10 Products That Help You Work in the Dark
Updated: Feb. 01, 2023
Under the sink, in a crawl space, up in the attic or out in the woods, lighted tools and equipment help you work better in the dark.
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DeWalt Lighted Tool Backpack Bag
When you need a tool, you need it pronto! The 57-pocket DeWalt Lighted Tool Backpack Bag was developed in conjunction with Custom Leathercraft to keep pros and DIYers organized and productive.
Point the built-in LED light (39 lumens of output) toward the jobsite or into the backpack to help you find what you’re looking for. Constructed of heavy-duty material, the tool bag has 48 internal and nine outside-facing pockets to hold your most frequently used tools.
Cordless Lighted Screwdriver
No hobbyist or household fixer-upper will be left in the dark if their tool bag includes a General Cordless Lighted Power Screwdriver. Squeeze into awkward spaces where it’s difficult to see — the bright LED floods the tip of the tool in light while it applies more than 100 rpms of torque to turn the screws on most light-duty jobs. This mini-power screwdriver comes with a handle, six bits, a hard rubber bit organizer and two AAA alkaline batteries.
Klein Tools Pro Work Light
Part of the beauty of the compact Klein Tools Tradesman Pro Work Light is its unbeatable versatility. Two brightness modes to beam light into small spaces. Attach the magnetic clip to any metal surface or use the hook to dangle it from a pipe. Slim enough to hang on your tool belt or slip easily into your pocket, this battery-powered LED light is encased in rubber molding so it’s super-durable.
Rechargeable Headlamp
There are a whole bunch of reasons why we like the lightweight Rechargeable Headlamp by Outerdo. For one, it’s waterproof, so it’s ideal for working in the field or at an outdoor jobsite during damp weather conditions. For another, the headlamp blasts eight LEDs in eight modes covering a massive 600 meters, so it can bathe your yard, garage or shop in light.
Plus, its ergonomically-designed elastic headband adjusts for hours of comfortable and hands-free wear. It even has a red safety taillight for an extra layer of warning when operating a forklift in a dim warehouse or lumber yard. Looking for more? Don’t forget to check out this rechargeable Fenix HM65r headlamp.
Want more options? Take a look at our list of the best headlamps to light your way.
Klein Tools Lighted Aluminum Torpedo Level
No need to squint and strain to “get it straight.” This compact Lighted Billet Aluminum Torpedo Level may look like an average carpenter’s tool until you discover its large-view windows lit with LEDs make it easy to see the “bubble” in dim conditions from multiple angles.
Pro contractors and do-it-yourselfers appreciate the powerful, patented magnet track that secures the tool to any metal surface (especially great when you’re working alone), ensuring the most precise and accurate level or plumb reading possible.
Lighted Mechanical Pickup
The days of “MacGyvering” a clothes hanger to fish your wrench out of the garbage disposal are over. Find and retrieve items from dimly lit and hard-to-reach places with this Lighted Mechanical Pickup by General.
This ingenious tool combines a bright-white LED light bulb and a four-prong, spring steel retrieval claw at the end of the 24-inch flexible and corrosion-resistant shaft. Squeeze the ergonomically designed hand controls to rescue socks from behind the dryer and screws from dark nooks and crannies.
Magnetic LED Work Light
The EVISWIY Sewing Machine LED Light is a multi-functional, portable work lamp with a strong, magnetic base that securely attaches to your sewing machine, workbench, lathe, drill press or other metal machinery. It won’t break loose, even with the most intense shaking and vibrations.
The flexible gooseneck rotates 360 degrees to direct the 30-piece LEDs at any angle, giving off 5,000K of bright-white daylight that won’t bother your eyes because there are no harmful UV rays present.
One satisfied Amazon reviewer remarked, “I snapped the magnetized base to the side of my drill press and it lights my work surface perfectly.”
Helping Hands with LED Light
If you work alone, we recommend the Noevsbig Soldering Helping Hands with LED. Great for jewelry crafts or repairing motherboards, the metal base is made of aluminum alloy for stability. The soft rubber pad keeps everything from sliding around — vital when working with hot metal. And so is seeing what you’re doing!
The 3X magnifying glass with LED lamps has three lighting modes, 10 brightness levels and three temperatures: warm light, warm-white light and white light. That’s 30 illumination modes in all. A six-piece universal joint pipe, five alligator clips and an iron tip cleaner are included.
LED Light Gloves
Free up all 10 digits for the task at hand when you don a pair of LED Light Gloves by Mudder. Made of breathable, elastic fabric that’s soft to the touch, they feature a hook and loop design that can be adjusted to comfortably fit most people. It’s great for working in small spaces or when no one’s around to hold the flashlight for you. The two LED lamps — one mounted to each index finger — run on two button batteries (not included) that last up to 30 hours.
Lighted LED Safety Glasses
Protect your eyes while you work in the dark with Panther Vision Lightspecs LED Safety Glasses. Don’t let the playful camo motif fool you — these are some serious impact-resistant, anti-scratch lenses, with frames constructed of strong polycarbonate. The ultra-bright LEDs embedded into the temples emit 32 lumens of light canted inward, making them perfect for close-up, detailed work.
One Home Depot five-star reviewer hailed the glasses, saying, “I can actually do a lot of tasks without the use of a handheld light because the light is right on my safety glasses.”
