DazzlingStage 9600mAh wireless uplights review

Twelve battery uplights with app and DMX control, at a price most couples spend on all their decor.

Specifications

Specifications above come from DazzlingStage's published product specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

• Battery power means no extension leads taped across a dance floor, which is the single practical reason to choose wireless uplighting at a wedding.
• Six hours at full brightness covers a reception, and a single colour wash runs for 26 hours, which is what most weddings actually use.
• RGBWA UV gives you amber and warm white as separate emitters, so a warm champagne wash looks warm rather than orange.
• Wireless DMX with a stated 1,000m range means one controller can run the whole room without a receiver in every fixture.
• The charging percentage on the LCD, on and off, removes the worst uplighting anxiety, which is not knowing what is left in the battery.

Where it falls short

• Sixteen hundred and sixty dollars is more than many couples spend on all their reception decor combined. Uplighting is very often cheaper to rent, and DJs frequently include it.
• Twelve fixtures is a venue quantity. A small hall may only need six, and a large one may need twenty, so the pack size is not automatically the right number.
• Six hours at full brightness sounds ample until you set up at 2pm for a 6pm reception and leave them on. Set them and switch them off, or set them to a single colour.
• App control works over Wi-Fi at a stated 20m, up to 40m in the open. Across a big ballroom you will be walking toward the fixtures to change them, or using the wireless DMX instead.
• They are par cans in cast aluminium housings, and they look like stage lights up close. Plan to place them against walls and behind furniture rather than in the middle of a room.

What owners report

Event owners consistently report battery uplights transforming a plain hall more than any other single decor purchase, and consistently report the same two problems: not having enough of them, and forgetting to charge them the day before. Reports of the app being functional rather than elegant are common across every brand in this category. Cast aluminium housings draw good durability comments against the plastic alternatives.

Before you buy, price the rental. Our string lights vs uplights comparison covers which effect actually changes a room, and string lights vs venue lighting covers whether the venue's own kit is enough. Then check the decor line in the wedding budget calculator, because at this price uplighting is a category rather than a detail.

Who it suits

• Large venues and blank halls that need the walls doing something.
• Anyone hosting more than one event, where the cost divides.
• Receptions where running mains cable is impossible or unsafe.
• DIY couples who want to control the room colour themselves during the night.

Who should skip it

• Single weddings where the venue or DJ will rent uplighting for a fraction of this.
• Small rooms that need six fixtures rather than twelve.
• Couples whose decor budget is under $1,000 in total.

Alternatives worth considering

Common questions

Is it cheaper to buy or rent wedding uplighting?

For one wedding, renting is almost always cheaper, and many DJs include a set of uplights in their package. Buying makes sense if you are hosting several events, if you plan to resell afterwards, or if the venue's rental quote approaches the purchase price, which does happen at larger venues.

How many uplights does a wedding need?

It depends on the room's perimeter and how far apart you want the pools of light. A common approach is one fixture every 8 to 10 feet along the walls you want lit, which means a small hall may need six and a ballroom twenty. Measure the walls before deciding on a pack size.

How long do battery uplights last on one charge?

DazzlingStage states 6 hours at full brightness, 8 hours in auto mode and 26 hours on a single colour. In practice most weddings use a single static colour, which is the longest of those figures. Charge them the day before rather than the morning of.

Do uplights need a DMX controller?

Not necessarily. These support automatic mode, sound activation, master-slave linking and app control as well as DMX512. For a single static colour across a room, master-slave or the app is simpler. DMX is worth it if you want cues that change through the evening.

Keep reading

• String lights vs uplights
• String lights vs venue lighting
• Wedding budget calculator
• HOLDLAMP rechargeable par lights review
• BloomTrend 3D flower wall review
• Gold candelabra centerpieces review

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.