It takes balls to put the word "wicked" into your company name (ie. Pete's Wicked Ale sucks). So I was pretty skeptical when I first received an Extreme Nexus 95 mW Wicked Laser pointer. There's no question that 95 mW is pretty powerful, especially when compared to a standard 5 mW consumer laser pointer.

But what makes a Wicked Laser "wicked"? How impressive is a military grade laser imported from China? Let's test it and find out...

POWER

Let me be clear... Wicked Lasers are NOT your average laser pointer. Most commercially available lasers are only 5 mW. Wicked Lasers are between 95 mW and 300 mW. If you tried to use to use a Wicked Laser at your next conference room presentation, it would be total overkill. The entire projection screen would glow so bright from the laser that you wouldn't be able to see anything. Wicked Lasers are very bright, extremely powerful and require extra caution during use.

Always use fresh batteries to achieve maximum results.

POWER TESTS

1. Lighting Matches: Remember this is a laser, not a torch. A Wicked Laser will light matches but only matches with dark colored tips. A white match tip won't absorb the laser's light and create the necessary heat to ignite. Also one word of advice, you will be able to light the match much faster if you use a tripod to steady your aim.
   
   
2. Cutting Tape: Actually it's more melt... than cut, but you can use a Wicked Laser to melt black electrical tape. The black plastic tape absorbs the light from the laser and gets hot and stretches out until ripping apart. Stick the tape to a surface and attach a weight to the other end of the tape to keep it taught. Also keep in mid that electrical tape is pretty think so cutting/melting electrical tape make take a few minutes. If you really want to cut electrical tape and impress your friends, you might want to can cut it slightly with scissors to help speed things along.
   
   
3. Burn Through Plastic Bags: Melting through black electrical tape may take a while, but not a black plastic garbage bag. The thin plastic is no match for a Wicked Laser. Hold your Wicked Laser about an inch (or less) away from the plastic bag and let it melt away. You will probably see a little bit of smoke come off the bag and smell burnt plastic in the air. When you done take a look through the plastic holes your laser made.
   
   Here's a YouTube video of me burning through a garbage bag. If you look carefully, you can see faint smoke rising from the burn point. My aim wasn't very steady so the laser made several swiss cheese like holes in the bag.
   
   
   
   
4. Pop Balloons: As with garbage bags, popping balloons is a very easy task for a Wicked Laser. Balloons are under pressure anyway and barely need a reason to pop. Your Wicked Laser will pop any balloon instantly as long as it's dark colored. Like with the garbage bag and electrical tape, the balloon(s) needs to be dark enough to absorb heat from the laser.
   
   
5. Burning Skin: Is a Wicked Laser powerful enough to burn your skin? You won't spontaneously combust into flames like a Spinal Tap drummer, but if you point it at your finger for about 5-10 seconds you will feel a slight sting. But it's nothing worse than running hot water on your hand.

WARNING: Do NOT point a wicked laser anywhere near your own or someone's eye. Also watch out for reflections in mirrors, glass and shiny surfaces. Many lasers are powerful enough to cause permanent damage.

 

DISTANCE

I received my Wicked Laser shipment right before going out to meet some friends at a bar after work... so I brought it along to try out. Wicked Lasers claim that the Extreme Nexus 95 mW has a range of 38 miles. The human eye can only see about 16 miles so I will just have to take their word until I have access to a telescope and 38 miles of open space.

DISTANCE TESTS

• Cloud Test: While standing outside the bar with a few friends and a crowd of smokers (New Jersey recently instituted a state-wide smoking ban), I checked the sky to make sure it was clear of aircraft and pointed the laser straight up towards the night sky clouds. Not only could you see the dot several kilometers above us on the bottom of the clouds, but the laser beam was completely visible all the way up. It was a major crowd pleaser.
  
  
• Skyscraper Test: About two miles south of Hoboken is several large skyscrapers along the Jersey City waterfront. Carefully avoiding any office windows, I pointed the laser at the top of several of the buildings. Wow.
  

BRIGHTNESS

I was completely impressed with the brightness of the Extreme Nexus. It was still visible even in direct sunlight.

BRIGHTNESS TESTS

• Dog Park: I took my dog and the laser to the local dog park. It was late afternoon but still pretty sunny. As you can see from this video below, my dog loves the laser. She had no problems seeing the dot in daylight and chasing after it. Also note there were no other dogs in the dog park at the time and I was very careful not to get the laser in her eyes.
  
