HydraLight Review: Water-Powered Flashlight?
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- Опубликовано: 25 дек 2017
- HydraLight is an As Seen on TV flashlight advertised to "run on water." Today I put this to the test and compare it to several other flashlights.
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• Short Hydralight update: • 10 As Seen on TV Produ...
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• 650-lumen flashlight: geni.us/9AANS
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#hydralight #waterpoweredflashlight #flashlightcomparison 
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Thanks for reviewing our light! I would like to publicly say that Hydralight is marketed as an emergency light, not a tactical light. We wanted to make something reliable and storable for emergencies. (Shelf life of an unused cell is 25 years.) I can also comment that I have personally done extensive testing using soda, antifreeze, dirty frigid lake water, sub-zero temperatures, frozen Hydracells, and yes, urine. It worked each and every time. This is truly a great light to buy and put in storage for any emergency where you need light.
Even plain old alkaline batteries have a 10 year shelf life. 25 year shelf life is only good if you plan on keeping it with your freeze dried emergency rations. I think if you keep the flashlight in a cool/cold environment with low RH, you could probably keep the food and flashlight for about 40 years. How is this any better than the salt water powered lights with replaceable cells? It simply isn't as robust or effective dollar for dollar. Keep replaceable solid rods instead of a powder infused cell and it'll work in a hundred years.
MY THEORY: I think the cell is just a battery that uses water to transfer the current to an LED bulb (which are known for high efficiency and low power requirements for operation/function). As the water evaporates from the material connecting the conducting points, the light loses power. The white stuff falling off of the cell in the end, I’d assume is some sort of accelerated corrosion (from the battery) or the material holding the water falling apart.
Hydralight your televison ad was ment to be deceiving. The quick small diaclaimer on it is a dick move.
2 WEEKS??? That's AWESOME!!! I gotta get me a few of them!! Beats battery power 10x
Yes, But the HydraLight requires NO BATTERY'S!!!! So in the end the HydraLight will win all the time! = just add water... Sorry I will take the HydraLight over any (Need to replace all the time) Battery Flash Lights. this is a great bug out Item "HydraLight" And no Have no Affiliation with "HydraLight" Hell I don't Even Own one. But after this video, I gotta get one. Thank you for the 0great Camping/bug out Light....
Still, it would be great in a "grid down" situation when batteries may be hard to get; it comes into it's own then.
Better off with a rag soaked in diesel wrapped around a branch as a torch hehehe
these fuel cells are a lot harder to find than batteries. the longevity is cool and the fact that it is pretty much self-contained, but if it came down to it, I'd really rather a kerosene hurricane lantern or a rechargeable torch to use with a generator, or, most likely, just a standard torch with rechargeable Ni-MH sells
...only for about "300" hours. Then it's dead as a doornail, or close to it.
At least with a regular flashlight, you can stock up on batteries beforehand and simply replace them as needed when they wear out. These fuel cells, or whatever, not-so-much. Once they're dead, you're SOL and ain't getting replacements.
At least with a regular flashlight you can "scrounge" batteries in an emergency [zombie apocalypse, etc.], probably.
Just saw an ad for this on TV and had to run to RUclips to see the real deal. Yours is the first review I've seen. Thanks.
My girlfriends mom bought us the atomic lantern for Xmas and I thought I’ll never use that. Low and behold we got hit directly with a hurricane here in Florida. And that thing saved us compared to a bunch of other flash lights we had. Would recommend unless you’re working on a project you need a beam of light on then stay away.
Thank you for the thorough review. I’m sitting here holding my unopened new Hydra Light and now I think I’ll just keep it unopened and save it for a future possible need. I grabbed mine for eight dollars because it intrigued me while standing in the check out line. But if I have to continually buy replacement cartridges, and taking into account the brightness I just saw, it is only worth an emergency use, not a continual.
.. for power outage situations, this device can be really handy .. not a strong light but plenty to keep you out of complete darkness for any extended period of time.. pretty cool, IMO.
a2zme Wrong sir a $5 solar light is much brighter.
Love your reviews... nice that you look at cost, performance and other variables to assess the real value in your opinion but don't act like you are definitely right. Your present the unbiased evidence for your decision and leave it to people to decide. Best reviewer on the web for sure!!!
