I Tested This Cute and Rechargeable Viral Wall Sconce — and It’s Perfect for Renters

One of the most important elements of curating a space that feels like home is lighting — and often, it’s also the most difficult to get right, especially when you rent. Even if you own your home, electrical work can be costly, involve a lot of paperwork, and inevitably leave you with several large holes in your wall. Of course, there are floor and table lamps and plug-in sconces — but sometimes you don’t have room for one, don’t feel like breaking out the drill, or like me, just don’t have an outlet nearby. Enter: Poplight!

As a style editor, I’m always keeping an eye out and an ear open for new and trending products. Poplight’s rechargeable, stick-on wall sconces first caught my eye years ago, when they went viral on TikTok. Not long after that, Shark Tank reached out and asked them to come on the show — and ever since, this family-owned small business has been all over my feed. And I’m not at all mad about it! So I jumped at the chance to test out a Poplight sconce last month; now, I’m ready to share my take on this viral product. And trust me, the hype is real.

• Poplight’s sconces attach to the wall in a snap. If you can use a Command strip, you can install a Poplight.
• The sconces are dimmable, and have three color temperatures. You can control it via Bluetooth from their app, too.
• Poplight sconces are just as stylish as they are functional. There are eight colors to choose from.
• The brand is a small family business, LGTBQIA+ and women-owned/founded! 

While battery-operated sconces abound these days, Poplight is one of the best to ever do it. IMO, not many other models on the market come close to Poplight in terms of stylishness. The rechargeable sconces are available in eight colors (with Mushroom, their limited edition brown-ish taupe shade, joining the lineup most recently), and their modern silhouette is both distinctive to the brand and classic enough to work in many spaces.

This light couldn’t be easier to install, and of course, its main draw is that it’s renter-friendly. Your Poplight sconce can easily move from wall to wall as your needs change, or from apartment to apartment as your leases change.

Poplight has held up really well for me so far in the month since I installed it! I was skeptical when I first saw the size of the adhesive strips on the back, and because I have plaster walls — but once I installed it correctly, I had no issues. The instructions are super thorough, and the base even has a built-in level. You can completely transform the vibe of your space with Poplight in under five minutes, without ever having to even think about your toolbox. That’s a win in my book. 

At first I also worried that the battery would run out quickly and I’d find myself constantly needing to charge it, but that hasn’t been the case either. I’ve probably charged it two times at most over the course of a month, and it does charge up fast. The battery lasts for nine hours, according to their site. I don’t use mine all day every day due to its location in my bedroom (which these days stays light until around 8:30 p.m.), but if you plan to have your Poplight be a central light fixture in your home, you could just keep it plugged in with the long matching USB-C cord, like a regular plug-in sconce.

• App-controlled & easy set-up: I loved that you’re able to adjust the brightness and color of the light from the app. It couldn’t be easier to set up, either — the longest part was just waiting for the app to download! Papers included with the packaging show exactly how to install the light (with photos) and provide a QR code to install the app.
• Extra long, matching USB-C charging cord: The sconce comes with a USB-C charging cord that matches the color of the fixture itself. I love being able to easily spot my Poplight charger in my drawer, and thanks to its length, if you’ve installed your sconce near an outlet and want to make sure it’s always ready to go, you could even leave it plugged in. Add a few Command clips and the cord could make a nice design feature.

When you set up your Poplight, just read the instructions. Admittedly, I am one of those impatient people that often ends up with a backwards IKEA bookshelf or a few too many holes in their wall because I apparently can’t be bothered to read the instructions. 

Poplight could not make it easier to understand and follow their instructions; they even have video tutorials on their site — so do not be like me! I did install it incorrectly at first, simply peeling the back off the adhesive strips and pressing the Poplight into the wall. It ended up slipping a few hours later. I re-did it according to the instructions, which took maybe an extra two minutes (at most), and have had no further issues — thankfully, no damage was done to the light when it fell, either.

I did also test a proper removal a few weeks later to see if any damage was done, and am happy to report that there was none! The adhesive strips are just like Command strips; simply pull down on them gently (after separating the light from the base, of course) and you should have no issues. Granted, this was only a few weeks after install, but I don’t think you’ll have any problems relocating your Poplight after a few months or years, either. I reinstalled it easily with some fresh Command strips I had on hand. 

I think Poplight is a great choice for lighting in many different circumstances. I am notoriously trigger-happy with a drill, so I have in the past tended to opt for more permanent options like plug-in sconces, and begrudgingly dealt with the holes to patch up later (you can actually see some of those consequences on my wall below the Poplight; clearly, I’ve been too lazy to paint.) I definitely wish I had found Poplight before doing all that. I would most recommend it for: 

• Renters! Could not be a better, faster, and less-damaging option for lighting your space; and rentals sadly often suffer from the dreaded Big Light™ and/or fluorescent bulbs
• When you need a light somewhere too far from an outlet, or where the cord would be an eyesore
• Those who need a rechargeable light but enjoy warm-toned lighting
• Those with a modern or mid-century modern aesthetic, or who are looking for a pop of color 

• Poplight, $99.00
• Amazon, $99.00