Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Bendable Bright Light : A Review


 Note: If you want to go straight to the Bendable Bright Light website 
- click on the post title!

I have been looking at these lights since 2007 - hemming and hawing about whether they would be a beneficial thing to use and whether or not I should spend the money to try one out. My beloved Bernina 153 (orange!) already has an LED light but my equally beloved Bernina 180 is old enough that it does not. Have I mentioned that without glasses I am legally blind - so I can use all of the clear light I can get?! One year in Houston I picked this up, looked at the price and then put it back down. I repeated this foolish game with myself several times at various booths and ended up spending "my wad" at Beyond Beadery - the first place I generally run to when I vist Houston Festival.

I had this on my Santa wish list this year and, thankfully, Santa came through so that this year in Houston I will not have to embarrass myself with  my continuing, to buy or not to buy, neurotic behavior!

First of all it is very easy to install - and being able to use it on another machine will be as easy as buying one more part for it - an extra bracket. The Bendable Bright Light comes with a generous eight foot power cord. Clips are supplied so that you can snake the cord around the machine - nothing gets in the way of your material or sewing area. The on/off button is within easy reach and only a light touch is need to turn the light on or off. There are NO magnetic parts so no worries about our new fangled computer driven beauties. The clips are attached with 3M adhesive - strong and long lasting but removable if you must at some point. If I can find a bracket in Houston this year I will buy one! The installation is thoughtfully considered and all of the parts work as they should. Light! I am always a bit of a skeptic about gadgets but I am also my father's daughter in that I adore them - all of them - the more gadgets the merrier. I wish I could have found a job as a gadget tester - I would have flourished in that career! Back to the matter at hand -- light. The light from this little appliance is bright, clear and true. It's brighter than the LED on my Bernina 153. The bendable neck is really very bendable - allowing you to move the light where you need it - on the fabric or on the foot. It makes threading the needle really easy!

I think this is an almost necessary accessory to have if your sewing machine is an older model- and I am going to get one of these for my Featherweight. If your machine already has an LED light but your eyes need a bit more light for needle threading or close work than I think that a  Bendable Bright Light would be an excellent thing to consider. All in all I should not have dithered the way I did for so long. This is a great little gizmo that really does help you see better!

6 comments:

phonelady said...

I will have to keep this one in mind my dear . You rock you really do and you amaze me at your finds LOL !!!

Sarah Ann Smith said...

Great minds think alike? Mine arrived a couple of days ago. OK, WHERE did you mount yours? My Janome 6600 has a light above the presser foot and one under the harp.

I keep dithering about WHERE to mount it so I can snake the light around to optimal spots without going under the harp (where it will get mooshed when quilting larger projects)..... so where did you end up putting yours????

Hugs, me!

Laurie said...

I've been doing the same thing but I think you've conviced me purchase it. I need to have eyewitness accounts to spend that much on a light. Thank-you

Unknown said...

I, too, bought one of these lights, but I got it for my Bailey Home Quilter. Seems I could not see some of the area under the arm of the machine after I had quilted that area. It was in shadow.

I am 75 and having a few vision problems and needed more light to see what I had just quilted. I placed mine on the frame above the machine and aim it down into the area that is in shadow under the arm.

I have had my light well over a year. The pieces that hold the base for the lamp in place, have come loose. I ran the cord across the top of the frame on the trolley, and down the back to avoid wires being in danger of getting tangled. Those little tacky devices also have come lose. I got some other sticky item and used that. No, it was not chewing gum! But a good glue would help.

I have not felt I needed one at the machine where I do the piecing as I have a Full Spectrum light purchased at Big Lots - which has sa 4 tube light in it. Wonderful for the eyes that need a bit of help.
June in Cincinnati

Karoda said...

I've been hea and hawing over this light due to the cost of it. I appreciate this review but I hope I can get one at JoAnn's with a coupon.

Anonymous said...

Cool article as for me. It would be great to read something more about that theme. The only thing this blog needs is some photos of some devices.
David Kripke
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