Bubble levels are simple enough. You place the tool on your desired surface and adjust until the liquid-filled vial moves directly in the center. That’s it, you’ve found a perfectly level line to drill holes, apply glue, or install whatever object. The Franklin Sensors iLevel looks to make the tool even simpler by eliminating the need to check the vial.
While it comes with both horizontal and vertical bubble vials like other similar level tools, you don’t even need to look at them to know when the tool is level or not. That’s because it has an integrated light that turns green whenever it’s perfectly level, making it a lot easier to use than traditional variants.
The Franklin Sensors iLevel looks like any standard bubble level. It’s shaped like a bar with a horizontal vial on one end and a vertical one on the other, allowing you to use it like any bubble level. However, there are two changes that make it unique. First, it comes with a translucent plastic body. More importantly, it comes with built-in LEDs inside that glow in either red or orange when the tool is not level, all while changing to a green glow as soon as it detects a perfectly vertical or horizontal orientation. That means, you don’t have to look closely at the vial to check whether the bubble is centered – the lights will tell you what you need to know on the fly.
These lights, in fact, enable easy visibility from every angle, so you can use the tool inside tight spaces while being able to easily see whether it’s level or not, regardless of what angle you’re looking from. Similarly, this illuminated visibility lets you use a level tool even in the dark (no need to bust out a work light or flashlight), since you don’t need any additional illumination to check the centering of the bubble. As you can imagine, this can save you a good chunk of time, especially if you’re taking on jobs that require using a spirit level repeatedly, making it a handy addition to anyone’s DIY toolbox.
The Franklin Sensors iLevel comes with a magnetic edge so you can snap it onto ferromagnetic surfaces when needed, as well as integrated groove on the edge for working around pipes. A button in the back lets you turn the LEDs on and off, as well, so you can just use it like a regular bubble level if you feel like going old-school. It uses a single AA battery, by the way, which is kept in a compartment around the back, right next to the power button.
The outfit also offers an advanced version that uses rows of LEDs to indicate where you need to position the tool to get it perfectly level, while eliminating the translucent body for a more professional look. That version ditches the bubble vials completely, by the way, so all the measurement is strictly digital. It’s a lot pricier, though, which makes the iLevel an actual better option for home DIY users.
The Franklin Sensors iLevel is available now.
