A few weeks ago, I was sent a Beam N Read light to try. I hate to admit, but I actually need this light myself and found it most useful when doing some hand stitching recently. My eyes are older than I’d like to admit!
In my studio, I have pretty good focus lighting that I use, but it sure is nice being able to sit in the living room with the puppy and have the Beam N Read light on to help me see the tiny whip stitches for my hexie quilt. I’ll do a more complete blog post about this quilt one of these days. It’s my relaxing quilt that I only get a few minutes here and there to work on.
The Beam N Read light I was sent has 6 LED bulbs in it. I have the option of using it at full strength with all 6 lights on, or with only 3 lights on, at a time. Additionally, there are two filters available that can be attached in front of the lights. The red one is for maintaining night vision and the orange filter produces a softer light. For reading, I’d probably want the softer orange filter.
There’s a clip available on the light to add the included magnify glass too… not me yet! You can see how it works in the photo on the right.
The light has an elastic band on it that you can adjust so that the light is sitting at the level you want it at. For me, I need the light to be pretty high as I stitch without my glasses on and fairly close to me. It’s band is an elastic so that you can slip it over your head. I do think the elastic could be improved with a softer one or even have the elastic encased in fabric for added comfort. But really, it’s a minor complaint. The elastic seemed to me to be strong enough to hold the light in the position I wanted, so that’s very good.
The light is very centre-focussed, so if you’re on a plane you won’t be disturbing your sleeping neighbours. There are also three angle positions for the light. So, in addition to having the flexibility with the elastic for height, you can change the focus of the light’s angle too. Most helpful! You can sort of see in the photo below how the light’s focus is very narrow as not to extend too far and disturb other, yet its focus is wide enough to be used for embroidery and quilting.
Visit the Beam N Read web site for more information on its uses and the different products available.
I was hoping to entice Milo into wearing the light so that I could find his poopies easier in the dark. He’s too busy napping, so I’ll have to try again another day.
Give-Away
I have one Beam N Read light to give away to my readers. All you need to do to enter the give-away is leave a comment below answering the following: If you won, would you keep the light for yourself or give it away to someone else? If you’re keeping the light for yourself or giving it someone else, why? What do you, or they, need the light for?
Winner will be randomly selected November 26th.
Congratulations to the winner:
Please check your inbox for an email from me.
This would be a present for me. My eyes too aren’t as young as they used to be and I find stitching difficult once the daylight starts to go.
I would love a B&R light, I am sorry it would have to be for me cause after 50 I am realizing that I also am now magnifying my work with more lights on. Hand applique is my joy and this would be a perfect tool to continue in this wonderful technique of the craft.
Thanks for the giveway…
It would be a present for my mom. Her eye site is bad, she has so many problems with them. She loved to crochet and read, and she gave up the crocheting and I am scared she will have to give up the reading. This maybe will be the answer she needs. Thanks for the giveaway.
Sounds like a great light. If I won I’d like to keep it, however I’d give it to my BFF. Her birthday is right before Christmas so it would be perfect timing, hehe. My friend has been looking for a light that she could use and this Beam & Read light sounds like the answer. We both do handsewing as well embroidery and applique.
Thank you and Beam & Read for an awesome giveaway and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
If I won this light I would keep it for me. Like you, my eyes are a little older as well. This light would be a good compliment to my readers. I do a lot of hand work, knitting, crochet, embroidery, and quilting. I would even try to adjust it so it could be uses while I am working on my Gammill (new present to myself). The lighting is not great.
Thanks for the opporotunity.
I would keep it, I need more light for handwork, and it wouldn’t disturb others watching TV.
Well, since my elderly mum lives in her own apt. across the hall from me, I think we could easily share custody of this light if I were so fortunate as to win it! hee hee I would use it for crochet or cross-stitch, she would use it for reading and hand-sewing.
Thank you for hosting this give-away. Julie
Hmmmm…this is a toughie, because I have several candidates I’d gift this to! My dad — he likes to stay up and read in bed … but my mom doesn’t like trying to fall asleep with the bedside lights on. Same for my son-in-law and daughter. Plus, the Beam N Read would make it easier for my daughter (and my daughter-in-law) to make those midnight feeding trips to the babies! Then there’s my husband…he’s a fire fighter and shares a bunk room with eight men … when it’s overhead lights out, it’s lights out … a Beam N Read would be nice for him on shift nights! Thanks for a chance!! :)
I’d keep the light for me…I LOVE bright light and need it to see those tiny cross-stitch holes clearer!
This would be great to see better when I sit with DH while he watches TV, so handwork will be easier.
My father-in-law could use this, but so could I! The old eyes aren’t what they used to be:) Thanks for the chance to win!
I would love the light for myself. Stitching and knitting are sometimes difficult especially on dark fabrics.
Thanks for the chance to win
I’d be selfish and keep it for myself. I do a lot of handwork and my old eyes often complain. Thanks for the opportunity to win it.
I would give it to my Mother. She finds it difficult to stitch in the evenings and I think the magnifier would help her as well. Thanks!
I would love a portable light for reading and sewing. I would keep the light for myself and use it to progress my hexie quilt and read at night while my husband watches TV.
I would love to win this light if for no other reason than vanity. My eyes are getting weaker and i refuse to wear readers. Adding good lighting to whatever I’m working on helps a lot. Thanks!
