What kind of mini EDC flashlight do you like?

XTAR plans to make a new mini keychain light. We are collecting suggestions here. Upon your personal preferences, what are the features of your ideal mini EDC flashlight?

For example:

  • Size: To fit comfortably on your hands, what’s the suitable size you prefer?
  • Output level: how many lumens output are enough?
  • Lighting mode: what kind of lighting modes do you like? Should memory function be added?
  • Power source: built-in rechargeable AA or AAA powered flashlight or other suggestion?
  • UI design: what the interfaces and controls do you like?
  • Carry options: With pocket clip, lanyard, magnetic tail cap or …?

Welcome to share your views. Maybe your suggestions will be adopted on this new light! :slight_smile:

For a key chain light I would want it as small as possible.
10180 sized cell and absolutely no built in charger since the charger board just makes the light longer.
TIR optic and simple 2 level twist on opperation.
Design something like the DQG Hobi which is as small as possble but make it better than the Hobi by solving o-ring eating problem DQG never managed to fix.

Smallest possible. Autonomy is not crucial, but size is. So i’d go with built in Li-po.
USB charging (usb-C), forget about micro usb.
Body made of policarbonate. The aluminium will scratch because of rubbing against the keys. Stainless steel is too heavy. Titanium too expensive.
Light output: Maximum 300 lumen is obtainable in a small package.
Three, well spaced power levels are plenty. One of them sub-lumen.
No blinky stuff.
But one 3 - 5 second beacon, for finding keys.
One long press (2s) for turbo.
One short press for firs level. No memory function needed. Always start on low, and change to next level with one simple clic.

I probably described you most of the the Nitecore Tiki. :slight_smile:

Magnets are not strong enough to hold on to the keyring, and ends up lost.

I like the most compact AA and smaller lights (say 18x80 mm max) and smaller are better.

At every size I am very concerned about compactness of a design, but with small lights this is especially important. If I can choose 2 lights of the same size, one takes 10440 and produces 500 lm, the other takes 14500 and produces 700 lm (thanks to stronger battery) - as long as the 14500 one is a good light, no matter what fancy features the 10440 has, it will be hard to convince me that it’s better.

Output: as much as possible. 500+ lm preferred, though smaller lights are fine with much less than that. I don’t care if it overheats in 5 seconds.
CRI matters. 80 minimum, 90 preferred. More than that costs a bit too much in the output loss but it’s a fair choice as well.
At this size I highly appreciate smooth flood beam and I really like zoomies and fixed aspheric flooders with their perfect flood.
Power source - AA+14500 or AAA+10440 are great combinations. I like 10180 as well. I especially like lights that allow me to swap battery tubes, so I have even more versatility.

NO built-in charging for me at this size because it makes the light so much larger…I’d rather go with a larger cell….but there’s even better option. USB-rechargable cell. Folomov makes a 10440 one, a few companies do it with 14500 (some of them are larger than 50mm but some are just that, which is the better option). USB cell is almost like a regular one but has a built-in charger and between 50 and 75% of energy of a regular one.

So if I have a chargerless light that accepts AAA and 10440, I have 3 options:

  • use it with 10440 (this tends to be my primary choice)
  • use it with AAA (I tend to carry a spare NiMH because they are safer than 10440)
  • use it at half capacity with Li-Ion and have charging (good choice for longer trips, so I don’t need more spare cells and I don’t need external charger either)

Now add a couple of shorty tubes to that so the light accepts 10180 and 10280 as well and it would be awesome flexibility.

UI?

  • I love QTC twisties with their smooth adjustability
  • I love e-switch but at this size the overhead seems too large to be worthwhile
  • no blinkies!
  • shall always start low, no mode memory

How do I carry?

  • I always have a small light hanging off my neck
  • I carry backup lights in the pockets or in the backpack. Never use clips….and BTW, if a light comes with a clip attached, removing it often scratches anodization. It’s NOT nice.
  • Size: Something AAA-light sized or smaller
  • Output level: At least one super low and one high mode, and a nice in-between, starting on low
  • Lighting mode: See above, no memory mode for a light this size is necessary IMO
  • Power source: Replaceable rechargeable battery with build in type-C charging if possible
  • UI design: I like a twisty-front cap
  • Carry options: Pocket clip and key-chain-able. No magnet because I don’t want it attracting other things in my pocket. Has to be tail-stand-able!

Ti or Stainless would be cool I guess, but rather pricey :confused: A bit on the more-heavy side would be fine, I like the heft, feels durable! High CRI and a nice even beam (with a bit of throw) would also be very nice!

Titanium AAA
L-M-H no next mode memory
CRI 90+

It would be hard to beat Astrolux A01 or Luminop tool AAA TI but keep trying.
Mike

I’ve had a few small keychain lights, none of them even really compare to the Olight I3E EOS.

It ticks every box for a keychain light (for me).
Small, powerful, lasts ages, tough and light. I am not a fan of rechargeable lights for keychains, the reason being little lights with rechargeable batteries don’t last long and if you forget to charge them regularly they are handily dead when you most want them, or run out halfway through a job. With an AAA light I can get a spare battery from almost any location easily, if I’m at work and it’s flat they are easily accessible and I don’t always have time to recharge something, I need it ‘now’ so to speak. It is single mode but that is all I need on a keychain - I don’t live in the wilderness so no need for blinkies etc
I really like those tiki type lights, but their size makes them more a pocket edc light than a keychain light in my opinion.
Maybe make a titanium version of it…… because it does get rubbed a lot.

