Got them all and gave them a short ride in the dark. Experiences for each one compared to ITP A3 EOS.
I3E EOS: Smallest of the 4. Even smaller than the A3. Twisty. One mode, no bullshit. Brighter than the A3, about the same spill.
StreamLight Microstream AAA version. Button, one mode. Button is terrible, I have to use two hands one finger on top of the other to turn it on. Turns on ok with boot removed. Dimmest of the 4, a tiny bit less light than A3 but with not as much spill. I’m sending this one back to Amazon for a replacement . Just for the hell of it, tried a 10440 on this and it wouldn’t even turn on. I wish I had waited about 15 minutes longer before I made my decision to send this back, I would have just sent it back for a refund instead. I’m not impressed with this light. I have this feeling I’m going to end up sending the replacement back too.
Sofirn C01S. Twisty, two modes, first mode brightest. Definitely brighter than A3 but not as much spill. Beam color is really on the yellow side compared to the others.
I3T EOS. Beats up the rest but costs the most. Button, two modes, first one the dimmest. Puts out the most light and also has the most spill.
All tests done with AAA eneloop batteries.
If I had to rate these, I would actually choose the I3E EOS in 1st place. Size being the determining factor (smallest size) along with simplicity, and this light packs a punch in light output. Was actually the 2nd brightest of the 4. The I3T EOS is a close 2nd place, definitely puts out the most light of any AAA flashlight I’ve used to date. Sofirn C01S comes in 3rd place. Was a bit disappointed in this light, I don’t regret buying it but I was expecting more from Sofirn. Last place goes to Streamlight Microstream. Nothing really comes to mind on what I liked about it. The 1st and 2nd place lights make my eyebrows go up when I turn them on. The last two, my eyebrows didn’t do anything. The eyebrows never lie.
Thanks for the comparison. I’d say a big part of the appeal of the C01S is to those of us who put a high priority on CRI.
I’d love if Olight updated the I3e with an SST-20 or other high CRI emitter, but I think the emitter they currently use has a different footprint, and a single combined driver+LED board, so they’d have to update the PCB, too.
I agree regarding the Streamlight. I tried it and hated it. I returned mine within a week.
I haven’t tried the I3T EOS.
I like the C01S but greatly prefer it in Low-High. The color might seem a little yellow but take some time to see if you get used to it. I recently did some similar side-by-side testing on night walks including both suburban and wooded areas. The warmer tint and high CRI of the C01S ended up being awesome. I also noticed that in high mode, the C01S reaches out well in the woods. I don’t know if tint is the relevant factor but it seemed to give me clearer illumination at distance.
The C01S low mode was nicely usable and that matters to me. One factor I didn’t see mentioned in the comparison here is battery life. You never know when you’ll need a little extra!
The original Microstream (~20 yrs ago) was a nice light, but there were a lot of complaints about unwanted activation, so Streamlight changed to this tail switch, which many believe went too far in the other direction. Still, it’s a nice little light.
Given that the development and startup costs have been depreciated completely many years ago, I wonder what Streamlight’s profit margin is on this light currently.
Olight excels in the small flashlight space. The i3E EOS can often be had quite cheaply. Olight-Store ran a little deal for a short while where the light was free and you pay for shipping… so cost was like $5. While I applaud the Sofirn for its simplicity and tint, the Olight feels more solid. Plus, I just have a peeve about lights without a glass or TIR lens. My early run Sofirn C01 serves purely as a backup light. Kind of nutty to think the installed tritium vial plus magnet (image) doubled the overall cost of the light.
One light you didn’t include — the Jetbeam U. It’s a twisty AAA light with 3 modes. Lowest isn’t what I’d call a moonlight mode, but it’s OK. Very nice casing design and anodizing. Here’s a photo — it’s #3 from the left.
My Fenix L0D is still going strong. The CW tint is just not all that appealing to me. I may try to replace the emitter at some point if I can ever figure out what would be suitable.
This is my general complaint with aluminum. You can get a nice surface treatment on there. It will look pretty when new. The underlying metal will still be aluminum. Let it bounce around a hot pocket with coins, keys, etc. and this is what usually happens. Some people don’t mind but it bugs me. So I try to take steps to avoid the tumbler action with my aluminum lights.
You have to get over it. Life’s too short to be bugged by stuff like this. Buy a spare that you don’t let ride in your pocket next to hard metal objects. You can also find or make yourself a sleeve to stick the flashlight in, if anodizing wear is a major pet peeve.
I have an i1R EOS keychain flashlight by Olight that’s terrific. It looked so pristine on my key chain, but now the fluted grip section has major anodizing loss. But, I’m OK with it. It’s inevitable for keychain duty. However, my Jetbeam U still looks almost like new because I clip it to the outer corner of my front pants pocket. It doesn’t touch any metal. Despite the handling care, it did suffer a scrape on the front, so there’s some tiny anno loss on the front edge. But again… not a big deal. I have a pristine one sitting in a drawer at home.
I streamlined my pocket carry a while back and that helped a lot. I cut down on carrying coins. I have fewer keys and more optimal ring spacing. My lighter and multitool moved to a pocket organizer so they no longer collide. My L10 also has better anodization than the last aluminum light I carried.
Really, I’d like to do some more exploration with other metals. Brass gets dinged up but it’s just more brass underneath. Of course, brass is heavy. (It can also contain a small amount of lead, which isn’t ideal.) I’ve had good results with stainless steel but I don’t see it used very often. My wife’s enormous key ring has a stainless AAA flashlight from Convoy that still looks great after years of tumbling in the death trap she calls a purse. I’ve been meaning to try something in titanium but I haven’t gotten around to it.
BTW, I was pretty good at Xevious back in the 80s.
Copper i3T. Bigger but a great light.
Astrolux AO1 in Cree and Nichia.
Probably MY favourite.
LumintopAAA Still trying to make my mind up about that one.
VERY thin aluminium casing.
BLF/Singfire SF 348
Neither one thing nor the other?.
Plus several others.
When my BLF/Sofurn 5600 special arrives (30 days).
I’ll see if it any better. or worse than current ones.
I don’t mind aluminum. Its lighter than stainless steel. Conducts heat well if your driving a higher output LED. This is why I prefer natural/olive/etc colored ano, and strongly prefer HA/type3. Carried a Fenix L0D for many years with the olive finish, and while you could tell it was worn the wear didn’t JUMP out at you. Looked very nice.
