Chinese Red Laser KnockOff

Anything one man can make, another can also make a little worse, a little poorer in quality, and sell it a little cheaper.

The unwary purchaser is his lawful prey

                                                                 John Ruskin

The inevitable has happened.  When you design a better product, it is only a matter of time before the cheap knockoffs appear.

We heard about a Chinese knockoff of our ViviLux 3-in-1 Rechargeable Red Laser, so we examined one. Here is what we found:

First, the Outside

  • The box is an almost exact copy of ours, down to using the same words (verbatim copy), color scheme and images



  • Curiously, what is NOT included anywhere  is any contact information.  Manufacturer, Seller,etc.  OUR Guarantee (which THEY copied word for word) says "If it fails to perform satisfactorily, return to us for replacement". 

            Nowhere on the box or the instructions does it give any contact information.  If your laser fails, you are out of luck.  No one to support you.

Next, the Contents of the Box

  • OK, so the box is a blatant ripoff. How about the laser?
  • This is what is inside the package:

  • Red Laser with 1 tip screwed in and Velcro on the laser
  • Same size "power box" but generic, no printing
  • Laser is NOT Rechargeable, needs to be plugged in to work -- US Plug on a standard 2 prong (not grounded) cord
  • Baggie with 2 tips and springs (more on this later)
  • Instructions
  • Extra set of Velcro (Chinese quality)
  • 5 sheets with 6 pieces Alignment Stickers
    • NOTE: 5 x 6 = 30, but the box says 100 (copied from our box!)
    • Also, these will not work on Dark Fabrics, Light Fabrics Only

Head to Head comparison ViviLux vs NoName Chinese KnockOff:

 


 

Lastly, the Laser itself:

  • OK, so how useful is the laser as a sewing aid?

 

  • NoName on the left, ViviLux on the right
  • Same "throat height" distance for comparison
  • NoName is about 3mm wide and fuzzy.  ViviLux is crisp 1mm wide line
  • NoName "flexible" arm is very stiff and difficult to move and the laser is significantly larger, making it  difficult to position on a sewing machine

Final Thoughts:

  • The NoName is a virtual one-for-one knockoff of the ViviLux Red Laser, without some of the key features that make the ViviLux so useful
    • Red Laser with 3 tips,. but:
      • the laser is larger and heavier
      • the wand is stiffer and more difficult to position
      • the wand is too long to be useful under most sewing machines
      • and the tips will quickly become useless when customers lose the springs
    • The laser itself is not focused well, and a 3mm wide "line" leaves too much room for sewing error
    • The laser is not portable -- it must be plugged in to work. It is also not free-standing like the ViviLux
    • Not included in the NoName is the ViviLux Alignment Template and truly usable Alignment Stickers (ours works equally well on light AND dark fabrics)
    • Also missing is any customer support. This is a Chinese sales organization selling cheap sewing supply knockoffs.  Good luck if you have a problem.

 

The bottom line is the Chinese NoName is cheaper, but it does not have the features, useability, quality and support of the American made original

Caveat Emptor -- or -- You Get What You Pay For