Hello folks! It’s been quite some time since I’ve done a blog like this but after using my Serious Light for nearly two years, it felt like it was about time for a product review. Just to note that I have been asked to write a blog post but as always all views are my own. 

Personally I use the High Definition Table Light and I also use the Compact Light. The High Definition lives on my desk to help with all sewing and writing, and the Compact moves around the house with me for fabric cutting, ironing, and hand-sewing if I fancy doing that in the living room or somewhere else. In this review however I’m going to be focusing on the High Definition Light that is the main one I use. 

What Do You Need To Sew?

Sewing is one of those hobbies that lends itself to the gimmick, to the extra toys and equipment that looks super cute in your sewing room but doesn’t actually help you sew. When you first start sewing  it can be absolutely impossible to know what you need. For myself I would argue that there are some non-negotiable basics; a sewing machine for one, but also scissors, thread, and a quick-unpick.

However what we don’t often consider is where we sew. Some sewists will have a stunning sewing and craft room decked out with every sewing gadget under the sun, their fabric carefully catalogued and their patterns arranged, every single bit of the space designed to support them to sew. Other sewists (read; most of us) have to make do with a corner of a room, or a temporary spot on the dining room table that means we have to set-up and dismantle every time we sew. This means we rarely get a chance to consider what we need from a sewing space when we get to sew. 

Think about your best sewing experience, chances are it was at a workshop or a studio or just a day when you have the house to yourself and you get to spread out and get comfy. Now think about that experience and consider, what did you have? The common themes of a good sewing space are comfort, you don’t want your bum to go numb while you are stitching equally you don’t want a crick in your neck from staring at your seam allowance gauge; space, room to manoeuvre, to cut fabric, to put your pins and scissors down, to wrangle with an iron; and light, you’ve got to be able to see what you are doing. There is nothing worse than sitting down at nine at night to do some sewing and having to stop after five minutes because you’ve got a headache. 

Using My Serious Light For Sewing

For me this is where my Serious Light comes in. We rent our flat so we have no control over the amount of lighting in our rooms or its location which, for crafting, is no good at all. Particularly in the autumn and winter when the days are getting shorter and shorter.  

So a few words on the basics of the light. I use the High Definition Table Light and have done for the past two years. 

I would say the High Definition Light is very intuitive. It has a flexible neck, adjustable beam width, adjustable light intensity, and I find it’s very easy to adapt the light to the task I’m doing that day and the existing light conditions. The heavy base means that it is nice and stable even when my sewing machine is vibrating the desk! 

The light itself creates a beam or pool of directed light as opposed to a soft ambient light which makes it ideal for sewing and crafting. The lights use Daylight Wavelength Technology to ensure that the colour spectrum represented is as close as possible to natural daylight. This means for sewing that colours are represented accurately and you don’t have to worry about mismatches in the light of day. 

One thing I will say, and you know I never shy away from this, is that they do represent an investment. The High Definition Light is £349.99 which I know can seem like a lot, particularly in the current climate, however it will last for a very long time. The lights are fully manufactured in Britain(just up the road from me!), they are low heat, low energy, and have a 5 year warranty, plus they have payment spreading options through Klarna (read on for a very helpful discount code!). It is an investment but it’s an investment in your sewing and provides more opportunities for you to sew whenever works for you not just when the stars align and you have time, space, and enough daylight to sew by! 

What Do I Actually Use My Serious Light For?

I first started collaborating with Serious Lights back in 2021 when they sent me the High Definition Light and, as always, I have a trial period before I start promoting anything. Honestly? I’ve used it every single day since. I’ve used it to sew some of my most complex makes like my graduation outfit where accuracy and attention to detail was crucial, I’ve used it to help me hand sew and thread needles, I’ve used to sew at 10pm or 6am so I can get some sewing in before work, I even wrote half of my MA thesis using it as I work at unconventional hours. So I have absolutely no hesitation recommending this light to you. 

As this is a review blog, here are the main areas I would say it helps me with:

• Unpicking – Particularly on woolly/fluffy fabrics, darker fabrics, or projects where the thread and the fabric can be indistinguishable e.g. working with lace. I used to have to wait to unpick until the daytime so I could actually see what I’m doing but now I just use my serious light and focus the beam on where I am working. 
• Hand-sewing – I used to get all tied in knots with hand sewing but I find having a focused light helps me not only keep track of my thread but also I find it much easier to monitor the quality of my stitches without getting a headache. 
• Working with dark fabrics – This is a big one for me because I work with a lot of dark and thick fabrics at this time of year so I need my light to make sure my fabric is the right way around, I’m sewing the right section, or snipping the right seam!
• Threading Needles – This is a classic, it’s just ludicrously easier to thread a needle with my Serious Light on, I can actually see what I’m doing and it makes the whole process stress-free. 
• Colour Matching – No one wants to wake up, look at their sewing from the night before and find that your matching thread is actually a contrast! With their proprietary Daylight Wavelength Technology the Serious Light doesn’t only light up your fabric but it shows the true colour. This is brilliant for colour matching threads, linings, and notions. It also gives you a true picture of what you are working on and means that you can sew anytime of day and the result will be the same. 

Serious Lights are fantastic for sewing, particularly the high definition light. The weight and stability makes it a sturdy sewing companion while the variable light levels and intensity mean that you can adjust your light for whatever weather or time of day you are sewing. 

If you would like to treat yourself to one then you are in luck! Serious Lights have very kindly given me a discount code for you folks. Use code ‘SR470’ to get yourself £100 off the High Definition Light + FREE Delivery! So if you want to treat yourself for Christmas don’t forget to use the discount code and get yourself a little discount on the website.