Joby Gorillatorch review

With its Gorillatorch Joby is using its bendy-legged tripod design for more than just handy camera tripods. With this product you get the most flexible torch that we've ever seen.

The product is essentially a Gorillapod Original with a torch fixed to the top of it. The clever bendy legs will grip pretty much any surface from table legs to the top of a car bonnet, or simply let you stand the torch upright on any surface. You don't need to worry about scratching paint work or causing any other damage, as the rubber-coated feet and leg joints will protect anything that you attach the Gorillatorch to.

For this product, Joby has made the feet magnetic, so you can attach the torch to any magnetic surface - the magnets are powerful enough that the torch can hang upside down. Alternatively, if you're working inside your PC, the magnetic feet are great for holding small screws that could otherwise get lost.

Powered by three AA batteries (not included), the CREE LED torch provides a maximum output of 65 lumens (1W). While this doesn't sound like much, we found that this torch was bright enough to light up a room from 15m away and more than adequate for lighting the inside of a PC case or a car's engine - simply put, it's incredibly bright.

If you don't need full power, the dimmer switch lets you lower brightness easily. Battery life is quite impressive at between 20 hours on full power and 80 hours on the lowest setting. This long life is a massive benefit of using an LED rather than a traditional bulb.

Considering its size, the Gorillatorch is incredibly bright. Its clever tripod mount makes it perfect for working in almost any situation and it's by far the most flexible and clever torch that we've ever reviewed. The only problem is the price: £30 is a lot of money for a torch, no matter how good it is. Still, if you can afford it, you'll be happy.