Harlowe Max Air 40 launched: retro-cool, travel-friendly, constant LED light

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Harlowe’s travel-friendly successor is a thinner and more powerful solution for content creators on the go

Harlowe Max Air 40 lifestyle image in front of mountain landscape
The Max Air 40's removable fixed-focus 23-degree lens boosts output exponentially (Image credit: Harlowe)

Harlowe (formerly Hobolite) has announced a brace of LED lighting solutions, the Harlowe Max Air 40 and the Harlowe Pro 300 Spectra, both evolutions of existing ranges. The Max Air 40 is priced at $549 (approx £418/AU$839) and built to provide pro-grade lighting in a portable package. As always, it’s dressed in Harlowe’s distinctive retro styling and I’d expect it to live up to the brand’s reputation for premium build quality. The Harlowe Max Air 40 is available to order now.

Harlowe Max Air 40 with barn doors being attached

Magnetic modular accessories are easy to add/remove (Image credit: Harlowe)

The Harlowe Max Air 40 is a 40W portable LED light with a constant LED beam, making it suitable for both stills and moving images. Even with the included battery pack attached, it measures just 3.74x4.65x3.97in and weighs just 2.13lbs. It retains the original Max 40W’s bi-color COB LED engine and CRI/TLCI 96+ colour rating, while boasting a number of improvements.

Not only is the slimmed-down 54.72Wh battery pack 35% thinner, but the removable fixed-focus 23-degree lens is said to boost output by up to 9x over bare light. What’s more, existing Max 40W users can still make use of their compatible attachments.

Harlowe Max Air 40 lifestyle image in front of mountain landscape

The Harlowe Max Air 40 can be operated via an app or onboard controls (Image credit: Harlowe)

The portable form factor will no doubt attract travelling content creators. To that end, the Max Air 40’s battery pack is dust and water resistant, boasting an IP65 rating. It also supports USB-C 65W PD, which means it can handily double as a power bank for phones, tablets, laptops, and primary lighting, on the go. And if you need to change batteries in low lighting, a built-in LED on the battery pack itself, helps visibility in the dark.

Videographers will be pleased to know that the device has silent cooling so as not to affect audio. And when it comes to operating the light, you can use the app + Bluetooth/NFC, or on-board controls. Inside the box you get the Harlowe Max Air 40, Max Air 54.72Wh Battery Pack, Fixed-focus Lens, Power Adapter 65W, Type-C charging cable, and a carrying case.

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Mike Harris
Mike Harris
How To Editor

Mike studied photography at college, honing his Adobe Photoshop skills and learning to work in the studio and darkroom. After a few years writing for various publications, he headed to the ‘Big Smoke’ to work on Wex Photo Video’s award-winning content team, before transitioning back to print as Technique Editor (later Deputy Editor) on N-Photo: The Nikon Magazine.

With bylines in Digital Camera, PhotoPlus: The Canon Magazine, Practical Photography, Digital Photographer, iMore, and TechRadar, he’s a fountain of photography and consumer tech knowledge, making him a top tutor for techniques on cameras, lenses, tripods, filters, and more. His expertise extends to everything from portraits and landscapes to abstracts and architecture to wildlife and, yes, fast things going around race tracks...

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