STAUBERBest Bulb Changer with PowerLatch Extension Pole (Large Suction, 4 Feet)

First and foremost, this product works very well. I quickly changed 6 BR-30 bulbs in a small fraction of the time it would have taken me to do this using a ladder. There are a few things I learned along the way that may help others.1. The suction cup is the right size for BR-30 bulbs.2. The cloth is essential. Cleaning off the bulb first massively improves the suction. I maybe spent 2 seconds dusting each bulb off.3. Suction is improved by getting to cup on center or close to center. If you off by too much, the cup can come off. I did not find this to be an issue.4. You have to be really careful not to accidently pull the string. The string is probably too effective. It takes very little for it to break the seal.--the tricky part is the string tends to wrap around the pole as you turn the pole--it may be easier to leave the string off while unscrewing the bulbs (you only need the string when screwing the bulbs in).5. My bulbs were not stuck in any way. I am not sure the suction cup would work as well for bulbs that have been overly tightened or are otherwise stuck.6. I got the sense that the higher the light was from the ground, the more challenging this would be to do.--Make sure the pole is long enough where the lower end is below your shoulders or lower for better control.7. It is really easy to do, but you have to pay attention to what you are doing while you are doing it. It felt kind of perilous to me as a first-time user. This is one of those things where if you did it often enough, you would probably be very good at it and a lot more confident.I can see why some reviewers have issues with the suction. It works fine, but it would have felt better if it was easier to get a stronger grip. This may just be a function of practice.The company offers a variety of attachments to connect to different types and sizes of bulbs. I think it is really important to get the right one. It would be nice if the company could provide better guidance. I had to go off site to verify I had the right cup size for my bulb.I am on the fence with the price. It seems expensive for what it is. That being said, the pole is well-made, and I expect it will outlive me.

The hardest part of this thing is getting the shrink wrap off! Follow the intuitive instructions and it's a piece of cake. Took about two minutes to dust and remove the old bulb from a 9-foot ceiling and replace it with a new one. No hauling ladders or step stools. Great for old people who are wobbly--that's us! Can't recommend it enough.

Trying to decide which devise to buy was frustrating, They all make claims, reviews may or may not be accurate and, in the end, you just pick one and hope for the best. This time I guessed right. This item is just what I needed.Although the suction cup is a little on the small side, it worked just fine on the large old school flood lights I was replacing and even better on the BR30 bulbs I was installing in their place. It is important to make sure the surface of the bulb is clean in order to generate maximum suction. Although a small microfiber bonnet is included in the package for this purpose, I found it only marginally useful.Any ordinary microfiber towel works great.The telescoping pole seems very well made. It is lightweight, the locks are positive and tight and, with my standard height ceilings, only partial extension was needed to comfortably reach the light cans. The string suction release worked perfectly, requiring only a very gentle pull to release from the bulb.I suspect that bulbs that are screwed in too tightly could present a problem. Fortunately, that did not happen to me. I was able to change out 12 bulbs in about a half hour without using a ladder ( At 70+ years old with balance issues, that doesn't seem like a good idea!) or calling my kids for help.

I bought this to change out the bulbs in a ceiling fan that has the spotlight bulbs in the fixture. Other wise I have to carry a ladder up three flights of stairs and I really didn't want to have to do that if I could avoid it. It unscrews the bulb really well. However, when screwing a new one back in the socket of the suction is too tight umm can't get it to release from the bulb. I played around and was able to screw back in with out fulling suctioning it to the pole suction cup. It made a little more difficult and took me a while but I got the new bulbs screwed in. I could have probably done it faster if just carried the heavy ladder up but it was still worth not to lug the ladder. I only gave four stars instead of five because screwing new bulb back in took some technique to make it work.

OMG, how did I ever live without this! For years we have climbed on ladders or knelt on counter tops to replace bathroom vanity lights, but we decided that we no longer should put ourselves at risk doing that. As a consequence (since we don’t want anyone coming into the house during CoVid), we had two bulbs out and were facing the prospect of a totally dark bathroom.This bulb-changing pole arrived a few hours ago, in a very plain and beat up box (I was worried enough to take photos before opening it). Figuring out how to extend it was totally intuitive, but I needed the instructions (HIDDEN AWAY!) to understand when and how to use the string.I went into the bathroom, put a towel on the counter “just in case” and used the cleaning cloth to clean the two bulbs, then I took off the cloth and carefully followed the instructions to remove the two burnt out bulbs Nothing to it! I cleaned my only spare bulb, moistened it slightly, attached the string, suctioned the new bulb and inserted it per instructions. WOW — very fast and easy! I released the suction using the string, collapsed the pole and applied a rubber band to hold the string assembly to the pole, and stored it in the linen closet Then I to Amazon and ordered a new package of bulbs. I can hardly wait to use it again to replace the last bulb that is out — it was FUN instead of a chore!