The Brunton Lightwave Beam packs a wallop for being the smallest of Brunton‘s Lightwave lamp line. I have been testing out the Beam for a few weeks and I can say that I am really impressed with it. 120 lumens may not sound like much, but this little guy is BRIGHT. The Beam can easily light your path as you navigate from your tent to the water spout or latrine in the darkest of nights.
In my test, I was able to get four hours of continuous light on the high setting. However, it kept emitting useful light (not as bright) for 7.5 hours total. Pretty dang impressive. I did not test the continuous light time for the low light setting. It also has a red light setting. One little feature I like is that when I switch the light off, it emits a glow and the front charging lights remain lit. This gives me a little time to get myself situated in my tent before it goes out completely. I also like the folding handle on the top. It has a built in hook and makes hanging it up as easy as can be.
It is very portable. It‘s only around 8” tall and 3” in diameter. Weighing in at just 7.5 oz on my scale, it is barely noticeable. Everyone who picks it up comments on how light it is.
Charging the Beam is painless. Its Micro-USB cable connects easily to a laptop, USB wall adapter, or a port in you car. I even charged it from a PS4 just to see it would work. The Beam charges quickly, taking around 40 minutes from total drain. The front of the Beam has four amber lights to indicate its current charge level, each light representing twenty five percent. So when I have three lit it‘s at 75% and if all four are lit it is ready to go. No guessing here.
As far as device charging capabilities are concerned, it made short work of my iPod6. It also was able to charge my iPad, wireless bluetooth earbuds and a Bluetooth speaker. I tested my Playstation Vita, but it was not able to charge it.
While not mentioned on Brunton‘s website, this light is awesome for wrenching in the garage. It lights up the entire underside of my VW!
As awesome as this light is, I would really like to see a small storage space for the Micro-USB cable built into the light. I have a tendency to forget cables and it would really make it easier if I could stow it in the lamp itself.
Again, this light packs a serious punch and weighs next to nothing. It is easy to charge and is a nice backup for charging your mobile devices. If you are looking for a powerful light (especially if weight is a factor) check out Brunton‘s Lightwave Beam.
MSRP: $49.99
www.brunton.com
-Andy
A special thanks to Brunton for providing the Lightwave Beam used for testing and review.