Where are Blaze On Fairy Lights created?
All Blaze On fairy lights, candles and accessories are created by our in-house designer Lisa Durr, in collaboration with more than 20 groups of ethically focused artisans in Thailand. Lisa was an early pioneer of adapting Christmas lights for all-year-round use. This involved both improving the design of the light string itself and developing a range of looks suitable for every day. As an ethically focused business, it also meant respecting that our rural teams have a limited window in which to work with us; most production takes place between their rice harvests. This makes our products very special as we are only able to produce a limited amount in that time. Please see our About Us page and Loving Ethical Living page for more detailed information about our production model.
Does Blaze On's LED look the same as traditional bulbs or very different?
We are glad you asked, with LED the quality of the light can vary greatly. Blaze On has always custom toned its LED to emulate the magical hues of traditional bulb fairy lights. All our light strings are developed by our in-house colourist, Lisa Durr. Many of the off-the-shelf LED lights use white blue light. This is probably fine for parties but may be less suited for every day. Warm toned LEDs are a great alternative but do need to be 'tuned' very carefully. Cheaper models can be a little too yellow and impact negatively on the tone of the decoration. As we adore colour we are careful to tone our light to blend across the colour spectrum.
TECHNICAL QUESTIONS
What are the primary differences between traditional bulbs & LED?
The primary differences are in the energy consumption, running costs, safety and convenience. LED uses up to 90% less electricity than traditional bulb strings and is therefore more suited to all-year-round use. The running costs are further reduced by removing the need for bulb changes. Our LED makes use of fixed lamps which do not need to be replaced. This is more convenient, allowing lights to be displayed in more imaginative places.
Why did Blaze On switch to LED?
There are many wonderful benefits and savings. Energy consumption was less of a concern when fairy lights were only used at Christmas. As customers began to use our lights all year round, it became important to find a planet & pocket friendly alternative. At Blaze On we began developing our LED several years before the EU directive to phase our traditional bulbs. When that directive came into force in 2014 we were ready with a fantastic eco-friendly alternative.
Where can I buy bulbs for my old traditional bulb Blaze On strings?
When Blaze On switched to LED we made a good 3 year supply of traditional bulbs. Unfortunately these are now sold out and we are prevented from making more. Please do get in touch, as we may be able to help upgrade you to similar design in LED.
Would it be possible to add a switch to the lead?
It is certainly something that we’ve given a lot of thought. Sadly, adding a switch to the lead would increase the price of the product by an estimated £5. It would also make the product less reliable. As most customers are able to easily access the switch at the plug we felt the reduction and quality and increase in price to customers could not be justified. Please read on for solutions to this.
I cannot access my wall switch, how can I switch my lights off and on without removing the plug from the socket?
If you are unable to use the wall switch we recommend purchasing a remote switch. This simply inserts a little box between the plug and the the wall and then allows lights to be turned on and off by remote control. Remote switches are available on Amazon from approximately £5.
I live in Europe/outside of the UK, can I use the Blaze On adapter?
If you purchase directly from us online and your shipping address is in Europe, we will usually pop in a high-quality European adaptor free of charge. If you purchase from our shops in Camden feel free to ask staff to supply you with an adaptor. If you live elsewhere, please get in touch directly for usage advise.
AFTERCARE & CUSTOMER SERVICE QUESTIONS
Are Blaze On Fairy Lights covered by a guarantee?
Absolutely. Blaze On lights are triple tested. Light units are checked during production, again before strings are dressed and a final time before they are popped in their protective boxes and shipped to the UK.
Just in case, all Blaze On fairy lights are also covered by a full 1-year electronic guarantee, valid from the date of purchase. We will need one of the following proofs of purchase to process the exchange; the Blaze On order ID, a receipt, a bank statement or credit card statement. Please note, this guarantee does not cover the shades or decorations, only the electronics. We will also happily provide you with a free post label to return faulty product to our offices. Once your lights arrive back at Blaze On we are usually able to dispatch a replacement within 24 hours to anywhere in the UK.
If you have any suggestions of topics you would like to see covered on this page, we would love to hear from you. Email us at info@blaze-on.com or call on + 44 (0)20 8960 2023 if you'd prefer to chat.