Southwire 2000-Lumen Rechargeable LED Work Light Hands-On Review

Small Southwire Work Light Casts Big Illumination

We can’t ever seem to get enough worklights. With LEDs being so inexpensive and useful, it doesn’t look like we need to curb our addiction anytime soon. The Southwire Rechargeable LED Work Light makes a great addition to our ever-expanding collection of lights. It’s small enough to carry anywhere but cranks out up to 2000 lumens to light up even the darkest spaces.

Pros

• 5 levels of brightness ranging from 400 lumens to 2000 lumens
• Sturdy metal frame and roll cage offer protection against bumps and drops
• Can charge phone via USB port
• Tripod mountable
• Up to 15 hours of runtime

Cons

• Magnets in base are strong enough to support the weight of the light, but only barely

This Little Light of Mine…

One of the more impressive features of the Southwire LED Rechargeable Worklight revolves around its general size. At around 1-3/4″ x 4-3/4″ x 6-1/4″, this light takes up about the same amount of space as, say, a small paperback book. And, at 2.1 lbs, it doesn’t weigh much more than one.

It features a rock-solid metal frame with a couple of roll bars and some hard rubber bumpers around the edges of the frame and the light itself. Southwire tells us that the LED Rechargeable Worklilght is drop tested, but they leave out the details for how high its been drop tested from. For fun, I dropped it onto concrete from shoulder height (about 5′), and it kept on shining.

This Southwire Worklight comes with an IP67 rating, making it almost completely water and dust proof.

…I’m Gonna Let It Shine

The Southwire LED Rechargeable Worklight features 5 power settings: 400, 800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 lumens. These settings are easy to toggle via the + and – buttons on the back. Plus, with the LED setting indicator, there’s no question about what you’ve got the light set to.

Also on the back you get a 5-LED color strip that relays the battery level in 20% increments. As soon as you turn the light on, you can immediately guesstimate how much run-time to expect.

The light itself falls into the yellower side of the color spectrum with a yellow ring on the outer limits of the light. For general purpose use, this light will likely be more than adequate for a variety of tasks. However, you might want a light that’s a little more neutral if you’re getting into painting and wiring applications.

Southwire claims that the LED Rechargeable Work Light will run for up to 15 hours without any dimming. Of course, you’ll only get this kind of runtime with the Low setting. Blasting 2000-lumens, we got just under 2.5 hours out of a fully-charged light.

Other Features

Southwire designed this LED Rechargeable Work Light with a helpful integrated stand. It clicks into one of seven positions, letting you angle the throw in just about any direction. It also features a convenient 1/4-inch threaded tripod mount.

Further, the base also features two magnets for adhering the light to any ferrous metal surface. In the spirit of full disclosure, the magnets don’t feel particularly strong. They support the weight of the light, but you won’t want to bump it because it will likely fall. A third magnet might’ve been helpful here.

Finally, the work light features a USB port. This can be activated via the button on the back and turns the light’s battery into an impromptu charger for your phone.

Pricing

Southwire markets the LED Rechargeable Work Light as a premium product. It reflects this with a retail prince point of $129. It comes with a 3-year warranty.

Southwire 2000-Lumen LED Rechargeable Work Light Specs

• Model: Southwire AL20RSW
• Dimensions (HxWxL): 1.85 x 4.76 x 6.26 in.
• Weight: 2.1 lbs.
• IP rating: IP67
• Warranty: 3 years
• Price: $129

For more information about the Southwire 2000-Lumen LED Rechargeable Work Light, click here.