Zelco "itty bitty" Fluorescent Book Light

by Zelco

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Itty Bitty flourescent book light by Zelco is a welcome refinement of a great original. By scaling back the footprint of the clip, the size of the light's hood, and the heft of the materials, Zelco has made this lamp sleek, compact, and practically weightless. Though slightly less sturdy than the original, the flourescent book light is still bright and strong, great for fatigue-free reading in a darkened room. The bulb, mounted on an adjustable telescoping arm, switches on automatically when the arm is extended and off when it retracts. Clipped securely onto the cover of your book, it shines only on the pages, not on your sleeping bedfellow. For power, the light requires two AA batteries, or one of Zelco's compatible AC adapters. --Emily Bedard

Product Details

Product Manual [112kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005YXZ8
• Item model number: 10059
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,284 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent, but disappointing, July 21, 2002

By 

E. Newhouse - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zelco "itty bitty" Fluorescent Book Light (Tools & Home Improvement)

On balance, I'm unhappy with this product.

I used it solely for bedtime reading with my wife asleep next to me.

Pros:

* Much dimmer light than incandescent, easier on the partner
* bulb never needs replacing

Cons:

* Batteries could never get inserted quite right. This meant the light could rarely be turned on without first jostling the batteries.

* Drains batteries pretty quickly, even when not used. Better get rechargeables.

* Dimmer light than incandescent, harder on you!

* Needs a hardback book to really work. It's too heavy for paperbacks.

* Particularly for bigger books, the light head doesn't fold enough to cover all parts of the page. So you will likely be reading parts of the page in dim light, and parts in bright.

As I said, on balance, this product needs work.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars NOT FOR TRAVEL!, February 14, 2002

By 

h - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zelco "itty bitty" Fluorescent Book Light (Tools & Home Improvement)

No way! this book light is great if you are reading at home or a passenger in a car, but as a seasoned traveler, I have to disagree about this advertised in "Travel Accessories". I own a three inch oval-shaped book light that is MUCH smaller. I can carry it in my tiny jean's pocket. There is just no way to convince me, after years of being squeezed in coach, that this light isn't going to be annoying to you and others. Pass on this one and look for a true traveler light. I hope Amazon will locate something more approriate for sale in the future. I still give it four stars, however, for being a perfect gift for the at-home avid reader. Never strain yourself to read at night. It's not healthy.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Book Light I've Owned, October 11, 2003

By 

Dave T. (Ocala, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zelco "itty bitty" Fluorescent Book Light (Tools & Home Improvement)

I've owned many different book lights, including the original "itty bitty" book light, and this is by far the best. I would have given it '5 stars' if it wasn't for one little quirk that others have noticed. The fact that it doesn't come on everytime. I did the battery switching, etc. to get it to light until I found out the secret. As long as it is in a lighted room when you switch it on (the brighter the better) it will come right on without a problem. If the room is completly dark it will not come on. I sent an email to the tech staff at Zelco, asking about this, but they never answered.

It does use batteries up quickly, but a AC adapter (or battery charger)will solve that problem. The origional "itty bitty" used up bulbs like mad, which were much more expensive. It lights entire pages, of the largest books, with a light that is very easy on the eyes.