Is This Electric Lighter ACTUALLY Worth It?

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A dependable lighter is a must-have, whether you're lighting candles on the patio or firing up a charcoal grill or campfire. If you're tired of cheap gas station lighters running out of fuel quickly or prohibitively expensive steel-body lighters, the LcFun USB rechargeable electric arc lighter seems to be an ideal mash-up. Priced at about $14 (or around the cost of five or six disposable Bics), it's touted as being waterproof, crushproof, and perfect for camping, survival, or lighting citronella candles on the deck. But is it?

We've partnered with Extreme Reviews, who put this lighter to the test. (Correction: All the tests.) Can you reach in and light one of those large, deep Yankee Candles without burning your fingers? What about lighting the perfect campfire build? What happens if you drop the lighter off your boat into the water, or it somehow ends up frozen in a block of ice?

The LcFun lighter offers a number of features designed to make life easier. It uses an electric arc, rather than a flame, which the company claims is windproof. A flexible neck extension is meant to provide an advantage over your standard lighter in terms of reaching into grills and fire pits. And the hard plastic case and cap are described as waterproof. It's even got a flashlight. But is all this worth the $14? Well, if it can light firecrackers after being dunked in a jar of marshmallow fluff, you've got your answer.