Plasma lighters are the lighter, evolved. They can light things on fire while fixing the three biggest problems with traditional lighters:
- Fuel - This lighter doesn’t need fuel; you recharge it over USB. How cool is that?
- Wind - Since it’s using tiny electrical coils to create heat rather than an open flame, it can’t be blown out.
- Orientation - You can use a plasma lighter upside down without burning your fingers, which makes lighting candles a lot easier.
We covered the Sparkr Mini here, and now you can get the 2.0 version of the lighter for $18 today with promo code W5ZDQU2O, down from its usual $30 (it’s currently priced at $20, but it has historically usually cost $30). That’s a few bucks more than some other electric lighters we’ve seen, but the Sparkr Mini is one of the most compact models out there, and features two criss-crossing arcs for a more reliable spark, a built-in flashlight, and a fiddle-friendly flip top.
Most of its dodgy Amazon reviews focus on the fact that the flashlight could turn itself on in your pocket, but that’s been fixed in this 2.0 version by switching it to a three button press. This model also uses a different frequency to eliminate the high-pitched buzzing that’s commonplace with these products.