Keychain flashlight suggestions?

S

Shawn7656

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Feb 15, 2012
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I'll admit it and say I know nothing about flashlights, though I know many are just as crazy about them as I am with knives! I tried to research a bit but my total lack of knowledge on the subject makes it difficult - the first thread I found had 8 different suggestions from 8 different companies, none of which I have ever even heard of.

So I guess on top of looking for specific models, I'm also wondering what people look for in a flashlight keychain?

My hope is to spend around $15 or so, as this isn't something I really need, but is something that could be very useful.

What is the best power source? Solar, crank, batteries? LED vs non LED? Is waterproofing needed? Durability?

Help a noob out!
 
$15 isnt much to get a quality light. Most will cost more than that. I have personally found that most lights are too big and heavy for a keychain, even the small AAA ones. They also get badly hammered and if you drop your keys like most people, will get dinged up. So I find it better to carry them another way. I have mine attached to a coil lanyard that clips to my daily carry bag. I find that works best.

That said the Fenix lights as mentioned are great, as are the CountyComm Maratac AAA lights. I use the latter and it is a very solid and reliable light and one AAA cell lasts a very long time. To my mind these are the best bang for your buck in small lights. Bear in mind they are multi-level so you adjust the output (3 levels) just by twisting the head.

You can also look at a Photon light which is probably best suited to a key ring but I find the battery source a bit too obscure for convenience.
 
I have used the Fenix, a Photon and now a generic tiny LED light similar to a Photon. The Fenix was the heaviest with a AAA battery, threw the most light and was unreliable. It died within one year. The Photon was tiny tiny, threw an adequate amount of light and it has lasted a long time. I lost it or its on my back up keys, not that it died. The generic WalMart special (says Energizer on the case) is much smaller and lighter than the Fenix, a fair amount larger but not really any heavier than the Photon. I was very dissatisifed with the weight and reliability of the Fenix and totally satisfied with the other two. The Photon had the ability to click to continous on, so it would be my first choice but it was about $20 as opposed to the Energizer at less than $5.

The amount of light of all 3 was more than adequate for what I need a keychain light for. Lighting a path to get to my truck at night or illuminating a lock to get in the house, etc.
 
You will get a fine light for $15 with the Fenix E01 or the Photon. The E01 provides about 8 hours of light (with no diminution), followed by several hours of diminishing light. And AAA batteries can be purchased or scavanged anywhere. The Photon is tiny, and in my view more of a backup. But a fine light. Its a little bit of a pain to buy button cells off the internet where they are cheap. But either are fine choices.

flash1.jpg

Photon.

IMG_1608.jpg

E01.
 
My wife and I both use the Streamlight Nano Lights. For what they get used for they are great little lights for around $10. The only downside is the batteries can get pricey but for the price of the light itself its almost disposable. I've had mine since November and havent had to replace the batteries but I also dont use it every day (probably 3-4 times a week). Fenix does make good lights though and I have been looking at getting one of the E01 lights myself just so I can go to a AAA battery.
 
I tend to keep some type of backup light on my keychain. Two things I look for are small size, and just a little bit of light (around 10 lumens) as it is mainly used for backup or emergency because I carry a light in my pocket. I've used the Egear pico light (same as Streamlight Nano) a few times, it's not a bad thing to have for only $7. My EDC light today is my 4Sevens Quark Mini, I think some people may put these on their keychain as well, but it's a bit over your price range.
6989630298_4d3066ea21_c.jpg
 
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I second the Streamlight Nano. They can be had on ebay for 7-8 bucks.

I've had one on my keychain for over 2 years and still going strong. I also keep them in little survival kits and attached to the shoulder strap on my 2 backpacks that see a lot of use.
 
Wow way more replies than I expected! Thanks guys. I'll take some time to look up these lights and see which one seems to suit my needs. $15 was just a general price, not a set-in-stone type of deal. If the quality of a $25 light greatly exceeds the $15 range I wouldn't mind upgrading. I do have a lot of other things I should be spending my money on though, that's why I wanted to keep the price lower.

