Flexible Flashlight

Product Description

With Joby's Gorillatorch adjustable tripod flashlight, you'll be able to tackle a wide range of jobs in dimly lit conditions without having to balance a standard flashlight under the crook of your neck. With its powerful magnetic feet and bendable and flexible legs, you can illuminate virtually any target and keep your hands focused on the job at hand.

The Gorillatorch offers a focused illumination thanks to its ultra-bright CREE LED--providing up to 65 lumens (1 watt) of lighting power--and high-quality reflector optics. A dimmer feature allows you to select the ideal brightness for any situation, and this also enables you to optimize battery life when needed. At its brightest setting, the Gorillatorch provides up to 20 hours of continuous use, while you'll get up to 80 hours of battery life when the dimmer is dialed to its economy setting. The Gorillatorch is powered by three AA batteries (included).

When it's time to turn off the lights, the Gorillatorch's adaptable form factor enables you to stow it anywhere--from a toolbox to a kitchen drawer to a camping backpack.

The light's water-resistant housing is made of durable ABS plastic and it has a polycarbonate lens with a 2.16-inch diameter bezel. It measures 7.87 by 2.95 by 2.56 inches and weighs 1.6 ounces (6.5 ounces with batteries installed). The Joby Gorillatorch is backed by a limited 1-year warranty.

Endless Uses

Based on Joby's award-winning Gorillapod tripod for cameras, the Gorillatorch can wrap its flexible legs around almost any surface to provide needed illumination--attach it to the bedpost for lights out reading, secure it to a tree branch or tent pole to illuminate your campsite. The rubberized rings around each spherical component of the leg helps the Gorillatorch to firmly grasp the surface it's clasped around, and they protect painted or varnished surfaces from getting scratched.

With the addition of its neodymium magnetic feet, the Gorillatorch can secure itself to metal surfaces such as car hoods while checking the engine, late night tire changes, or a fusebox door during power outages.

You can also use it as you would a normal tripod, such as for shining a light on night-time barbecues, or use it as a handheld with the legs straightened while walking the dog. The rubberized foot grips provide enhanced stability on slick or uneven surfaces.

Features

• Ultra-bright 65-lumen CREE LED
• Adjustable dimmer controls brightness
• 3-AA batteries included
• Magnetic feet
• Rubberized ring and foot grips provide extra stability

Top Reviews

Good product that delivers what it promises
by Mark A. Adams (4 out of 5 stars)
September 23, 2009

I just received the Gorillatorch and have been testing it. In the short time I have tested it, I have found it to be an excellent idea with a good implementation.

Pros:
* The LED used in the unit is very bright and in conjunction with the dimmer function allows an excellent range of illumination
* The legs consist of multiple ball and socket joints that allow easy positioning with good rigidity.
* Each ball has a rubber-like ring around it (the gray rings in the photos) which provides a good friction grip when wrapped around an object.
* The tripod feet have the same covering as the rings giving it a low slip tripod base.
* The tripod feet contain strong magnets that hold the tripod securely to a metal surface in any orientation (up, down or sideways).
* The Battery/Lamp reside in a single assembly so there is no restriction on rotating the light.

Cons:
* The unit I received has a battery compartment electrical contact issue. The battery compartment cover contains contacts that connect the battery (+) terminals with the unit body. This contact can be affected by tapping on the case, turning the lamp off and back on when it is switched on.
* The dimmer works well, but is non-linear in operation. The dimmer/switch rotates over approx. 220 degrees, but the dimmer operates over the last 90 degrees.
* The light produced is very similar to a flashlight - a bright center with a less bright surrounding light ring. As the primary use for the unit is as a work light a change to create a more uniform lighting area would allow the LED's brightness to be better used.

Overall this is a very good product that with minor gripes, delivers what it promises
↭ 🍁 ↭
A couple of things I didn't expect
by Blind Faith 99 (2 out of 5 stars)
October 31, 2010