The only advantage I can see to this is that you can chuck it in a drawer/ bag for later use without having to worry about battery corrosion etc but I would still recommend a decent torch for regular use. Great video
I think the Hydralight would be great to take with you backpacking/camping because in the wilderness you're more likely to find water than you are to find a store that sells batteries.
might aswell just get good batteries
@Marcus Medina What do you do when the battery dies? If have good reachable batteries, where and when do you charge them?
Great review, James. That was a complete, balanced, and objective piece, well demonstrated against similar devices. Thank you for it.
steppenwolf: Agreed. The comparison misses the entire point of why someone would buy that flashlight, which is a renewable electric flashlight in an emergency situation. Batteries deteriorate over time, flashlights can last much longer (i.e. why his 30 year flashlights needed new batteries).
There's no comparison imo, in an emergency w no batteries avail makes this amazing!! This should be in survival kit. Thank you for the demo, detailed as usual!
You'd still have to activate the fuel cell in an emergency, though! Thanks for the comment, Tani.
I was thinking on those same lines, but you need water and a container to put the whole cell into. So, you'd need to carry those lil puppies with the flashlight. Maybe find a stream if you are out in the wilderness. Hmm.
still you can usually find some water since it doesn't matter if it's drinkable, batteries not so much.
@@Freakinreviews don’t waste your money. I have a small reliable very bright flashlight.This one I can put in my pocket! Get some long life batteries and your good to go!
Harbor freight tools has a really nice hand crank flashlight that has a radio, alarm, headphone jack, and hi and low beam mode. It's very bright and lasts a good bit on a moderate 2 or 3 minute crank. No battery use whatsoever and runs about $13 +/- I highly recommend having one on hand just in case. I've had mine about 3.5 years and it works as good as the day I bought it. It is an led light which helps out by not using that much power when it lights up. LOVE THE REVIEWS!!! I Check your reviews on A LOT of my purchases! Keep em coming! Thank you so much!
There is rechargeable cells inside.
Just watched a few videos and I love your reviews. Subscribed!
I worked at a hardware store that sold several variations of the hand-powered flashlight and even if they worked well the first few times we found that the friction devices all wore out rather quickly.
Your memory of it being brighter is probably correct.
There are several solar-powered flashlights (some with USB connected phone chargers) that might be a better long term emergency kit solution.
One thing I could see the HydraLight would be good for is a survival go kit situation.. Where it could be stored for extended periods. Then however many months or years later it could be activated and used.. On the other hand, the shelf life of batteries is improving..
Shelf life is 25 years Mike!
When do you expect to ever be in a survival situation? I've never understood why people claim to like produce because they can be useful in situations they are never likely to be in
Not necessarily a survival situation Emmett, but what about an everyday power outage? Winter weather causes outages all the time. This light will serve anyone from the hard core survivalist to the everyday person just needing the security of knowing they have a light they can depend on in an emergency, to someone who just doesn't like the dark!
Emmett did you even see what just happened last year to Puerto Rico?
Great point!!
We had ours on for 6 days straight. even when our power came back on, we were so busy doing other things, we forgot that it wasn't a regular light. It's a nice little gentle lantern to leave on in dark bathrooms or kitchens when you have no power in the middle of winter. We'd had it for 2 years, was still in the package in the garage and had been through heat and cold in there here in Texas. Soaked the cell stuck it in there and it was the first line we had on and the last one we turned off during power failure thanks to the great Texas ice storm of 2021.
Dear Freakin Reviews, first I can’t say how much I appreciate your reviews. They are very informative and helpful. Anyway possible to do a review for the Atomic Zoom lens that goes on your cellphone camera?
Great review. I quite like the concept of this and I could see this being useful in an emergency situation especially if you have no batteries for a normal flashlight. I just think that something like this would be better if the cells had a bit longer use before then stopped working since there are not just cells you can pick up anywhere. Is it possible to get replacement cells for it? One fuel cell only doesn't seem that useful for longer term use, but having multiple would be better for emergency purposes, especially if they have a long shelf life.
