[Review] Armytek Zippy

Armytek Zippy



3 in 1 review. At the end there will be a summary for those who like only particulars, in each topic I will color the key sentences for those who read a little more, and a long waffling for everyone else. Enjoy!


For VERY large photos: click -> on the photo page right click -> "Open image in new tab"

I got this flashlight from Armytek:
https://www.armytek.com/flashlights/models/zippy/keychain-flashlight-armytek-zippy-blue-sapphire/

It will be short review, because I found no point in looong review. Small keychain flashlight, 160lm, not much to say

Let's begin with Theraflu and a vitamin C

Worth to be sick for such moments...



Table of Contents:

- General parameters
- Package content
- Appearance, parameters
- UI, runtime and charging
- PWM
- Waterproof
- Light pattern, tint
- Usage and my experiences
- Summary



General parameters

From Armytek page

Color: Blue
Light & Optics
LED light output: 200lm
OTF light output: 160lm
Beam distance: 15m
Stabilization of brightness: FULL (constant brightness)
Hotspot: 60°
Spill: 110°
Dimensions & Weight
Length: 59mm
Weight (without batteries): 12g
Body & Durability
Body material: Plastic
Waterproof & Submersible: 1m
Waterproof and dustproof standard: IP67
Operation temperature: -10...+40 °C
Impact Resistance: 2m
Modes & Electronics
Power source: Li-Pol 100mAh
Number of modes: 3
Runtime for maximal mode: 17min
Runtime for minimal mode: 10h
Ability to use batteries with a flat contact: No
Protection from accidental switch-on: Yes



Package content



Small box with all general info




"Developed in Canada". And you know what else is in Canada? Action of game The Long Dark. Just found it and it is soo cool. If you like realistic survival games without monsters and other strange things, this is it. Check it out! Ok back to the review...

Inside the box was only flashlight and a manual.

Appearance, parameters









Pocket clips is removable, but stays in place tight, so no worry of accidental falling.

And also micro USB charging port with rubber cover. Sits tight too.


And there is of course metal ring to attach to keys. Looks very thick and durable. Also all electronic parts seems to be in some interior plastic cover, so don't worry about screws holes or this ring - even if water came inside, it will most probably stay away of electronic parts.
I will not disassemble the flashlight. It is pretty simple, not much to see inside. If you really want to look inside, there are other reviews with disassembling.

UI, runtime and charging



UI
Anduril!

Not really...just kidding. We have 3 simple modes, 5lm - 50lm - 160lm. I checked and it is about the same according to my measurements.

Runtime
Graphs, in order High - Medium - Low

High, 160lm, ~ 17 min on relatively high brightness


Medium, 50lm, 1 h 10 min


Low, 5lm, 11 h

So runtimes are accurate too

Charging
By micro-USB. Charging takes about 1 h 10 min. Charging current ~ 0,05-0,08A.

Charging indicates by a red diode


When finished it shines green


Q&A
Q: Can you use flashlight when charging?
A: Yes





PWM



I have not noticed any

Waterproof



IP67. So I will not drop it in my fish tank. But let's make this "rain" test:

Water falling from 50 cm height for 10 min. Straight on the flashlight.

Works, no moisture inside, so test passed.

Light pattern, tint



Very wide beam. Distance to the wall = chocolate bar


And the same distance but without the chocolate


As you can see, there are significant tint shifts, beam is very greenish on the edges. On one edge especially.



Usage and my experiences



Very wide beam makes it very useful, e.g:

To read a book. I'm holding Armytek in place where the standard clips light should be - and Armytek easily shines on two pages.
But there is greenish tint on the edges...
When you hold it vertically, there is only greenish light.


Even when holding it...horizontally there is still some greenish light.


I tried to attach it to my trousers and jacket when walking outside. It is doing pretty well in illuminating path.

BUT I think it could be good tent light. You know, attaching it to this tent hook. Pretty lightweight, bright, wide beam, decent runtime. I have to find a way to attach it though.

Nitpicking



So every shortcomings and cons in one place.
This greenish tint, and tint shift bothers me a bit. Button is very hard to click as well.

Summary



Armytek Zippy is a very small and lightweight keychain light. My lumens and runtime measurements are the same as Armytek stated.

Do I recommend it? It depends on you. Do you need that wide beam, or prefer more focused one? Are you ok with that tint shift? If so, you can consider buying it, because it is lightweight and seems to be pretty durable. No IPX8, but IPX7 is good enough. IP67 to be exact.

Pros:
+ Wide beam
+ SS clips

Cons:
- Tint shift

- Greenish tint on the edges

About host - threads, knurling o-rings and so on
Rating: 8/10

About light - UI, tint and so on
Rating: 9.5/10

1 - very bad flashlight hurts to look at, terrible quality, not worth any (even very low) price
5 - average flashlight, at a reasonable price - for the average person "great". Or better flashlight, but overpriced
10 - flashlight meets all my expectations in a given category (e.g EDC, headlamp, thrower), it's durable and neatly made, perfect light tint, worth its (even slightly inflated) price - just pure perfect, so I doubt any light can get a 10 from me




I hope you enjoyed!

Just took some measurements only to find someone did it before :+1: .

431 reads, zero replies. Not an attraktive model? The review is great anyway.

I’m using it as position light on my left arm when running and on the PPE jacket. Survided even pouring rain.

Some notes:

  • I’d like to add the small battery to the cons list. There’s a lot of wasted space in the housing. I bet it could fit a 150 mAh battery like the one used in the NC Tube.
  • Replaced the LED with a Nichia 219C. Nearly the same runtimes and still greenish edges in the beam. Maybe due to reflections from the green PCB?
  • Would recommend using the RG LED within normal operation. Could be a blinking beacon, even indicating starboard and portside :smiley: .
  • Clip could be less smooth. I’m using tape to not lose it.

Ok, lost hope AT will take the chance improving this model, but still a very useful light.

I’m glad you like my review :smiley:

Nichia 219C would be good, and it could be my tent light then. It is lightweight, and has evenly distributed light, only lacks nice warm tint.
Maybe I should swap the LED too…

Great review, I must say I prefer this format to video reviews.