There are four states of matter in nature: solid, liquid, gas and plasma. Plasma is an ionized gas which enables electrons to flow, creating electricity. An example of plasma in real life is common lighting, which is caused by the difference in voltage between the clouds and the ground. The charges that clouds release move from the upper to lower levels, creating thunder and lightning which actually is plasma.
![](https://thefrisky.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PL-1.jpg)
image source: bgr.com
Similar to this, plasma lighters have four electrodes on the tip (+ve and –ve), two of each on opposite sides of the body. So when you push a button, the electrodes get ionized to the maximum, spreading the ionization to the surrounding air. Air gets ionized, and the movement of electrons cause the spark to move. The spark travels to the opposite diagonal, connecting two electrodes, forming a recognizable arc, single or “X.” When you bring it to a paper, a candle or even a stove, it will ignite.
Plasma lighters don’t have any type of fuel because they’re powered by electricity. They have batteries which can be easily recharged through a USB port. There are two types of plasma lighters – with a single arc and with a double arc (X). They work by the same previously explained mechanism. The difference is that double arc plasma lighters can generate more heat, which means they spend twice as battery power than a single arc plasma lighter, so you will have to recharge the batteries more often. Different quality plasma lighters have different battery duration time, which also depends on how often you use them. Some have to be recharged after a day, but the majority can hold for 3-4 days, up to 7.
![](https://thefrisky.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/PL-2.jpg)
image source: scamstuff.com
A lack of flammable gas in the lighter body makes plasma lighters significantly safer. If the cover of the plasma lighter is closed, the lighter can’t ignite. But still, if you’re not careful, you can easily get burned because the generated heat is about 1000 C! The only way to get (theoretically) electrocuted is to hold a metal item and put the other end in the arcs. Other than this irresponsible ideas, plasma lighter is safe to use and much safer than ordinary butane lighters.
We present some of the best plasma lighters to buy, these are some of the coolest new technology gadgets available on the market today. The first one is Tesla’s Mantello Coil Lighter, which is the lightest (0.03 lbs.), has the best price (11.99 dollars) and comes with USB charger and fancy cover case. If you want the one with the longest duration, it’s Tesla Coil Lighters USB Rechargeable Windproof Dual Arc Lighter, which lasts for 7 days and costs 17.99 dollars. For particularly strong heat, the best one is The Original Arc Lighter, which is shaped like a pencil and generates 1100 C heat, for 39.95 dollars. For a mini version, there is Sparkr Mini Plasma Lighter for 19.99 which comes with a one year warranty. For a unique style, choose Bolt Lighter rainbow model for 11.99, which has a coil on the top instead of the usual ark and generates heat when you remove the cover.