Expert Review: Plasmatic X Rechargeable USB Lighter

It was my first long weekend off in a long time and thought I would check out Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park (again - hey it’s close, and I love the Ganaraska Trail). I thought I would take something new with me this time; something that I wouldn't normally take: a rechargeable lighter. Normally, when I camp I take my firesteel or storm proof matches, both  of which are waterproof and I can rely on, but I wanted to try something different. The Plasmatic X rechargeable lighter is a new product for Canadian Outdoor Equipment Co. and I wanted to put it through its paces.

Durability / Functionality

The Plasmatic X lighters are like something from the future - it uses plasma, powered by a rechargeable li-ion battery to produce combustion. This means it doesn’t use lighter fluid or butane, or any fuel for that matter. I was sceptical about it’s durability and functionality of the lighter at first, but it’s performance exceeded expectations. That being said, it was above 20 degrees C that weekend, and perfect weather. I would like to see how it holds up at -20, or really bad weather. I did however leave the lighter in my freezer for around 5-6 hours before I left, and to my surprise it worked right away without any struggle to light. 

I also had a chance before I left to test its durability. The product literature says it has an “Ultra-durable zinc alloy case” and I wanted to test that out. A few days before I left, I took the lighter to an empty parking lot and basically tried to smash it on the asphalt. Eventually I gave up, the lighter ended up with a few scratches, but It still managed to light every time.

Battery Life / Charging

I only went out for 3 days, lighting a fire only a handful of times, though you do get 50 -100 lights before you have to recharge it, there was no need to recharge the lighter on my trip. If I where to go on multi day trip-say for like a week or so, I would want to bring something I could recharge the lighter with, like a solar panel, or a battery charger.

When you purchase the lighter, it includes one micro USB charger cord, and comes fully charged. Charging the lighter takes about 1-2 hours. You can charge from your computer, car, solar power etc. You will find a red light on the side of the lighter, indicating the lighter being charged. As soon as the red light is off the lighter is fully charged. 

All Weather Performance

Since there is no flame, the lighter is windproof. It uses two criss-crossed plasma beams (almost like a lightsaber) that are extremely hot (482 degrees C / 900 degrees F). If it had been windy that weekend I would have been fine. It also didn't rain that weekend so I couldn't test out the water resistant ability, but I have seen videos of the lighter having water splashed on it. I’m not sure how the lighter would perform after being fully submerged - the Plasmatic X is rated to be water resistant, not water proof.

Some minor negative aspects of the lighter are that the cap doesn’t open all the way out, and if you were trying to light a pipe you may struggle a bit, or would need to light a twig on fire, and light your pipe from that. The cap has no gasket currently, so it is not waterproof. Also the lighter’s USB port has no cap - if they were to put some sort of rubber plug attachment on it, it could keep dirt and water from damaging the port. It would also make the lighter more water resistant. 

Rating: Highly Functional & Reliable (and Beard Friendly)

I couldn’t have asked for better weather that long weekend;  it was hot and I was able to do a lot of swimming, On the other hand, if the weather was poor I would of been able to test the Plasmatic X lighter more thoroughly in various conditions. All in all however, I would definitely use the lighter again, It proved to be highly functional and reliable -  and from one bearded man to another I can proudly say it is absolutely beard friendly.