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Electrilite Crank Flashlight

*Est. $20

Reviewed

March 2010

by ConsumerSearch

Emergency crank flashlight

Pros

Batteries recharge by winding handle
Can fit in a pocket
Can charge most cell phones
Adjustable brightness, plus red LED for night vision

Cons

Not waterproof
Doesn't fit all cell phones
Not built for lifetime durability

Our Analysis
Specs

We found the most detailed review of the Electrilite flashlight written by a pilot at DigitalReviews.net. Articles in PC World and PC Today test the Electrilite as an emergency cell phone charger, and an owner confirms that this works well in a brief review at the LED Flashlight Museum site. A review at Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools site recommends the similar three-LED model that includes a radio and speaker.

Quite a few emergency crank flashlights are on the market, but the five-LED Electrilite flashlight gets the best reviews. It's pocket sized, and tests confirm that winding the handle for one-minute charges the battery enough for a half-hour of bright light. For longer runtime, you can use fewer LEDs. The Electrilite also charges most cell phones, and you can get a model with one red LED for night vision, or a three-LED model that includes a radio. It's not waterproof or built for lifetime durability, but comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. If winding doesn't appeal to you, consider the solar BoGo Light flashlight (*est. $25).

Our Sources

1. DigitalReviews.net

This detailed hands-on review confirms that one minute of cranking the 5-LED Electrilite flashlight produces a light that's quite bright for 30 minutes, longer if you use fewer LEDs. The reviewer recommends choosing the model that includes one red LED for night vision.

Review: Electrilite Flashlight & Mobile Charger, Mike Regtien, Jan. 2006

2. About.com/PC World

The Cell Phone Tips section of this article recommends the Electrilite flashlight for charging a cell phone. Tests here find that winding for three minutes provides eight minutes of talk time.

Review: Battery Boosters, Christopher Null

3. PC Today

This article on wind-up emergency devices recommends the Electrilite flashlight for its compact size and unlimited cell phone charging, but notes that it doesn't charge all cell phones.

Review: Crank It Up, Shawn Kupfer, July 2007

4. FlashlightMuseum.com

This brief review shows details of the wind-up Electrilite flashlight, with one reader commenting that he uses it to charge his cell phone in an emergency.

Review: Electrilite Flashlight Wind-up LED Light, Editors and contributors to FlashlightMuseum.com

5. Kevin Kelley Cool Tools

Being recommended at this site carries some credibility, since Kevin Kelly, current editor at large for Wired magazine, edits it. As an all-around emergency device, this review recommends the similar three-LED Electrilite model that provides less light but includes a radio.

Review: Cool Tool: Electrilite Flashlight, Mike King, Nov. 2006

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