Light With Magnification.

Q: My wife is a beader and hunches over the kitchen table while working on her stuff. She recently removed the swing light from my computer table to provide more light for her projects. She also uses a hand-held magnifying glass sometimes to check on her work. I want to buy my wife a good light that has a magnifying glass built in to the center of it and that clamps on a surface, or is freestanding and hinges so it can be placed over her work, or, I just went to a local store and saw one that fit the bill but it was $454! Can anyone recommend a light by brand name, a guess at the price and a website where they are available?

A: Try the craft stores and the local 'Office Depot', or similar - you should be able to get what you want for around $100. 'Bausch & Lomb' makes a good one, but I don't remember whether it comes with a stand or not. Try to find one of the "circle-lite" ones with a round flourescent tube, instead of the ones that take a regular lite bulb, or go all the way and buy her an 'Ott Lite' with the magnifier - she will love you forever. Any price quotes for the 'Ott', folks? I have a 'Dazor' lamp with a circular flourescent bulb - Mine is on wheels, but you can get a plain base or one that clamps on a table. I use this quite a lot for my beading - the magnification is good, the light is good, it doesn't get too hot. It isn't a "true color" light like the 'Ott' lamps but it is still very good. It is expensive - I paid about $230 about 15 years ago. However, I also have a very cheap magnifier lamp which I can't use because I can never get it into the proper position, I have never had this problem with the 'Dazor'. I use a tensor lamp and a magnifying headset my husband brought home from a computer show that looks like this one: http://www.einsteins-emporium.com/technology/optical/tl150.htm Here's another magnifying headset: http://www.dfv.com.br/Ingles/lupa_5.htm Here's what you asked for, an inexpensive magnifying lamp: Enter "magnifying lamp" in the search box and hit "go" http://www.officedepot.com/default.asp 'Office Depots' are common enough to find one locally, go in and see if this is really to her taste. I was just at the local 'Office Depot' on Friday and the "Task light" style of 'OTT' light was on sale for $31.00. I live in Minneapolis. I also just bought full spectrum light blubs for "regular" lamps that I work near, got them a 'Menards' (home improvement/lumber store). They are suppose to last "5 times longer than ordinary light blub"... and for the price I hope so! I like the light they give off... not as long as the cats don't do any 'All Star Wrestling' near my lamps, I should be okay! 'Ott' does have a magnifier light on a goose neck stand... I saw it at a sewing show. It is about $100. It was sturdy and worth every bit of that. The craft stores have cheapies for around $15 but honestly, they never hold up at all. I have broken 2 this year, and I can never seem to get them in the right position. I have had cataract surgeries on both eyes, and have to have some magnification because of that and diabetes problems. I currently wear a magnifying visor, but it drives me nuts. I am buying the 'Ott'.

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