Before I hop on to another/someone else's video (Ha!) I just wanted to say "Thank you!" Thanks for all your reviews on As Seen on TV items! You are saving people a lot of hard earned $$!! :-)
Thanks for the time you invested in your review and the variety of comparable flashlights as well. Personally I think it would be good for what it was intended for, more of an emergency situation. Plus you were projecting across your entire yard giving an absolute worst case scenario. This light would probably be used at a much closer range unless you were chasing snipe out in the woods.
Good review.
I use the dollar store flashlights to see in tight spaces where full-sized flashes won't fit. I've stashed several in drawers, toolboxes, in the car, and on hooks for easy access during emergencies. They help to quickly locate better and more powerful light sources without fumbling too much in the dark. Their batteries last for years too. Harbor freight has coupons to get the little gems for free.
I've been binge watching your reviews, your doing the nation a service for sure. You've saved me countless dissapointments and hundreds of dollars on potential crap products. Im thinking of getting that microwave grilling thing that cooked up steak so well, but at $80 i would like to see that drop down a bit. Thinking that it would be a good alternative for wintertime cooking on my outdoor grill here in Iowa. Thats about the only item so far i would consider purchasing..
Right you can go to several good steak houses and pay less!
when are you guys going to do a review on the new fleshlight????
Ugandan knucklez It's hyper realist complete with a fishy ooder
Fleshlight
Mine cheated on me an gave me the clap.
This guy has a fleshlight archive
30 years old
Home depot has their defiant brand 800 lumen lights for &12.88 with batteries. You should check it out ! They should be by the hardware area by the main walkways with other tools on sale.
The fact it runs on tap water to me is simply amazing. I'm surprised to even see something as bright as 1 candle per-square-inch. The Hydralight granted is a gimmick but a pretty good one and something great to have if your electricity gives out in your apartment yet the water still runs.
I would buy one.
I've been wondering about this one!
I would trust light from one of those crank style batt./ radio deals used to hype on old Art Bell shows in emergency, you can at least hear some chem trail stories...
Hydralight looks like it would be perfect for being what it is, a flashlight. As some people have mentioned it's an excellent emergency option but obviously not something you would rely very heavily on. As for those dollar store flashlights, I have so many of those they have formed their own Borg like hive and are trying to push me out of my house.
If they made a version where it didn't become a paperweight after 2-3 charges I would use it.
A rechargable version with like 20-30 uses perhaps.
2-3 is far too little, and it seems to grow dimmer for every use.
Its based on the stubble field coil just a simpler version. was wondering about the lasting effect of the coil would like to know how long it would last if left submerged.
Man I bet your house is full of cool stuff. I'd have a blast at your place lol . Plus you're actually really good at reviews.
I would be interested to see your review on the AeroGarden Miracle-Gro system
Tl Wk me too.
Such mixed reviews.
Might be okay to put in a bug out kit or any type of emergency kit.
you're right it does not give a lot of light but I believe it is enough for a emergency situation especially if batteries are hard to come by or the ones you have are depleted. A question I have its how long is the power cell good for if not activated will it break down over time.
I would never get this for a day-to-day use flashlight.
I'm really interested what kind of snake oil those cells are and how do they compare to usual batteries in terms of shelf life under no load.
Thank you! You just saved me $30 bucks!
Your welcome
$30? It's like $18 on Walmart.
Thanks for the review. I have a Hydralight in one of my go bags along with a number of other flashlights and torches. Have never used The Hydra. I have it labeled 'last ditch emergency use only!' Hopefully my family will have sense to use the other flashlights first, esp since the replacement fuel cells for this cost $26.95 a pair (Ouch) and batteries are (currently) easier to come by. Thanks for showing the Lux-Pro. My son works at Lowes. Maybe I'll have him snag a couple of those to add to the bob's too :p BTW, the handcrank lights work better if OFF while cranking so they store the energy. Thx x2
Your reviews are pretty damn funny! 😅 I'm genuinely entertained.
Excellent review!! This light produces Magnesium during the process and is harmless to the user or the environment. This product is perfect for emergency preparedness purposes. There is no BATTERY needed to light your way. The fact that it uses plain water to get the fuel cell activated and making electricity has far more importance than regular batteries in ones preparedness stockpile. And, after the water has evaporated, the light has a long term storage of up to 25 years. 300 hours of operating capability is perfect and will last longer than a flashlight / lantern using regular non rechargeable batteries. A must have for my plans.