The Olight i3E EOS and/or the Thrunite T13 V2 for more than one mode ,

Something about the size of the original CooYoo Quantum CR. On board charging is ok so is the brightness levels and run times. The follow up versions were bigger than then they needed to be. Mine is on a silver chain around my neck have gone swimming with it a few times after forgetting to un clip it still works like a charm chain is long enough to hold in my mouth.

I agree. I use the Olight i3s. One of the best lights I own.

Keychain is AAA for me. Olight i3s is the one to beat, do not go larger than that, even try to make it smaller. For me: make it two modes start on low no memory, but there are as many user interface preferences as there are people. Titanium is great because aluminium will turn ugly fast on a keychain.

Even the single AAA lights I find too bulky with all the other crap I have to carry in my pockets.
They really don’t fit onto a key-ring with a bunch of other keys like I have to carry.
Cylinder shapes I find less suitable than something flash drive shaped.

Plastic body for sure. Lighter, cheaper, and easier to hold between your teeth. And holding between my teeth is a requirement.
A lockout is that is easily turned off an on with a single hand is also required.
I prefer an electronic lockout as opposed to turning something to disconnect the battery.
Built in charging is the only way to keep from using too large replaceable batteries. USB- c preferred, but Micro USB is OK if everything else is good.

I find the Nitecore TUBE pretty darn close to ideal. I don’t need lots of power or throw.
Peaking behind equipment, finding dropped stuff under desks, lighting the path just in front of me, and finding a keyhole are what I need.
If I think I need more than that – I’ll have an 18650 handy.

Flat objects fit a pocket better that cylinders. I could put up with something larger than a TUBE if it was flat enough to not bulk up my pockets.
Oh, good CRI would be nice. 150 Lumens is plenty. More floody than throwie.
No Blinkies needed at all. Simple UI. A ramp is preferred to poorly chosen steps. Steps are OK if space well.
All the Best,
Jeff

Size: To fit comfortably on your hands, what’s the suitable size you prefer? car key fob size.
Output level: how many lumens output are enough? ~80
Lighting mode: what kind of lighting modes do you like? on/off. Should memory function be added? NO
Power source: built-in rechargeable AA or AAA powered flashlight or other suggestion? no built in battery.
UI design: what the interfaces and controls do you like? on/off
Carry options: With pocket clip, lanyard, magnetic tail cap or …? small key ring NO MAGNET

and, since this is BLF, cheap enough to afford 5.
we have a lot of keys and separate sets of keys.

I don’t keep a light on my keys, but for my EDC light I like an AA or AAA light with a copper body.

I don’t keep my EDC on a keychain either. I used to EDC the Nitecore EA11 in a belt holster. Really a nice little lite that would do either AA or 14500, but I lost that one, and Nitecore doesn’t sell it anymore.

These days it is either a Lumintop Tool AA 2.0, Sofirn C01S, or Sofirn C01. depending on which pair of pants/jacket I grab. Actually, the C01 usually rides in by sweats that I wear around the house. The other two vary depending on whether I have on my knock-around jeans or my good ones. I like all three.

The problem with any “keychain light” that’s actually used as a keychain light, is that the ano almost always gets worn off by the constant rubbing of… wait for it… wait for iiiiiiiiiit… keys!

My old bobofett light got its moniker because it got so beat up that it looked like bobofett’s helmet.

So any AAA lights, I rarely if ever keep in a pocket at all, but either clipped somewhere, as a zipper-pull, or using a lanyard/necklace. Eg, the long cloth “lanyards” that you can get when you have to use a keycard to get through doors, etc. Eg:

In a pocket? Almost never, unless it’s a pair of sweats with nothing else in the pocket.

And any light with a magnetic tailcap had better not be put near any credit-cards or other items with a magstripe.

I’m okay with 1-mode or multimode. Prefer twisties for small small lights, for compactness. But make sure the twisting action does not cut into the driver board, as I heard some do. 100lm is fine as far as brightness. Should be start-on-low if multimode. Strobe, SOS, etc., in a keychain light is stoopit. TIR lenses in small lights tends to be best, giving a nice even beam.

USB-C PD rechargeable with a 10180 cell. Phone charger and cable could be used.

Progressive twist mode: step between 0.05 lumens, 5 lumens, and 100 lumens by twisting clockwise.

Honeycomb TIR to spread the beam.

Keychain only. Magnetic keychain breakaway for quick release. No pocket clip.

Similar to Olight i1R 2 EOS but with USB-C instead of micro USB, and a 0.05 moonlight mode for when 5 lumens is too much.

I prefer AA / 14500 in the smallest form factor possible, but while still having a bit of mass so it does not get instant hot.
For instance the Amutorch SS, Lumintop Tool size are my favourite.

Reason for not using smaller, is batteey capacity.
Anything smaller will be empty in no time.

Agree with the material, UI and CRI.
I could live with a good designed AAA as well, but prefer AA/14500

Take an Olight i3E and make it Eneloop friendly, i.e. add a low voltage warning (short blink every 5s).

If 10180, place the charger in the head, not the tail. Refer to SWM.