  

WICKED LASER MODEL COMPARISON

The laser we got from Wicked Lasers was the Nexus 95 mW ($369). It's their midrange model. As we stated above, the Nexus 95 mW is powerful enough to light a dark colored match or burn dark plastic and balloons. If that's too much or too little laser for you, Wicked Lasers offers a basic 15 mW model ($99) as well as a 300 mW light saber for $2000 (prices are subject to change. Please check http://www.wickedlasers.com for the latest prices).

Nexus 95 mW STATS

• Range: 38 Miles
• Output power: 95 mW CLASS 3B
• Operation voltage: 3V
• Output model: CW
• Average loop: <550mA
• Battery source: 2xAAA Batteries
• Dimensions: Ø13×143m
• Laser lifetime: 3000-5000 hours
• Battery lifetime: 2 Hours
• Crystal efficiency: Excellent
• Beam divergence: <1.2mRad
• Suggested Duty Cycle 100 seconds on / 10 seconds off

Mid to high end models of the Wicked Laser product line are powerful enough to light cigarettes, burn through plastic tape, light matches and pop balloons among other things. Here's a quick comparison chart that explains all the Wicked Laser models and their different features.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

BATTERY LIFE & LIFE OF UNIT

One nice thing about the carrying case that comes with all Wicked Lasers is that it has space to carry two spare AAA batteries. Trust me, you will need them. The battery will last about 2 hours total but you will see the best results from your laser within the first 5 to 15 mins. If you want to burn/melt things with your laser, use a fresh set of batteries. If you just want to point at things, a slightly used set of batteries will be fine.

According to the Wicked Lasers web site, the Extreme Nexus has a life expectancy up to 5000 hours. If you do the math, that comes out to about 200 days and 2500 batteries (time to raid the supply closet at work again). Chances are you will probably get your money's worth out of this laser before it wears out. .

LEGITIMATE USES

The average person looking to purchase a wicked laser is probably just wants one for entertainment, but Wicked Lasers do have legitimate uses.

• Military and Law Enforcement: Used by US forces in Iraq to paint targets and intimidate the enemy. The entire world has learned from movies: when the laser beam is so strong that you can see it; be afraid.
  
  
• Astronomy : Because wicked lasers are strong enough to actually see a beam of light, they are ideal for pointing out star constellations. The next time someone tries to show you Orion's belt or Zeus in the stars, hand them the Wicked Laser and make them trace it out. They can even be velcro mounted to a telescope and give you the power to aim more quickly.
  
  
• Search and Rescue: They are a highly visible flare that can be used over and over again; the power to save a life.
  
  
• On the Outdoor Work Sites: Wicked lasers can also be useful at outdoor work sites. While walking around downtown Manhattan, I pointed the laser at the top of the Woolworth building. The laser was easily visible all the way up to the top of the building even with all the bright lights in the area. Construction managers will definitely find a Wicked Laser handy when aligning pipes, walls, signs or any piece of construction material. Write with light and guide others with precision.
  
  
• In Arts and Entertainment: Used on CSI: NY, in laser shows and to illuminate artwork, Wicked Lasers command attention and ignite imaginations.
  
  
• In the Physics Lab: Students take notice when the laser used is far beyond anything they can buy in an office supply store
  
  
• Medical: Since 1967, healthcare professionals have used lasers to reduce pain and speed healing. [WARNING: Wicked Lasers are not FDA approved for medical use in the US].
  
  
• More Uses: From dispersing birds and other animal intruders to identifying fiber optic circuits, uses for Wicked Lasers products are limited only by your imagination.

REASONS FOR CAUTION

You might remember hearing about some guy in New Jersey (USA) who was pointing lasers at airplane cockpits while the pilots were trying to land planes. The pilots notified police and the they sent a helicopter over to the approximate location of where the laser was coming from. The guy then proceeded to shine the laser into the cockpit of the Police helicopter. He was promptly arrested.

Wicked Lasers have a multi-mile range. Keep them away from aircraft

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you want a really strong laser pointer, then you should definitely look at a Wicked Laser. How can you go wrong with a military grade laser from China? Anytime you need to point at something more than 10 feet away, day or night, a Wicked Laser is the perfect tool for the job. Plus it's always fun to impress your friends by lighting matches, burning plastic and popping balloons.

Wicked Lasers start at $99. If you want a laser strong enough to light a cigarette, you are probably going to drop about $600. Check out http://www.wickedlasers.com/ for more info and updated prices.