NiteSafe Torch review

How it works

The base plugs into a standard socket and charges the torch by induction while it sits in the cradle. When the cradle stops seeing mains power, the top COB LED comes on, so the stairs are lit before anyone has found a torch. Lift it out and it is a handheld light with high, low and flashing settings. Xtralite's product page gives 80 lumens and up to three hours of emergency runtime.

The orange night light is automatic in low light and, Xtralite says, cannot be turned off. The manual, model number XL20714, calls for a 24-hour charge before first use and lists a 3.6V lithium-ion cell. Xtralite gives a 12-month warranty.

What it does well

It asks nothing of you after the first charge. A power cut at night is mostly a problem of the first thirty seconds on dark stairs, and this answers that for a landing, a child's room or an older relative's hallway. The torch is light enough to carry to the fuse box and bright enough to read a consumer unit. Because the cradle is a plain socket plug with no sensor, it also suits rooms where a motion-triggered light would be a nuisance.

Three hours is enough for an evening outage. For a longer cut, use it to find the rest of your kit: our power cut preparation guide covers lanterns, head torches and keeping the fridge shut.

The limits

Xtralite says the power-failure light works only when the torch is charged, seated properly in the cradle and the socket is switched on, and it advises against an extension lead because the emergency light may not trigger. The night glow cannot be switched off, which some people dislike in a bedroom. The unit is rated for light rain, not immersion, so it is not for a bathroom or a porch. One UK retailer quotes up to eight hours on the low setting, which does not match the maker's three-hour figure and may be borrowed from the Maxi; plan on the maker's number.

How it compares

On the power cut lights page, the NiteSafe Duo-Lux adds a motion-sensor night light and runs for up to eight hours in a cut. The NiteSafe Maxi is the one for a whole night: Xtralite quotes up to 12 hours on its low power-cut setting, and it is the only model whose night light can be switched off while cut detection stays on. The plain NiteSafe Torch is cheaper and brighter in the hand than the Duo models, with the shortest runtime. If you want one light per landing and a head torch per person, this is a sensible landing light.

Our verdict

A good, plain emergency light for a socket in a hallway or on a landing, with a usable handheld torch built in. Skip it if you need a light that lasts through a long overnight cut, if the only free socket is on an extension lead, or if the permanent night glow would bother you; the Maxi answers all three.

How long does the Xtralite NiteSafe Torch last in a power cut?

Xtralite quotes up to three hours of emergency light from the top LED when the torch is fully charged. Charge it for 24 hours before first use, as the manual says.

Can I turn off the night light on the NiteSafe Torch?

No. Xtralite says the orange night light comes on automatically in low light and cannot be switched off. The NiteSafe Maxi is the model that allows this.

Does the NiteSafe Torch work on an extension lead?

Xtralite recommends against it, because the power-failure light may not trigger. Plug it straight into a wall socket and leave the socket switched on.

How bright is the NiteSafe Torch?

Xtralite's page gives 80 lumens, with high, low and flashing modes when used in the hand. That is enough to find your way and read a fuse box, not to light a room.