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.
If I won, I would be keeping the light. I need a lot of light to sew! Thanks!
This is exactly what I need. My old eyes can’t see as well as they used to and I’m sure this would be a great improvement to the normal lighting I use now. I would keep it for myself!
I would probably try to keep it for myself since it would be helpful for any close work such as ripping out stitches (I do that a lot!) but my husband love these type of gadgets so I would have to either share or hide it from him.
I will gift this my mother in law, she needs more light when she reads.
I would keet the light for myself as I have had eye surgery this year, so i could use it ,THanks
I would keep it for myself as I find that I have a harder time doing hand work in the evenings and with this generous gift of yours I would be so ever grateful if I was to win it. Thank you for the chance
I would keep this for myself. I have a dark corner in the front room where I sit at night and I have no light in that corner. Thank you for the chance to win.
I would definitely keep this remarkable light for myself…but recommend it highly to my friends! It would be a big help for handsewing quilt blocks and embroidering in the evening as my eyesight is not as good as in the daylight!
I would probably keep it for myself. My machine is in front of a window, but sometimes the glare is so bad I have to pull the blinds down!! Thanks for your contest!
I would keep the light for myself. I am starting to have some trouble seeing at night and it would come in handy for my hand sewing.
I would give it to my mother in law as she could use it more than me! (its on myholiday list too though!) thanks!
I would keep it. My aging eyes need more light for close work. I have a lamp in my living room but it limits where I can sit. It would also be wonderful for traveling as I find hand sewing when on the road difficult because of poor lighting.
If I was fortunate enough to win, I would keep the light for myself, so that I could sit and sew or hand quilt at night while watching television. My husband does not like the light on while watching television, hence we sit in the dark, and I currently am restricted to knitting and crocheting uncomplicated patterns by the light of the TV. It looks an amazing portable versatile product that could be used when camping or other activities leaving your hands free.
I have one and love it! If I won, I’d give it to my twin sister so she can see when she knits while watching TV in a darkened room.
The light looks very interesting and certainly usefull. I like to do handwork in the evenings and would use a light like this for projects and also for reading.
I’ve got old eyes and would definitely keep this wonderful tool for myself to use at night……Please draw my name….:)
This is awesome! I would keep it for myself. The lighting in our house is horrible and I can’t seem to do enough handwork. I also spin and make lace so this would be wonderful. I would be tempted to get one for my dad as well…he has just taken up needlepoint but says its hard on his eyes.
I just wanted to leave my review of the light – not enter the give away as I already have one – the strap that goes around you head that holds the light for sure needs improvement – it makes my neck itch like crazy as it rest against skin – I actually place something like a wash cloth on my neck for it to rest up against – it is that bad! A new strap for sure is needed.
I would give it to my aunt. thanks
If I was lucky enough to win the Beam N Read Light, I would give it to my Mother. Her one love is to knit and now that she is quite elderly she is finding it harder to see her knitting when she does not have direct sunlight. Thanks for the opportunity.
Sure could have used this during hurricane Sandy here on Long Island! I have a friend who just showed me this marvelous light that she actually used to finish her Turkey table runner during the storm (believe it or not she was sewing with no lights and a generator going for her sewing machine)
If I won this light, I would keep it for myself. I would use it to read with and to sew with. I quilt alot, and somtimes hand stitch.
I have an 88 year old friend who still does hand quilting every night while watching TV. She could use better light so I’d gift the Beam & Read to her.
I would keep the light for myself. The older I get, the more light I need at night. I haven’t been able to work on counted cross stitch in the evenings in the winter because it’s just too dim. This light would be just what I need to get back to my winter night’s pastime. Thanks for the chance to win.
As much as I would LOVE to keep it, I think I would give it to someone who could use it at the assisted living facility where my parents lived when they were living. I think that folks of that age, especially someone who was involved in crafts, or just reading would ,ove to have it
I really have wondered if this was a great light for us crafty people. Since I do a lot of hand applique this would be a great addition to help me see all those little stitches. So therefore I would keep it!! This is very kind of you to be giving one away.
