An arc lighter carries no gas. Two graphite electrodes sit at the head, a small transformer inside steps the battery up, and pressing the igniter throws a violet arc across the gap between them — plasma, physically speaking, and the same principle as lightning, except that the arc is fed for several seconds rather than an instant, which is why it crackles faintly while it runs. The arc measures only three to five millimetres across, and that narrow band does the work a flame normally does.
What follows is recorded testing, translated. Nobody at Truthful Reviews has lit anything with these, and this guide makes no safety claim about any of them: it reports mechanism, geometry, measurements and build quality only.
18 arc lighters were assessed. The pick for most people is the Zippo Z7A18.
Why an arc instead of a flame
Two things separate the arc from the flame. It is completely indifferent to wind and rain, which makes it useful outdoors — barbecue firelighters, wood shavings, camping — and it needs no gas refill, so there is no smell and no soot, because nothing is being burned. Recharging is done with the supplied USB cable at a mains socket. Set against that, a flame simply brings more power and more margin for error, because it is bigger. The arc runs at no more than five volts and reaches up to 1,100 degrees Celsius.
Most of the field here is the stick type, with a long neck. That geometry has an obvious use: reaching a candle wick that sits deep in a decorative glass, or the burner of a gas or charcoal barbecue, without your hand having to follow it in. In the practical work — candle wicks, paper and barbecue wood shavings — every lighter in the test fired on the first attempt and completed every task. Not one showed a weakness.
Not the tool for cigarettes
Lighting a cigarette works, but it is a nuisance on almost all of them, and the reason is space rather than heat. The electrodes sit only a few millimetres apart and are set into holders, so an ordinary cigarette of roughly 7.5 millimetres simply fouls them. It will light, but even handled carefully it leaves ash on the lighter. Slim and superslim cigarettes at four to five millimetres work rather better, and so do some roll-ups. As an emergency stand-in when everything else in the house has given up, an arc lighter will do; as a daily replacement for a gas lighter it is not the first choice, not least because a stick lighter generally will not go in a trouser pocket.
Coil whine
One finding cuts across the field. After ignition some people hear an intrusive tone from the transformer — current passing through its electromagnetic coils sets them vibrating. It was most pronounced on the Zippo Z7A18 and on the Brandson, AdHoc and Eletorot lighters, and negligible on the Ronxs and the Vehhe. On the remaining models nothing was audible at all. Several people in the test group found the whistle from the affected lighters extremely intrusive.
Rigid neck or gooseneck
Half the field has a rigid neck, half a flexible gooseneck that bends to a right angle, which in a good many situations is the more helpful of the two. Only the Zippo and the Brandson have a gooseneck that is genuinely stable; the rest wander when you move them. Goosenecks also put much more distance between the fingers and the arc than rigid necks manage.
The trade-off is structural. A gooseneck cannot retract its electrodes, so they sit exposed. Every rigid-neck lighter here withdraws them into the body, which means nothing can happen to them in a drawer.
The ignition mechanism follows the same split. Every model here makes you move a slider before the igniter is exposed at all, which is there to stop the arc firing by accident in a full drawer. Only the Zippo Z7A18 goes further: its igniter moves forward under the thumb only while a second button on the underside is held with the index finger. Two hands, in effect, and it takes a little getting used to. It is the only two-stage ignition mechanism in the test. Anyone who does not want it may find a single-stage model quicker to work.
Batteries and runtime
Most makers fit a lithium-ion or lithium-polymer cell. Fully charged, the quoted ignition counts run from 30 to 300, depending on capacity and on how long the arc is held each time. Every lighter in the test has an automatic cut-out: hold the igniter down and the arc shuts off by itself after five to ten seconds, whatever the finger is doing, and it can be fired again immediately with no waiting.
Quoted recharge cycles run to 500, which on paper would carry the cell through as many as 50,000 ignitions — though whether the mechanism would still be working by then is another matter. A flat battery needs a socket and several minutes before the arc reappears at all; a full charge takes at least an hour, and on the cheaper models an hour and a half to two.
