AltusLumen have released a new portable PAD-L LED torch gadget, which is the brother to their TRI-L Contemporary Personal Light. The PAD-L adds a few more features that makes it more usable, including adding weatherproofing, adjustable light output, integral 360 degree hinge and user replaceable 4xAAA batteries.
Compared to the TRI-L, the PAD-L adds an extra 92 hours of battery life (so 100 hours in total), a flashing light mode and is also $50 cheaper at $49 (and even cheaper on Amazon). The PAD-L is made from recycled and recyclable aluminum and polycarbonate. The whole light is 75% at the end of it’s life too. Due to using high quality LEDs and anodized aluminium, there are no toxic heavy metals in the construction.
I like the the replaceable AAA batteries, as it allows you to use existing rechargeable batteries, rather than having yet another device that needs charging. There is a solar panel accessory you can buy that will charge the PAD-L, but you could use any AAA solar battery charger if portability is important. Using recyclable and recycled materials also gets my vote.
The AltusLumen PAD-L is definitely an example of an environmentally concious and practical eco gadget.