Swirl finder lights or detailing lights are used for detailing tasks to light up the area that you’re working on. For example, if you are doing some paint corrections like compounding and polishing paint, of course, you have to look at what you’re doing.
It’s very important to have high CRI level lights which means color rendering index. These lights won’t alter the color of what you’re looking at. You’ll have a good representation of the final result that you’re looking into.
Key Takeaway
Top 5 Best Swirl Finder Lights
- Flex Swirl Finder Light
- Buff Brite Flamethrower Polishing Light
- Scangrip Matchpen R
- Rupes LL150 Led Penlight
- Hurkins Orbit Swirl Finder Light
Top 5 Best Swirl Finder Lights
There are a lot of swirl finder lights on the market, but which are the top 5 best? I have cleared my afternoon and embarked on a mission to provide you with the list of the top 5 best swirl finder lights.
5. Flex Swirl Finder Light
When doing paint correction, sometimes your shop light just might not cut it or you may not be able to catch the light at the right angle to see any of those swirls or scratches. Now if you are very particular on making sure that you correct any of those minor imperfections in the paint, you are going to need the Flex swirl finder light.
Some of the really cool features of this light are it actually can light up to 130 lumens with just the 3-watt LED. You can control the width or the span of the light by simply just pulling the head of the light forward or moving it back into place.
With this light only being about 51 inches in length, you can easily slip it right into your pocket making it easy to maneuver and walk around your vehicle when doing your buffing or paint correction.
When using this light, you want to make sure you stay about 8 to 12 inches away from the service surface and hold it at a slight angle so that you can see the beam of light shooting across the pane which really helps you pick up on any of those imperfections. It’s a great tool for really making your detailing even easier.
4. Buff Brite Flamethrower Polishing Light
The Buff Brite flamethrower polishing light is a light that you put on your polisher. This is great because it gives you an idea of a before and after state on the go. You are able to see the swirls and then verify that they have been removed without having the need of turning off the polisher and grabbing the swirl finder light.
The flamethrower polishing light has three settings; full blast, a little bit dimmer, and a strobe light. Not sure why would you need a strobe light when polishing and fixing swirls, but hey, it is an overall great light.
This light is engineered to maximize the number of imperfections that you can see in the paint while you are doing your work. It has 800 lumens of light (7800 Kelvin). With the rechargeable 2200 Mah lithium battery, you can use this light for about eight to ten hours.
It conveniently mounts on every polisher in the world. The housing of the light is made out of a durable aluminum frame and has an anti-vibrational mount.
3. Scangrip Matchpen R
The Matchpen R is a swirl finder light manufactured by Scangrip. It actually has two color temperatures which are 4500 Kelvin and 6500 Kelvin. You can switch between the color temperatures by pressing and holding the button. The front of the penlight is expandable and allows you to control how narrow the beam of light is.
Unlike the first-generation match pen which was battery-operated, the Matchpen R is rechargeable. This is a great swirl finder pen for both mobile detailers and DIY enthusiasts who are home and are very conscious of their budget.
The Matchpen R has 100 lumens which ensure you get a pretty good intensity. Shining this penlight will show every little imperfection on the car paint. There is a built-in clip on the pen that allows you to carry it in the pocket.
The Matchpen R is made out of sturdy and durable aluminum and has a solvent-resistant glass lens.
2. Rupes LL150 Led Penlight
If you are doing paint correction or polishing paint but not using a swirl finder light, you are completely missing a lot of defects in the paint. A lot of people are using halogen floodlights and those are great for flooding the side of the surface. However, if you are all about the fine points of it, looking for haze and small paint defects that you are not going to be able to see out in the sunshine, you are going to need the Rupes LL150 led penlight.
The Rupes LL150 led penlight is battery powered. It fits really nicely in your hand and in your pocket. It’s got focus adjustability on it as well. For the most part, you are only going to use it in its fully extended position which gives you a lot more narrow focus. You can really pinpoint an area and really find any paint defects.
Other than putting some batteries in it every now and then, there isn’t really anything else you need to do. The LL150 led penlight is going to last for a long time.
This light will force you to become a better detailer because you are going to see things with this that you are not going to see in the sunshine.
The only drawback to this penlight is the price. It costs about $50 which is considered a bit pricey in the penlight world. However, Considering what you get out of it and how much a better job you can do with it, it’s not that big of an expense.
1. Hurkins Orbit Swirl Finder Light
The Hurkins orbit swirl finder light is a multipurpose light that is great for detailing. It weighs 150 grams and I am amazed at how much light comes out from something this small. The strap is really comfortable and you will really feel like one with the light. It has some solid anti-slip grips so it doesn’t move at all.
It has a 180-degree angle which really gives you the big picture. The battery is fully charged in about three hours with a USB and can provide up to 100 hours of light. It has different light settings and the brightest is up to 1000 lumens.
What’s good about having a swirl-finder light on your head is that your hands are free. You can basically do a paint correction and check for swirls in real time. This is why I have chosen this swirl finder light as my personal best. But, what suits you is most important. If you find any of the previous swirl finder lights, go ahead with them.
