Continuing our review of the Zippo Outdoors product line, we tried out their Flex Neck Utility Lighter. This butane lighter comes in quite handy for lighting everything from grills, to candles to old school lanterns, and even the tiki torches at your next luau.
The first thing we noticed about the Flex Neck Utility Lighter is how robust it felt. Normally, butane lighters are cheap plastic, and really fall into the disposable category. But the Zippo has metal on both ends, along with a flexible wand and metal tip. The body is a silver colored plastic that gives it a more expensive feel. This is not one of those lighters that will fall apart or stop working before the first refill. Speaking of refills, there is a window on the side to check the fuel level, and you can adjust the flame via a dial on the bottom, for more precise work and less waste. There’s also a built in folding loop for hanging.
As with any lighter, safety is a concern. Zippo has that covered with the long, flexible neck that allows you to get the fire where you need it, without getting your hand too close. And there is a safety on the back side that needs to be depressed before sliding the ignitor switch forward with your thumb. This should prevent children (and perhaps intoxicated adults) from having any accidents.
We used our Flex Neck Utility Lighter for our grill, starting fires in our fire pit, and for tea lights in some hanging lanterns. Using the control on the bottom, we were able to vary the flame as needed – low for the candles and grill, then a nice hot flame for getting the kindling going. And it fired up (pun intended) every time, once we mastered the simple safety.
With a suggested retail of $19.95, the Flex Neck Utility Lighter costs a little more than a handful of disposables. But it will easily outlast several of them, and Zippo is confident enough to include a three year warranty. If you’re looking for Zippo quality and reliability in a butane lighter for camping and outdoor use, it’s certainly a smart buy and a good value. Zippo.com
– Brian
Disclosure of Material Connection: We received the Zippo Flex Neck Utility Lighter for free from Zippo Outdoors in consideration for review publication.