I have seen many of these UV lights that are fake. How sure is Woot on this product.
Great for âhome AND office steering wheels.â
Faaantastic!
If these can actually be used to disinfect stuff, theyâre actually kind of dangerous(not hugely so, but treat with caution/respect). Video on warnings and safety here: How to use a UVC germicidal lamp SAFELY. - YouTube
It must be UVC 180-250 nanometer wave length. The wattage will determine the speed of âcleaningâ process.
Strongly suggest that anyone thinking of buying this (or anything marketed as a UV sanitation product) first: (1) Confirm it is short-wavelength UVC; (2) research safety risks for skin and eyes; (3) research exposure times needed for effective sanitation; (4) research potential for ozone production, and safety risks of ozone exposure; and (5) research effects of UVC on objects made of plastic and rubber.
Hrmm⌠No mention of UVC, just their âUVCleanâ feature. They must have reverse- engineered the UVC spectrum and produced a knockoff. Lolz. Also for the real UVC wands, the disinfection isnât instant, usually a couple of seconds hovering over the thing to sanitize with the light. If it is legit and it does sanitize instantly, which is doubtful, then you better be wearing safety glasses otherwise youâll go blind. Buyer beware!
There is no proof of the efficacy provided here for this product. I believe the claims made in the advertising are hyperbolic and I think it unwise, perhaps unethical even, for Woot/Amazon to sell this without proof of its efficacy to as stated, âInstantly degrades viral and bacterial cell membranes killing them on contactâŚâ
Total length: 115cm
Cable length: 88cm
LED Module model: 3535 UVA+UVC 270-275nm+ 2835 395nm
LED qty: 3+6
LED Module Power(W): 3W
Beam Angle: 120 degree
Material: AL+PC
Dimension(mm): Ă18*L255mm
Product Life Time: 20ďź000hours
A bit of basic math for this âInstantâ sterilizer. At a distance of 2" from the surface an IDEAL 3w UVC light would need more than 33 seconds of sustained light, without movement, to kill 99% of even sensitive E. Coli virus. Considering that Covid-19 is harder to kill than that, youâd expect to double it for safety. Anthrax spores take 8x as long and salmonella is 2.5x. So, even if this is 100% efficient, it is hardly effective at cleaning any real space. ( I do understand that UVC breaks down Nucleic Acid, rendering the microbes unable to reproduce. The term kill is loosely used.)
One of the photos mentions the wavelength range of 260-280 nm, which is UV-C range.
Also, notice this eBay offer which is a lower price and has more details:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/UV-Wand-Advanced-UV-Light-Germ-bacteria-virus-Sanitizer-Killer-Travel/274331647762?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225086%26meid%3Df54cbf35deb6434992253d91c1928f9a%26pid%3D100623%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D202955932380%26itm%3D274331647762%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100623.m-1
That smacks of effort. Iâm in for 3, and will leave them unplugged in my garbage from Woot drawer, just to be safe.
The part description for the 3535 LED module does indicate the 275 nm wavelength, which is in the UVC range that is supposed to have the most effect for sterilization. Iâm most confused about the combination of the UVA modules as well â not just why they are also included, but how weâre supposed to figure how much of that 3W is being used by each. If thereâs only one 3535, this could mostly be a black light. Good for raves and much safer to use, but not all that effective for killing nasty stuff. Only having read a few paper abstracts, Iâm not even sure what the recommended exposure time is for 3 full Watts of 275 nm to get decent germ killing.
Tl;Dr: I have no idea if this is a deal, or a complete waste of $40.
It has long been proven that if you repeatedly whack a germ-covered surface with a light stick, the germs will fall off. Thatâs basic science.
Found this on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/DSstyles-Lights-Handheld-Lamp-Tool/dp/B086DP4XTF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=B086DP4XTF&qid=1586584929&sr=8-1
Not sure how I feel about this⌠
[mod: 0 reviews and 0 ratings on the vendor. Just be csreful]
Well that 2835 is responsible for the pretty purple color - the color that tells you itâs working. 
Stated power level is really low and no good data on the wavelength. Big thing for me is the AL+PC for material. Is the tube made of polycarbonate? If so then all the short wavelength UV isnât getting out. Tube needs to be quartz to pass UV effectively. Most transparent plastics cut off around 350 nm. Soda lime glass is pushing any effective transmission at 275 nm. Itâs maybe 15-25%.
These types of devices have been around for years, yet suddenly, for some reason I cannot fathom, the market is being flooded with them.
That alone makes me worry about them. Amazon is currently flooded with devices like this one, and I know of no way to easily check UVC output without buying an expensive detector or staring directly into the bulb.*
*Donât stare into the bulb
This product, and its writeup, seem sketchy to me.
First, its length is 115CM? Thatâs 45 inches. Look at the pictures. So, if they canât even get the physical dimensions right, how are we expected to believe the technical specs?
Second, their use of terminology makes me suspicious. Regarding the killing of âgerms,â there are three distinct terms: sanitizing, disinfecting, and sterilizing. Theyâre not the same thing.
Read about the differences here: https://cmcleaning.com/2018/11/the-easy-difference-between-disinfect-sanitize-and-sterilize/
Sterilization is the highest level of cleanliness. Surgical implements are sterilized, often using an autoclave. At the other end, the toilet seat in the Peter Pan Motel outside of Bakersfield gets sanitizedâmeaning they got some Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Bowl Cleaner and wiped it down with a brush. Based on the way the product info is throwing all three terms around interchangeably, it seems like the marketers of this product are either woefully ignorant, or donât care.
TLDR: Claims of sterilization seem overinflated to me. If Iâm having surgery, I donât want the scalpel cleaned with Scrubbing Bubbles.