I know, I know – what am I actually writing here? A Coleman Divide+350 Review? Really?
Let’s be honest, a torch isn’t the most exciting of products is it?
And yet – it’s one of those things that you never think about – right up to the point you need it. At which point you really need it, and thank your lucky stars you had the foresight to get a good ‘un.
And make no mistake here folks – this one’s one of the good ones. For a number of reasons which I’ll gladly share.
It’s Looks Right.
I know – but for us this was an important one. You see, in our house a torch isn’t only ready in a dark crisis. Bear, at 10, has been using various methods of lighting her way at night for years. She’s used solar torches, wind up torches, a light-up snail eyes headband, a glow-in-the-dark cat… if something glowed, then she’d use it to move around at night. Not that she’s much of a prowler, but just a loo trip, or to come wake me up, she’d light her way.
She had had an array of old & cheap torches, but none ever seem to last long – and it was last year, as we sat in the dark of the cinema, immersed in the magic of the wonderful BFG, that a small voiced breathed quietly
“oooohhh, that’s a lovely torch!”
I’m not even sure she realised she said it out loud – she just saw Sophie’s torch as she prowled the orphanage by night, and yearned.
And it was then that I realised I needed to get her a lovely torch of her own – and it clearly needed to be of the old-fashioned sturdy metal kind.
And the Divide+ 350 is exactly that – it feels heftily solid in the hand (without being too heavy for a slight 10yr old’s wrist), has a plain and functional design that just feels like it’ll still be in use in ten years time.
It’s Bright
I know it sounds obvious, but there’s been many-a-time over the years that in urgent need I’ve reached for the torch 0 only to find it doesn’t actually light up an awful lot at all.
You’ll be pleased to know that this particular Divide+ is brilliant. Literally. It’s the 350lumens model, which means it’s as bright as you’ll ever need – without being able to light up the back of the house two streets away. It also has a handy double-click on switch, which means that the first click is half the brightness – perfect for middle of the night fumblings when you don’t want to be blinded.
Coleman Divide +350 torch review
The Battery Lasts
This is actually where this torch comes into its own – it’s engineered using Coleman’s ‘Battery Lock’ function, which totally prevents any battery drain; if you’re going to keep it under the stairs or in the car, or in the camping kit, then you know that just as oyu need it you’ll find the batteries have drained and there’s a feeble flickering glow where the powerful beam once was. But a simply twist to disengage the battery, and the energy remains stored and ready for you years later. Yes, genuinely ‘years’ – the battery will last as long as it would sitting in its packet on a shelf. So your torch can languish happily where you want to store it, and you know that come the time it’s needed, it will still be ready for you. Just brilliant!
The Coleman Divide™ 350L LED Torch is currently available on Amazon for a little over £21 – there’re other sizes and lumens available, all with the same clever design, so just pick one suits your needs best!
