my (hopefully) neutral review of WL as a company

Company: Wicked Lasers
Price range: $9.99 - $1,699.99 + shipping (w/ optional extended warranty)

The most popular thing isn't necessarily the best.

It's obvious that Shanghai-based Wicked Lasers is the most popular distributor of portable high-powered lasers. A Google search for "Wicked Lasers" reveals that other companies, such NOVAlasers, LaserGlow, and Optotronics, are nowhere as popular. Sadly, just because something is the most popular doesn't make it the best.

I first learned about high-powered portable lasers when I found about Wicked Lasers in 2006. Laser "pointers" that can pop balloons and ignite matches? There's little doubt that having one of those lasers would be every geek’s dream. The videos on the Wicked Lasers website did not lie, and users on the Wicked Lasers forum (now known as Laser Community) often talked about the company’s fast shipping and excellent customer support. Wicked Lasers' entry-level products often performed better than they were advertised. For example, many users reported that their "Classic" lasers emitted over 40 mW, even though they were designed to output 15 mW. I have an "Advanced" model (designed to output 35 mW) that outputs up to 75 mW! Wicked Lasers also does something that few other laser companies do. Every few months, Wicked hosts a contest where users can win free lasers! Now that’s wicked!

Unfortunately, Wicked Lasers is far from perfect. Despite all the praise, forum members have often complained about underpowered lasers, especially those over 100 mW. It was not uncommon to see users asking for RMA instructions. This concern became so great that Wicked pulled the 150 mW version of the "Pulsar" laser. Wicked Lasers' products also suffer from cosmetic issues. In 2007, I was lucky enough to get two lasers for free. I had received a "Core" laser pointer from an official promotion and won an "Advanced" laser in a contest on another website. However, when I received my "Advanced" laser, it already had signs of abrasion. In addition, the silver paint on my two cases had already started wearing off despite very little handling. Cosmetic problems have no effect on the performance of a laser, but they will definitely affect potential buyers' impressions. However, these problems are only the tip of the iceberg.

In December 2006, the Wicked Lasers forum was renamed to "Laser Community" and Steve Liu, the CEO of Wicked Lasers, promised an "unbiased" laser forum. However, in July 2007, Steve made the controversial decision to disallow discussion of other companies and their products, claiming that "spammers" from other companies were using the forum to their advantage.

Before you ask, the grandfather clause doesn't apply here. Users were told to remove signatures that mentioned other companies, and many pre-existing posts about non-Wicked products were deleted. True, Wicked Lasers has the right to make this policy since it owns the forum (the online game RuneScape has a similar rule on the forums that prohibits users from discussing other online games), but very few companies use this practice because it is often seen as very narrow-minded. This isn't everything. After some investigation, I discovered that respected companies like LaserGlow have also been accused of spamming the forum. Moreover, many representatives from other companies had been banned from Laser Community, even though they never violated any rules. Unbiased? Nothing could be further from the truth. To make matters worse, posts containing criticism of Wicked's products often "mysteriously" disappear without a trace, similar to what happens to those who oppose the government in totalitarian countries. In implementing these measures, Wicked is implying that those who do not conform to its interests deserve to be lined up against a wall and shot.

Previously, I had great respect for Wicked Lasers due to its openness and community involvement. In light of recent discoveries, I no longer see Wicked as an honorable company. Wicked Lasers used to "wicked" as in "wickedly awesome." Nowadays, it is "wicked" in a totally different way, like the Wicked Queen from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It has simply become one of those companies that care more about the size of its pocketbook than that of its community.

If you really want a high-powered laser, buy one from NOVAlasers instead.

- Danny Chia


Final verdict: 40% / Tolerable
Highs: Frequent contests; fast shipping; good customer support; entry-level products are good deals
Lows: High prices; quality issues; questionable marketing tactics; narrow-minded company policies
Bottom line: If you decide to buy from Wicked Lasers, avoid anything over $200. Better yet, stay far, far away from them.

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Chief-Eamonn said:

very fair.. almost too fair for this place  ;D were is this being posted?

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