I got this at an Amazon lightning deal for about $20. For $15 to $20, this a decent light with magnetic legs that stick to metal, and from there, the legs can be bent so that the light points in whatever direction you want. With that out of the way, there are a couple of things things that should be mentioned. First, it's much smaller than I expected. Rather than "Gorilla Torch," it should be called something like "Monkey Light." At its tallest, it is 8 inches. Once you spread the legs out, it's down to 6 or 7 inches tall. Second, as has already been pointed out, it is a spot light. It is not for illuminating a wide area. Whatever it is pointed towards, the light will be adequate in the immediate area of the target. The area around the target will not be well-illuminated. There is no way to adjust this. It is thus not a good substitute for a flashlight or lantern. Third, I always have a little trouble finding the control dial. It's not where I would intuitively expect it to be, and also, it's not prominently marked. I usually have to stop for a moment and think about where the dial is. Not a major problem, but I would have done it differently. Also, as you turn the dial from left to right, it goes from the off position immediately to maximum light, then all the way down to minimum light, and then it stops there. To turn the light off, you have to turn the dial in the other direction, all the way to maximum light, and then to the off position. A lot of people may prefer it that way. For me, I'm not yet appreciating the ingenuity. Overall, this device can be real handy when you need a small spotlight, can't hold one in your hand, and there's metal nearby that this can be attached to. I don't, however, think it's worth anything close to the $35 list price.

December 2011 UPDATE: After a year or two, it has yet to come in handy for me. Because it lights up a very small area, it's usefullness is limited.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Order 1..ordered 1 more....ordered 2 more...fabulous!
by Ruby D (5 out of 5 stars)
March 20, 2013

3/20/13 Joby Gorillatorch Adjustable & Flexible Tripod Flashlight: ordered one on 11/30/12 for my fiance towards his Christmas present. He is a plumbing & heating contractor and has loads of all kinds of flashlights and at first he wasn't sure what he was going to do with this little crazy looking flashlight or how much use he would have for it. Well, he used it, he used it, he used it and found enough uses for it that when we were invited to his buddies birthday party, who is a full fledge carpenter/cabinet maker, on 1/16/13 I ordered one to give to the buddy and he has found lots of use for this little flashlight. My fiance says he has found more uses for this flashlight than he would have thought. Often he is working in a small dark area of a basement or a crawl space where he may not have allot to do, but enough that he has to run in extension cords to provide light. Some of these old old basements do not have electric and certainly the crawl spaces do not. This flashlight has provided him with enough light to work for a short period in these type of areas. He says he has wrapped it around pipes, stuck it to electric panels, etc. Of course, if you are working in an area for an extended period of time you would want to to provide real lighting. He says that even in areas where there is real lighting there are always those spots where you just need a little more light and yet you need both hands to do the job, so this flashlight is really coming in handy. The flashlight does have a dial on it which allows you to tighten up or widen the beam and that is nice. The magnetic feet are really strong. This is the one thing that I thought might not work as advertised as I thought that more than likely the flashlight would start to slide off of whatever you attached the magnetic feet to, but it doesn't. The flashlight totally stays in place..again, the magnets are strong. Also, when you twist the legs around whatever they do not unravel. However you set this flashlight up it stays put.

My fiance's son works with him and since he keeps teasing and pretending to steel his Dad's Gorillatorch I have just ordered one for him. He also has all kinds of flashlights and he really loves the Gorillatorch. I figured why should the men have all the fun with this little flashlight...and since I am a heavy duty horticulturalist/gardener I thought I should have one and keep it on my work cart with all of my other gardening tools, shovels, etc. Often, I am still in gardens trying to finish planting, mulching or whatever and it is getting dark and I am in an area where our outside lighting doesn't provide much light. I figure this flashlight will be perfect for me to aim at a small area of a garden bed and allow me to see what I am doing to finish up. The legs will be perfect for me to be able to stabilize it or balance it on rocks, walls, etc. and since my cart is metal I can attach it to the cart.

I have read the negative reviews for this flashlight and just do not understand exactly what people expected from this flashlight. I think some people expected this flashlight to totally replace full blown electric lighting. They are expecting too much. The flashlight does what it is supposed to do and if you use it for what it is capable of doing we all highly recommend it. I've now purchased 4 of them and probably will purchase more for ourselves as well as gifts. For the black and yellow on 3/16/13 I paid $20.13 which I feel is more than reasonable for this flashlight. I've paid way more for other flashlights which really are inferior to the Gorillatorch. Be sure to look at the price of the different colors as the prices can vary greatly. On 11/30/13 I purchased this flashlight in orange and black for $22.75 and the orange and black as of a couple of days ago was $48 and change...so check the prices. Actually, I see that today, 3/20/13 the yellow and black is $19.40 which is even a little lower than my purchase price on 3/16/13 of $20.13. Also, today, the gray & black is $29.99. I don't have many complaints with Amazon, but this is one that I do have as I don't understand why a product is different prices by color. This is across the board with much of what they sell. I am not referring to the varying prices of an item sold by third party sellers. I am talking about a product sold by and shipped by Amazon which varies in price by color. I am not aware of any store that does this, but this is another subject and I am not reviewing Amazon here, however, I am alerting you to check prices by the different colors on all items.

