Ridgid came out with a new 18V cordless “mat light,” model R8694520B. It seems to be a very unique take on area worklighting.
The Ridgid mat light – can I call it a light mat instead? – has 3 brightness settings and outputs up to 1500 lumens. There are 5 individual light bars attached to the mat.
The Ridgid cordless light mat has a power source that connects via a barrel connector. That means that you can remove it and roll the mat up tight, for easier storage or transport. I should also note that the power source connects to the light mat; it doesn’t dangle from the power cord when mounted or hung via the D-ring.
There’s a ring at the top, for hanging the mat for upright illumination.
There are also magnets at each corner. I’d guess that it allows the mat to be mounted from steel surfaces, but it also allows for the mat to be wrapped into a secure 360° illumination ring.
Runtime is up to 25 hours using a 9.0Ah battery. As a bonus, the 18V power source has a USB port for charging other devices.
Ridgid says that the mat is made of durable materials and will hold up to tough jobsite environments.
Price: $99 for the bare tool
Buy Now(via Home Depot)
Battery and charger are NOT included.
First Thoughts
I just gotta say this – I’m really loving TTI’s product design creativity. Kudos to the lighting product design and engineering team!
I can’t think of a single lighting task that I’d use this for, but I know I’d find tons of uses for it if I had one. Potentially, I wonder if it can be used with an AC adapter for battery-free operation…
If the CRI (color accuracy) is good enough, this might even be suited for photo or video use in tricky situations.
