Where's The Off Switch? (Glade Wisp)

Member Name: cyberem78

Product:	Glade Wisp
Date:	22/12/08 (192 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It is safer than a real candle. Provides regular fragrance.

Disadvantages: Overpowering aroma. There is no off switch!

I am a dog owner and really need odour control products in my household! My usual product for combating bad smells would be a regular aerosol can spray freshener. However, whilst shopping recently I saw this Glade Wisp Flameless Candle on special offer reduced to £4.99 down from £14.99. I was actually shocked at the original price as I thought the reduced price was still quite high! I did think that the high price must mean this was a high quality product though. This was a starter pack and contained one refill perfume bottle which would need to be replaced when empty.

I was interested by the claim that this fake candle delivers a puff of fragrance every five seconds or so continuously and thought this might be a brilliant way to keep my living room constantly smelling fresh. I also liked the idea of a flameless candle as I am always fearful of burning my house down when I light real ones for an atmospheric or meditative effect.

The product is comprised of a large glass vase candle holder. This is opaque glass and measures just over 4 inches high. At it's widest part it is about the same width across. This glass vase is quite sturdy and has a smooth, non scratchy base. The 'candle' is a plastic contraption which must be placed inside the holder after assembling. Shaped somewhat like a large christmas candle the plastic insert has a main section where the batteries are placed in the base and an oil perfume bottle is fixed into the top. This is then covered by a plastic sheath. At the base, near the battery section there is a fragrance control lever which allows you to regulate how often the spray is pumped out of the candle. There are five levels.

The candle is easy to assemble and took me only a minute to do so. When mine was set up the fragrance control lever was set to the highest degree of fragrance and it began to work immediately. A small wisp of fragrance is dispensed into the air every 5 seconds or so. When this happens, the candle lets out a tiny squeak - you can only hear this when standing close to it. The wisp of spray can be seen faintly smoking out of the top of the candle holder.

The candle has another feature in that when you push down on the plastic candle the whole unit lights up and glows orange-yellow supposedly like a real live candle. Inside the holder the candle has a Halloween lantern effect and looks rather orb-like. It does not really look aesthetically pleasing unless you make your room very dark.

The fragrance of the candle is very intense and actually started to catch in my throat after about an hour, even set to the lowest level of fragrance. When I went to turn the candle off I realised, rather stupidly, that there was no off switch! This candle works non stop until the batteries run dry! I couldn't cope with the amount of perfume in my room so I had to remove the batteries and leave the thing in an untidy heap on my table top.

Whilst the candle delivers regular fragrance day in day out I do feel a little choked up by the power of the aroma. I also am not keen on the idea of my room being bombarded by chemicals 24 hours a day. I am not really happy with the candle as it does not look great and has no 'calming effect'. I also feel it should have been made with an 'off switch' so you can choose when you need to use it. A high priced product and I feel there are better and cheaper alternatives on the market.

Product information can be found at the official website:

http://www.gladeflamelesscandle.com/

Summary: A fragrance releasing candle by Glade.