Keychain Flashlight for EDC

burly-guy

burly-guy

Joined
Apr 26, 2021
Messages
103
So I’ve been looking for a light keychain flashlight to carry daily. I have a Maratac Copper AAA. But it adds to much weight to my keys. It also comes on by itself. So I was thinking a push-button flashlight with a strong button on it. Rechargeable or aaa. Any recommendations???

Right now I’ve been using a cheapo flashlight from the Virginia Lottery. Which is surprisingly decent considering it was free.
1D3A40BF-6A99-49DC-821D-CAF42666C8A9.jpeg
 
burly-guy said:
So I’ve been looking for a light keychain flashlight to carry daily. I have a Maratac Copper AAA. But it adds to much weight to my keys. It also comes on by itself. So I was thinking a push-button flashlight with a strong button on it. Rechargeable or aaa. Any recommendations???

Right now I’ve been using a cheapo flashlight from the Virginia Lottery. Which is surprisingly decent considering it was free.
View attachment 1691471
Click to expand...
Rovyvon aurora (luminous body)
 
A twist head AAA will go a long way to stopping accidental activation. Personally, I carry a Sofirn SP10S in the watch pocket of my blue jeans because it works exceptionally well. It is a side button model so I can lock-it-out with its side switch with 4 clicks to stop accidental activation. A simple twist of the tail cap will also break the circuit and stop battery depletion.

Lithium-Ion 14500 and 10440 batteries will provide a lot more output to power a small flashlight and, in particular, the Fenix 14500/AA batteries I use can be recharged with my cellphone charger. My Sofirn SP10S will out power, per lumens, most double cell Maglites.

The Skillhunt E2A is a top choice for AAA lights and the E2A is a good one for AA with simple twist-head activation.

The AAA I3 Lumintop works but is marginal quality IMHO just like the Tool AA models - serviceable but adding a couple of dollars will get you a much better light.

Sofirn SP10S for AA and the Skillhunt E3A or A2A are good places to look. Aliexpress.com has treated me well with the "factory" stores. Sofirn specifically has really fast shipping out of China at 1~2 weeks.
 
The ~$20 price point will buy you a really good small light.

Look for ones cross-compatible with Alkaline and Litium-Ion cells. I personally find the 14500 and 10440 Lithium-Ion cells to be excellent in my usage. If I forget my cellphone cable, I can always swap in an Alkaline cell if it goes dead while traveling. ~3.7V vs ~1.5V makes a world of difference in lumens. Better reflectors, lenses, and LEDs really improved the beam quality.

High-CRI matters in color resolution in real-world ways if you are looking for more than generic illumination in a dark parking lot or similar ways where the difference is color "shade" is irrelevant.
 
Olight is (or was anyway) offering the i3E for the price of shipping, I think you’ll have to create an account with them, but it’s a nice little AAA light. I’ve given so many of them away, had to grab one for myself.


 
I picked up a pair of Sofirn C01S AAA's from Sofirn China for ~$17 delivered. Its beaded lens and High-CRI emitter work better for me than my I3. The I3 though is a solid choice that is easily available.

Regarding the "free" I3 offer, technically the light is free but, shipping is pretty high for something that could ship in a padded mail envelope for a buck or two IMHO. It is almost a "bait-and-switch" thing to me. If you are buying enough for free shipping, it makes a lot more sense to me.
 
+1 for a RovyVon Aurora. Tons of varieties and options, zero accidental activations, weighs next to nothing. Mine is still ticking along nicely after two years, and I'm not especially kind to my keychain.
 
Sid Post said:
Regarding the "free" I3 offer, technically the light is free but, shipping is pretty high for something that could ship in a padded mail envelope for a buck or two IMHO. It is almost a "bait-and-switch" thing to me. If you are buying enough for free shipping, it makes a lot more sense to me.
Click to expand...
$5
 
Dadpool said:
+1 for a RovyVon Aurora. Tons of varieties and options, zero accidental activations, weighs next to nothing. Mine is still ticking along nicely after two years, and I'm not especially kind to my keychain.
Click to expand...
Really surprised at the "zero accidental activations"...it's why I stopped using one (A3). I actually thought it wasn't properly holding a charge (website says 6 months, while mine would die in a couple weeks with no use). They replaced it under warranty (gotta give them props for that), and I decided to charge the old one and just leave it on my desk and check it every once in a while. Sure enough it lasted months that way. Only thing I can think of is the button was getting pressed accidentally. Decided to go with twist-style after that.

Using an Olight i3E now...really like it being AAA. Wife has an i1R 2 (rechargeable) which is a bit shorter but also a bit fatter. But on that one I found that if you don't twist the head far enough when turning it off, just a little bit of pressure on the head can cause it to make contact and turn on. Have to go almost a full turn after it shuts off to reliably prevent this, at least on the one she has.
 
jlauffer said:
Really surprised at the "zero accidental activations"...it's why I stopped using it.
Click to expand...
The version I have requires two presses to turn on, which I've never done accidentally. Press and hold for momentary might get bumped occasionally (although I never have AFAIK), but even so it's momentary.

We must carry/use our keychains differently. :)
 
If you are not locked into AAA, the Nitecore TINI2 is a great keychain light however a bit complicated until you get the hang of it. It has a full lock out so virtually no accidental turn-ons. It will also tell you the current charge/time remailing at each power level and goes from 1 lumen to an advertised 500 lumens. Very light (no pun intended).
As mentioned, it is a bit complicated but after using it for a while, I have no problems. I guess it also depends on how much you use it. Also a bit pricey at around $35.
Love mine.
CUN9THyl.jpg
 
I like that Nitecore. In my teens my mom would be going to all these safety conferences. She would grab a bunch of Pelicans 1910B. They were a decent little light.
 
Olight and Thrunite both offer "free" AAA twist-on keychain lights occasionally. You just have to register for their site and pay shipping (usually $5).
 
Olight I1R2 eos.
It made a decent regular non keychain EDC flashlight for me for about a year before I switched to something else.
I don't do keychain carry, but it was designed for this and I know it would excell here.
 
Last edited:
jlauffer said:
Wife has an i1R 2 (rechargeable) which is a bit shorter but also a bit fatter. But on that one I found that if you don't twist the head far enough when turning it off, just a little bit of pressure on the head can cause it to make contact and turn on. Have to go almost a full turn after it shuts off to reliably prevent this, at least on the one she has
Click to expand...
I have found if you push in on the head while twisting till it goes off, then it'll never turn on accidentally.
 
I keep a surefire sidekick on my keys. It's very light but on the bulkier side. I generally don't keep my keys in my pocket so it's not really an issue. I've had it for maybe 3-4 years I think, can't remember exactly. It's only used as a backup, so I've only had to recharge it once or twice.
 
I've gotten a few people Fenix E-05 or E-01 lights, and they work well, twist on AAA. Nitecore tube is another good one if you want USB charging.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top