I would love to keep the light for myself, but if I won it, I would give it to my sister, Joanne who makes her living knitting. We recently lost our Mom and my sister spent the last 2.5 years being Mom’s advocate in a medical system that should be easier to navigate but isn’t. While taking Mom to appointments, sitting in the hospital by Mom’s bedside 24/7, waiting in doctor’s offices, Jo continued to knit when she could, trying to fill orders and meet obligations. And in her usual generous way, gave away baby hats to medical staff when they expressed interest in her creations! Anyway, I always tease her about being sooo much older than me (in truth she is older by 3 years) but I know this light would make those long nights of knitting so much easier on her and her aging eyes. Thanks for the opportunity to try and win this great light!
I woud keep it for myself. Since I like to work on late night projects and husband gets upset if the over head lights are on this would do the trick for me. Plus I need all the lightening I can get as my house is dark.
Because of my poor eyesight, I have just added this light to my wish list for Christmas. Thanks for the info.
I would probably keep it for myself! I like the fact it wouldn’t bother anyone else when it was on – so could use it on planes etc.
I’d probably keep it for myself. I’d love it for doing quilt bindings.
I would keep it for my own use…the old eyes are not what they used to be…thanks for the opportunity :-)
What a neat light. I love that you can position it to shine right on the product. I too have a difficult time doing hand work in a comfy position, this would be the perfect light for me. Would I give it away, no way I would keep it just for me. Puppy doesn’t look too enthused at having the light in his comfy bed :)
wow, that is just what I need to hand quilt in the living room. None of our lamps in there are positioned right for me when working on a quilt. Maybe I would get more done with this light, but I can also see my DH borrowing it from time to time.
I would love one of these for my cross stitch! thanks so much for the chance!
What a neat light! If I won I would like to keep it to help with burying those pesky quilt thread ends, picking apart paper piecing, hand sewing cathedral windows, reading @ night, etc…. I could go on & on! Thanks sew much for this awesome chance to win :-D
Wow, that’s handy!
I’d give the light to my grandma. She knits a lot at night since my granpa died 3 years ago, and the lighting in her living room isn’t good. So this light would be perfect for her.
Thanks a million for offering this giveaway!
I would love to win one of those! I’d keep it and would use it for appliqué with that magnifier added – I’ve pretty much given up appliqué as it’s so hard to see to make the tiny stitches properly. This would be a great way to get back to doing some appliqué! Thanks for the chance at this product.
keep it i always need extra light
I think I would probably keep the light myself — I find myself needing more and more direct light, depending on the colors I am working on and how dark the area is.
I could use this light as I have developed cataracts and need all the help I can get until I have surgery on them (not for several months). I do mostly hand work, often in the evenings, so it would be a great help. After surgery? I might even be able to pass it on to one of my quilting friends:)
I would have to keep it for myself, it seems I never have enough light in the evening when I’m stitching and the Bean n Read would sure solve that problem for me.
It would be a gift for myself as I do a lot of stitching and could use the extra light.
I would have to keep as a Christmas gift for myself. I would use when the power was off to knit or read.
My eyes are getting old, too, Mishka. So I’d keep it for myself. I crochet with No. 10 thread, embroider and do some hand stitching. I need good light for all three.
I’d keep it for myself – I need a LOT of light now when I do my handstitching. Looks like that would be just what I am looking for!
i would definitely keep it for myself! when i’m not quilting, i do other handwork and read voraciously … extra light would be a big help! thanx for the chance to win that help.
If I won, I would definitely keep the light for myself as it would be great to use when I am crocheting or embroidering in the evening or on cloudy days.
Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win one.
I would have to keep it for myself. My old eyes need all the help they can get.
I hate to say I would keep it, but I would! It sounds wonderful, my house is older and it is dark in the kitchen and living room. My husband doesn’t like big lights on and it is hard dragging my craft lamp around to crochet, knit, and sew. I would love to win I think it would make an awesome Christmas present for any crafter but this time it would be me! Thank you for the giveaway!
I would give the light to my mom,who enjoys hand appliqueing,but has trouble seeing Thanks for the give away.
If I were to win this I would definitely keep this for myself. I need it for seeing my hand sewing better.
I would be keeping it because I still have trouble seeing in low light, even after cataract surgery! Also, the magnifier would be wonderful so I don’t have to wear my reading glasses to sew my hexies!
Sad to say but not for me I would keep it for myself. I do a lot of handwork and my lighting and sight is not what it used to be – sad for me. Thanks for the giveaway.
The Beam N Light would be used for my applique work. A couple of years ago I fell in love with doing applique quilt blocks. My den where I work on most of my applique at night is dark with one light on my end table. It is very hard to see and I would love one of these lights to help me see better. My vision is not as good as it once was and this would help tremendously. Thanks for the give away.
What a neat light! I would keep the light for myself. My eyes need all the help they can get. Thanks for the give-a-way.
I am the only one in the family who makes and provides any crafts. I do mostly hand work (don’t even do the 401) and my eyes tell me I am getting closer to those golden years.
This wonderful light would certainly keep me going!
I would keep it for when I sew in the family room lighting is not great in there and threading a needle is quite a challenge
I would to be altrusic and say yes I would give this light to such and such a person but the truth is, I want something like this for my sewing area in my basement! LOL
It is dark down there and sometimes a real pain in the rear to see things that I am looking for!
Very selfishly, I would keep the light for myself! My eyes need a boost. Thank you for the opportunity to win…