Need some flashlight suggestions

[HarleyXJGuy]

Ok gang so I carry my car keys on a small SAK with a pocket clip that Robert added to it like this.



Well it has served me well but being honest I always have at least one MT and often more on me so the baby SAK doesn’t get much use.

Thought of maybe using a small flashlight in the same way. Clip on my pocket and hang a ring of keys from the flashlights lanyard hole.

Do you guys know of some quality smallish flashlight with a good pocket clip and a lanyard hole opposite from the clip?

Or maybe a very nice keychain light I could just add to the ring and keep the SAK as the dangler? I only carry two keys on the ring so there is room.

[spudley112]

Olight I1R


Maratac AAA copper


Olight I3E is another good one.

[HarleyXJGuy]

Olight I1R
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Maratac AAA copper
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Olight I3E is another good one.

What is the difference between the R and the E Olights?

[spudley112]

Olight models ending in R are rechargeable. The tiny keychain light accepts a mini usb connection. It is a pretty impressive little light. 5 lumens for 7 hours or 130 lumens for 20 minutes.

[Sos24]

There are several good options that I could suggest, but I could give an even better suggestion with a little narrowing of what you want.

How bright do you want/need? Is 130 or less lumens sufficient or do you want something more powerful?

 As far as batteries do you want common use AAA/AA?  Are you willing to go with a little less common CR123 in order to get higher power?  Would you prefer rechargeable flashlight?

If you are wanting a lower lumen small keychain light that is rechargeable, then I would recommend the Jetbeam Mini 1 which can be found with or without a pocket clip.

In lower lumen, but more common AAA, I would go with a Fenix E05 or Lumitop EDC01.   Either one of those have a pocket clip, but are quality lights.  If you wanted the pocket clip, then look at the EagleTac D25AAA, Lumintop Tool AAA, and Olight I3T.

If you are wanting more power and willing to go with the less common CR123, then look at Olight S1 mini, Fenix E16 or EagleTac D25c/D3c.  If wanting the higher power but still the common batteries then EagleTac D25A or D3A are probably the best for for size/power trade off.

[Blackbeard]

The Rovyvon Aurora is a cool option, they have a bunch of different models, the one I have is 550 lumens, usb recharagable, clip, keychain and lanyards, battery life is not as good as the olight I1r but it's pretty cool light, with a bunch of different body materials and functions, I have this one:

[spudley112]

The Rovyvon Aurora is a cool option, they have a bunch of different models, the one I have is 550 lumens, usb recharagable, clip, keychain and lanyards, battery life is not as good as the olight I1r but it's pretty cool light, with a bunch of different body materials and functions, I have this one:

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I ordered the A2 a couple of weeks ago. looking forward to trying it out.

[ezdog]

There are also all of the crazy Nitecore options which everyone but me seems to love and have no problems with!
They range from the little and cheap Tube which was the first one to the TUP which is a real beast and offers features that no other light does just yet.

I don't carry one any more as they ALWAYS turn on in my pocket but I own a bunch of them and no talk about this is complete without mentioning them for sure.

[spudley112]

The TUP has a display that is really nice. You always know how much time your light has at any power level. It also tells you are in the charging process. I have found that any time I pack the TUP in my gear, I have to ensure the button lock is on.

[HarleyXJGuy]

There are several good options that I could suggest, but I could give an even better suggestion with a little narrowing of what you want.

How bright do you want/need? Is 130 or less lumens sufficient or do you want something more powerful?

 As far as batteries do you want common use AAA/AA?  Are you willing to go with a little less common CR123 in order to get higher power?  Would you prefer rechargeable flashlight?

If you are wanting a lower lumen small keychain light that is rechargeable, then I would recommend the Jetbeam Mini 1 which can be found with or without a pocket clip.

In lower lumen, but more common AAA, I would go with a Fenix E05 or Lumitop EDC01.   Either one of those have a pocket clip, but are quality lights.  If you wanted the pocket clip, then look at the EagleTac D25AAA, Lumintop Tool AAA, and Olight I3T.

If you are wanting more power and willing to go with the less common CR123, then look at Olight S1 mini, Fenix E16 or EagleTac D25c/D3c.  If wanting the higher power but still the common batteries then EagleTac D25A or D3A are probably the best for for size/power trade off.

Size of the light is important as I don’t want something to big.

Battery doesn’t matter. I am well versed in rechargeable Li Ion batteries and use them often in my EDC lights.

As far as lumens goes the bare minimum is say 150 or so for max output. Will use a much lower setting most of the time but living out in the country I often kick it up to see what is out and about late at night while out on my property.

