days to try it

Bon Charge offers a money back guarantee. In essence, you can enjoy a 30-day free trial. You have up to 30 days to return items you purchased at full price for either a product swap, refund, or store credit. The same goes if you bought the item using discount codes from the company's newsletter or brand ambassador or influencer. However, if you bought the light bulb on sale, you can only get store credit or do an exchange. 

What I didn't love about the Bon Charge Blue Light Blocking Bulb

Doesn't help much if left on for the entire night

Out of curiosity, I left it on for the entire night. The bulb is designed to be kept on while you sleep (the brand claims it's safe to do so), but as someone who is very sensitive to light, I wasn't too keen on keeping it on for eight straight hours. Besides casting a cool, red glow in my bedroom, I don't think it really helped improve the quality of my sleep.

I tend to be bidiurnal, which is when I wake up in the middle of the night. I'm up for a short period, where I check emails and eat a snack or do chores. (I know, it sounds a little strange, but it actually was common in the preindustrial era.) Then, I'll fall back asleep. While the Blue Light Blocking Bulb isn't made to help with sleep disturbance issues, I was hoping it would help me fall back into slumber—but it didn’t.

I spent a few nights with the light on and some nights in pitch black. And during the nights where I had no lights on, I found it easier to doze off after waking up.

It requires an additional mechanism to shut off

This might be the case for any dimmer light that's designed to help you fall asleep, but the logic is that if I fall asleep, how can I turn off the light bulb? And wouldn't getting up to turn off the light bulb disrupt any hopes of a less-bumpy transition from awake mode to sleep mode? Your best bet is to set your Alexa so that it can turn off the lamp upon command. Or you can use a "clap-activated" light.

Should you buy the Bon Charge Blue Blocking Light Bulb? 

It depends. I think it could be a good item to have in your bedroom to help you fall asleep and a boost of melatonin flowing through your brain could support your going-to-bed efforts. If that's the case, that $19.99 per bulb investment could be worth it.

However, it would be best if you had a simple way to turn off the lamp or overhead light right before you doze off—an Alexa that could switch things off. I'd highly recommend trying natural ways of blocking light, such as blackout curtains, which require an initial investment but where you can save on the power bill. 

$20 at Bon Charge

The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.