Why doesn't anyone make a car reading light ?

Jay R · #1 11-03-2009, 11:00 AM

I’ve been looking for a light to put in the back of my car so that my son can see to play or read while I’m driving at night, something along the lines of a reading light in an aeroplane. I’m sure that a modern executive car would come with them built in but I’m after an ‘after market’ option to stick on my banger.
Perhaps battery powered, LED emitter, possibly a magnet to stick it to the roof of the car, must have a glare shield so that it doesn’t disturb me. I haven’t been able to find anything like it anywhere. I found a couple of magnetic lights but they look a bit ugly and don’t have a glare shield. The only other option I can think of is a headlight wrapped around the headrest of my seat but that will glare in his eyes.

So, does anyone make something like this ?

flasherByNight · #2 11-03-2009, 11:05 AM

Need to figure out means of affixing the light first...
(what kind of car?)

I have a cheap headlight with a clip thats clipped to the ceiling of my truck. Magnet woulda worked too for my useage

or just give him a headlight to wear, I"m sure he'd find it fun

ryball · #3 11-03-2009, 11:16 AM

Google Hella map light. There are other manufacturers, but I have Hella map lights in both of my cars. There are permanently mounted ones and ones that plug into lighter plugs. You can also just search "map light" or "goose neck..."

Flying Turtle · #4 11-03-2009, 12:18 PM

Maybe try one of those "tap lights" with a magnetic base. I guess you'd have to devise some sort of glare shield (piece of cardboard roll?).

Geoff

LEDad · #5 11-03-2009, 12:31 PM

I keep a MightyBright booklight in my car and my son uses it all of the time to read. They have two LEDs which is just bright enough to read and they clip onto whatever you're reading or to a lap desk. Also, they use AAA batteries, not the button cells. You can buy them at Borders and I think I saw them at Barnes and Noble as well.

Marduke · #6 11-03-2009, 01:03 PM

Kids absolutely love headlamps. An appropriate low power one seems suitable here.

daloosh · #7 11-03-2009, 05:05 PM

When we let her, my daughter uses an old Black Diamond headlamp, and loves it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marduke

Kids absolutely love headlamps. An appropriate low power one seems suitable here.

daloosh

Search · #8 11-03-2009, 07:57 PM

Deleted.

KiwiMark · #9 11-03-2009, 08:45 PM

It occurs to me that a Zebralight H501w would be a great light to keep in the car - if you had to change a tyre at night it would be useful to have a headlight to see while having both hands free. Also a passenger could use it on low for a reading light.

Norm · #10 11-03-2009, 09:30 PM

Games! Reading! your spoiling the boy. When we were kids dad would let us look out the window if we were good

hopkins · #11 11-04-2009, 12:00 AM

Promote the kid to Special Ops agent and get
him a Red LED headlamp to read with.

The red light will annoy you less driving.

Jay R · #12 11-04-2009, 02:24 AM

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I tried a headlamp lamp but, what with him being only just 3, it doesn’t stay on long plus he tends to wave his head about and the moving light is distracting. As for the map light, the lighter socket plug-in ones are no good for the back of the car and I don’t really want to hard-wire one in. It’s only a small Suzuki so I don’t even have rear courtesy lights to work with. As it seems nobody makes on I guess I’ll have to knock up something myself.
I have one of those small aaa powered Phillips motion detector lights that is quite small and slim. I’ll upgrade the magnets so it sticks to the roof of the car through the covering and if I take a plastic top from an aerosol can and cut it through, it should make a good glare shield that can be stuck on the light. With any luck the PIR sensor will make it stay on while he is in the back moving and then turn off when he falls asleep though I suspect that it’ll turn off and then on again every 20 seconds. If it does, I can always add a permanent ‘on’ switch to it. I’ll knock it up this week and try it out.

I’m sure there must be a market for a proper one though !

Meganoggin · #13 11-04-2009, 03:28 AM

Search for 'clip on reading light' on ebay and you will find loads, that will either work as is or you can modify to hang from the grab handles in the back.

Alternatively buy yourself a Mercedes

Good luck mate

Jay R · #14 11-04-2009, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meganoggin

Alternatively buy yourself a Mercedes

Umm, any chance of a 10k loan ??

I was after something that blended in with the car more than a clip on or headband light.

Perhaps like Geoff suggests, I'll get one of the Osram Dot-it lights, stick a magnet on the back and make a glare shield.