About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

These Beam N Read hands-free lights are useful around camp. I wouldn't trust them to hold up very long for in-field use, but for small chores they will do the job - albeit at a higher price than they warrant.



Pros

• The neck strap means you can use them with no hands.
• Different models are available for different needs.
• Work well around the camp, and would be useful on the stand as well.
• LEDs provide plenty of light with good battery life.

Cons

• Price is high for what it is.
• Has a "cheapy" feel. Not particularly rugged.
• Made in China.
• Optional magnifiers not great for detailed work.
• Unless you use a colored lens, the LEDs are unprotected.

Description

• Hands-free light that you hang around your neck using the included strap.
• Available with 3 or 6 LED "bulbs." The 6-LED model is almost too bright for reading at night.
• Include color filters... but not great ones.
• BNR LED 3 includes one colored lens: red (it's really kind of pink).
• BNR LED 6 W4F includes four colored lenses: yellow, blue, green, and red/pink.
• Optional magnifier set BNR CL3M includes three magnifying lenses (clear plastic with concentric circles molded in).
• The magnifiers make my eyes cross if I use them for anything detailed. The 2x and 4x lenses give clearer images than the 6x.
• Turns on when you rotate the light into usable position. The LED 6 model has a switch, but it doesn't lock out that feature.
• BNR LED 3 includes 4 AA batteries. BNR LED 6 W4F does not.

Guide Review - Beam N Read Hands-Free LED Lights

When I was contacted about reviewing these Beam N Read hands-free lights, I figured I might as well check them out. I've grown to like them for use around the camp, especially now that my camp is at a site without electricity. They allow me to read, find my way to the bathroom, or do small chores without using my travel trailer's battery to run the lights.

I like the lights and they're very handy, but they're not the best. Design quality doesn't seem great, and I wouldn't call them rugged. I would never toss one in my hunting pack without worrying about what condition it would be in when I dug it out later. The LEDs are unprotected unless you use a colored lens, which are snap-on affairs made of brittle-looking plastic... and they will switch on when the light portion is rotated, which could easily happen in a hunter's pack.

I was disappointed in the optional magnifiers. I'm sure they work well for reading and such things as knitting, but they're a bit on the coarse side and I don't find them useful for working on small things such as gun parts and the like. The 2x and 4x lenses aren't too bad, but the 6x lens makes my eyes cross when I try to use it.

Beam N Read lights are good for use around camp, such as reading in bed or finding my way to the potty at night, but I don't think they will stand up well to use in the field. My only reservation about recommending them for camp use is the price, which is about double what I would expect from such a product, especially since it's made in China.

- Russ Chastain



Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.