power practical kickstarts 'sparkr+sparkr mini' lighting products

focused on developing innovative and affordable energy products, US-based power practical has made a name out of itself after six successful kickstarter projects and the company’s team is at it again. combining their ‘geeky’ nature and desire to create products for everyday use, the ‘sparkr’ and ‘sparkr mini’ are born. unique and multi-functional, this latest collection gives users the power to generate fire and light wherever they may be. 

after countless discussions, industrial designer mckay nilson from power practical started to mock up possible looks for ‘sparkr’. once a decision was set, the team built a prototype to test it out. the final design reveals a multi-purpose product with a windproof electric plasma lighter on one end, and a 150 lumen flashlight/ lantern on the other. even more, the translucent plasma lighter cap can be attached to the head of the flashlight and transform it into lantern that can be hung or held to evenly light up the space. 

‘sparkr’ was designed to fit perfectly in the user’s hand in both flashlight and lighter mode 

the body is made of durable anodized aluminium, the lens has an ergonomically- molded thumb grip to ensure comfort when handling, and the lighter cap is a quick ‘twist and lock’ for covering the plasma lighter and transforming the flashlight into a lantern. concerning the lighter, its high-intensity plasma creates an electric arc that works under any weather condition — thanks to a large 3,350 mAh rechargeable li-ion cell that keeps it sparking for hundreds of uses. to prevent any unwanted fires, the lighter also has a safety feature that requires users to press the button three times in a row before it gets activated.

the lighter is activated by creating a powerful arc of plasma between two points

while designing ‘sparkr’, power practical realized that they could combine a similar set of features into a much smaller package to create an even more useful tool for daily basis. that is how the ‘sparkr mini’ came to be. with a familiar shape and interface, it functions much like a traditional flip lighter but it also has a built-in LED light on the bottom of the case that can be used as a flashlight. therefore, ‘sparkr mini’ offers a classic look with improved functions.  

their kickstarter page for ‘spark and spark mini’ can be found here. 

sparkr and sparkr mini – plasma lighter and flashlight multi-tool
video courtesy of power practical 

‘sparkr’ is capable of starting fires using only electricity, with no fuel needed

the cap that protects the lighter can be locked onto the flashlight end and used as a lantern

the included tie can be used to secure or hang the product

‘sparkr mini’ is a more compact version of sparkr, with similar functions

… it is specifically designed as an everyday carry item

ergonomically molded thumb grip to ensure comfort when handling the lighter 

LED flashlight can be found on the bottom of ‘sparkr mini’

power practical team during brainstorming sessions 

prototyped versions of the product have been heavily tested 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lea zeitoun | designboom