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A rechargeable LED reading light designed to be worn around the neck was one of the most popular HuffPost reader buys during the holiday gift-giving season. It has over 90,000 5-star ratings on Amazon, and reviewers call it “tremendous” and “one of the best purchases I’ve ever made.” And best of all, it can come in handy all year.
Its around-the-neck design is actually pretty genius: It lets you read, work or craft with completely free hands, and concentrates light directly on the page or your task so you can see clearly, even in the dark.
This versatile neck light is so much more than a reading light. Reviewers sing its praises for knitting, cross-stitching, camping, home improvement projects and more. It’d be useful for anyone who generally needs good, hands-free lighting; it even makes a great hands-free flashlight, wrote one reviewer. (It’s also great for reading on planes without disturbing your neighbor!)
Plus — and this is huge — you’ll be able to read in bed without disturbing a sleeping bed partner, since unlike traditional reading lights that broadly project light, this focuses illumination directly on and closely to your page or phone. It’ll also let you read or knit while your family watches TV, without needing to turn on all the lights.
Its addition to your home may just help avert fights or, at the very least, help your partner get better shut-eye or catch up on their favorite show while you do something else next to them. By swapping it in for a lamp or overhead light, it may just lower your electricity bill, as one reviewer is sure it will.
Amazon reviewers with arthritis also love this gadget; one wrote that the light is so comfortable and lightweight she sometimes forgets she even has it on. “Another perk,” explained another reviewer, “is the light adds zero weight to your books, which can get heavy and cumbersome for people with arthritis.”
Its arms are adjustable and super bendy so you can get exactly the right fit, and you can choose between six brightness levels and three hues depending on whether you want an extra-bright or a dimmer glow. It’s available in eight colors so you can grab the one that suits you best.
Take a look at what these very fervent Amazon reviewers have to say:
“Obsessed!!! Had it one day and already bought as a gift. Most brilliant and useful gadget. So lightweight and flexible and easy and versatile. LOVE IT!!!!” — Vanessa
“I needed more light for doing cross stitching. The lamp I had behind me was not shedding enough light and my shoulders and head always caused a shadow. I see these on a FaceBook advertisement and thought to my self “This is exactly what I need”. I can say they don’t disappoint I used them right from the box the day I got them and they didn’t need charging for 2 days. They charge fast and the charge lasts for many, many hours. I like the fact that they have different light settings so I can see the colors accurately. My daughter teased me about using them saying I had “old eyes”, but then the next evening she was doing embroidery in her room and came out and asked to borrow them. Now she wants a light of her own. These are a game changer for sure. 5 stars.” — Celeste R Sotomayor
“This was recommended by two different people and my purchase didn’t disappoint! I spent years fighting with the book clip on ones and it drove me crazy. If reading a paperback, the book always fell over with the weight. If reading a hard back book, it added weight I didn’t need. This works perfectly for reading and for walking into the dark bedroom without waking my husband. Great product!” — tcw
“Okay, this light is the best thing since sliced bread. I love to read at night, but hated leaving the lights in our bedroom on before going to bed. Even my table lamp was still too bright for me. This little light is perfect though. I loveee reading until I’m almost asleep. With this light I just close my book, hit the small power button, and then I’m out cold. Only thing I regret is not getting the travel case for this thing yet. I travel quite a bit and love taking this light with me. It’s perfect for reading on planes and not disturbing the people around you. I always feel so uncomfortable turning on the bright overhead “reading lights” on planes since I know it can bug the crap out of people! Game changer!” — Michael Norris
“This has been a game changer for knitting and crocheting. As my eyes continue to age, working on dark color wools for knitting or crochet is getting harder. This light is perfect. It is lightweight so doesn’t cause pressure around my neck/shoulder and has great adjustments for cool to warm and brightness. It allows for clear visual on intricate stitching. I purchased a travel case for it and take this everywhere. It’s also great for reading on long plane trips.” — Snow Girl