BIC Easy Reach Lighter Review: A Safer Flame for Cold Hands and Campfires

Introduction

The BIC Easy Reach Lighter takes the classic, dependable BIC pocket lighter and adds a whole new top end: a taller chimney extension above the flame, plus a restructured push-down ignition. It is aimed squarely at anyone who has ever thumbed a conventional lighter in cold weather and burned a finger doing it. At a sale price of $2.99, down from $3.99 because the product is new, it is an affordable experiment worth a closer look.

What Makes the Easy Reach Different

Visually, it looks like BIC simply added a chimney to the top of a conventional BIC lighter, and that is essentially what it is. The body appears slightly smaller in volume than a standard BIC, so it is hard to say whether there is more or less fuel inside. The company claims up to 50% more lights, though the exact comparison is not clear.

The ignition is the more interesting change. There is no rolling flint-and-steel mechanism. Pressing the top down produces an audible snap, which suggests some kind of electronic or piezo-style spark system inside. It fires easily, which cuts both ways: there is no separate safety catch that has to be depressed alongside the ignition, so it can go off in a pocket if you are not careful.

Everyday and Camp Use

The real payoff is safety. With a standard lighter, your thumb sits right next to the flame, and most of us have burned our thumbs at some point, especially with cold hands. Holding a flame sideways or upside down while lighting a wood stove or camp stove shortens the window before you get burned, and wearing gloves helps your fingers but risks melting the glove.

The Easy Reach changes that equation. The extended chimney keeps your hand well back from the flame, so you can light things at nearly any orientation fairly safely. The flame output is torch-like in character, though it is not a pressurized torch with the force of a shop heating torch. The chimney can get hot, which is worth remembering, and BIC includes a warning about that.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Two practical caveats stand out. First, the lighter is noticeably longer than a standard BIC, roughly a third longer, and that is noticeable when carrying it in a pocket. Second, in simulated wind, the flame tends to go out if the lighter is moving, whereas a conventional BIC can sometimes stay lit a bit longer.

On the plus side, securing it is easy. There is a lip on the top where a rubber band can be wrapped to keep the ignition from being depressed in a pocket or in an emergency kit, in the same way people use rubber bands or zip ties on standard BICs. Our test unit came in orange with a colored wrap over the shell, and there is hope that BIC makes a small version with the same chimney feature at regular pocket size.

Buying Advice

If you build survival kits, head into winter or hunting season, or simply want a lighter with more reach than the rock-solid traditional BIC, the Easy Reach is a strong candidate. The standard BIC remains a dependable fallback, and dedicated extended or torch-style lighters still have their place for more demanding jobs. But for safely zapping out a flame at almost any angle, the Easy Reach design makes a lot of sense.

Conclusion

The BIC Easy Reach Lighter is a thoughtful evolution of a classic: the extended chimney and snap ignition make lighting stoves and fires safer, especially with cold or gloved hands. At the new-product sale price of $2.99, it is an easy recommendation for campers, overlanders, and anyone assembling a winter or survival kit, with the only real trade-offs being extra length and modest wind resistance.