I bought these on my last visit to the local Lowe's hardware store. I wanted to replace my current LED key-chain light with something a little lighter and possibly smaller. I was faced with a choice of two, and because I couldn't decide on which one, I bought both of them.
Inova Radiant Squeeze LED key-chain light.
Powered by two CR2016 3v Lithium batteries, the Inova Radiant Squeeze light is shaped much like a slightly over-sized key. With 4.2 lumens on tap, and with an operating time of around 10 hours, this little light source could be just the right thing for those times when you need a little light to shine the way. These key-chain lights are perfect for finding a keyhole in the dark, or more importantly for me, when I get out of the gun club in pitch darkness and I need something to shine my way to my parked vehicle.
Pros:
- Shaped like a key, so it should fit in better than those micro round lights that I am currently using.
- 10 hours of operating time equates to a long time before battery changing, especially for the sporadic brief times you would use this to get you out of a bind.
- Nice oversized constant press button with a good tactical feel. I also like the auditory feedback click of the button.
- Included nylon lanyard with a small Nite Ize S biner makes this an easy add on to your current key-chain.
- I don't have a light meter on me, but if this is 4.2 lumens, I would be greatly surprised.
Cons:
- CR2016 batteries can be a bit pricey.
Inova Microlight STS.
Now this is something a little different. There are no physical buttons on this unit. Instead, you get two touch capacitors that will turn the light on and off with a swipe of the finger. I was terribly curious about this little light. Slightly larger than the Radiant Squeeze light mentioned above, this little unit packs a few more features beyond the weird way to turn on and off this light. The Microlight STS features a high mode (16 lumens for 9 hours of operation), a low mode (2 lumens for 64 hours of operation), and a strobe mode. Each requires a swipe of the finger to access. The Microlight STS is powered by two CR2032 lithium batteries.
Pros:
- Less chance of activating this light with your keys.
- Several built in features.
- A Night Ize S biner is included.
Cons:
- My copy is not as bright as the Radiant Squeeze light. Mind you, this light came in one of those try to demo packaging which means you are usually cheated from getting full battery power from the get go.
- Need to swipe right to left to turn on the unit. Swipe again quickly should run you through the various other modes. Swipe left to right to turn off the unit. Swiping is a bit counter intuitive, and doesn't seem to work all the time. There are 2 little capacitors that you need to hit correctly for this light to work. Wearing gloves is a no go.
- No included nylon lanyard. The S biner is attached directly to the unit. I like to use my light from the keychain attached to my belt. This would constrain my usage method.
- Like the above, CR2032 lithium batteries can be a bit pricey.
Final Thoughts.I was curious about the swipe to light feature of the second unit...but I soon realized when I brought both home, that the button version is easier to use, and is a lot less fiddly. I am unsure when all those features are needed on the STS, at least by me, when all I want is a simple light to work positively 100% of the time when I need it. Not sure when I would ever need a strobe, or even a low mode on something like this. I guess what I was looking for in the end was something simple. Because of this, the Radiant Squeeze light wins out for me.
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