Key chain light?

J

Jason Puckett

Joined
Feb 14, 2019
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204
I've been looking for a good key chain light so I don't always have to try to fight with my phone for a flashlight. I'd prefer a small'ish one, with a toggle as opposed to a momentary switch (press and hold, I might have my terminology wrong).

Top end of my budget is probably $20-30, although I'd go a little higher if there was a huge improvement in quality/reliability.

Do you guys have any recommendations?
 
I have the Rovyvon flashlight and it great. Bright, lightweight, and last long enough for my needs.
 
Thanks guys, never heard of them but I'll check them out. 550 lumens out of a light that size is crazy!
 
I've found the RovyVon to be dependable. Any smaller doesn't give you more convenience/portability.
Actually the switch gives you both momentary on (press and hold) for turbo and a set of double click options when you want it to stay on. Personally I think they UI can be improved, but it isn't bad.
I bought one for my mother - with all the technology usage issues it implies - and she likes hers just fine.
 
I was wavering between the tini and the rovyvon, I ordered both to try them out. I'm sure my nephew will be glad to take which ever one I don't like.
 
Depending on what you want it for, I have used a Photon Micro Light for years on my keychain. It is tiny, adds no weight and it is bright enough to help you make it from a dark parking lot, etc. Not enough to use as any kind of a real flashlight, just something that keeps you from being in total darkness. I've had mine for well over 10 years and no battery change with only sporadic use. Its also cheap.
 
Check out the Olight I3e-eos.
I bought one for my mom for Christmas and one for my grandmother for her birthday ( we both share a love for flashlights and she was amazed by it ) a couple weeks ago.
They were recently discontinued but theyre still available many places, not sure for how long but you can definitely get them easily.
These little lights have really impressed me performance wise and the quality seems excellent regardless of their $10 pricetag.
I carry my flashlight for general use, use them all the time, and don't do a key chain with stuff on it.
For these reasons my personal choice is the Maglite solitaire LED , since it's bright enough and is a little more conservative of it's AAA battery.
Their runtime isn't bad and with the added brightness and smaller size I consider the runtime of the little olight perfectly fine.
 
I carried one of the maglight aaa's for years, then one day I reached down for it and all that remained was the cap on my keychain. I kind of want something rechargeable though, it's the gadget hound in me.

I'll check out the olight, hard to beat a $10 price tag.
 
Jason Puckett said:
I carried one of the maglight aaa's for years, then one day I reached down for it and all that remained was the cap on my keychain. I kind of want something rechargeable though, it's the gadget hound in me.

I'll check out the olight, hard to beat a $10 price tag.
Click to expand...
They don't have a back to screw off, so you won't have to worry about that.
When you think about it you don't really need a back to come off though.
I suppose it's just easier and cheaper to extrude and machine a tube then thread each end for a cap.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Check out the Olight I3e-eos.
Click to expand...

This is what I use too. I have given a few as gifts too. Nothing fancy but it's been solid and reliable. $10-12.

I'd also highly suggest 1xAAA battery vs some of the odd LR 44 or CR2032 battery choices. AAA are common and plentiful.

The Kalrus Mi6 looks interesting too. 2 beam choices, 30 and 120 lumen. About $10 as well.
 
gazz98 said:
This is what I use too. I have given a few as gifts too. Nothing fancy but it's been solid and reliable. $10-12.

I'd also highly suggest 1xAAA battery vs some of the odd LR 44 or CR2032 battery choices. AAA are common and plentiful.

The Kalrus Mi6 looks interesting too. 2 beam choices, 30 and 120 lumen. About $10 as well.
Click to expand...
 
As the Rovyvon won the race for first delivery, it's going to get tried out first. I knew it was small, but dang, it's *really* small. I'm impressed with the heft it has even at that small size (I got the SS version). I wish it would remember the last setting you had it on and turn on to that, the low - high - med thing is weird.
 
I looked at the Rovyvon but I couldn't find a run time listed in the data on their website. That worries me a bit.

I've had a very battered Fenix E01 on my keyring for about 12 or 13 years now, and it's never let me down. Not a high rating of lumens, but enough to see by and extremely rugged construction. Takes single easy to find AAA's.
 
jackknife said:
I looked at the Rovyvon but I couldn't find a run time listed in the data on their website. That worries me a bit.
Click to expand...
You can find run times in the zeroair review. On full blast it lasts as long as the Ultratac K18.
The company is pretty new, but seems responsive to customer input. They've been on the Reddit flashlight subforum and introduced a new model because of it, in addition to a forum exclusive.
Anyways, I think they just didn't know what is important to end customers. Let's face it, gear guys aren't the same as general users. You can find 300 Lumen flashlights far cheaper at Home Depot, if you want something for the car.
 
Check out the Olight I1R EOS.

Small, bright and charges via USB.

$20 on Amazon.
 
I've got a Fenix E01 like jackknife. With the lower out put, the battery should have about 11 hours of run time according the the mfg. It lives on my keyring, next to the Spyderco Bug.
 
Olite i3E EOS. Single AAA cell. $10.

This one has been in my pocket every day for a couple of years.
 
I carried the Rovyvon for a week or so, and now I'm carrying the Olight i3E Eos. I'm thinking the Olight is going to win out. I really can't get over the way the button switches from low to high to medium on the Rovyvon. The Olight is just enough light for what I need it for with a simple twist. I didn't like the form factor of the nitecore tini as much as I thought I would, but my brother liked it so I gave it to him. Probably going to stick with the Olight and end up selling the Rovyvon soon.
 
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