Black & Decker Exalt Flash Detachable-Head LED Desk Lamp, White/Red

Why I brought the Exalt Flash into my workspace

I spend long stretches writing, sketching, and tinkering with small parts, so I’m picky about task lighting. I want wide, even illumination, minimal shadows, and controls that don’t distract. The Exalt Flash desk lamp caught my eye for one unusual trick: its head detaches and doubles as a rechargeable, portable light that automatically switches on during a power outage. After several weeks on my desk, it’s proven to be a capable, thoughtfully designed lamp with a couple of quirks worth noting.

Setup, footprint, and first impressions

Out of the box, the lamp arrives preassembled. I plugged in the included AC adapter, put it on the back corner of my desk, and got to work. The base is heavy for its size, which is a good thing—it stays put when you swing the arm. The overall footprint is moderate, and the long 9-foot cord makes placement easy even when outlets are scarce.

Two design touches stood out immediately:
- The adjustable arm’s reach is generous (about 23 inches). I could float the head over my keyboard, swing it to a side table, or lower it for close work without the base budging.
- The head detaches from the arm with a simple release and reattaches securely. As a portable light, it’s compact enough to carry and bright enough to be useful.

Black & Decker builds the base from a metal alloy, and it feels sturdy. The lamp is UL listed and intended for indoor use. There’s also a multimount connector for optional mounting accessories if you don’t want the weighted base.

Light quality: even, comfortable, and easy on the eyes

The Exalt Flash uses an integrated 5W LED designed to approximate natural daylight. In practice, that translates to a neutral, clean light that doesn’t skew too warm or too cool. Across papers, cutting mats, and matte black keyboards, text and edges remained clear without weird color casts.

The “PureOptics” light zone is wide and surprisingly uniform. I get a broad pool of illumination with gentle falloff, which means fewer harsh shadows from my hands and tools. More importantly for long sessions, I didn’t see any flicker, and my eyes felt noticeably less fatigued compared to the cheap LED task lights I’ve used in the past.

This is a task light, not a room light. It’s great for focused work on a desk or bench, but it won’t replace a ceiling fixture.

Controls and day-to-day ergonomics

A three-level touch control sits on the lamp. Tap to cycle brightness, tap-and-hold isn’t required, and the lamp remembers your last setting—handy if you stick with one level for most tasks. I generally ran it on the middle setting for writing and the highest for detail work or video calls.

Two gripes:
- Three steps are fine, but I occasionally wanted a fourth, slightly brighter setting or stepless dimming for late-night work.
- The touch area is sensitive. If you’re the type to grab the base while shifting the lamp, you might accidentally bump it and change levels or turn it off. After a few days, I learned to move it by the arm instead.

The built-in USB power port proved useful for topping off a phone or earbuds. It’s not a substitute for a high-wattage charger, but it kept my phone’s battery from dipping during long sessions without adding another brick to the power strip.

Detachable head and outage behavior

The detachable head is the lamp’s signature feature. Pull it off, and you get a portable light you can take to a bookshelf, down a hallway, or underneath a desk. In portable mode, it’s not intended to flood a large space, but for close tasks and short trips it’s great.

The head also has a small, integrated battery that kicks the light on automatically when the power goes out. I tested it by unplugging the AC adapter, and the head lit up as advertised. That auto-on behavior is more helpful than it sounds—you’re not fumbling in the dark to find a flashlight. In real use, the battery gave me roughly an hour of usable light depending on the brightness setting. At the highest level, expect somewhat less; at lower levels, close to an hour.

Docking and undocking were straightforward, and the head recharged while attached to the arm when the lamp was plugged in.

Adjustability and build

The arm’s range is the right balance: tall enough (up to about 19 inches overall height) to clear monitors and wide enough to position exactly where needed, without sagging. Friction at the joints felt dialed-in; once positioned, the head stayed put without drifting. Over time, I didn’t hear squeaks or feel slop in the joints.

The lamp’s center of gravity and weight work in its favor. Even with the arm fully extended, it didn’t wobble when I bumped the desk. The finish resisted fingerprints and wipes clean with a soft cloth.

Performance quirks and reliability notes

Over my time with the Exalt Flash, I ran into one behavior worth flagging. On two occasions, the light turned off unexpectedly when I adjusted the arm while on AC power. In both instances, pressing the touch control brought it back immediately. Reseating the head firmly and avoiding grabbing the lamp near the touch area eliminated the issue for me. Still, if you notice repeat shutoffs, I’d inspect the head-to-arm connection for debris and make sure it’s fully seated. Given the design, a slightly imperfect contact or a grazed touch sensor can mimic a power cut.

The other caveat is portable runtime. About an hour is enough to finish a task or navigate during an outage, but it’s not a lantern replacement. If you need extended cordless light for camping or long power failures, you’ll want a dedicated light. For a desk lamp with a bonus emergency feature, the runtime is acceptable.

Finally, the LED is integrated (not user-replaceable). That’s typical for modern desk lamps at this wattage, but it does mean you’re relying on the manufacturer’s 3-year limited warranty and the inherent longevity of LEDs. In normal operation, 5W LEDs tend to last a long time; just keep that design choice in mind.

Where it fits best

• Home offices and craft tables where wide, shadow-minimized light helps with typing, drawing, soldering, or model work.
• Shared desks in dorms or studios, thanks to the long reach and stable base.
• Workspaces where occasional power blips are a reality; the auto-on head is reassuring.

Where it’s less ideal:
- Users who want long cordless runtime from their desk lamp. The detachable head is for short, focused use.
- Anyone who prefers fine-grained dimming rather than three discrete levels.

Practical tips

• Move the lamp by the arm, not the base, to avoid brushing the touch control.
• If the head ever flickers or shuts off after adjustment, remove and reseat it to ensure clean contact; keep the contact points free of dust.
• Use the memory feature to set your default brightness; it saves a tap every time you sit down.
• Consider optional mounting hardware if you want to free up desk space; the base supports a multimount connector.

The bottom line

The Exalt Flash desk lamp succeeds at the fundamentals: bright, even, flicker-free task lighting with a wide, shadow-free zone that makes detailed work easier on the eyes. The adjustable arm has excellent reach without wobble, and the touch controls are simple, with a useful memory function. The detachable head is more than a gimmick. As a quick, portable light and an automatic emergency backup, it adds real utility—just keep expectations in check on runtime.

I did encounter two minor hiccups: an occasional unexpected shutoff tied to the touch control or head seating, and the coarse, three-step dimming. Neither was a deal-breaker for me, and both are offset by the lamp’s solid build, long cord, and comfortable, daylight-like output.

Recommendation: I recommend the Exalt Flash for anyone who wants a stable, adjustable task lamp with excellent light quality and a genuinely helpful emergency/portable mode. If you need long cordless operation or stepless dimming, look elsewhere. For desk-bound work where eye comfort and flexibility matter, this lamp delivers, and the auto-on backup is a smart bonus.