best keychain flashlight?

G

Gigante

Joined
Jan 4, 2001
Messages
713
I'm looking för a keychain flashlight, 5-8 cm or so.. as small and as bright as possible... I do have a Photon Microlight 2, but I want something more powerful.
I have been looking at several sites, read reviews etc, but it's all a bit confusing for me...
So what would you recommend? :)
multiple LEDs?
any specific brand or model?
 
I just got a Photon Freedom (white beam) it's MUCH brighter than previous Photons. ARC aaa is a great small light...very dependable, tough, regulated run time.
 
I, too, have a Photon Freedom Microlight with a white beam. I have the covert version, wherein the LED is housed by a tubular protrusion of the glass-filled nylon case. This offers extra protection for the LED and helps eliminate sidespill.

I use the Photon Freedom most often for checking tire pressures early in the morning, like around 5:30 AM, when it's still dark. I hold it between my lips, and in that position, very close to my eyes, any sidespill is very distracting, makes me squint, and ruins my night vision completely. Hence my need for a lack of sidespill for a keychain light.

Ordinarily, I enjoy a bit of sidespill.

I recommend the Photon lineup as well as the Princeton Tec Eclipse and Eclipse II for keychain use.
 
Single AAA battery
Arc AAA
one of Peak Matterhorn series
Gerber Sonic (a lot cheaper, not as bright, but well reviewd)

A bit thicker, taking a single AA battery instead, but a lot brighter is the Fenix L1/L1P. Probably a bit big for a keychain though.

Will
 
I have Inova Microlight on my keychain and I think it's very good for it's size.
 
By FAR the best keychain light I own is the JIL 1.3W. It uses a CR2 baterry and has more output than the ARC LS Premium. Few minor problems though. They cost about $90, are manufactured in Korea and the manufacturer is backordered, available from a very few U.S. vendors who are currently out-of-stock. Once you overcome those obstacles, your set!

I would consider either the photon Freedom or a Peak Solutions AAA light which are ALOT less expensive and more readily available.
 
Head to you local Walmart and pick up a Dorcy AAA. Regular batteries, long run time, and pretty bright for it's size. Onlt about $5.
 
TADGEAR.com has a Photon II MAXX. I have not done any research, but I think it said twice as bright .
 
The new Arc AAA and the new Peak Matterhorn 3 LED are the two best. The Matterhorn is brighter, but full brightness is only about two hours IIRC. The Arc will go full brightness for I believe 5 hours. They are about the same size, weight, and price. Longer runtime is great in a pinch, but since the batteries are so cheap is doesn't matter as much as it would in a cr123 powered light.
 
Wow, so many replies, and so many good ideas! Thanks! I'm not sure that made my choice easier though... :D
But I like the Matterhorn 3 LED, lug-sized, I think I'll grab one of those at least, I agree with nenofury, power is more important than runtime.
 
I also like the Jil lights. The DD is smaller than the regulated and it replaced the Arc AAA on my keychain. Got mine 2nd hand for around $50.
 
ZENGHOST said:
I also like the Jil lights. The DD is smaller than the regulated and it replaced the Arc AAA on my keychain. Got mine 2nd hand for around $50.
Click to expand...

You sacrificed your Arc AAA? You must be mad. :D
 
I think that the best choice depends on how you plan to use it.

For task lights or emergency lights that you may need to use for an extended period of time, you want cheap, readily available batteries that are easy to replace in the light. That points you to the AAA lights. I had an original Arc AAA, but it died. I replaced it with a Peak Matterhorn: 1 LED, snow, Hi-Power, keychain style, aluminum model. I didn't want an overdriven LED, that's why I chose the Hi-Power.

For situations where battery life doesn't matter, when you just need a quick flash of light in a theater or to see a keyhole, the Photon Microlights and similar are great. I've had a Photon of one sort or another on my keychain for years. You can also attach them to zipper pulls on jackets, which is convenient.

For those of us in cold climates, the ability to use lithium batteries in a particular model is a big plus also.
 
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