Compare various battery types vs the fuel cell. Is there a saving with the fuel cell. How much is a new fuel cell.
My friend I bought the hydrolight for has a child with Downs syndrom. He loves to have a flashlight with him while he goes to sleep, so I'm thinking this will be a great alternative to having the light on and having batteries die within a couple days. Sure it has to be recharged, but better on, and working for a day at a time, than on for 48 hours and having to buy new batteries. We'll see if it's a better choice. Thanks for the review.
Your reviews are the best your very very fair and I believe through
likely a sacrificial rod style battery. kinda neat. (magnesium and copper battery would work this way for instance)
the 25.00 one works great for almost the same price atomic light works well also especially you don't have to hold it the others not good ty James great review as always happy healthy New year
Thank you for the comment Kitty Kats! I hope you have a great 2018!
Dude for real thank you so much for doing this video I was thinking of buying one of those now I'm not I rather spend the money on the headlamp or the $25 600 luminum flashlight that it makes a lot of sense
Now if only that fuel cell never needed replacing, I'd certainly buy one then. Here in the UK our RNLI shops sell a lantern version, it costs £180, I'd like to see a review of that, I hope that preforms better at that price!
It may not be a very bright light but its a very cool power concept it very neat
it is very cool attempt one thing it might be good for is a prepper back up light I would order a few extra fuel cells and store them in a dry location un like batteries that will rot in a matter of weeks all you do is add water and it works if power is out and like my house cant seem to ever find a flashlight with a good charge when you need it this might be a nice plan B
It would be a good emergency flashlight. I can think of a few times where I needed a flash light but didn't have any batteries.
I wish the camera's ISO was locked so we would get a real sense of how bright they are but... Yeah, thanks for the video!
Hydro light is an amazing emergency light source. It’s not going to beat other flashlights but when you don’t have batteries, this will be your go to.
i think whats important about the hydro light is not really the brightness. but rather the ability to have light as long as there is some form of water incase of a survival situation.
However for my daily flash lights i use.. i only purchase and own rechargeable flashlights. i hate having to purchase battery's every time they get dim or completely die.
I purchased a 22 dollar flashlight that uses three 3.7v rechargeable batteries and i never have to buy new batteries. just plug it in wait till its done and it will last a good while.
Wow! - skepticism is a priceless gift when it comes to infomercials. Thanks for helping me readjust mine ;)
* re- adjust*
I like a flashlight that's not going to damage my furniture or possibly harbor mold. I have a Coast light I bought for $12 that always works and works very well.
Great review as always! I think it would good in an emergency so you wouldn’t have to worry about batteries. Other than that I really don’t see a need for it. Thanks!
In an emergency, you'd probably have to go find water in the dark to go activate the fuel cell!
True but if you have it in an emergency kit you should have water in the kit too. 😁
But would you dip a fuel cell in your emergency water supply?
The light will not turn on without water, no scam. I invite you to purchase one yourself and see! The cell can be recharged 3 times before it starts to break down. Personally, I have one I have tested extensively and have immersed it soda, water, antifreeze, and have frozen it in weather that was 20 below zero. It still works.
So. Besides the novelty of it and its lack of dependence on regular batteries, what do you consider its other selling points, Hydralight?
Do a Review on the olight s1r 2 please!
Some light is better than no light and for a very specific scenarios like if you live in a hurricane prone area and this is part of your go bag this might be enough to provide usable lights for the time until help arrives and resources are in place. I can see a place for this and specific settings but not as general purpose.
My husband BUILT me a flashlight...its amazing! very bright! Made from PVC pipe and electrical components. He even had one with a fan that is air cooled! I am visually impaired and this is truely very valuable to me in low light situations!
Your husband sounds very resourceful!
What about the cost of battery's. How many times will you change battery's from new light to hydro light.
what it needs is a battery mode for normal use. but in addition the cell can be for emergancy recharges that charges the rechargeable cell built in. put on a 5v usb out put just for utility and you have yourself a decent gadget.