I would keep it for my hand stitching on the couch where the lighting is not so good. Maybe with this light I would get. My quilts bound faster.
I’d keep it for sure. As I age I find that even with my bifocals and strong overhead lights, I have trouble with seeing well enough to machine quilt which I am trying to master.
i love the light and although i could use it myself my husband is an avid model train developer. he just switched size from n gauge to ho due to his advancing age, lol, and i know he would love and appreciate something like that to help him with his hobby. a happy husband is a very happy wife. thank you for the opportunity. good luck to everyone and ray.
I would definitely keep this for myself. I also hate to admit it, but my eyes need a little more light to work by. I like the fact a magnifier can be added as this REALLY gives this product an edge. I would use this for reading and handwork too. It also sounds like the ideal companion for travel too!
If I won the light, I would keep it for myself. I never seem to have enough light when I’m doing handwork on the couch at night with the kiddos. Have a super day!
The light looks perfect for hand work in the dark corner of my livingroom where I like to work. Daytime stitching is fine, but sometimes I am unable to work in the evenings. I like the fact it hangs around your neck – that way it would easily move with you to a new location. Thanks for the chance to win.
What a generous giveaway. If I won, I would certainly keep this light. I have cataracts, and this would help
tremendously!! Thank you so much for the chance to win!
wigglypup2(at)yahoo(dot)com
Hi Michele: I would keep the light for myself. The old eyes aren’t as sharp anymore and I need direct light to read and sew while sitting in my chair watching tv, reading and sewing. Yes, I can do it all, hear me roar, I am woman….lol. Thanks for the chance to win such an awesome and useful item.
I would keep the light for myself. I am having some trouble seeing at night :D
If I won the light, I would keep it for myself. I am a quilter/dyer and am going blind from glaucoma. The light helps me to see my work better.
I would probably give to my mother who has failing eyesight. But I’d be sorely tempted to keep it for myself to help me with hand work. Thanks for a chance.
I have started embroidering again and so I would keep this light for myself to continue my work at night more comfortably. Thanks for the giveaway.
fabulous giveaway – if I won I’d definitely keep the light for me – for some reason I can’t seem to see as well to sew at night – well old age might be a little reason – surely not :)
Wonderful giveaway! Light looks like it would very useful…and I would definitely keep it for myself…since I’ve gotten older it would be most helpful for my nighttime close work or in my sewing area which doesn’t get as much natural light.
Thanks!
I need that light! So I would probably keep it for myself, but if I happened to give it away it would be to my Aunt Debbie. She does all kinds of stitching and I think she’d love it. Thank you!
I would keep the light for myself. I’ve been looking at getting good lighting for my living room and this might be the answer I am looking for.
This sounds like a great light! I would love to have this to use myself but I would also share it with my hubby, who is a model railroader who does fine work using a light/magnifier that is more cumbersome that this one. Thanks for the opportunity to win it.
perfect for my grandmother’s eyes!
This is an easy one – I’d keep it for myself! I already switch from my “multi focals” to magnifying glasses for hand stitching. I can only hand stitch during the day due to lack of good light at night, so this light would be a welcome addition in my home!
I would love this to take in my caravan as the light is not fantastic…even at home it would be great with the glasses on:)Therefore I would be keeping it for myself sorry….
I would keep this for myself if i were to win…my eyes have never been very good, and it’s very helpful to have extra light when i’m doing handwork. :)
I would keep this for myself. I struggle with seeing when I am working on close work or reading. Maybe I wouldn’t have to take my glassed of part of the time if I had something like this.
I would keep this for myself. I struggle with any hand work and this light would make it so much easier to see what I’m doing!
This is a great giveaway! If I won this light I’d use it for myself when the family has lights out to watch a movie and I want to stitch along and watch/listen too. I’d also bring it when I teach my Kokopelli Shirt class. The class requires students to take apart seams of a black shirt and even with my “younger” eyes, I find it difficult to see the black on black thread and fabric. So I’d let my students try it out too.
Cheers!