EmailBest Reviewed
Flashlights
- Best key-ring flashlight Photon Micro-Light Freedom *Est. $20
- Best travel flashlight Fenix P2D-CE *Est. $55
- Best household LED flashlight Streamlight ProPolymer 3C 33244 *Est. $40
- Emergency crank flashlight Electrilite Crank Flashlight *Est. $20
- Budget utility flashlight Stanley MaxLife Tripod 369 *Est. $25
- Solar flashlight BoGo Light *Est. $25
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Emergency crank flashlight
- Batteries recharge by winding handle
- Can fit in a pocket
- Can charge most cell phones
- Adjustable brightness, plus red LED for night vision
- Not waterproof
- Doesn't fit all cell phones
- Not built for lifetime durability
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
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
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
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
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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