Smartphones can do pretty much anything, but most of us still tend to use them in at least one very low-tech way: as flashlights. Getting to the bedroom after you turn out the house lights, finding your keys in your bag, or finding the way to the bathroom in an unfamiliar hotel room all call for the use of the handy-dandy camera flash as a surprisingly powerful light.
The Travelamp, designed by Sebastiano Tosi and Mattia Fossati, uses the same flashlight functionality for small, portable nightlights. These little lights are officially known as “light diffusers” since they aren’t powered in any way; they’re simply shapes attached to little straps that attach around the body of your phone.
The Travelamp comes in two shapes: lamp and lantern. Both are made of soft, durable silicone that won’t scratch up your phone. Just slip the strap around the body of the phone and position the lamp over the flash. Then turn on your phone’s flashlight function and you’ve got a handy little bedside table shining a soft, diffuse light that’s perfect for reading by…or just walking around without battering your poor toes.
The smartphone accessory is expected to be in stock at Fred & Friends in October 2015 and will cost you a cool $8. You won’t need a cable or special battery or anything else to use the Travelamp, but you’d better have a charging cable for your phone on hand since the flashlight function tends to kill batteries in record time.