More Brands Have Licensed the EZ Red Neck Lights in 2024
Heading into 2024, the EZ Red neck light has never been more popular. It’s literally the go-to hands free work light solution and has completely replaced the head light as the most popular light for mechanics, engineers and even at-home use.
As such, there are now dozens of brands licensing the EZ Red Rechargeable Neck Light as their own and charging a premium for it. Also of note is the fact that EZ Red now calls the NK15 rechargeable lights the “AnyWear” neck lights. You can see them below.
In this post, I’m going to show you where to get the Caterpillar, Matco, Napa Carlyle and other hands-free neck lights for a far cheaper price. If you don’t believe that the EZ Red neck light is better, consider that even Snap-On licenses it’s neck lights from EZ Red tools.
So Which Brands are Using EZ Red Neck Lights?
I’m already aware of several companies that are licensing the neck light from EZ Red, but in an attempt to figure out how many neck lights are actually made by EZ Red and sold by other companies, I did some research. Here’s what I found regarding what companies are selling neck lights and which ones are licensing them instead of using the EZ Red AnyWear name.
Caterpillar Brand Rechargeable Neck Lights
One of the most readily available brand of neck lights that are licensing the EZ Red NK15 is the “Caterpiller” CT7105 hands-free neck light as you will see below. Not only are they exactly the same as the NK15 from EZ Red, they are over 15% more expensive as you will see below.
There’s the product listing for the Car LED neck light. If you look closely you will see that they are the same as the AnyWear from EZ Red, just a different color and a higher price tag. Below is the best price on the EZ Red AnyWear LED rechargeable neck lights.
If you are a fan of the color scheme that the Caterpillar neck lights come in, it might be worth paying the extra money. Otherwise, you can just buy the EZ Red version which also comes in several different colors.
Matco Tools Rechargeable LED Neck Lights
As you can see by looking at the above picture, the only difference between the Matco neck lights and the EZ Red is the logo on the side of the LED light that says “Matco”. It’s very clear that these are just a re-branded EZ Red set that sells for almost $70 from Matco. That’s almost a 50% difference in the price and it’s not a discount!
RealTree LED Rechargeable Neck Lights
Another brand that is using the EZ Red ANYWEAR neck light with its logo on the side is “Realtree” the hunting apparel and supply company. Although it’s easy to see why Realtree would want to sell a neck light due to the versatility and many applications for the tool, unless you’re loyal to the brand itself there isn’t much reason to buy Realtree versus the EZ Red neck light.
The difference in price is pretty minor compared to that of the Matco or Cat neck lights, but the Real Tree branded LED neck lights are still a few dollars more expensive. If you love Realtree products and would prefer that your neck lights have the logo on the side, these would definitely be a good choice.
In 2023, EZ Red Released a Detachable Neck Light
Coming as little surprise with Snap-On already licensing a pair of neck lights with detachable LED heads, EZ Red released its own version in 2023 and the price is too good to ignore. I recently did a review of the NE220 detachable neck lights from EZ Red and I came away quite impressed at how good the quality was relative to the price and also how good the reviews were on the newly released detachable LED neck lights.
It seems after looking at that version of EZ Red neck lights that the company has every intention of competing with Snap-On and Milwaukee in terms of hands-free automotive light solutions.
The EZ Red EN220 is not some “generic” neck light. In fact EZ Red pioneered the entire neck light segment with its original NK10 and NK15 rechargeable AnyWear light.
Although it’s unclear who invented the neck light from my research, it’s obvious that EZ Red with the help of Snap-On and Power Smith made the design popular for most of the trades and even at-home use.
There are Dozens of Companies Who Make Necklights in 2024
It seems going into 2024 that the traditional head-mounted work light is essentially extinct. Most of the companies that used to make “head lights” that mounted on a cap or strapped around your head are now focusing on the neck mounted light. Here are a few examples of who sells neck lights in 2024.
- Snap-On
- Milwaukee
- Kobalt
- Braun
- PowerSmith
- SureBilt
Im sure this is not a complete list of the companies that sell and make neck lights, but it is a solid list and shows just how popular neck lights are in 2024.
I’m also aware of several other brands that re-brand their neck lights but don’t actually make them.
Whether it be in carpentry, plumbing, construction, auto repair or just basic household use, neck mounted flashlights are one of the most valuable tools in your arsenal.
Bottom Line-EZ Red Neck Lights are the Best Value
No matter how you slice it, there isn’t a company that makes neck lights better or sells them cheaper than EZ Red does. Even putting aside the fact that they are cheaper and high-quality, EZ Red neck lights are also the easiest to find with free two-day shipping from Amazon.
If you purchase through my website, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. All posts are well researched and meant to find you better tools at a cheaper price.