I would agree with some of the others here. While the Hydralight may not be good for an everyday use sort of situation. I could see it's use in an emergency / survival kit. Where as normal alkaline batteries will drain over time, this seems to only wear from use. So it might have a use as that.
Are you sure you were using the supposed hand-crank when properly because I own one of the hand crank ones and I believe the hand crank just charges the battery and there should be a switch that turns a light on and off itself trust me I had the exact same one compared to how it looks there should be an on and off switch for the light and the crank itself is just to charge the battery like to shake flashlights
Wow I was literally about to buy it on Amazon, it was in my cart ready to hit purchase till I thought that I'd better look up a review first lol glad I did. $15 sure for the novelty but this is not worth $30.
A great review testing out this "flashlight" out of the box. Thank you, so much, for doing this! As always, your reviews are fantastic for the initial experience (and the follow-ups!).
As you reviewed: a $25 flashlight will outperform this for nearly 30 years! Obviously usage, and cost of batteries over 30 years should be added to cost to declare one superior. Also, technology in the flashlight is meant to be superior for regular use and emergency use (because everyone keeps 6+ batteries on hand).
In my opinion this is not your everyday use flashlight at home and if it is marketed as such, shame on them. A lighter weight and affordable camping / weekend backpacking / survival kit light would be the commercial use to be expected. As compared to the even lighter weight crank light, clearly one is superior.
My apologies for not looking up the original commercial. I hope an addendum is added to this or the followup that I am sure you will do.
Thanks, again, for all of your reviews! I look forward to them all.
It's enough light unless you're trail running or something the fact it runs off water is totally worth it. this would be really good in power outages or as a backup
it's amazing how little light you need when your eyes are adjusted
After "charging" it it will die whether it's on or not in only a few days, after that no amount of water will get it working again. It's just a wet cell battery. This thing costs $30-$40 when a dollar shop light flashlight is much brighter and the batteries last longer. I got a $10 6 volt led flashlight which is practically a spotlight, plus I can use it on more than 2 occasions.
Yo, I have one of those hand-cranked flashlights. I feel I should mention that while the light is not that great even at full charge, this is a lousy representation of it's performance. You're supposed to crank the handle several times to charge the internal battery and then turn it on. If the cell is completely dead, crank it for a couple of minutes and then it should last a couple of hours. It's not the brightest light but still it's nice to have in case of an emergency.
He didn't turn it on. When in the off position it'll "power" up with every crank. When it's on, it's on without the crank.
I had a couple of hand ranked flashlights. Worked ok at first, but after a couple of years, it would no longer function.
@@robertheinkel6225 If the rechargeable cell inside is not charged/discharged regularly it is going to die soon. And it happens to all the millions of these lights the last 25 years. Sadly.
I would use it for emergency use. Possible that the fuel cell has a longer shelf life than a typical battery. It may be better for stow away use.
What brand and serie is the flashlight from Lowe’s?
I think it is a good camping light alternative, instead of we carry huge loads of power bank or expensive heavy power house / rely on solar power charging to charge up rechargable torch/camping lights. We can use this hydralight as a base lights during night time, then we can reserve those power bank or mini power house to charge up our other equipment.
Well today I walked into my walmart and found one of these and got it. Going to experiment with it and see if I can come up with a way to run it on an 18650 cell. My atomic beam headlamp has died as well and walmart no longer sells them.
The square is the L.E.D ( cree L.E.D etc) for that flashlight
(Sorry for my English)
I'd love one
the power cell should be using an aluminum gallium alloy which is vary brittle and would enplane why some is falling out.
the only advantage i can think of for the hydrolight would be in an SHTF situation where you are having trouble getting batteries. Even so, a hand-crank or solar powered flashlight seems the better choice.
I have the hydra light, all I did is added some salt to the water and the fuel cell runs longer and I recharged it like this 15 times, still works on the original cell.
A Greek guy came up with this technology. Its still new, I think American military jumped on it and bought it from him. Imagine what it going to be like. No need for extra batteries, weight, just submerge in water and go. Awesome.
I have a Blackout Buddy H2O which is much smaller. I have not tried it. Sold as a one time use lamp for 72 hours of light.
Great review. Hydralight feul cell is only good for 5 recharges and you gotta buy a new cell - forget it.
