On paper, the Valo does not look like it should be all that impressive. On its brightest setting, it can only produce up to 50 lumens of light and its rechargeable battery can only keep it running for a maximum of 10 hours at a time. Neither of those numbers is particularly noteworthy when compared to the competition, which routinely offer headlamps and flashlights with more than twice the illumination and battery life. But, when you consider the fact that the Valo is also waterproof, offers three different brightness settings, and weighs just an ounce, it becomes a more appealing product.
But the flashlight also has a few more tricks up its sleeve as well. For instance, it comes with a specially designed magnetic clasp and polyester cord that work in conjunction with one another to affix the Valo to nearly any surface. This allows the light to be worn on a shirt or jacket, attached to a hat, wrapped around a tree branch, or even stuck directly to a metal object. That versatility that is difficult to find in a standard headlamp and opens up the possibilities for how this light can be used.
The designers of the Valo also added built-in voltage regulation, which ensures the light stays at a constant level no matter how low the charge on the battery drops. Most other flashlights and headlamps grow dimmer over time but this one will maintain its brightness until it completely runs out of juice. There is a battery life indicator on the Valo as well. When the battery starts to get low, plug it into a USB charger for a quick top-off.
With the launch of the Kickstarter campaign, the team behind the Valo is hoping to raise about $43,000 to get the flashlight into production. If it hits that goal, the lamp is expected to start shipping in October at $30. You can find out more and reserve one now on the Valo Kickstarter page.
