The Ott Light/Magnifer: A Review

My New Ott Light-Magnifier

Before Thanksgiving (where does the time go?!) I bought an Ott light on sale at Joann's Fabrics.  Now that I've used it for a while, it's time to post a short review of how it works so that folks looking for a light-magnifier combination can see if this might work for them.  As you can see in the photograph, this is a clip on light with a bendable arm, LED lights and an acrylic magnifier with an insert for extra magnification.  It also has a removable heavy base if you want it to sit on a table instead of clipping it to a table or your stretcher bars.  Here's more information about the light-magnifier.  Note that the magnifier lens is five inches in diameter and it runs on four button batteries which are included in the box.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/ottlite-3-5-inch-battery-operated-led-magnifier-clip-and-stand/1046553959?Keyword=ottlite

I've never used the heavy base as I either clip the light-magnifier to my stretcher bars or my desk.  The clamp will open up enough to hold onto my desk that is nearly an inch thick so I think it will work on Evertites.  The light is not particularly bright, however, and of course if the LEDs go bad they cannot be replaced.  I also don't use the little extra magnification area much as it is so small.  I also find the magnifier head quite heavy.  It will tip over when it is clamped to the stretcher bars or make the stretcher bars a little unwieldy to hold, so I normally clamp it to my desk instead.  The flexible neck isn't very flexible, either.  It only bends a little to each side.  I would prefer a longer, more flexible neck myself.  The canvas above (Barbara Elmore's "Fuchsa" from Sundance) is around 16 inches high, to give you a sense of scale.

To sum up, this is a useful tool with some limits.  It's a little too heavy to put on regular stretcher bars and the extra spot of magnification in the lens is small.  The neck isn't very long or flexible.  The light isn't awfully bright, either.  But it is useful when you need a little extra help to see and since it is fairly small and light weight, it would work well as a travel tool, especially in combination with a lap or table stand.  If you need a boost, this might work well, particularly if you can find it on sale like I did.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright January 8, 2018 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.