IKEA Turned Its Famous Allen Wrench into a Flashlight and Table Lamp

If you buy furniture from IKEA, then you’re nearly guaranteed to get a “free” Allen wrench. But why settle for a small annoying tool when you celebrate it with a more useful flashlight or decorative LED lamp version? That’s right; you can buy LED Allen wrench lights today at IKEA’s site.

The two lights come from IKEA’s 2021 Art Event, which “presents an ingenious perspective on home furnishings that’s all about the magic that happens when the line between art and functional design blurs.” In this case, artists looked at the humble Allen wrench key and tried to put a new spin on it to make it more than a tool, and something functional in the home. As IKEA puts it:

The inspiration for our ideas comes from everyday experiences and objects that, with a different approach, we transform into new, fun, and playful works of art and everyday gadgets. IKEA ART EVENT 2021 table lamp and flashlight are a great example of how we work. So many people associate the Allen key with IKEA, yet it has a completely different function here with our interpretation. Something that we hope will even be appreciated by those who are not fans of assembling furniture.

That presents you with two options. The $30 Allen Key LED flashlight (batteries not included) and the $50 Allen Wrench LED table lamp. The former comes in blue or silver and is an eight-inch long flashlight with IP44 slash resistance. You can adjust its brightness level, and one of the curves houses an on/off button just where your thumb would rest.

The lamp seems less useful overall. It’s a 19-inch desk lamp that rests on its side and emits a soft glow from the top. You’ll need to plug it in, of course, and find an empty spot to place it on. It’ll take up more room on your desktop than the average lamp.

You can buy both from IKEA’s site right now.