We all know what flashlights look like. They’re designed to be gripped in hand, with a LED light on one end allowing you to shine its beam towards any direction. That, however, isn’t the case with the Scoutlite SparkO, a new EDC flashlight designed for hands-free use.
We’ll be honest, it looks more like a clip-on work light or a clip-on bike light than an actual flashlight. That’s because it works like those lighting accessories. Instead of being held in hand, it’s meant to clip onto clothing, snap onto magnetic surfaces, or even be stood upright on a flat surface, making for a significantly more versatile lighting tool.
The Scoutlite SparkO is equipped with a LED array that delivers 300 lumens, which should be bright enough for use as an EDC lighting tool. Instead of holding in hand like a traditional flashlight, it comes with an integrated clip that lets you easily mount it onto clothing. Clip it to the top of your pants, for instance, to illuminate the path ahead of you hands-free when walking or clip it to your chest pocket for illumination when doing chores around the camp at night. It’s a simple but useful design that makes perfect sense.
There’s an included magnetic mount that lets you snap it onto ferromagnetic surfaces, so you can use it as a work light or a reading light in a pinch. A detachable and adjustable stand even lets you prop it up on a flat surface, so you can set it down on a desk and focus the beam to any direction you desire. Even better, that stand can be attached to the back of a phone similar to MagSafe accessories, so you can use it as lighting for your smartphone camera when needed. According to the outfit, it delivers CRI95+ high color rendering, which should make it a much better option for camera lighting compared to a phone’s standard flash.
The Scoutlite SparkO has adjustable color temperature from 2700K to 6500K, with four lighting modes you can cycle through, namely cool white, warm white, warm light, and red light. Each of the modes come with four adjustable brightness settings, as well, so you can use it as a feint nightlight, a bike front light, or even a bike tail light, depending on what you need at any moment. It’s equipped with a 380mAh battery, by the way, which is rated to keep it running for up to 14 hours at the lowest illumination setting. Like many modern devices, make sure you have a way to charge it when needed, since it won’t last very long, especially if you’re using the higher brightness settings.
According to the outfit, it uses silicone-embedded wiring that can withstand endless bending and flexing, ensuring you can use it in all sorts of ways without worrying about damaging its internals. Other features include a single switch in the middle for ease of operation, IPX5 water resistance (handles rain and splashes), aluminum and silicone construction, and USB-C charging. They also sell other optional accessories for mounting it on more specialized items.
A Kickstarter campaign is currently running for the Scoutlite SparkO. You can reserve a unit for pledges starting at $25.
