I’m always on the lookout for good flashlights. Living in South Florida has given me a better appreciation for dependable light sources due to our frequent hurricanes and otherwise unreliable electric service. Lately I’ve also found the need for a small light during my normal daily activities, so having one small enough to fit in my jeans pocket is a definite plus. I was browsing the Gadget Brando site and saw the “One Battery Torch”. The original product photo and description weren’t clear that the battery was a type AA (many small LED lights use expensive lithium batteries). I like to find products which use AA batteries because I get my wife’s discards (she’s a photographer); when her high powered photo flash takes too long to cycle, she needs to replace the batteries. These used AA’s still have plenty of life for other uses.
I ordered the flashlight and received it in the mail 10 days later. My first reaction to using the light was that it felt very solid and was a very well designed product. To turn the light on, the head is twisted clockwise. I prefer having a click on/off switch for single-handed operation, but considering the size of the light, the twist switch is a necessary feature to keep the size down.
The light output of the 8-LEDs is bright, but not tremendously bright. Compared to another 8-LED flashlight I have (which uses 3-AAA batteries), I’d say the Brando light is about half as bright. The next test was to see how many hours of usable light it could produce.
I set it on my desk at the beginning of the day and watched as it slowly got dimmer. With the slightly used AA’s that I have, I got 6 hours of reasonably bright light. I’m sure that a brand new alkaline would give better performance.
I removed the included wrist-strap and added it to my keychain. It’s a bit large as a keychain charm, but it’s a welcome replacement for the single-LED “squeeze” light that I used to carry.
 |
If you don't want to miss new postings, please consider subscribing to our RSS feed. |
Product Information
| Price: | 7.0 |
| Manufacturer: | Brando Gadget |
| Pros: |
|
| Cons: |
|
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Post your comments on the Brando One Battery Torch review.
http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/brando_one_battery_torch
Just click the POST REPLY button on this page.
But how waterproof is it?:unsure:
The flashlight has O-rings at both ends, but because you twist the top to turn it on, the top O-ring is not “engaged” unless the light is turned on. I would say that it should be classified as “water resistant” and not “water proof”. The top part around the LEDs appears to be well sealed on both sides.
L.B.
Do you know how the brightness and/or duration of this light compares when you use a 1.2 volt NiMH battery vs. a 1.5 volt alkaline?
I can’t say about the duration, but the brightness of the light seems to be equal between alkaline and NiMH batteries.
BTW - I found that an ebay vendor is selling these lights for a lot less ($4-5 each including shipping).
L.B.