Giveen that you're basically providing your own electrolyte solution I wonder how much brighter this would be if you put vinegar or even a mild acid in it I'm kind of curious how we would run if you put something like lemonade in it.....
The real advantage of this product is as a long term storage emergency light. the electrolyte in the "power cell" is dry, it has to be wet to to create power. thus unless it gets wet it can hold that "charge" pretty much forever in storage until you need it. Where conventional batteries would go flat, corrode, or loose charge over time and not be there when you need it.
Those hand pump flash lights have a rechargeable button cell in them, I have one that has a on and off switch, you turn it off, pump it for a few minutes which charges the button cell then turn it on. I bought mine from the dollar tree.
I just bought a cpl new in package at a .99 cent plus store for $4.99 each (not 30) I like it for the price and will get a few more as gifts..Great as intended for emergency situations!!
i feel like the hydryalight would be good for just incase camping scenarios incase anything goes wrong but idk
*Doing my best That '70s Show Hyde impersonation* So there's this flashlight THAT RUNS ON WATER, MAN!
The brighter it is assuming the same light source technology (bulb/lamp) the more power it will use. The 650 lumen light will certainly not run 100 hours. That would use several batteries that you may not have or can not obtain. It is always a trade-off that should be considered. It is nice to have low, med, hi settings so you can choose for the situation.
Walmart has marked them down to $9, so I bought the last one for emergency use only. It's adequate for the dreaded emergency use only mode, that I hope I never need to use it for.
It will be a good item to keep in a camping kit you don't have to worry about the battery corrosion
another home run James...never heard of it. thats why i love you man..teach me all kinds of cool stuff...bytheby....for a dollar the dollar flashlite was really good...
this is a very interesting flashlight ....i suggest rewetting it and seeing how many times it will recharge cuz when its full charge i didnt think it looked too bad...safes on batteries obviously...no not as bright as $25 dollar one but hard to compare without knowing how cost of batteries play in...but
bottomline....perhaps in the future they could improve the water cell to be more powerful that would be awesome ..but today..probably gotta go batteries...
The cell produces the same amount of power as a C battery. Thanks for your comments!
I have use the hand powers one its lights up like the moon on a new moon.
Wow that crazy
well in an emergency situation this HydraLight would be very helpful., especially if it worked with dirty water or other fluids. definitely NOT for everyday use or a replacement flashlight.
It does work with other fluids and with dirty water. Check out the videos on our RUclips channel: ruclips.net/channel/UCLm-pjNGnRha-7gz7rBrBBgvideos
No read our post! Our Daughter had a similar experience!
1908 Freakin Reviews "Sure, this Model T lets you "drive", but it's in need of constant maintenance and I can still go just as far on a horse that you can buy for a fraction of the cost.
I think the hydro light is great
What will they think of next
I dipped the battery in the famous " miracle water" they sell on tv, which comes from a spring near Chernobyl , and after a month, it's still glowing. Come to think of it, so is my hand. I probably should have that looked at.
🤣
The Hydolight may not nessesarily be greatest flashlight but it was pretty good. Maybe not for the money but it is a proof of concept and think how many batteries that can save, especially if the technology improves! Think about if you were in survival mode, this provides a very unlimited source (except in the desert) and can revolutionize how we get battery power!
Great review! Thanks for saving me from wasting money....
You should have included the 4Patriots solar powered flashlight in this test.
Imagine someone using that little crank flashlight off in the distance and you don't know what it is. That weird sound it makes plus those 2 lights lit up like little eyeballs off in the distance.
Great review! You just saved me from wasting my money 😂. I'll stick with battery flashlights for the time being.
Thanks again for the review! Jajajaja, gotta say the hand crank light seems like a bear attractant ; )
The concept of the Hydralight is really good, to always have a flashlight with a super shelf life in an emergency, but modern alkaline batteries have a 10 year shelf life (about 80%) . But the biggest negative of the Hydralight is the astronomical price tag on extra "fuel cells". May be an option for your EMP prep kit, but i'll stick with my Fenix LD22 (two AA batteries) and solar charger for the AA's. But until the replacement cells cost reduces to a reasonable price these are not practical.