Throwing Light On The Matter

The Age

Wednesday December 22, 2004

Jenny Lamattina

Not only handy for reading the Melway, torches are essential in the car glove box or boot for all sorts of jobs and emergencies in the dark. Jenny Lamattina sheds some light on what's available.

Eveready torch

$3.68

THE Eveready torch is so inexpensive, you can afford to keep one in every room of the house as well as the glove box of the car. With a great choice of bright colours and a lightweight plastic construction, it's also perfect for camping, hiking, caravanning and boating. It's a good chance the batteries you need to power the Eveready will cost more than the torch itself. A good feature of this flashlight is the anti-roll hook at the base of the torch - put it in place and the torch will stay in position on its side; flick it up and it becomes a hook for hanging on a wall, or perhaps on a lanyard around your neck. The light itself is adequate, although if you need something consistently strong rather than for an emergency, perhaps a torch with a bigger and more powerful globe will be needed. For the price, this torch does a great job.

Rating

****

Likes: Great value, lightweight, anti-roll feature.

Dislikes: None really.

Supplied by Coles Supermarkets.

Dashlite flashlight

$19.95

THIS fantastic Australian invention would go straight to the billiard room if it weren't so handy to have in the car. Plugging straight into a car's cigarette lighter, the Dashlite is small, unobtrusive, and because it is recharged automatically each time the car is going, it never needs batteries. The manufacturer has done all the hard work for you, with the Dashlite precharged so it is ready to use straightaway. The claim is that the Dashlite will shine for 112 hours of continuous use, and even if you forget to plug it back in, it will hold its charge for two years. The beam is quite small but is good enough to shine about 30 metres, making it ideal for trying to read house numbers in the dark. Another handy thing is its tiny size - pop it in your mouth if you need two hands while fiddling with a spark plug or even changing a tyre. Its size might eventually be its downfall with cries of "where did I leave the Dashlite?" perhaps all too familiar for forgetful drivers.

Rating

****

Likes: Never needs batteries.

Dislikes: A bit expensive for the size.

Supplied by RACV shops.

Kincrome Swivel Torch

$29.95

THIS solid, medium-sized torch is well-balanced in the hand. Small enough to fit into most glove boxes, its heavy-duty, anodised aluminium build may have it crashing around as you drive, so best to keep it stored securely in the boot. But the stand-out feature is its swivel head, rotating 120 degrees. It can be a regular torch, or the head can be swivelled to get at hard-to-reach places. Another bonus is its ability to stand on its end - for when you need two hands to do a job - although we found it a little unstable in this position. It would make a great gift - it is shock and water resistant, comes with two D batteries and a spare globe, and the blue model we sampled looked very impressive. The bulb is a high-intensity krypton and has a powerful beam.

Rating

***?

Likes: Adjustable head, comes with batteries and spare globe.

Dislikes: A bit unstable when standing on its end.

Supplied by RACV shops.

ReaderMate Book Light

$29.95

FOR some reason, parents with small children like to get up in the middle of the night to "beat the traffic" on driving holidays. Memories of being woken up and packed into the back seat with grumbling siblings haunt some people. For bookworms, the ReaderMate Book Light would've been heaven sent on those long, dark trips. It is tiny and fits securely into any book, although hardbacks give it more grip than small paperbacks. The light is just enough to illuminate without annoying other passengers and the soft, diffused glow is easy on the eyes. The arm can be rotated into different positions and the whole thing folds neatly for easy storage. The light tube is claimed to last 10,000 hours or an hour of reading every night for 27 years. Or five hours of night driving for the next 2000 driving holidays. An optional car adapter (plug it into the cigarette lighter) is also available.

Rating

****

Likes: Tiny, globe never needs replacing.

Dislikes: Bit fiddly to set up initially.

Supplied by RACV shops.

Energizer Hard Case Lantern

$44.95

APART from the chocolate biscuit section, there aren't too many fascinating things at supermarkets. But your first sighting of the Energizer Hard Case range of torches is sure to stop you in your tracks. Looking like a cross between a baby caterpillar and a pair of Blundstones, these torches will make a statement when brought out in the next power failure. Available in a range of sizes, the most impressive is the Lantern - a big torch measuring 25 x 17 x 12 cm, and weighing in at a hefty 1.25 kg. It is far too big for the glove box, so will live happily in the boot. Dubbed "the toughest torch you'll ever own", the manufacturer claims it will survive a 412-metre drop. Powered by four D batteries, the beam is incredibly strong. Another handy feature is that it also stands on its end at a 50-degree angle. One to impress the mates.

Rating

****?

Likes: Rugged good looks.

Dislikes: Heavy.

Supplied by Coles Supermarkets.

© 2004 The Age

Back to News Index | Back to Home