Product Test: Varilight V-Pro

Chad Lamb of KG Electrical gives details of how Varilight’s V-Pro LED dimmer came to the rescue when a customer recently ran into dimming troubles.

What were your first impressions of the unit?

The Varilight V-Pro dimmer module is a good quality, nice looking product that’s very easy to use and install. It’s nicely packaged with the usual fitting instructions and guides. It can also be purchased as a grid module with a choice of fascias or on a wide variety of decorative faceplates to match the wider Varilight range. The V-Pro dimmer also comes with claims of offering a superior dimming performance when compared to similar products, so I was interested to see how it performed.

What type of job was the product required for?

The V-Pro dimmer comes with a decent reputation for universal compatibility across the market – from LEDs to halogen and incandescent light – and the ability to solve issues that are common to LED dimming. The customer in question had complained of flickering and buzz in two of the rooms in his house, which contained a combination of LED and standard halogen lights, so it was a good opportunity to put the product to the test.

Was the product easy to use?

I found it very simple to use and install. The ‘programming procedure’ does take a bit of practice to get used to but professional electricians really shouldn’t need any training to pick things up in a short space of time. There’s also a handy instruction video on YouTube if you get stuck at any point.

Are there any features of the product that you particularly liked?

The V-Pro dimmer really does work well with both dimmable LEDs and alternative lamp types and I like that it offers a choice of three programmable dimming modes, adjustable minimum and maximum brightness levels and a ‘drive’ mode for lamps that won’t illuminate when switches on at a low brightness, all of which helps it to achieve such impressive compatibility. The push on/push off switch action is also very smooth and fast.

Would you recommend the product?

Yes, in my opinion these are the best LED dimmers that I’ve come across on the market, aided significantly by the fact that they work with pretty-much every type of lamp. My customer has reported no further issues with his dimming and also stated what a difference he has noticed in light output since the installation. I think a happy customer is the best recommendation you can get!