I've been looking for cheaper (or more durable) alternatives myself. There aren't many options at any price range that will fit the proprietary niche which the Globrites use. After many months of research, I'm reluctantly sticking with Globrites.
Here's what I've found:
Florida Sunseeker PoolTones Small Face:
Only about $25 cheaper than Globrites. Maybe they'll last longer, maybe not. Might be slightly brighter than color-changing Globrites, but hard to say for certain since the company won't provide an actual lumens measurement.
Florida Sunseeker PoolTones Large Face:
Will need the niche adapter they sell for $20. Each light ends up costing the same as the Globrites I've found. It's said to be way brighter than the small face. People on here say they've had problems fitting it on fiberglass pools because Pentair's fiberglass niche is different. These lights also don't sit well on curved walls. (see other people's posts on here for more on those issues)
option #3.- some people switch to Pentair Microbrites, which are even more expensive and will need the Pentair niche adapter ($30). These are noticebaly dimmer than Globrites. Though people speculate they might be more durable.
All other nicheless lights I've looked into say they won't fit the Globrite niche. It's frustrating to be stuck with these niches. If I were starting over with a new pool, I would use an old-school big light under the diving board. For me lighting is all about the brightness it provides. I don't need the gimmicks, light shows etc. Finding lumens ratings on these things is a lenghty task. Sunseeker flat out told me they don't rate their lights in lumens. When I pressed further they sent me a generic light bulb conversion chart which doesn't take into consideration any variables like the "bonding" method they proclaim on their website to increase brightness. It doesn't take into consideration that a color-changing led isn't using all bulbs at max at once, which is why the White Only version of the Globrites is more than double the brightness of the Color-change model. I've owned both, and I would never go back to the color-changing version. To say wattage is a direct correlation to lumens just isn't true. Take Pentair's official rating chart for instance. They list their Globrite color-change bulbs at 23watts and 612 lumens. Whereas their White Only bulbs are rated at 15watts and 1300 lumens. So for my freeform, fiberglass pool with a need for bright light, I have to stick with Globrite once again. This time I'll try all the methods online to pre-seal them before I do the install.
Here's what I've found:
Florida Sunseeker PoolTones Small Face:
Only about $25 cheaper than Globrites. Maybe they'll last longer, maybe not. Might be slightly brighter than color-changing Globrites, but hard to say for certain since the company won't provide an actual lumens measurement.
Florida Sunseeker PoolTones Large Face:
Will need the niche adapter they sell for $20. Each light ends up costing the same as the Globrites I've found. It's said to be way brighter than the small face. People on here say they've had problems fitting it on fiberglass pools because Pentair's fiberglass niche is different. These lights also don't sit well on curved walls. (see other people's posts on here for more on those issues)
option #3.- some people switch to Pentair Microbrites, which are even more expensive and will need the Pentair niche adapter ($30). These are noticebaly dimmer than Globrites. Though people speculate they might be more durable.
All other nicheless lights I've looked into say they won't fit the Globrite niche. It's frustrating to be stuck with these niches. If I were starting over with a new pool, I would use an old-school big light under the diving board. For me lighting is all about the brightness it provides. I don't need the gimmicks, light shows etc. Finding lumens ratings on these things is a lenghty task. Sunseeker flat out told me they don't rate their lights in lumens. When I pressed further they sent me a generic light bulb conversion chart which doesn't take into consideration any variables like the "bonding" method they proclaim on their website to increase brightness. It doesn't take into consideration that a color-changing led isn't using all bulbs at max at once, which is why the White Only version of the Globrites is more than double the brightness of the Color-change model. I've owned both, and I would never go back to the color-changing version. To say wattage is a direct correlation to lumens just isn't true. Take Pentair's official rating chart for instance. They list their Globrite color-change bulbs at 23watts and 612 lumens. Whereas their White Only bulbs are rated at 15watts and 1300 lumens. So for my freeform, fiberglass pool with a need for bright light, I have to stick with Globrite once again. This time I'll try all the methods online to pre-seal them before I do the install.
