Dwelling

Portable LED Light Flute

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Battery-Powered Light Fixture

I stumbled across this handy LED light when looking for a light to put into a gun safe. Safes and cabinets for long guns are quite dark on the inside. Being able to discreetly access a safe and see what is inside, without breaking out a flashlight, is important in a home defense situation or an early morning departure for a hunting trip. This light fits the bill perfectly, but has the potential to be incredibly useful in other situations.

The light comes in two parts, the light “flute” and the base. The light flute is a metal tube that houses the batteries (3 AAAs), the on/off switch, and four bright, directional LEDs. The flute is about the thickness of a AA battery, and is 8.5″ long. The base is plastic, but contains a relatively strong magnet for mounting (the package also includes a double sided sticky foam pad for mounting the base). The flute “snaps” into the base either along the length of the flute, or can be stood up vertically in the base, and can be rotated axially to shine light where it is needed. One end cap of the flute is a soft, rubberized button to turn the light on and off. Most importantly, the light flute operates independent of the base, so it acts as a flashlight / work light as needed. It is a portable light when you need it to be, but stationary when you don’t.

What attracted me to this light was its versatility and price. I mounted the base on the ceiling of my safe using the integrated magnet, and I use the “flute” as a light bar, but I can also grab the flute and shine it into the nooks and crannies to look for items. Lights specifically for gun safes/cabinets cost significantly more money for inferior functionality, and lack the versatility of a portable light. Furthermore, I haven’t found any other battery operated lights like this that are as aesthetically pleasing or well designed. I plan to buy several more to mount in kitchen cabinets, under the kitchen sink, in tool cabinets, and inside of an under-stair closet that wasn’t wired for a light. I think this would make a great “extra” light for a workstation, or even a reading light. Keep in mind that in such a small package, this light sacrifices coverage for intensity. The light beam is directional, so it isn’t suitable for under cabinet “accent” lighting, where diffuse light is preferred.

-- Ryan Gwaltney 04/18/13

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