The RGB Critter BT Platform: One Flashlight, Every Light Tool
5 min readMost LED props are single-use: a whip is a whip, a staff is a staff, and when you want a new effect you buy a new device. We built the RGB Critter BT the opposite way. It is one app-controlled, color-changing light with a threaded lens that accepts more than 200 twist-on tools, so a single purchase becomes your whole light painting and flow-arts kit and keeps growing with you. This guide explains how the platform fits together, what the light itself can do, and which twist-ons to look at first.
What the RGB Critter BT actually is
At the center is the Critter itself: a bright, rechargeable, Bluetooth-connected LED light. It puts out 170 lumens, and its color, brightness, and patterns are set from the free companion app on iOS or Android â 16 million colors, 145+ modes, and unlimited custom playlists. It also works on its own without the app, so a dead phone never ends a session.
One light, many tools
Everything else twists onto that light. Instead of a drawer full of one-trick props, you own one Critter and a set of inexpensive attachments, and you reconfigure it for whatever you are shooting or performing. Because the light is the removable core of the whole system, the accessory you buy next always works with the Critter you already own.
The twist-on ecosystem
A light painting flashlight, straight out of the box
On its own the Critter draws orbs, trails, and light writing. See the tutorials and our pick of the best light painting flashlights to get started with nothing but the bare light and a tripod.
Blades, tubes, and sabers for shape and texture
Twist on a light painting blade to add crisp geometry to a long exposure, or a tube or saber for soft, wide, diffused trails. Fiber optic dusters add fine, wispy strands, and adapters connect the Critter to still more tools.
Staffs and double-sided rigs
Join two Critters with a Critter Connector and saber tubes to build an LED staff for two-handed spinning. The same connector makes a double-sided Critter for symmetrical, dual-hand flow.
The fiber family
The BitWhip fiber optic whip and the fiber optic costume run on the same LED system, so your colors stay matched across every piece you own. If you already have a Critter, the whip head alone is a $29.95â$54.95 twist-on rather than a whole new prop.
Why a platform beats single-use props
- Buy once, grow over time. Start with the bare light, then add an accessory whenever you want a new effect, instead of rebuying a whole prop.
- Matched color everywhere. Because one app controls the whole system, your flashlight, whip, and staff can all share the same palette in a performance.
- Repairable and modular. Parts come apart and swap, so a single damaged piece does not mean a new prop.
- One thing to learn. The controls are the same whether you are holding a flashlight or a staff.
App and control
The Bluetooth app is where the Critter separates itself from one-button lights: 16 million colors, 145+ modes, and unlimited custom playlists you build yourself, on iOS and Android. Set a palette once and every twist-on tool driven by that light â blade, saber, staff, whip â plays it back identically, which is exactly what you want for a coordinated show or a repeatable long-exposure shot. And if you would rather not touch a phone mid-set, the light runs fine without the app.
Who the platform is for
- Light painters and photographers: swap blades, tubes, and colors to build complex long-exposure images from one light. Start with the light painting photography guide.
- Flow artists and performers: move the same lights between whip, staff, and double-sided rigs for a coordinated show.
- Beginners: buy the light, learn the basics, and expand only when you are ready. See flow tools for beginners.
- Existing customers: the accessory you buy next always works with the Critter you already own.
The whole system begins with one piece. Get the RGB Critter BT, then browse the light painting tools collection and flow kits to see everything it can become. Assembled by our team in Oregon, USA, with warranty details here.
Gear you'll want
Crisp geometry in long exposures
Light Painting Blades (8mm acrylic)
Step up to Pro Blades for laser-cut detailing.
Soft, wide, diffused trails
Fine, wispy strands of light
You want a whip and already own a Critter
$29.95â$54.95 as a twist-on; the full BitWhip is $149.95, or $169.95 as a complete kit.
Brand new to light painting photography
Saves $54 versus buying the pieces separately.
"I know what I want â let me pick."
Build your own in the Kit Builder
RGB Critter BT platform FAQ
What makes the RGB Critter BT a platform rather than just a flashlight?
Its threaded lens accepts more than 200 twist-on tools (blades, tubes, sabers, whips, connectors, mounts), so one app-controlled light reconfigures into many different props instead of you buying a separate device for each effect.
How bright is it, and how many colors does it have?
The light puts out 170 lumens and the app gives you 16 million colors with 145+ modes, so you can dial in exactly the hue and pattern a shot or a set calls for.
Do I need the app to use it?
No. The Critter works on its own without the app. The free companion app (iOS and Android) is what unlocks the full 16 million colors, 145+ modes, and unlimited custom playlists.
Do I need to buy everything at once?
No. Start with the light and add tools over time. Each one works with the Critter you already own.
Can I build a staff or double-sided prop myself?
Yes, with two Critters and a Critter Connector. See the LED staff and double-sided Critter guides.
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