[HarleyXJGuy]

The Rovyvon Aurora is a cool option, they have a bunch of different models, the one I have is 550 lumens, usb recharagable, clip, keychain and lanyards, battery life is not as good as the olight I1r but it's pretty cool light, with a bunch of different body materials and functions, I have this one:

(Image removed from quote.)

Just discovered this on YouTube today.

Very interesting little light

[Sos24]

Size of the light is important as I don’t want something to big.

Battery doesn’t matter. I am well versed in rechargeable Li Ion batteries and use them often in my EDC lights.

As far as lumens goes the bare minimum is say 150 or so for max output. Will use a much lower setting most of the time but living out in the country I often kick it up to see what is out and about late at night while out on my property.

Based on that info, my suggestions would be: Olight S1 mini, Fenix E16, or EagleTac D25c/D3c/D25A/D3c.  These will all give you over 300lumen (in case of E16 up to 700), while being fairly small.

For size comparison, from left to right: SAK Rambler, Olight S1 Mini, EagleTac D25c and key Fob.

[spudley112]

Over on BLF I got a Sofirn SP10 as part of a package deal (along with a Convoy C8+ and a Sofirn SP31) and you might look closer at this one. It has the option of using AA or 14500 batteries and offers pretty good light output. The battery versatility is kind of nice. Quality is wonderful.

[HarleyXJGuy]

Based on that info, my suggestions would be: Olight S1 mini, Fenix E16, or EagleTac D25c/D3c/D25A/D3c.  These will all give you over 300lumen (in case of E16 up to 700), while being fairly small.

For size comparison, from left to right: SAK Rambler, Olight S1 Mini, EagleTac D25c and key Fob.
(Image removed from quote.)

Dig out my old Olight S1 and very much enjoyed the UI and wonderfully floody beam.

[Sos24]

Dig out my old Olight S1 and very much enjoyed the UI and wonderfully floody beam.

The Mini is just a shorter version.  For keychain, the ring would need to clip on a hole in the pocket clip, but doable.

[HarleyXJGuy]

The Mini is just a shorter version.  For keychain, the ring would need to clip on a hole in the pocket clip, but doable.

How much smaller is the mini then the S1?

[Sos24]

How much smaller is the mini then the S1?

I think it is about 1/2in shorter

[spudley112]

Harley,

I bought a Thrunite T1 because it is similar to the S1R (but charges with mini usb instead of proprietary charger) and I have to say that this light is amazing. It really makes me want to go ahead and get the S1 variants....they are even smaller. I carry this little guy everywhere I go. At night, on a walk, it does a great job. It is not really made for throwing a beam a long distance, but it lights up the area really well. I can't wait to try out the Olight models.

This article has a picture showing the variants side by side.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?451179-Review-Olight-S1R-Baton-II

If I want something portable that throws well, I reach for my Sofirn SP31.

[ezdog]

Harley,

I bought a Thrunite T1 because it is similar to the S1R (but charges with mini usb instead of proprietary charger) and I have to say that this light is amazing. It really makes me want to go ahead and get the S1 variants....they are even smaller. I carry this little guy everywhere I go. At night, on a walk, it does a great job. It is not really made for throwing a beam a long distance, but it lights up the area really well. I can't wait to try out the Olight models.

This article has a picture showing the variants side by side.
https://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?451179-Review-Olight-S1R-Baton-II

If I want something portable that throws well, I reach for my Sofirn SP31.

The S1Mini Recharge that I have has a battery that charges from USB directly so it requires no special charger at all either.

I carry one in my watch pocket of jeans every day and often forget I even have it there?

The S1 is on the left and normal standard Mini in middle with the Mini-r on right that one is also a Hi-Cri version with a slightly different reflector/lens on it and is just a tiny bit longer than the standard Mini for it too!



Then there is the 4/7 Mini MkII lights that seem to me to be made by Olight for 4/7 and there is more than a simple resemblance for sure!



These are a Twisty which is much better for me to carry in pocket but they also shipped with this amazing Keyring Attachment right in the box!
The one on my keys is a Ti version and it has a 219b emitter to boot,all of these 4/7s came with recharging batteries as well and though they have not been on the market for a little bit now these can still be found at times online.

Just more food for thought!

[spudley112]

The direct charge batteries are the coolest idea! Like I said, the S1 varieties really have caught my eye. It is just amazing to have a light that powerful at your fingertips when you need it most. Also, at lower levels, you have a light that will last you for days! I use my Thrunite T1 on low around the house at night and it is plenty of light to move about or read by.

Another big draw for me is all the S1 varieties that one can get. The Ti models, copper etc are really nice!