In theory, I think battery-free, crank flashlights are a fantastic invention, because let's face it, the average flashlight spends 99.9% of its time switched off. So batteries just slowly leak and die, and then the flashlight is useless when you need it. However, I've discovered good crank flashlights are hard to come by. I've had 3 that worked fine until the handle broke, and a 4th with a really weak beam.
So far, this little guy by L.L. Bean trumps them all. First off, the beam on this flashlight is WAAAAY brighter than any of the other previous ones I had. Like, 'this will hurt your eyes if you look right at it' bright! Hopefully the beam strength will stay strong for the life of the flashlight (I've had it about a month and a half). The crank is very short, which can make it a bit more challenging to crank, but I like the design b/c I think it will be much sturdier and more difficult to break. Note the instructions recommend cranking it at least once every 3-4 months or so. I LOVE this flashlight so far, hopefully it will be the last crank flashlight I have to buy.
This little wind up light is a lot better then most that I've seen. I've taken the light and run down the battery's to see how well the unit does a recharging and was very pleased on it's recovery (yes you have to crank it per the instructions). The other nice thing is that it has a CR2032 battery so if the battery will no longer keep the units charge, it can be replaced. Very pleased with this product!
