Bosch Connected LED Area Light Brings Bluetooth Controls to Your Cordless Lighting
Strap the new Bosch Connected LED area light to the bottom of the rafters without worrying about having to physically go to the light to control it. With Bluetooth capability, you have full control of the light from the comfort of your phone or tablet.
Bosch On The New Connected LED Area Light
“Bosch is always looking to create a smarter, more efficient jobsite, and the new 1,200-lumen smart light does just that. Not only does the GLI18V-1200C make it easier than ever to illuminate an entire jobsite at the touch of a button, the CORE18V battery gives it enough juice to last throughout the workday, even at its brightest setting.”
Charlie Chiappetta, product manager, Bosch Power Tools
The Bosch GLI18v-1200CN comes chock-full of helpful features for the jobsite. Starting with the actual build, Bosch designed a roll cage and an IP64-rated protective housing.
It produces up to 1200 lumens to brighten up your workspace, yet it’s small enough to carry anywhere. Five set-up positions let you find the best angle for maximum coverage. It also has a fade-in function that slowly increases the light to its full brightness so you don’t “flash-blind” yourself.
The Bosch Connected LED Area Light can run an entire shift with the Core18V 8.0 Ah battery. At full power, you can expect 10.6 hours of light. Turning the power down only increases the runtime—up to 17.3 hours of runtime.
Perhaps the crown jewel of features here is the light’s Bluetooth capability. Bosch designed this light on its Connected platform, meaning that you can connect it to your smartphone or tablet through the Bosch Toolbox app. From there, you can turn the light on and off, adjust settings, set a timer, and check the battery level.
The Bosch Connected LED Area Light, as a bare tool, retails for $99.00. It comes with a 1-year warranty on the tool, though that warranty can be extended to 3 years if you sign up with Bosch’s free Provantage program.
Thoughts on the Bosch Connected LED Area Light
First of all, I LOVE that Bosch made this a connected light that doesn’t require a separate module to buy. For $99, you get a task light that has a lot of output with app-based controls. Other lights in the same lumen ballpark creep up on that price without any smart controls.
The light itself is pretty clean and neutral, maybe with a slight lean to the blue side of the spectrum. Overall, the output is excellent when you’re working in low- or no-light conditions and need to take a small area light with you.
Despite the fact that there’s no pivoting action, you do have angle options. Sitting the light on its natural base, it gives you a slight upward angle. Flipping it upside down, it’s slightly down-angled. Moving it onto either of its sides, you get a higher up angle and lower down angle. There are also 3 hanging points for a nail of screw and tripod threads if you want to go that route.
Bosch’s soft fade-in function is an interesting addition. It just takes a couple of seconds to come up to full brightness and it’s a little easier on your eyes as they adjust. What do you think—helpful or just a novelty? I’m curious to know, especially if you’re using this light.
Bosch Connected LED Area Light Specs
- Model: Bosch GLI18V-1200CN
- Max Brightness: 1200 Lumens
- Bluetooth Range: 100 ft.
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Warranty: 1-year/3-year with Provantage
- Price: $100 (Bare Tool)
