This $11 Book Light Is the Secret to Keeping the Peace Between My Children at Bedtime

We live in a small bungalow and my children, 8 and 10, share a bedroom with a bunk bed. More often than not, one of my children wants to stay up and read (how can I say no to that?) while the other insists they’re so tired they will absolutely die if they don’t go to sleep that very moment. Cue the fight. 

And while experts say sibling rivalry is completely normal by all means, I’ve found one way to simmer this nighttime madness: an $11 book light from Amazon. 

When we made the initial move from toddler beds to bunks several years ago, I installed plug-in sconces above each of their respective beds. These make great lights when they’re in simultaneous reading mode. Otherwise, even with a low-light 20-watt bulb, without a doubt, the other will protest that the light is too bright. “Like the sun,” they’ll insist!

We finally found a simple solution: This little VAVOFO reading light! It checks all the boxes.

• It’s available in multiple colorways. My son chose a black reading light, and my daughter chose red.
• The clip is solid and durable. My children clip it to more than just books. They each have a wall-mounted IKEA bookshelf in their bunk. If the light is too heavy or clunky for a particular book or comic, they’ll just clip it to their bookshelf and adjust the angle. My daughter sleeps on the top bunk, so sometimes she’ll attach it to the bed frame. And because my son sleeps on the bottom, he’ll occasionally hang it from the slats overhead. 
• It has three (three!) settings, from dim to super bright. Going back to my original predicament! The adjustable neck makes it easy to focus light, so it doesn’t bother a child trying to fall asleep. 
• It has a long battery life. The battery also stays charged for up to 70 hours on the lowest setting, and eight on the brightest. Either way, it’s rechargeable via USB, flashing when it’s running low on juice. 

Not only do my children use their book lights on a daily basis at home, but they also pack them when we travel. Highly recommended!