Secret Jardin Light Baffles

[MindSoup]

I finally got round to ordering a SJ light baffle (150mm). The first thing I did was hold it to the lights and I can see a few holes going through the centre, only tiny, but all the same. So whats the deal? Is it a design flaw or is this one faulty? I'm sure I can blob a bit of something in the holes and block them up but if its just a case of sending it back I'll do that.

[J.C]

Can't help specifically with the baffle but I've not been impressed with the build quality on my SJ tent, zips have started to give up and it looks to be leaking a fair amount of light. I'm steering clear of them from now on

[MindSoup]

@J.C thats a shame, they have a fairly good rep, but with so many people offering 5 star reviews for free stuff these days its easy to fake it. I think I'm just going to squish a bit of sealant in these wee holes and be done with it. 

[Lubdub]

@J.C

 

same for my homebox. Had it for about 4 months and the zips are dotted with holes, stiching around the vents also. dogshit.

[J.C]

19 hours ago, Lubdub said:

@J.C

 

same for my homebox. Had it for about 4 months and the zips are dotted with holes, stiching around the vents also. dogshit.

 

Glad I'm not the only one. Just ordered a BudBox Pro for my next one after some recommendations on here and speaking to one of their sales guys.

[MindSoup]

I got mine on ebay mate but they're out of stock now, they can be a bit difficult to find, you just have to keep checking back. 

 

I'm pretty sure mine was missing something or its just crap design, its a series of discs that Clip together and where they clip together there a these little holes that all line up to let light through. All I had to was separate the discs and put a wee bit of black gorilla tape over the holes. 

 

E2A a quick google and I have found a couple more listed on ebay so they're out there, albeit a bit more expensive than mine was. I only bought the central part, not the entire assembly/surround. 

Edited March 4, 2022 by MindSoup

[BilgePump]

@J.C circa 2019 I bought two secret jardin tents , one of the ds range and a dr.

Build quality between the two ranges of tent is miles apart if I'm honest.

 

The DS is basically a sieve , pinholes everywhere and that ominous glowing zip line (might be a rev.3) , the dr (rev.4) however is a decent tent , no light leaks whatsoever and the zips are solid.

 

[Gaijin]

I hate threads like these  I need a 2.4 x 1.2 x 2.0. I've looked at Budbox Pro, Homebox Ambient, GreenQube, Secret Jardin DR , Lighthouse Max, possibly others too. I'd almost decided until I read this page  

I can look around the site here and find 100 reasons why not to buy one of these and 100 reasons why I should.

Seems like they all say that they have the strongest poles (anyone that's subbed up and met @Dodgee in his gimp suit knows that's a lie), the strongest zips, the biggest flaps, the clearest windows, the lab-tested best reflectivity and holes for ingress and egress everywhere you could possibly want a hole. 

I guess I should just put all the names in a hat and buy the first one I draw out  

[B Rad]

@Gaijin I have a 1.5m green qube and a 1m Budbox pro with the white interior and they are both great tents. I like the thicker poles on the green qube but the budbox is also a quality tent.

[Gaijin]

@B Rad thanks mate. I've narrowed it down to the Budbox Pro, the GreenQube and the Secret Jardin. The SJ has a free tool pouch and a couple of other shiny looking extras. I'm a sucker for that shit  But as long as the frame's sturdy enough and it's lightproof, I'll be happy  

[J.C]

@Gaijin - Don't be swayed by the gimmicks. Having put up a BudBox Pro over the weekend, the difference in quality from the Secret Jardin was obvious. Zips had a much better feel, the fabric felt lighter but somehow more sturdy and the poles were miles better than the galvanised SJ ones

[Gaijin]

Just now, J.C said:

@Gaijin - Don't be swayed by the gimmicks. Having put up a BudBox Pro over the weekend, the difference in quality from the Secret Jardin was obvious. Zips had a much better feel, the fabric felt lighter but somehow more sturdy and the poles were miles better than the galvanised SJ ones

 

Thank you, that's just what I needed to hear  It was my original choice, strangely enough. I've had too long to think about it  

[J.C]

@Gaijin - I'm going to put up some photos of it later, had to get a loft version in the end due to space but it should work out well

[Gaijin]

@J.C I wish all these retailers would put up decent pics and info with the products that they are selling. It makes it hard to decide. It also makes it appear as if they don't want you to see too much

[J.C]

@Gaijin - Yeah makes it difficult, my local shop had the Secret Jardin ones up and I had a quick look before I got it but it was my first "proper" tent and I didn't know what to look for. That was a couple of years ago.

 

 Annoyingly it seems a lot of shops don't stock the BudBox tents (they order them in as needed) plus don't seem to have any setup on display so I had buy based on what I had read here and having a chat with one of their sales guys.

 

The real test is how it looks/feels in a couple of years but it's hard to know at the moment