How green is an arc lighter?
It depends almost entirely on how hard it is used. To begin with, an arc lighter is worse for the environment than a mechanical gas lighter, because making the electronics and the cell consumes far more energy and material. Against that, the use phase produces very little in the way of emissions when the cell is charged from renewable electricity, and it calls for no fossil fuel. The sums only work out if the lighter is used intensively and is robust enough to last. For occasional use, a refillable gas lighter — not a disposable one — is probably still the better answer.
The picks
Top pick — Zippo Z7A18
The Z7A18 leaves the best overall impression in the test. It comes in red, grey and rose gold. The metal body puts it at 94 grams, among the heaviest here and also among the most robust, and it sits in the hand accordingly well. The igniter button and the slider are built for a long life, and that shows in what it costs.
The gooseneck is stable, flexible and made of metal, and it makes awkward angles easy. It also gives 16.5 centimetres between the fingers and the arc, the longest reach in the test, and the arc itself is one of the broader ones. The arc cuts out automatically after ten seconds so the lighter does not overheat and the cell is spared. Its two-stage ignition — rear button and front slider operated together — is unique here.
Charging is over a side Micro-USB socket, with a short cable supplied. There is no lanyard eyelet, and because the neck is a gooseneck the electrodes cannot be retracted, so they sit exposed in storage. Only a single battery LED is fitted: blue when there is enough charge, blinking when there is not. The maker quotes about 50 ignitions per charge, which is modest for the class.
The drawbacks: the coil whine is at its most pronounced on this model, a Micro-USB socket is behind the times, one more battery LED or two would not have gone amiss, and the electrodes are unprotected.
Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Best windproof design — Zippo Rechargeable Lighter Insert with Double Arc
The clear winner among the windproof-case lighters. The housing is all metal, exactly as on the gas windproof lighters the brand is known for lasting, and nothing here matches it for robustness. The igniter button is on the small side but works reliably: press it twice and a stable crossed double arc appears immediately, which makes for a very steady ignition source. The electrodes are set slightly back into the housing, so they have some protection — which is also precisely why lighting a cigarette with it is awkward. Fuses light well; a candle wick is less practical. There is no coil whine at all, and there is no two-stage ignition mechanism.
Charging is over a Micro-USB socket in the base, again not current, with a short cable supplied. A blue LED beside the socket shows adequate charge and blinks when it is time to recharge. The quoted figure is up to 300 ignitions after an hour on charge — a lot, by the standards of this field.
The catch is that it does not sit properly in the hand as bought, because these windproof lighters are always two parts: case and insert. The double-arc unit is sold as an insert alone. It works on its own in principle, but to protect it and to personalise it you want a case — and cases are not sold separately, only together with a conventional gas lighter whose standard insert you then swap out. The alternatives are to hunt down an empty case second-hand, or to reuse an old one of your own, since the brand's cases are compatible throughout.
Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
The value pick — Rouclo Arc Lighter
The Rouclo shows that a good arc lighter need not be an expensive one. Its aluminium-coloured metal body is robust yet weighs only 37 grams. The shape is squared off and sits well in the hand, and the slider and igniter both feel solid enough for a long life. There is no eyelet.
It has a rigid neck, so the reach between the fingers and the arc is a short 11.5 centimetres. The arc it produces is adequately broad. Pushing the slider up runs the electrodes out — so they are well protected when the lighter is not in use — and simultaneously lights four blue LEDs showing the charge state. The igniter then strikes the arc, and the lighter switches itself off after about seven seconds. There is no two-stage ignition: the slider goes up, the igniter appears beneath it, and that is that. Charging is over a modern USB-C socket at the foot, cable supplied. Protected electrodes, four charge LEDs and USB-C are what carry it into the recommendations.
Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Also tested
Stevenson Arc Lighter with USB Charging Cable — plastic, but the black oval body feels stable at just 39 grams and sits comfortably; slider and igniter could stand to be sturdier for the long run. The eyelet at the foot is the weak point: it is only screwed on, it worked loose early in testing, and because it holds the whole construction together it cannot simply be left off — refitting it is fiddly. Rigid neck, so only 10.5 centimetres of reach; the arc is adequately broad and barely crackles. The electrodes run out only while the slider is held up and retract by themselves afterwards, so they are protected in storage. Cut-out at seven seconds, Micro-USB on the side, and five bright LEDs that show the charge level at every ignition. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Gefu 12970 — largely identical to the weaker-performing Ronxs and Vehhe lighters but costs more than twice as much; against that, it carries a notably long five-year guarantee, there is no plastic in the packaging, and the matt plastic body feels better in the hand. Technically there appears to be no difference. The long gooseneck stretches the reach to 15 centimetres but is unstable, reacts to every movement and leaves the electrodes exposed. No eyelet. The needlessly small slider effectively switches it on and five LEDs report the charge; the equally small igniter then produces a somewhat narrow arc that cuts out after seven seconds. Micro-USB at the foot. Up to 130 ignitions per charge are quoted, with the cell rated for more than 300 cycles. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Brandson Electric Lighter — robust plastic body that sits well in the hand, and a stable eyelet at the foot that makes storage easier. The gooseneck is a little short by the standards of this test but very stable, which leaves the reach at just twelve centimetres with the electrodes exposed. A fiddly side slider switches it on; a pleasantly large key then strikes an adequately broad arc that cuts out after five seconds. Four LEDs show charge. Alone in the test it has a second key on top for an LED torch, which shines along the gooseneck — that is, in the direction you are lighting. Micro-USB on the side, the cable somewhat hidden in the packaging. The maker quotes 80 to 100 ignitions per charge. Coil whine is pronounced. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Vehhe Arc Lighter — near-identical to the Gefu and the Ronxs, in a glossier and less grippy plastic. The long gooseneck gives 15 centimetres of reach but is a little unstable and easily bent out of shape, and the electrodes are exposed. No eyelet. A fiddly slider and an equally small igniter could both have been solved better. Its arc is somewhat smaller than most here and shuts off after a few seconds. Five blue LEDs, Micro-USB at the foot. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Ronxs JL872 — largely the same design as the Gefu and Vehhe, with two improvements: a modern USB-C socket and a slightly broader arc. That arc turned out to be unstable over time on the test sample, alternating between the straight line every other lighter here produces and a frayed-looking half-circle. Self cut-out after a few seconds. The gooseneck could be stabler but puts the reach at a comfortable 15 centimetres, with no protection for the electrodes and no eyelet. The needlessly small slider and igniter mean you cannot work it blind — you have to look to hit the controls. The five blue LEDs report charge reliably. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Profissimo USB Lighter — mechanically the same item as the TFA Dostmann 98.1119.01 and the Nola, and the cheapest of the three. Exemplary packaging: no plastic, 100 per cent recycled paper. Rigid neck, so 10.5 centimetres of reach, but the electrodes are protected because they only run out when the somewhat stiff slider is pushed up, which simultaneously exposes the igniter. The arc is among the broader ones here and cuts out after ten seconds. The housing plastic could be more robust, though it sits well in the hand. Only one LED on the side, blinking when a Micro-USB recharge is due. No eyelet. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
TFA Dostmann 98.1119.01 — the same design again, but the slider takes noticeably more force here. The German instructions on the back are thin; the maker says a printed manual normally accompanies it, which was not the case with the test sample, and it can be downloaded instead. On the test sample the two electrodes were not mounted at the same height, so the otherwise horizontal arc ran at a slight slant. Otherwise the rigid-neck body sits well in the hand, the arc is pleasantly broad, and the electrodes are well protected inside the housing when not in use. The side LED shows blue when a charge is needed and blinks when the cell is full. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
