In fact, it is difficult to find AAA flashlights that have more than 100 Lumens. It's quite surprising
To have more lumens, I only see keychain flashlights like Jetbeam mini one, Aurora etc. (a generic name probably exists for this type of FL)
You might get an extra 50 lumens. Not worth it especially since your light is titanium.
I wouldn't say they're obsolete at all. AA sure has the market, though. There are some AAA models that will also take the 10440 lithium cells. My K18 will but I don't run it with those...just not enough run time with those tiny cells but they do give you an impressive boost in output (I think on that light the lithium is supposed to be 350 lumens or so...briefly). That little Skilhunt looks like a winner. The old Thrunite Ti2 and Ti3 are still around and decent twisties. Seems like Lumintop had another nice AAA that had grooves on the body like the Worm but I don't recall what it was named.
+1 for this. People gripe about it being only single mode, but after EDC-ing it on my keys for a while now, I honestly don’t miss having a low mode. It’s so light and small you forget it’s there. The throw/flood ratio of the beam is also respectable, considering the cell it uses.
why suprising? brighter lights require bigger batteries and higher voltage LiIon cells… AAA is weak
but here are a couple of lights that claim high lumens from AAA:
Maratac claims 265 lumens
Surefire titan plus claims 300 lumens
here is a runtime curve
click pic for a review with lots more info
Olight i3E along the same lines…
This is the one i got, works fine, nothing special but convenient since i always have keys when leaving the house.
I got more i3Es than I know what to do with, also the Thrunites, and Glarees, and Tool AAAs, and…
I like ’em all, but I keep coming back to the E3A. Perfect beam with the pebbled TIR lens, HA3 ano, loooooove the slate gray, etc.
When I got it (reviewed here… I think), I was floored how nice it was.
(Hell, my review on Amazon is top of the list. :laughing: )
One AAA light to consider as EDC or keychain light is Sofirn C01S BLF.
It costs only about US$9. Its light output is about 100 lumens. It is only 71.6 mm in length. And it comes with a tiny (black iron) clip.
I have one Green and am considering buying a few more in different colours (there are six colours to choose from).
100% agree. I love that little light. I have a handful of those Thrunite Ti3’s or whatever they are called. The ones they were giving away for five bucks or something like that. Little three mode twisty. I’ll give ya one if you want it. I think the E3A is a better light though. Just my opinion. If the Reylight Mini Pineapples are still in stock somewhere, those are really nice. Pricey but worth it. Not exactly a keychain light though. The titanium one rides in the pocket very well and I don’t even notice it’s there most of the time. I am test driving a Nitecore Tini 2 on my keyring right now. It’s okay, I’m getting use to it. I like the screen with all the info and the two different lock out modes. I like the Tip 2 as well, easy to take off the keyring and has a magnetic base. Lots of choices. Hope you find the perfect one for you. Drop me a PM with your address if you want one of those Thrunites.
Me? Naw, thanks, but I grabbed a few for gifts and the like, so I’m set. 
(Flashlights as gifts to “normals” is like giving someone a can-opener. Always get that “wutdahell is this?” look. 
)
LOL, I was going to give the OP one if he wanted one. I knew you probably had a box full of them. 
That’s what I thought was so strange, like, “Hey Bezos, need a few bux for lunch?”.
Figured I’d be polite anyway.
I’d like to add to the list Jaxman i2. And the classic, DQG Tiny.
I am still satisfied with the light that has been my EDC for four years now, the AstroLux A01 AAA Nichia 219B High CRI. Pros: small as the dickens, neutral tint, and high-CRI. Cons: Not sure about durability or ruggedness, but mine is still humming along. Claims 100 lumens, but probably more like 70 or 80.
I value CCT near 5000K and high CRI. For EDC, I like tiny.
Which of the new keychain flashlights feature high CRI?
regarding: …Flashlights as gifts to “normals”…
posted previously in another thread: the Amazon, FedEx, UPS, USPS, etc.
delivery personnel sure do appreciate flashlights as gifts during the winter.
Waouw thanks for all your answers.
This forum is very active and the members are very helpful, that's really cool.
Finally, my old Fenix E99Ti is still average of what is currently being done. Except its beam which has a really horrible bluish tint.
Since about 6 years I have the E99, I thought there were now new leds adapted to AAA that can give more light/runtime by requiring less power. But no.
So I knew you would give me suggestions that I never would have found on my own, even looking for years lol
The Jaxman i2 and the Skilhunt E3A (I also love the slate gray!) are my fav. I will start with these 2 and buy them both !
(Sofirn C01S BLF is also interesting for its high CRI .... The Astrolux A01 have a nice design .... Hmmm I think my AAA collection will grow quickly, I will avoid coming here too often. Maybe that's what @Turkeydance was trying to tell me lol)
Thanks again everyone for your help !
The Thrunite Ti3 goes on a pretty good sale sometimes, and even at full price isn’t a deal breaker. I have the older version on my keys right now which is ever so slightly smaller but the newer ones seem to have better twisty contact. I picked up a handful to swap LEDs and compare, head to head, the various high CRI options out there. EASY to swap the leds and great little keychain lights. Another good budget option would be the Sofirn C01 and C01S.
Personally, I would love to see the old LRI Photon Microlights get a refresh with some of these high CRI 5mm LEDs. If I could find any that were in the 15 degree range I’d do a retrofit myself.
It's a good place, good people, and that seems to have held true for nearly a decade now!
Enjoy the new lights. I think longer run times could be had with some emitters but with the low capacity of AAA size there isn't a lot that can be done, and some have moved in favor of increasing lumens a little rather than taking the longer run times. The emitters that have a little lower forward voltage show bigger gains at higher outputs I think. Actually taking a look at some of these lights mentioned I might have to pick up one or two...I'd gotten rid of AAA in favor of AA/14500 but there's just something cool about tiny lights that can still punch above their size. I also noticed that a) Ultratac doesn't appear to be so healthy in the market right now...I wonder if they'll still be around in the future, and b) the K18 I mentioned appears to apply to the regular light and also a much smaller mini version (I had no idea the mini existed).
If your heart is not set on aaa or replacable batteries, the seeknite S11…or an S11 under multiple brand lables is a good keychain light. They are fairly cheap, and have a 350mah li-ion battery. It is an amazing 400 lumens on high, and has a magnetic tail and some usable side lights along with gimmicky police like blinkies. For the money the S11 is hard to beat. I have no idea who actually makes them, but I just ordered 3 more to add to the 3 I already have for 12 bucks and change each. These were on ali express with no brand name attached. They are the same though, and even the box is identical. The seeknite does not actually have their name on the light anywhere. It requires a double click to turn it on to prevent accidental activation in the pocket.