Kyberlight Sabers Lightsaber Review with John De Large

Even before I got really into Star Wars, I've always wanted my own lightsaber. I priced some offers from competitors, but the price was never right for what was being offered. Some lightsabers cost $120, but could only emit one color, didn't come with sound (that cost an extra $200) and have a generic appearance at best. Other lightsabers cost up to $600 (!) and while they came with sound and looked gorgeous, they still only came in one color and weren't really meant for dueling or striking. Isn't that the whole point of owning a lightsaber? Whacking friends and objects around the house or having and recreating epic duels from our favorite movies?

Imagine my surprise and delight when I heard about Kyberlight Sabers, a company offering a lightsaber with sound, with an indestructible blade (!!!), with an option to switch between 20 different blade colors, plus an interchangeable hilt, sleeve and pommel pieces for way less! Cheaper than a blade that only comes in one color that can't be dueled with? Sign me up! I gladly purchased a Master level package from Kyberlight Sabers and began my long wait for my lightsaber.

Cut to the present and I've finally got my lightsaber in hand! Was it worth the wait and the cash? Stay put, because here comes the breakdown:

THE GOOD
Everything (lightsaber, extra accessories, plus a light up shirt and gloves) arrived tightly bundled and neatly packed. The lightsaber itself arrived fully charged, or at least charged enough to glow at maximum brightness so that I could show it off to my wife and later, my co-workers. I tried every color, all of them beautiful to look at, but what really impressed me is how bright the cooler colors are and how well they showed up in pictures! Blue, green, and purple all look excellent as you can see in these pictures, featuring my favorite color and hilt configurations.

The blades themselves are highly durable, being crafted from an indestructible plastic blend to encourage saber sparring and each blade even comes with a lifetime warranty. Even the internal LEDs are protected with gorilla glass to protect against potential damage sustained while fighting.

Kyberlight Sabers also include rich sound effects, provided by the aforementioned soundboard, all of which are greatly amplified by most of the sabers acoustic-friendly pommel pieces (much to my wife's dismay). Sound effects include an activation noise, an idle hum, a quick sound that accompanies a swift swing of the blade, a sound that activates upon clashing with another blade or any hard enough object and a sound that plays when the blade is turned off. These effects all sound and behave in a way that is consistent with movies that prominently feature lightsabers and lightsaber combat.

The thing I like most about my lightsaber is that I'm able to change the ENTIRE appearance with a twist of a few screws. By removing a few set screws, I can change my lightsaber hilt, sleeve, and pommel; completely transforming the lightsaber into a brand new one. While the base packages come with attractive options, the deluxe package, appropriately titled the Master package, came with even more parts (22 to be exact, as part of a promotional offer) that I've already put to good use!

THE BAD
There's really not much to complain about when it comes to Kyberlight Sabers, these guys really had the foresight to think of everything!

I'm really reaching for a criticism here, but: attaching and detaching hilts, sleeves, and pommel pieces will cause the metal parts to scrape gently against the blade and metal part of the lightsaber, sometimes causing light scuffs and scratches. These marks lend a battle-worn appearance to the lightsaber after a while (which I personally LOVE), but for collectors who value a "mint-condition," appearance or plan on using their lightsaber as a decoration or conversation piece, the scuffs and scratches may be an issue or a deterrent.

The only thing I found difficult about using my lightsaber was the implementation of an accessory known as the Claw, a malevolent looking hilt featuring 3 prongs.

Successfully attaching it required significantly more work compared to the other hilt pieces such as the ones in the pictures I've posted of my favorite lightsaber combos. Each of those hilts will slide on and screw in easily. Upon removing the Claw the bottom of the blade received minor scratches. Again, nothing too noticeable, but it might be an accessory that customers favoring light use or constant part swapping will want to avoid using.

THE BEST PART
The absolute best part of using my Kyberlight Saber is customizing and re-customizing it by swapping out different pieces, then activating it. There's nothing like hearing that familiar FWOOSH, followed by that soothing hum, then admiring my new creation! I admit, it only takes a couple of minutes to reconfigure my saber, but that doesn't stop me from feeling like the world's smartest and most badass Jedi every time.

THE VERDICT
BUY IT: Kyberlight Sabers has created the ultimate lightsaber, with the ultimate accessories to boot. The price is more than right for a lightsaber that can withstand almost anything you can throw at it, that customers can customize any way they see fit. A Kyberlight lightsaber is the ultimate collectible for a Star Wars fan or sword collector.

You can get yours at Kyberlight.com or by clicking the Kyberlight logo at the top!