(out of 24 reviews)
Review by christinemm – The Thinking Mother for Star Wars E3 BASIC LIGHTSABER RED
Rating: 
My two children, husband and I are all very happy with the non-battery operated line of Hasbro lightsabres and we own four different models, this is one of them. We had first purchased the Hasbro battery operated light sabers and were not happy with them. If you are interested in my review of those different, more expensive toys, see those items to find my review.
The red lightsabre with the straight handle is used by Darth Vader, and Emperor Paletine. (Count Dooku’s has an angled handle and is a different model than this one.) The red lightsabers are only used by the “dark side” characters; the Jedi have different blade-color lightsabres.
These less expensive and more durable light sabers are my children’s favorites and preferred by my husband and I for these reasons:
a. They are more lightweight than the electronic models and therefore are easier to carry and easier to grip/hold with one hand.
b. The blades fully retract into the handle (just like they do in the movies—the electronic models don’t do this) and they LOCK in the closed position so they don’t fall open while carrying or wearing them.
c. The lock is easy to operate; you hold it down and flick the blade to extend the “laser blade”.
d. When flicking it open, it takes just one quick flick to extend the blade completely open, and even children aged 4 can do this with one flick after a few practices.
e. It closes very easily. My children prefer to push it (gently) into the ground or into the floor to close it.
f. The built in clip works well to clip the closed unit onto the waistband of the pants, a pants pocket or a belt. Due to good design of the locking mechanism, the unit stays closed/retracted while worn in this manner.
g. The lack of electronic components and light bulbs allows for rougher play and not worrying about breakage while using it in lightsabre to lightsabre clashing together play.’
h. You won’t have to replace light bulbs that can break in rough play (as the other models have).
i. There are no sensitive electronic components to break if it accidentally gets wet or left outside and is rained on.
j. At this low price we can afford to buy a couple of extras for visiting children to play with.
k. All of the blade lengths are of equal length allowing for safer play (unlike the electronic models).
Our family recommends that you buy non-electronic models and buy some extra for friends to join in with imaginative play while they are visiting you!
Love this toy, but rated educational value as 1 as truly there is not much educational about this toy. I have no problem with this being non-educational, though, as my children have other venues to expand their education! Imaginative play is very important for children as is “unstructured free play time” and this falls into that category.
