The Best Light for Reading in Bed Upside Down

[BBRags]

I use the Sony Lightwedge-cover when I read sitting up in bed, but I also like to read lying down. In an upside down position, the Lightwedge-cover is heavy and the light screen falls off the reader unless I hold it in place.

I've been sorting through clip-ons as an alternative, and specifically, lights that clip onto the reader itself and not the cover, because holding the reader with a cover upside down is cumbersome.

Most gooseneck and wire-neck clip-ons wobble too much. At Walgreens, I found these wonderful mini clip-on LED lights at the bargain price of 2 for $3 (Amazon has the same light for $21 each!). The short neck is adjustable and doesn't wobble. The light illuminates the reader, but is uneven with splotches and shadows.

Are there better lights for reading upside down?

[JSWolf]

You could also get an earlight.

[BBRags]

Jon, thanks for the suggestion. I've seen those lights and have tried out the LED headlamps too. These lights work well, but amplify head movement, which can be distracting.

[heatherc]

I've got a Mighty Bright light. It clips on, but it doesn't wobble.



http://www.mightybright.com/Book_Lig...uctDetail.html

I like that it runs on AAA batteries - I use rechargeables.

[Siwickimom]

Originally Posted by heatherc

I've got a Mighty Bright light. It clips on, but it doesn't wobble.



http://www.mightybright.com/Book_Lig...uctDetail.html

I like that it runs on AAA batteries - I use rechargeables.

I have had this same booklight for 2 years now and I LOVE it. It is super stable, I can read upside down or right side up with it, and I think in 2 years I've changed the batteries once. I use it w/ my Sony right now, but have ordered the Mighty Bright Travelflex light because it can store in the M-Edge case. When it arrives, I'll let you know how the gooseneck holds up in an inverted reading position.

[alecE]

Originally Posted by BBRags

Jon, thanks for the suggestion. I've seen those lights and have tried out the LED headlamps too. These lights work well, but amplify head movement, which can be distracting.

I still find a headlamp the best option - no extra weight to the reader, and the spread of the beam is sufficient to keep the illumination where I want it (heavy sneezing excepted!). It does also solve the problem of that walk to the bathroom whilst still reading without bothering to switch the lights on.

[BBRags]

Originally Posted by alecE

I still find a headlamp the best option - no extra weight to the reader, and the spread of the beam is sufficient....

They are kind of heavy on the head though, because the majority of them use 3 AAA batteries. (I do realize that in olden days headlamps were larger and weighed as much as a can of beans.) Then there is the new generation of ultra-lights such as the ZebraLight H50 and the Energizer Micro, which run on a single AA battery and the even smaller ZebraLight H30, which runs on an N cell.

I have an old headlamp somewhere. I'll dig it out and try it again for reading and see if I can get used to the lamp movement and having an elastic band constricting my forehead.

[DrMoze]

You can wrap a rubber band around the reader and lightwedge near the hinge--it will hold it great, even upside-down!

[lilac_jive]

I also have a Mighty Bright LED flex and love love love it.

[BBRags]

DrMoze, thanks for the suggestion. I will try it, as I like the bright even light of the lightwedge.

I think I've figured out a way to improve the evenness of the clip-on LED light that I got from Walgreens. I cover the light with a light dispersing material, which is just a piece of Glad Press n Seal plastic wrap. The first attached picture shows two of my clip on lights with this modification. Glad Press n Seal wrap is not clear like other plastic wraps, but is frosted and transluscent. One side of the plastic is coated with a tacky adhesive, so all I had to do was press it onto the lens and rub it down to adhere it in place. The second picture shows the quality of the light on my Sony 505. There is a "hot spot" and some glare, but the harsh shadows are gone and it's a tremendous improvement over the unmodified light.

As a substitute for Glad Press n Seal, Scotch Magic Transparent tape (and similar frosted adhesive tapes) should work too.

I got both lights from Walgreens. The light on the left is cheaper and sells for $2 each or 2/$3. The light on the right costs $6 (Walgreens.com has it for $5, but you pay for shipping). The clip on the $6 light is wider and more stable on the reader and has a magnet on the bottom for mounting on metal surfaces. The $6 light is a bit brighter too. Either light is a fantastic bargain.

[BBRags]

Scotch Magic Transparent Tape works better than the Glad Press n Seal wrap in this mod. I cut out a disk from a piece of the Scotch MT tape and pressed it over the lens (trimming it several times for a good fit). The light is now more even and diffuse, and I find the screen very comfortable to read upside down or right side up.

[Donnageddon]

Found this while searching. Looks promising and requires no batteries!

Only 12 dollars

[SolRaven]

Originally Posted by DrMoze

You can wrap a rubber band around the reader and lightwedge near the hinge--it will hold it great, even upside-down!

Ah! That's quite brilliant!

[DrMoze]

Originally Posted by SolRaven

Ah! That's quite brilliant!

I can't take credit for this idea, though. I saw someone else mention it in these forums somewhere (can't remember who or where), and so I'm really just passing on this idea. It does work great, though.

[AvPlaya]

I have heard from a doctor that reading while lying down will increase the likelihood of near-sightedness... so you might want to look into that before doing too much reading lying down.