Just about a year ago I introduced you to a Hong Kong based small company that makes LEGO compatible light-bricks. (See my previous review here: LEGO Light Bricks – More Options!) At that time they only produced clear casings for the light bricks with different color LED bulbs to provide variety. Since then they have released a second batch of their products, and this time the casing is also in color! 🙂
Just like the clear versions that I reviewed earlier, these LEGO compatible light bricks also come in two sizes, 2×3 and 2×4 studs, and they come in 6 gorgeous, fully LEGO compatible colors: trans-yellow, trans-orange, trans-red, trans-purple, trans-blue, and trans-green. The LED bulbs inside each light brick matches the color of the casing, so for example the trans-yellow brick has yellow LED, and the trans-red brick has red LED. The only exception to this is the trans-purple brick, which has the same blue LED as the trans-blue brick.
As I have mentioned in my previous review, these custom LEGO light bricks are compatible with LEGO with studs on top and tubes on the bottom that fit together with LEGO perfectly. As you can see from the picture, the smaller 2×3 light brick is almost the same size as LEGO’s own light-brick. There is a slight difference in the height and width of the light bricks, so encasing them fully could put some stress on your LEGO bricks. However if you leave them enough room and just stick them on top of studs, or under a plate or something, they work just fine.
Each of these LEGO compatible light bricks are operated with 2 small LR41 15v cell-batteries (the same ones as in the official LEGO light bricks). The batteries come with the light bricks when you purchase them, and they can also be replaced via a small door at the side (this is a bit tricky, but once you get how it works it is easy, and to be fair; replacing the batteries in the official LEGO light bricks is also a bit cumbersome – fortunately LED lights use little power so no need to replace the batteries that often). There is a recessed on-off button to turned the light bricks on or off.
These LEGO compatible light bricks are produced by a small LEGO customizer LightUpBlock.com. (Just follow the link to get to their website.) Both the 2×3 and the 2×4 versions are $2, a very reasonable price, and about the same as the price of the official LEGO light brick. However the official LEGO light bricks only come in two colors; amber and red, so these custom light bricks can give you more options to light up your LEGO creations.
I really like to play with light bricks (who doesn’t?), so I use these in my LEGO creations all the time; red ones to light up my evil wizard tower, lighter color ones to brighten up LEGO houses on the inside, and I also have a multi-colored one in my dwarven cave. And of course they are also great for vehicles, spaceships and more.
I hope this review helps a bit to show you what options you have for lighting up your LEGO models. If you have any questions, comments, feedback, feel free to share them in the comment section below. 😉
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
I don’t really like the light bricks all that much but for those who do, this is a great option! I would love to see someone use these for a 1:1 scale Lightsaber; or even a smaller one, they would work just as well.
I might have to try that! Great idea! 😛
Most of my MOCs are too small for light bricks or don’t need them. If you want to use light bricks, these are great colors! 🙂 I recently researched LEGO Electric parts, and there have been 4 different light bricks: 2 red, 2 white. Those are the piece color, the LED light is always orange. 😐
Also, i was reading this earlier, he was wondering what people think about Creator Expert’s classification, it seems complicated:
http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/14838/creator-expert
Yes, there are two LEGO light bricks, one in a clear casing and one in red casing. The clear one glows an orangish yellow and the red one glows red. As you said; the LED inside is the same. Also, they are quite limited directionally. They glow strongly towards the front, but not so much the other sides. And the bottom is gray plastic, so it doesn’t glow that way at all.
One of the reasons I like these custom ones is that the whole body is translucent plastic. It glows better in every direction. And the color selection is great! I like them very much. I wish they would do a better job though on the sizing. As I mention in the article, if you want to fully enlose them they can put pressure on the other elements. I mean I can work around it, but when I want to fit them into tight spaces, I would need a better fit.
I also make mostly smaller MOCs. One time I built an entire mini volcano on my red light-brick! 😀
I have three red bricks (a UFO, the Orc Forge, and Orthanc). These would come in use, because, like you said, LEGO’s just points straight forward, which has interfered with some MOCs I have made.
Wait, do these have a large button on the side like LEGO’s kind?
Look at the pictures again; you will see that there is a small white button on the side. It is flush with the side, so it is not sticking out like the big button on the LEGO lights.
I can see why people don’t like the Dark grey bottom, but the reason it glows strongly in the front is because there’s a hole there that the light is directed to. In most sets light bricks come in, the light coming through the holes is the important part. But to make them glow all directions, then, yeah, these custom ones are better. But the sizing is a problem, if they made them slightly shorter and thinner, it would fit fine. I think the size of a 2x4x1 2/3 brick is the best size for them. 🙂
Also, most of my MOCs are built out of sets, so they don’t last long. Although I do have a mini Millennium Falcon and Mini-fig scale Y-wing fighter. 🙂
Wait, do those custom light bricks’ On-off button click on and click off, or just sense pressure?
Both have their plusses and minuses, so I prefer having them both. I wish LEGO would provide a larger variety of light-bricks as I was always fond of light-up MOCs, but since they don’t these customs are a great option.
In regards to your question, the on-off button does both on the custom light-bricks. If you slightly push it in you can hold it on or off, and if you push it in deeper it will click into place and will stay on. The LEGO light-brick is only pressure sensitive, so you have to build some other means to keep it on, which is really not that difficult.
We are moving and we are trying to get rid of some legos and I have an action for 200+ and a minifigure right now its $6 with 40 minutes left if anyone is interested! http://www.ebay.com/itm/221430524983?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
I’d love to use these. I think they could add a lot to some different applications like, light in an arcade, light up a space set, or even make for a cool disco theme for a club!
Kim, yes, those are great ideas. My favorite one is the one that changes colors. That would be great for an arcade! So far I have used them for interior lighting and also as a disco dance-floor. 😛
Hey gang, I wanted to share that I bought The LEGO The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Treasures set last night and I… LOVE IT!!! The Flounder mini is one of my favorite LEGO pieces. Can’t wait to get the Magical Kiss set. Right now at Target if you buy any Disney Princess LEGO set you get a free Rapunzel polybag, I sold one when it first came out for about $7, so I’m gonna sell the one I got yesterday and offset the price on my TLM set.
Funny, I just gut Ariel yesterday too! I absolutely love her! I also have a couple of the Repunzel polybags. Her hair piece is so lovely and works really well with regular minifigs too. 🙂
Yes, I too love Ariel, but you know that already (LOL) … and maybe I will keep that Rapunzel after all, I do need to differentiate my Lion princess from my Crown princess
I think they should sell an Ev3 light brick, and the only action would be to change colors depending on the program. It would be limited as to robot usage, but it would be a fun way to add light up colors to a windstorms robot. It could also be used with the color sensor for a chain reaction, for instance you could tap a touch sensor which triggers a red color which triggers a color sensor which does something. Or you could tap a touch sensor twice for a different color, or something like that. While a slightly more complicated way to work with the color sensor, it would eliminate the need to carry around colored bricks to use or something like that, while at the same time giving a cool light. I know the color sensor does give some light, but a element like this for Ev3 would be better just for that purpose.
I would really like this to happen! I very much like features that make my LEGO move, light up, etc. Last time I was at Target I saw a building toy similar to LEGO that was specifically about lighting up in various ways when you connected the elements. I know LEGO representatives mentioning before that the reason they are not getting into electronic parts more is because of the cost, but they could make stand-alone kits that would fit with regular LEGO, so if people want to light/motorize/etc. their sets they could. I know I would buy a bunch of them! 😛
I do like to order one.