I would say try one...I don't think you will be disappointed if you don't expect the flashlight to replace electric lighting. Be realistic...it is a flashlight, not an electric portable construction light and it is under $30.
↭ 🍁 ↭
It's Decent. Light Source Could Be Better
by Freakonforfatty (4 out of 5 stars)
May 29, 2012

I wanted to give this product a fair review and so I tried it for a month before writting it, so here it goes.

I should mention the fact that I'm not a contractor or handy man, I'm just a guy with a house full of tools used for home projects, etc. After reading all the mixed reviews, I decided to buy this cool looking light, it was on sale for $13 and I have to be honest, it is a decent light, not great, but useful enough.

The tripod is probably the best part; it's made of plastic with magnectic feet covered in rubber. The legs are not magnetic and are best described as joints made of large beads, which also have a rubber layer. The overall quality is quite good and made to last.

The light bulb and its housing on the other hand, feel cheap. At its brightest, the light is focused on a single very bright spot, the rest looks like halo and cannot be adjusted.

I like this product, but could only give it 4 stars, because the light bulb can't be replaced in case it burns out, rendering it useless. It's not an actual light bulb, it's a tiny LED attached to a tiny green board (motherboard colour/style), this portion is then attached to the inner reflective housing; two wires then run to the battery compartment.

Even with that minor flaw, I have found many uses for this little guy. When working under the sink or in a dark closet, this light proved to be a much needed tool. I only wish Joby could make a version with replaceable light bulbs. Hope this helps.
↭ 🍁 ↭
I really like this
by JDThird (5 out of 5 stars)
May 3, 2012

I saw this on a gold box deal and grabbed it without looking at the details too much since "flashlight" and "tripod" was all I needed to see for the price they had it at, so I was happy when I received it to find that it was better than just that. The magnets in the feet are decent, and worked alright, I just wish they had been a tad stronger, like the "strange earth magnets" or something so they'd really grip well. Best find for me was that they weren't just some flexible material the legs were made out of, but they're actually segmented, with a bunch of pivot points. For me, this is a MUCH better solution than some flexible material wrapped up with something on the outside.

Battery insertion is simple, and no trying to figure out which ones point in which direction, since they all go the same way.

It was brighter than I had figured it would be, and with the selectable brightness you can get something usually that is a level you need. The center can be bright, I just offset it a bit to make it easier to see what I wanted without blinding myself. Another reviewer suggested some glad wrap around it to help diffuse it, which sounds like a good idea in some situations.

It's nice and lightweight, and the feet hold well on standard surfaces as well since they're non slip material.

My 8 year old loved it when I formed it around my head and used it like a miner's light.

For the price, can't be beat, since when you need something like this, there's not a lot of workarounds you can do with a normal flashlight.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Handy light
by J. Bruha (4 out of 5 stars)
March 9, 2013

This little utility light has a lot going for it. It has variable brightness, and the head is on a swivel, and it's 'legs' are made up of flexible segments, that you can wrap around objects, and the little 'feet' at the end of the legs, contain magnets.

It is so flexible, there is almost nowhere you can't get lit up using it. You can use the magnetic feet to hold onto steel, you can wrap the legs around things, and swivel the head at any angle.

The reason for only 4 stars would be the lighting pattern. There is a 'bulls eye' of light, surrounded by a large 'halo' of softer light. The problem is, the bulls eye is too bright, in contrast to the halo. Either the center of the beam is too bright, or the rest, too dim. Works good, where you need a small but bright area of light, but in my mind, a worklight should light up a wide area.

Putting tape over the lens, as another suggested, helps diffuse the light, making it much closer to a 5-star light, but it should come that way, in my opinion.

Overall brightness is more than adequate, battery life is excellent, build quality is very good.
↭ 🍁 ↭
It was awesome when I bought mine!
by Daniel Armstrong (5 out of 5 stars)
May 8, 2018

I had one of these lights and used it for everything from photography (I took some very cool staged photos using only the lamp) to working under the car. I absolutely loved it. I think I paid $29 for it on Amazon new. Sadly, an ex-girlfriend ran off with it (among other things... sigh). Anyway, thought I would find a comparable replacement for it today, but the yellow one is hideous, and anything else is egregiously overpriced (the yellow one included). I hope they bring back this model at that $29 price so I can have one again!
↭ 🍁 ↭
Super versatile and handy
by Peter Faden (5 out of 5 stars)
May 20, 2012

