Just for the record, I do not own the featured image on this page. It is the property of Energizer Holdings, LLC.

I have written a decent amount on how there are American Equivalents of the Eveready Dolphin and the Energizer Weatheready LED Floating Lantern is what triggered my discovery of them. It is also what this piece will be a review thereof.

One day, in April of 2015, I discovered that the battery in my Ford Taurus was dead. I was visiting my grandparents when I made this unfortunate discovery. So, I used my Paw Paw’s car (a Buick Century, which would later become my car) to give myself a jump. Once my Taurus cranked, I took it to Wal Mart to exchange for a new battery, since it was under warranty. Well, long story short, it turns out my starter was bad. I had driven through some flooded streets a few weeks prior and I believe this is what shorted out my starter. There is also a severe problem with the design of the 2007 Ford Taurus that causes oil and possibly other engine fluids to leak on the starter and short it out because it is located in a very unfortunate place. My vehicle was totally disabled by this point and I was parked near the automotive area.

All in all, while waiting for a wrecker to come, I, as usual, had gone to look at the flashlights in Wal*Mart.

There I saw it, an Energizer Weatheready LED floating lantern.

It looked very cool! Some time prior, I had read about the Eveready Dolphin Lanterns that were sold in Australia and New Zealand and this looked like an Americanized version of them

Not only that, after reading the specs, I learned it boasted an output of 150 Lumens with a beam distance of 365 Meters or ~1197.5 Feet and a runtime of 35 hours.

Even though I knew I would be hit with an expensive car repair bill and money would be tight, I knew I just had to have one of these. I mean it was only ~$10, but I was married at the time and on a fixed income.

After I went home, I began to research the new flashlight I saw. I began to learn that other American flashlights had a Dolphin version of them.

I was glued to my computer indefinitely.

So, in a few days, my car was fixed and life was back to normal.

I sold a few hand tools to a friend and was able to get the cash, to which I subsequently made a beeline to Wal Mart and purchased it.

I then went to The Family Dollar and purchased a battery.

A few days later, there was some severe weather that was passing through my area.

Upon learning of a tornado warning issued for our parish, my then-wife now ex-wife and I had to evacuate our second-story apartment with little more than the clothes on our back. I had a Mini Maglite AAA LED flashlight in my pants pocket and my new lantern in my hand. The sky became dark as night, even though it was midmorning.

It subsequently came in handy, many times especially when I was out walking after dark. Remember, this was 2015, so LED flashlight technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now. I think it truly modernized in 2017, but I digress. I used to walk for exercise a lot back then and I think I should start doing this again. I was indeed considerably skinnier in 2015 than I am now.

The lantern had the best of both worlds: A wide spill of generous light and a pinpoint beam that could light up objects more than three football fields away. It was kind to the batteries that powered it, even when using a cheap Carbon Zinc battery. I had once dropped mine of concrete and thus failed to maintain a Christian vocabulary, but it still survived and functioned as if nothing happened to it.

It truly was an awesome flashlight, quite possibly the best plastic flashlight for the money. The given specs are true, unlike with some flashlights whose marketing departments tend to exaggerate things.

Unfortunately, Energizer discontinued it at some point in 2016. I actually purchased another one on clearance to give to my grandparents for their 70th wedding anniversary. After they passed in 2018 and 2019, it was given back to me.

I don’t get Energizer at all, they make some really nice consumer-grade flashlights, but then they are very quick to pull them from the market. However, they also make some junky flashlights but keep those on the market for decades, sometimes. I can think of many flashlights that are no longer made but should be. I have even written at length about this in the past, on forums, on social media, and even on this blog.

If you’re wondering what happened to this lantern, I am writing about, I’m glad to say that I still have it and I still use it, though not as extensively as I once did. My ex-wife and I split up the community property amicably and I kept most of my flashlights. As for the ones I didn’t keep, I instructed her to give them to her nephews. But I did keep this flashlight.

I used it last night when we were instructed by our government officials to conserve electricity for a few hours. So, I put my central heat to 68 degrees, unplugged most of my electronics, and turned off the lights. For entertainment, I did AM DXing on a battery-powered Sony radio, mostly listening to the clear channel powerhouse WSB out of Atlanta. I used that lantern as a light source instead of turning on the electric lights.

It has served me faithfully during the last few hurricanes as well.

All in all, this was one of the better flashlights made by Energizer.

Well, all the American versions of the Eveready Dolphin are made well.

And the Eveready Dolphin is tremendously popular in Australia and New Zealand that I think it even has commercials for it aired during soap operas!

I make it a point when talking to any Aussie to ask him or her about the Eveready Dolphin and they all immediately had something to say, usually positive.

I don’t think any American flashlight has ever had that kind of universal familiarity, by the way, although Maglite comes close but by a very long shot.

What else can I say?

There may now be flashlights that can throw a beam and have efficient battery use that is more compact, but can they float in the event of going overboard?

Probably not.

So even though this flashlight would be considered bulky and awkward by many, it still is a winner and I hope Energizer comes out with another American version of the Eveready Dolphin soon.

That’s all for now.

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece and I sincerely hope that you, the reader, have been informed and entertained.

May God richly bless you!

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