Electrilite Crank Flashlight Review

What reviewers like:

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

What reviewers don't like:

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

Electrilite Crank Flashlight review highlights

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).

Also see full report: Flashlights

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. DigitalReviews.net
Electrilite Flashlight & Mobile Charger
Mike Regtien
Jan. 2006

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.

2. About.com/PC World
Battery Boosters
Christopher Null

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.

3. PC Today
Crank It Up
Shawn Kupfer
July 2007

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.

4. FlashlightMuseum.com
Electrilite Flashlight Wind-up LED Light
Editors and contributors to 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.

5. Kevin Kelley Cool Tools
Cool Tool: Electrilite Flashlight
Mike King
Nov. 2006

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.

Also see full report: Flashlights