Power Practical makes our favorite outdoor string lights and bias lightning, but if those didn’t... spark your interest, here’s a goddamn plasma lighter.
The $30 Sparkr Mini is USB-rechargeable, has a built-in flashlight, requires no fuel, can be lit in the wind or rain, and is made of soft, matte plastic that feels great in the hand. Forget your fidget spinner, you’re about to be a monster-of-the-week from a bad SYFY show whose thing is that they fidget with an arc lighter.
Power Practical isn’t the first to the plasma party, Gizmodo covered ArcLighter’s Kickstarter back in 2015 for example, but the competitive set, for the most part, is ugly and/or lacking features.
Update: The Sparkr Mini just got a minor update that eliminates the high-pitched buzz common with these lighters, and also makes it harder to accidentally turn the flashlight on in your pocket.
The Sparkr is double the price of the Mini and comes in a flashlight form factor. The flashlight has three brightness settings, up to 150 lumens, and a mostly aluminum body. The cap that covers the lighter end does double duty as a diffuser when you need a lantern, and a utility tie is included for hanging. It’s weird that the diffuser cap is part of the battery cover, but not a big deal.
The Sparkr is perfect for lighting deep candles, and great for camping, but won’t make it into your everyday carry like the Mini.
I’m gonna put the pile of fire starters I’ve gotten in to check out in a drawer with my abacus.
Update 10/10/17: Need an arc lighter that can reach around? This Kinja Deals discovery from Tacklife is perfect for lighting candles and more. There’s also a mini version without the gooseneck that’s about the size of a USB flash drive.