UPDATE: I've looked them all over and I think I may go with the Fenix EO5. It seems like it'll suit my needs well, and it's not too expensive. I like that it runs off of AAAs, is small, and has a high output with decent battery life. My question though, is there much of a difference between R2 and R4 models? It's hard to tell, but according to a review I read on Amazon the R4 has better light diffusion, and slightly whiter light. Though it seems to add like $10+ to the price tag... Doesn't really seem worth it to me
 
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Fenix e01 is great for a keychain flashlight, and as big as a maximum i would carry. Cheap batteries, readily available, and a fair amount of light, as much as the freedom.
The freedom, is much much smaller, perhaps better suited for a keychain, except is not regulated, (it dims after a while), and the batteries are more expensive. But it has features like sos, beacon, on/off, morse, plus it came with a nice necklace and a hands free clip.
Can't really go wrong with either of those two.
 
I know it is kind of out dated but has plenty of light,long run time,bullet proof,all ways turns on and made in the USA.
ARC AAA P
 
I would go with the 4Sevens Preon 0. It has a much more reliable track record than the Fenix does!
 
The 4Sevens Preon 0 seems like a very similar light to the Fenix E05 with a couple extra features. I like it. Anyone else have any thoughts between the two?
 
I'm one of those that's gone a little nuts on the lights...
Hard to go wrong with the Fenix's, and I really enjoy my Preons, but under $20 my new favorite is the Thrunite Ti.
I like the beam and tint a little better than my ($45) LD01; the Thrunite is easier to activate one-handed, and you have your choice of colors as well as low or "firefly" moonlight super-low.
Just a great keychain light.

If I'm using it everyday, I'll run it on Sanyo Eneloop rechargeables. If I'm stashing it in a bag somewhere, I'll drop in an Energizer L92 Lithium AAA.
Alkalines are too leak-prone and unreliable for me, the hand-crank lights I've tried just aren't worth the effort - runtime when you stop cranking is minimal.
I haven't found a decent solar-charged one yet. One day, I'll get a solar-charge kit (PowerFilm or, more likely, GoalZero) and use it to charge my Eneloops in emergency or extended outdoor/power shortage situations.
Good luck!
 
I would recommend the Olight I3. It has 3 modes that are very useful, and is very compact and well-made for the price. You'll notice you got recommendations for the ITP A3 and Maratac AAA. The Olight I3 actually uses the same system as those, but it's cheaper and more readily available. They upgraded the output since I got my Maratac too, so it's really an impressive light now. And the clip is now screwed on so it doesn't swivel around (it also has the keyring).
 
I've been carrying a Fenix EO1 for the better part of a year now, and it's been a great light. Good light output, very reliable with no problems, and cheap AAA batteries that you can find everywhere. I liked it so much that I bought one for my better half that she carries other keyring. That it's stood up to her treatment, is a testimony to Fenix. Karen is rough on stuff and if it holds up for her, that's a big deal.

I've used the EO1 every night when I take the pooch for her last walk out back in the woods. I've had no trouble following the path on a dark night with the EO!. Very good run time with the single AAA battery lasting for months. Not bad for 12.95!
 
(Note that I wrote this post up over about 2 hours of me looking at different reviews and models and coming back and adding comments as I went along... So it may be a little contradicting in the end ;) )

This site has some neat comparison charts and photos
http://lygte-info.dk/review/Beamshot AAA lights 2011-11 UK.html

I think the Thrunite Ti and the Olight i3 seem to be better than the E05, but the Preon seems to a bit whiter and brighter (this could be camera settings. I'm not sure if the photographer used the same WB, aperture, ISO, and SS settings, or just adjusted EV values through different picture sets.) Though I did just look it up and apparently that model is closer to $30 anyways... lol

On the Thrunite Ti, would you guys suggest the Firefly model over the original? I think a low mode could come in handy, but I'm not sure if THAT low would be too useful. Two things that concern me with the Thrunite are the foam ring which seems as if it would wear out easily, and second the way it switches from low to high apparently wears out and causes the light to switch almost immediately to high mode.


Would it be worth it for me to get the Fenix LD01? It seems to be highly regarded, and judging by the pictures on the site I linked to above it has better "throw" and diffusion (look at me picking up on the vocab). I like what I see in reviews as well, and if it ends up lasting me a couple years I'd be very pleased and wouldn't mind spending a bit more on it.




PS - This BETTER not become a new obsession with me... I won't be able to afford a thing :rolleyes:
 
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The Preon tested is the Preon 1, which is substantially brighter than the Preon 0.

Most important is size. The Preon 0 is the smallest, but dimmest. It is better as a backup light rather than a primary light. The Preon 1 is an inch longer, but brighter. In my experience, 4Sevens lights have been better long term than Fenix lights have.
 
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