When I originally bought this torch, it was bought because I wanted something that could be used for camping. This seemed to be a really good idea at the time because of the way it was a wind up torch so therefore there was no batteries involved. This is always a good thing for camping because it means that you don't have to worry about batteries going dead in the middle of the night when you need to go to the toilet and can't see where you're putting your feet, as is often the case in camp sites that have no electricity or lights up anywhere. It can be pretty annoying. That's the main reason I decided to get this torch, so that there would be no worry of this happening .  Read the complete review

When I first purchased this torch I was very pleased with it. However after a few years the winding mechanism becomes stiff and difficult to rotate. This is made worse by not being able to wrap your fingers fully around the body of the torch. This torch was kept indoors and never exposed to damp conditions. Another one of these torches kept in a car, which would have got cold and I suppose damp, can only be wound up with great difficulty. Keeping it in a car for use in an emergency would have been ideal compared to a normal torch with batteries. As for keeping one on a boat, forget it. A good idea but not thought through properly in it's design.

I can honestly say that I feel that this is one of the most useful items to have arrived in our house recently. Since it’s arrival – about six or seven months ago – it has been used almost every day. The TCL Magic Torch Plus certainly does have ‘plus’ features the main one being the fact that it needs no batteries because it is a wind-up torch. The charge handle is folded against the body of the torch and clips to the end and each minute of winding will provide approximately thirty minutes of light. There is a green LED pilot lamp which lights while charging is in progress – the recommended rate is to rotate the handle (in either direction) at a rate of ...  Read the complete review