These came up as a Deal of the Day here a little while ago and i bought two based on the reviews and perceived versatility. I havent been disappointed. The light itself is fairly bright. It has a central point and spread which diminishes its strength, but for a little stand flashlight, it is more than adequate. Although it technically has six brightness settings, they arent actually depicted accurately on the device. That being said, you basically just turn the knob from strongest to dimmest and to off, depending on your needs. The legs are completely awesome! They bend and twist in every possible direction due to each segment being a ball joint. The base has two segments leading into the tripod legs which have ten apiece, including the magnetic feet on each. You can easily use this feature to mount it pretty much anywhere. Additionally, the feet are magnetic, and pretty strong. I have one next to me right now, and it is tugging at one of my hematite bracelets, lol. Anyway, pretty awesome and versatile little light. I havent tested the battery life yet, but i will probably do so within a week or two and update this accordingly.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Great idea; nicely executed
by Simon (4 out of 5 stars)
March 3, 2011

The Gorillatorch is a supremely useful flashlight and worth the investment for me. Probably the most useful feature in my experience has been the magnetic "feet" which proved invaluable when changing a tire on an unlit road recently. Being able to attach the light directly to the body of the car above the wheel well was a neat trick. The adjustment of the "legs" is almost infinite as each joint rotates as well as adjusting the angle to its neighbor so the light can be attached to just about anything and the lamp set to any angle. It is true that the feaure which allows adjustment of the beam of light from broad to narrow is somewhat sudden, and the cut-off around the center of the beam is severe, however these have not proved to be major issues for me thus far. Construction seems to be of high quality but the plastic used for the body of the torch is not "soft touch" in any way and could well crack if dropped with sufficient force. Battery life is an unknown at this point.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Really and surprisingly good
by 31Alpha (5 out of 5 stars)
December 8, 2011

I bought this light on a lark while it was on sale. For the price paid, this light was very worth it. I had previously purchased a Coleman Exponent lantern as a means to read with in the dark when away from home. It worked well, but it always seemed to bright and there was no way to really aim it where I wanted it to go. The Joby Gorillatorch takes care of that. First and foremost, I feel like I can get it to affix to anything with its spindly, multi-position legs and their magnetic feet. However, more importantly, it has a dimmable LED which goes from a very bright 60 lumens (rated on the packaging) to a very low setting (unknown) but which makes it perfect for reading.

The light uses standard AAA batteries which is great when compared with other offerings which use button cells or CR123A.

The light was a great find and will be part of my kit in the future; I highly recommend one your uses if you want to be able to use a light which can be positioned just about anywhere and is dimmable.
↭ 🍁 ↭
This flashlight easily aims its beam
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
September 25, 2014

I have my desktop computer in the dark under my desk, along with its many associated connections. I regularly need access to these connections and always have trouble locating and adjusting them with a hand-held flashlight. This flashlight easily aims its beam, with a dimmer if I need it, just where I want it, and holds it with no help from me. Its magnetic feet store it conveniently on the metal base of my desktop lamp. It converts easily to a conventional flashlight to help me find my way out to my car in the dark. While I haven't yet tried to wrap it around a tree branch, I'm sure I could- the flexible legs that let you aim it anywhere are a giant step forward.
↭ 🍁 ↭
A Super Light
by Gerry (5 out of 5 stars)
August 19, 2015

This light is just what I hoped it would be. Lightweight, adjusts to uneven surfaces and stays put. The magnets on the legs are super strong, and I store it on the metal face of my electrical panel in the garage. Also, for you BBQ'ers who need a light at night. I have two Weber Kettles side by side and have been looking at length for a light that would attach to the handle of either of the kettles. No such luck. Well, I just let the magnet take over on the grill I am not using and the light is fantastic. When I need to use both of them, I just stick it on the metal housing of the crank for my umbrella. And I saved money not having to buy a grilling light!
↭ 🍁 ↭
LOVE this flashlight!
by iPhone are awesome (5 out of 5 stars)
December 30, 2012

I bought one similar to this last year for my husband, and everyone was jealous, so I bought a few as gifts this year. The legs do stick pretty well to anything metal, but the best part is the flexible legs. My husband will wrap it around his gun, and shine the trail when he is walking to his tree stand in the mornings, or coming down in the evenings. I have used it several times when I am looking for something and need both hands. The funniest use so far was when my husband wrapped it onto his concrete finisher when he had to finish a slab in the dark. This has a beam you can narrow or broaden and it worked perfect. This probably isn't the brightest flashlight you could get, but it is sure handy to have around when you need an extra set of hands.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Ingenious little work light!
by Jerri Ledford (5 out of 5 stars)
January 17, 2011

I bought two of these for Christmas gifts. If I had known when I bought them that they were so useful, I would have bought one for every man in my family and some of the women, too. The magnetic feature on the legs is very useful...and it's powerful, too. The magnets hold on very well. The flexibility of the tripod is also a big plus, because it can be used in tight places, where there are no flat surfaces, and just about anywhere that a light might be needed.

