Blinky LED jewelry and accessories
LED jewelry can add some much-needed illumination. Problem is, most of it’s cheap crap. There’s a reason LED jewelry is pretty inexpensive: Most of it is poorly made and not built to last. If you buy a dozen of some item, say a dozen LED bracelets, maybe only nine of them even work out of the box. It’s a bummer. Better quality lights are available on esty and for more money. Make the decisions that work for you.
LED Bracelets
I’ve found that almost every blinkie LED bracelet I’ve purchased has barely had a night of use in it, and they have been prone to break and fall off. They have been a waste of money, unintentional MOOP, and plastic and electronics headed straight to the landfill. I wish it were otherwise and maybe one day we’ll be able to buy cheap LED jewelry that lasts more than a night or two, but for now, that’s my assessment and experience: they’re MOOPy junk.
LED earrings and necklaces
Personally, I don’t like blinking earrings and necklaces because I don’t like the lights too close to my eyes. (It sounded like a great idea when I was staring at an LED jewelry website.) You may feel differently.
LED rings
I do purchase cheap blinkie rings. The jelly kind. They seem to last the longest, in my experience. They’re a super simple add-on for a little bit extra light, they tend to last several days or longer. And I can throw them in a backpack outer pocket for more light. Remember to turn them off at the end of the night so they last longer.
Extending the life of LED jewelry
One thing to watch for with blinkie lights is any point of connection, e.g. if a bracelet has a point where it secures on or off, it’s likely to break or come undone. Same with a battery-powered string of lights: the little case where the batteries go has a cover (most likely a very cheap, plastic cover). When you’re out riding your bike, jostling your backpack around or taking a coat on or off, these little covers can come off so easily (MOOP), the batteries can then fall out (more MOOP) and then the cheap little electronics inside fall out (even more MOOP), basically rendering your string of lights, or whatever battery-powered lights you were counting on to light you up, now trash.
Take the time to secure any connection points of plastic LED jewelry, bling or light strings with extra tape.