AdHoc FZ141 — no long neck, but the long body still makes it good for distant wicks. The curved housing with its rounded fins looks very smart indeed, though a more robust and grippier plastic would have been the better call, and the many screw holes holding the housing together are an eyesore. A small slider makes it ready and four LEDs show the charge; a compact black push-button then strikes the arc. The unprotected electrode holders sit rather close together, so you have to hit the wick precisely. USB-C in the base with a short cable supplied. The maker gives no ignition count per charge at all. With coil whine audible on ignition as well, it asks too much for what it is. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Vivess USB Arc Lighter — a supermarket own-brand, available in several colours and packed entirely without plastic. Visually and technically near-identical to the Profissimo, TFA Dostmann and Nola lighters. The light plastic housing is a little longer than those; the electrodes are protected inside it and must be run out with the slider before ignition, after which the smaller push switch strikes an adequately broad arc that cuts out after ten seconds. Charging takes an hour and a half to two hours over the side USB-C socket with the supplied cable. The ignitions per charge could not be established. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Nola Arc Lighter with Charging Cable — visually and technically near-identical to the Profissimo and TFA Dostmann models, and positioned at the cheap end. It does not feel unstable in the end, though the plastic could have been of a higher grade. As with the rest of this family the electrodes sit protected behind a slider and run out only to fire. Mass production of cheap lighters brings larger tolerances, though: the Nola manages only a fairly narrow arc, about a third less wide than the other two, so wicks need more precision still. Micro-USB on the side, now dated, cable supplied, an hour and a half to two hours for a charge. The maker does not disclose the ignition count. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
TFA Dostmann 98.1124 — a robust windproof design. Housing, hinged lid with a thumb-friendly hinge and the electrode holders are all metal and feel built to last. Ignition is via the silver button on the front, which could comfortably have been larger. With the lid open, pressing it produces a stable arc immediately, and it can only be fired with the lid open. The cell charges from the socket in the base with the supplied Micro-USB cable, no longer quite current. The small blue LED beside the socket blinks only when a recharge is due. Capacity disappoints: a charge takes one to two hours and is good for at most 30 ignitions — so the five-second automatic cut-out is welcome. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
Pearl Tesla NX8778-944 — also among the robust windproof designs here. The smart gold-coloured case, the good hinged lid and the electrode holders are entirely metal and feel durable, but every fingerprint shows on the gloss, a little of the colour had already come off the top edge after a short time, and the black sticker on the back is an irritation. A small side button fires it and a double arc appears immediately — one above the other, rather than side by side as on the double-arc insert, and the point of the arrangement is not obvious. The arc appears only with the lid fully open and shuts off automatically after five seconds. Micro-USB in the base, now outdated, cable supplied. The blue LED beside it shows steady blue at each ignition while there is charge left and blinks when there is not. A charge takes two hours and is good for up to 60 ignitions. Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US
How they were assessed
Every arc lighter was fully charged from the supplied USB cable straight out of the box. Handling was then assessed: how well each sits in the hand, what impression it gives of stability and durability, how the slider and igniter work, and how stable the arc between the two electrodes is. A gooseneck, where fitted, was expected to be stable. Several people in the test group checked each lighter for coil whine.
The practical work then involved lighting candle wicks, paper and barbecue wood shavings. None of the lighters showed any weakness at these. Cigarettes were lit successfully only with thinner formats — slim and superslim — with ordinary cigarettes the lighters amount to a stopgap.
The short answers
Which arc lighter is best? The Zippo Z7A18 for most people: robust metal body, good in the hand, the two-stage ignition mechanism nothing else here has, a gooseneck that is stable while still being flexible, and a broad arc.
How is the arc produced? Pressing the igniter sends current from the cell to the two electrodes. Enough electrical energy builds in the air between them that it heats sharply and begins to glow and flicker; the current bridges the short gap and a violet arc appears.
How many ignitions per charge? Makers quote 80 to 130 ignitions from a full charge, depending on how long the arc is held each time. All of the lighters here cut the arc off by themselves after ten seconds at the latest.
How long does charging take? From flat, one to two hours from a mains socket over USB. Makers rate the cells for 300 to 500 charges.
