Joby announces bright, precise Gorillatorch Blade

When I was a kid, holding the light while my father turned wrenches in some dark corner of the family car's engine bay was a sacred duty to be performed seriously and to the best of my ability. I don't have kids of my own, so when I find myself in need of illumination, I often find myself precariously balancing a hot work light into some odd angle or awkwardly holding a pen light between my teeth. For those who have found themselves in similar situations, Joby, creator of the Gorillapod camera mounting system, has just announced the Gorillatorch Blade, it's brightest, most precise hands-free LED flashlight.

The Gorillatorch Blade joins the Gorillatorch Original and Flare as the third hands-free flashlight in Joby's catalog. The Blade features a 65 lumen LED lamp that can be adjusted from a wide flood to a more precise spotlight and boasts a 130 lumen boost setting. Power comes from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with enough juice to keep the Blade lit for up to 6.5 hours (or 2.5 hours of boosted output) which is more than enough time to swap out your car's busted CV joint. Between uses, the battery can be charged using either the included USB power cable or AC adapter.

The electronics are wrapped in a machined aluminum case that is both shockproof and IP-X5 water resistant. Being a Joby product, the Gorillatorch Blade also features the company's trademark flexible plastic legs with grippy rubber rings that hold the Blade's lamp in position. From its perch at the center of the three legs, the lamps is able to be aimed with 360 degrees of pan and 180 degrees of tilt. At the end of each of the legs is a neodynium magnet that even further increases the Gorillatorch's utility, particularly in the mostly metal environments that are a vehicle's engine bay and undercarriage.

The Joby Gorillatorch Blade retails for $59.95 and is available for purchase at select retailers nationwide and Joby.com.