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On Test. Illumina Custom Mistral: an innovative lamp

Illumina Custom Mistral Test: the magnetic double-function lamp

When enclosed in a design item, light takes on a completely different nuance.

Born from the mind of Marcello Rinaldi, a sailor and boat owner with a great passion for design, Illumina Custom is an Italian brand specialized in the production of high-end marine accessories that offers extremely elegant products with interesting functions.

MISTRAL is the expression of a high-level design and is designed to be elegant and modern wherever it is positioned. It is characterized by soft slender lines and is available in many colour options which allow it to be combined with the environments where it is placed.

Whether it is placed on the table in the cockpit, on a cabinet in the dinette or, more simply, near the owner’s bed, it will always return an overall glance of great impact and of undoubted utility.

Moreover, its 7-hour life at full power ensures that you won’t be left stranded in the middle of a dinner or when you really need it.

We had the opportunity to test it and the following is the complete test of this amazing accessory.

Illumina Custom Mistral : Unboxing

We receive MISTRAL packaged in its original packaging: a black-coloured case where the lamp is wrapped in a special shockproof material. Positioned in the middle, the lamp is charged and ready to use and we only have to press the power button.

The complementary accessories are placed on either side: a charging cable, a wall outlet and the magnetized detachable lamp head.

Inside the case there is also a product sheet with all the technical specs and the operating instructions.

Illumina Custom Mistral, not only design

MISTRAL is a lamp featuring a great attention to details. It has an elongated shape which narrows in the central part for an extremely ergonomic and easy-to-handle design. The model under test is white, but the lamp is available in many color options capable of making it a real piece of furniture. In fact, it can be purchased in the following basic color options: white, black, polished aluminum and carbon, but it is also possible to request custom colors.

The lamp is user-friendly. The power button is touch-sensitive, so you only have to slide your finger on without having to press or tap.

Thanks to this peculiarity, during navigation or normal use, MISTRAL will always remain on and accidental contacts will not risk to turn it off inadvertently. This is another element that demonstrates the combination of functionality and design created by Illumina Custom.

The lamp is LED with a power of 3W. If set to the maximum brightness level, it is perfectly able to illuminate an entire environment or a cabin below deck.

The “double personality” of Mistral

The Illumina Custom MISTRAL lamp features two particular functions. In fact, its elongated shape would not suggest great stability at first glance, but at the base of the instrument, a powerful magnet is inserted to allows it to attach itself firmly to any metal surface.

This magnet surprised us because, in the various tests we carried out, it always proved to be very powerful.

We even tried to place the lamp on a wall, parallel to the floor, or to stick it upside down but nothing, the lamp is always stable and safe.

This integration allows MISTRAL to be used even if you do not have a stable plan or, worse, on an inclined plane.

In fact, you only have to attach it to a metal surface or use the optional metal disk that allows it to be used almost anywhere. On the table in the cockpit, among other things, the metal disk is positioned under the tablecloth, making it even more beautiful and appealing.

The second function concerns shapes. The tapered body that allows you to hold it firmly in your palm is not accidental. The head of the lamp, equipped with a diffusing lens, is also magnetized and can be removed, effectively transforming the lamp into a torch.

Seven hours of light at full power

The Illumina Custom MISTRAL lamp can be charged via a CC jack connector which leads to a common USB output. In the technical sheet, the total autonomy time of the lamp is estimated up to seven hours at maximum power, which we were able to verify.

However, we tested it even at medium brightness which, given the excellent illuminating power, is the one that will be used when dining in the cockpit, for example. In this second test, the lamp really astonished us, reaching up to 24 hours of autonomy, with 22 hours of tests performed at average brightness, and 2 hours at maximum power.

As for the charging time, we verified that it is slightly inferior to what the manufacturer stated: compared to the 4 hours indicated for a complete recharge, our MISTRAL took 3 hours and 41 minutes to go from zero to 100%.