I ended up ordering one extra of these, to keep my nephew from stealing my dad's. And of course, I had to get a different color so there would be no mix-ups. In all, I'd rate this much higher than five stars. The light is powerful (and adjustable), and the whole contraption is amazingly useful.

The design prompted me to purchase the GorillaMobile for my cameras, video cameras, and phones. And I love it, too!
↭ 🍁 ↭
Hardest thing about this is keeping it!
by Lucy's Mom (5 out of 5 stars)
December 30, 2010

I bought this flashlight on a whim one day, not thinking at all about how I would use it. It immediately became clear that this was the best flashlight I've ever had. I'm used to having to maneuver with a large Maglight whenever I need a flashlight. Having both my hands free has been wonderful. If you're wondering whether you'll ever use this flashlight, here are some things I've used this for where it's been significantly better than using a regular flashlight: crawling behind the Christmas tree to change a fuse, replacing components in a desktop pc, and rewiring a doorbell. Being able to shine the light directly on the work area without having to hold it in place has been great, and the magnetic feet were particularly helpful when working on the computer. Those magnetic feet are also great because you can keep the flashlight stuck to your refrigerator and you'll always know where it is.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Extremely handy in the garage
by Maurice Krupp (5 out of 5 stars)
June 7, 2013

I bought this for all the times when I need lighting in an awkward place while working on my car (most of the time, most everywhere) and so far it's been a great help. It shines plenty of bright light for a 1-2ft area from close up, provides decent illumination of a large area from a distance and placing and aiming it usually takes seconds. An added advantage is it's relatively small size - even when I could get my corded light to stay put, it was always in the way in tight quarters, and the Joby isn't as obtrusive and can be repositioned easily. It's already taken a few whacks off its perch and hit the garage floor a few times (not from high up) and is no worse for the experience. A downside is keeping the legs clean, since they have nooks and crannies aplenty to harbor dirt and grease. Overall, though, I'm satisfied with it and wish I had bought one earlier.

Update - still surviving drops and becoming the go-to light for most jobs that don't require more of a floodlight. Recommend putting a plastic baggie over the legs when using it in places the magnetic feet would pick up lots of dirt/grease and metal/rust debris.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Car repairs and battery life: great results!
by Mr Bookout (5 out of 5 stars)
December 20, 2011

Before I did a lot of major work on my cars, I took the time to research a new worklight that would be affordable, functional, and small enough for household use. My first test was just for fluid changes in my cars and some electrical work. One thing I really liked about this light was that I could really get into the engine port to change tubes and didn't have to hold anything because the light clings to the engine firewall just fine. I also used it by itself on the cement floor for oil changes, and it worked well. What I hadn't expected to use it for was a paper holder for a particularly tricky electrical job underneath the car. Rather than having to get up from underneath the car and look at the instructions, I could just use the light to hold up the papers so that I could read them and work at the same time.

Around the house, I used it quite a bit to light up the yard when my dogs were barking at things. On the lowest setting, it would be great to eat meals with if the power went out.

As far as battery life, I unintentionally left it on in the attic when I was checking the attic fans, and didn't realize it until the next day when I finished the job. It was on at it's highest setting overnight (appr. 15 hours) and I still had light. Now, too me that's impressive. It had slightly dimmed but given the 20 hour cap, if I were stuck somewhere I think I would have had light for the full amount of time as advertised.
↭ 🍁 ↭
Impressive Grip and Decent Light
by Dan (4 out of 5 stars)
June 28, 2010

The legs are the best part of this flashlight. They are very flexible, strong, and just the right length to grip on just about anything! i.e. tree limbs, door knobs, fence posts, window sash, etc. It only needs a little edge in order to get a good grip. The magnets hold it strongly to a car hood, refrigerator, lawn mower, steel door, etc.

The lamp is bright but dimmable, and the switch is good. It will problably not turn on by accident in a drawer.

The beam is designed for small area tasks. It works good when you point it on a target where you need light. It is not going to be great for walking in the dark or as an area light.

This light will be my new "Go To" flashlight for the tool drawer at home.

*If this is not the "Flexible Flashlight" product you were looking for, you can check the other results by clicking this link.  Details were last updated on Nov 14, 2024 21:09 +08.