The 10 best firework lighters

Of all the models in our fireworks lighters, the PyroPen Turbo is the right one for most people. One tight jet flame, refillable, a pen model that fits in your coat pocket and costs less than ten euros. Simple, and it works when it's windy.

If you want a wider flame that takes a thick fuse in one go, the PyroTorch Quattro is the logical step: four jet flames side by side for the same price. If distance is what you're after, choose a model with a long neck.

What all ten have in common: they're jet flames. An ordinary flame blows out the moment you need it, and then you're fiddling with your hand above a fuse.

Three things decide whether a lighter gets through that evening, and price isn't one of them.

Flame type. A jet flame is gas under pressure that burns blue and straight. Wind has hardly any grip on it. A soft flame, the ordinary yellow flame, goes out at a force three breeze.

Distance between your hand and the fuse. This is the point most people don't think about until it goes wrong. A five-centimetre lighter forces you close to the fireworks. A model with a long neck like the Champ Tatin, or a pen shape like the Atomic Pen Torch, gives you that space back.

Refillable or not. A disposable lighter that runs empty halfway through is a problem that evening. All ten below are refillable, and that's deliberate.

You light fireworks yourself, in your own garden. PyroPen Turbo. Refillable, fits in your coat pocket, and the price is so low it doesn't matter if it gets wet.

You set off heavy fireworks with stiff fuses. PyroTorch Quattro, because four flames side by side cover the whole fuse in one movement.

You want as much distance as possible. Champ Tatin with its curved neck, or a pen model like the Atomic Pen Torch.

You're with a group and everyone wants one. The Quattro Pro Lighter Set, so you don't have to pass it round.

There are two of you. The Twin Lighter Set, so nobody has to wait.

You're wearing gloves. Eurojet Inferno or Champ Saber; they have a grip you can still operate with thick fingers.

The Champ Saber has a single jet flame, but a sturdy one, and a housing that can take a knock. Handy if you toss it in a bag full of fireworks.

The Eurojet Inferno is the widest of the bunch. With gloves on, that's the difference between operating it and fumbling with it, and on New Year's Eve you'll have gloves on.

The Champ High Quattro does the same as the PyroTorch Quattro for a few euros more, with a metal body. If you want one that still looks good after three years, this is the one.

The Champ Saber Lighter Pack is the same lighter as above, but several in one set. If you're out in the garden with a group, that's simply more practical than passing one around.

Finally, the Twin Lighter Pack isn't a separate model but a practical solution: two lighters in one pack. If two of you are lighting fireworks, that saves passing the one lighter back and forth all evening.

Cold. Butane turns sluggish below ten degrees. A lighter that's been outside in your coat pocket all evening ignites less easily than one that's been indoors. Warm it up in your hand for a moment.

Gas. Refill with gas of at least 45 PSI and filter it through a good refill needle. Cheap gas leaves residue that clogs the jets. What to use is covered under lighter gas, and how to refill is explained in lighter not working.

Flame height. Don't set it to maximum. Too big a flame uses gas without giving you anything extra, and with a fuse, what matters is where you touch it, not the size of the flame.

For the vast majority of people, the PyroPen Turbo is the right choice: refillable, small enough to take with you, and priced so you can buy two without a second thought.

If you're lighting heavier fireworks, the PyroTorch Quattro is worth considering for its wider flame. And if you'd rather keep as much distance as possible between your hand and the fuse that evening, go for the Champ Tatin with its curved neck.