Ryobi Magnifier Light

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I’m always on the lookout for the perfect magnifying light. I like the floor lights I have but I don’t love them. They work but I keep thinking there has to be something better. By my stitchy spot in the basement family room, I have this floor lamp. Sometimes it seems that it has a mind of it’s own or “memory” and no matter where I position the light, the head part wants to go wherever it wants to go. Also, I’ve had it almost three years and I use it a lot and I feel like it’s not as bright as it used to be. Is that possible with LED lights? Maybe my eyes are just almost 3 years older!

I have a Daylight Company 25500 portable magnifying lamp that clamps onto a table and that’s what I use when I’m stitching anywhere besides home. I’ve taken it to stitch with a friend, to the stitching group at a somewhat local shop and when I’ve gone to my uncle’s for a week, this is the lamp I take. I got mine from The Fat Quarter Shop and it’s out of stock there. It’s also out of stock at The Daylight Company and, from what I see at Amazon, they have four in stock, which makes me wonder if this is no longer being made. I’ve had mine for about 3.5 years and have been happy with it though it doesn’t bend in as many places as does the light below.

A few days ago there was a post in one of the FB groups I’m in and people were asking which lamps they prefer for taking to retreats. One of my friends posted that she uses a Ryobi Magnifying Clamp Light. The current price of this clamp on lamp, at Amazon is $29. The battery and charger have to be purchased separately but we have many batteries and several chargers so I didn’t order additional batteries or chargers. The battery does have to be attached for it to work and the battery cannot be plugged in for recharging while the battery is being used with the lamp.

This is not something I would take on an airplane or to a retreat that would go for several days. I would take it to my uncle’s and bring an extra battery and a charger. I will take it out on the deck or even out on the back porch which is covered and I would worry less about the magnifier burning a hole in my fabric. I don’t have a lamp upstairs so if I were cooking or sitting up there for a while, I wouldn’t hesitate to bring this light up.

It has two intensity levels and this is the lowest level light. This is 40 count linen and you can easily see the holes in the fabric. I’m pretty impressed with this.

The only negative I’ve discovered and this is my own fault but with the 1.5 Ah battery (which is very light), I cannot sit it on the sofa next to me and stitch, at least not with the dogs around. It doesn’t “sit” well – there doesn’t seem to be enough base for it to sit and be stable. I don’t have a table close by where I could clamp the light. I can clamp it to the frame I’m using but 99.9% of the time when I’m stitching, Oscar is sitting right next to me, as close as he can get. The frame is usually at last partially resting on Oscar and even his breathing causes the light to wiggle – ever so slightly but it’s enough to make me feel dizzy.

I think this will be my light of choice when traveling – to my uncle’s, to a friend’s to stitch or to the stitching group at the almost local shop.

If you have a Ryobi battery and charger already, and we do, for less than $30, I think this is a great deal on a great light.