Best keychain LED light

[yoyoman]

They are twisties and that's why I'm still searching. But they are very close and I'm taking my time and enjoying the search.

 

[Gavin S.]

I just got a Quark Mini LMR and I love it. It's really light-weight and provides an astounding amount of light from a small form factor. Here it is next to an 18650.

 

[jorn]

You cant turn on a twisty with one hand? why? Would have understood it if it was a tailtwist, but headtwist lights like the p0 gives me no problem at all one handed.
The mbi core ti is nice on the keychain.

 

[Tixx]

Best? Quantum DD or Peak Eiger with Nichia 219 Mule. The shaved body carries a backup 10180 and the Delrin cap is great. Picture below shows how I carry them and my previous EDC.

I was trying to replace my Fenix head with Leef body. EDC'ed this for many years and felt it was finally time for an Update. Still searching for the perfect EDC light and these are close.

I'm A Kuku follower and just discovered Peak lights and have a bunch on their way including a 219 mule for the 10180 bodies. I think we are searching for the same thing here. I need to know more about your feelings and comparisons of these.

 

[kevinwho]

I am also in the same boat . Looking to replace my beat up 4sevens cr2 another with something shiny . Eiger seem the closest to perfection without going custom

 

[djdawg]

I like the olight i-1

 

[Mr460mag]

I carry the Fenix E05 with Energizer ultimate lithium. 5 hours runtime

 

[jabe1]

I keep a Peak Eiger SS neutral 10280 on one keychain, and a Quantum DD on the other.
I prefer the 10280 for the Extra (albeit minimal) runtime.

Awesome backup lights!

 

[tatteredmidnight]

For me its the DQG Tiny. I currently have the SS with magnet on my keys, just ordered a Ti with glow dot a few min ago. The 5/60 lumen modes are perfect for me, and the runtimes on a AAA are substantial for keychain uses. As the name implies its very tiny.

DQG III: 12.6mm width, 57.4mm length

Veleno D2:13mm width, 38mm length

Eiger 10180: 14mm width, 53mm length

Eiger 10280: 14mm width, 63mm length

Tough to beat IMO for $37 shipped for the Ti version.

-- Adam

 

[yoyoman]

As you can see, I am carrying both the Quantum DD and Peak Eiger 219 mule. I try to use them both and someday I may decide which one I prefer.

They are both floody. The Peak Eiger Nichia 219 mule puts out a cone of beautiful light. But the Quantum DD is also floody (34 degrees?) and has a nice beam, too. It has trits. They are both great for walking in the dark and doing close up work.

The fit and finish on both are very good.

The run time on high is short and since both use 10180 cells, keeping an extra cell in the spare Peak Eiger body with Delrin cap is really useful. And I have a Peak ss AAA body with Delrin cap so I can have real runtime with the mule head when I need it. I have a lithium primary in it. I don't have the Quantum capsule.

I haven't made up my mind on which one I prefer. I like them both and I'm happy carrying both, at least for the time being. I clip the titanium gate snap to a belt loop and everything fits nicely in my pocket. No funny looking bulge in my pocket.

I miss the ability to tail stand and I liked the clicky that the Leef body provided for the Fenix head. But these lights are growing on me. They are great lights - very small, surprisingly bright and adjustable without PWM.

 

[Impulses]

I was wondering that, too, just now.

I typed "Energizer Hi-Tech LED Keychain Light" into google and came up with a model number: Model: HTKC2BUCS

I'd love to hear more feedback from Dave_5280 or from anyone else who owns it

I noticed today that Target just started carrying the Energizer Hi Tech light in the flashlight aisle.

I played with it for a minute.

From off: Hold down switch to turn on momentarily in high mode, let go to turn off light.
From off: Click switch once to turn on in high mode, wait a second or two and click switch once again to turn off.
From off: Click switch once to turn on in high and quickly click switch again to change to low mode, and quickly again if you want to change to strobe mode. (wait too long between mode switching and the next mode you get will be 'off')

Also features auto-shutoff after a certain number of hours.

Has a nice heft to it, and I think the loop would be great for paracord. Don't like how the LED's hard plastic dome is exposed to potential impact though.

Wonder if this thing will take 2032's? I have a ton of them.

Those are really nice lights. I have the Quantum DD, but it's still a twist light. I'm really looking for a light I can operate with one hand. The photon freedom is one example, but I want to know what else is out there.
Thanks!

This thread has been necrotized a few times so why not once more for good measure? I'm just gonna paste below the gushing (and stupidly long winded) reply about the Energizer High Tech that I recently wrote elsewhere... I honestly haven't seen anything that's quite as small and appealing for a keychain, something the size of a DQG Tiny is too big for me.

The thin DQG S2 pen light is tempting for a shirt pocket or when I wear dress pants without a coin pocket (where I tuck my keys/Energizer light). If it's gonna be larger than the Tiny I might as well just toss an i3 or even my SC52 in my pocket.

The Quantum DD is intriguing but it's a twisty, yeah it can be operated with one hand but I can turn on the Energizer even while carrying stuff with the very hand I'm holding the light with, yet it has rarely turned itself on in my pants. I tend to slip it in with the button facing out, once in a great while I'll lean against something and it'll trigger, it has literally only happened 2-3 times in years tho (and wouldn't happen if you toss it into your regular pocket, coin pocket is like worst case scenario since it lays with the button facing out 100% of the time, other way around the keys would dig into the outside of the pocket).

Just putting that out there since easy on/off was a concern for some... That little Energizer cheapie has a great very durable very convenient switch. The MBI Core looks intriguing but at that price... I'll pass. Might still try a Quantum DD tho. If nothing else I can toss it on the other keychain with the car fob.

It's ridiculously durable, I've lost track of how long I've had mine, it's easily going on five years... Maybe longer, it was already on my keychain when I put my first micro SD reader on it which was before my first smartphone 4 years ago.

It's been riding on my keychain the whole time along with my house keys, car club keys, and that micro SD USB reader (the Elago one Amazon sells, where the card slides into the USB port itself, I'm on my 2nd). It's been dropped dozens upon dozens of times, I'm honestly shocked it never landed hard enough on the LED to kill it since it's exposed and it has some weight to it, the 2016 cells aren't too expensive when bought as twelve packs or whatever online (usually grab Sonys) and I'm pretty sure runtime on it is underrated.

Honestly, I've been getting into higher quality lights lately but I've yet to see anything more appealing for my keychain. DQG Tiny or a P0 is still too big, I keep my car keys separate, this keychain with the reader + two keys usually slips right into the small coin front pocket of my jeans/not so dressy pants. I've been looking at some more exotic stuff like the MBI lights or the Quantum DD but for the price/size this little Energizer light is checking out.

I have no idea if there's any sort of emitter roulette, I bought three or four years ago and both my sister and mother are still using theirs as well. I keep meaning to get a backup but since it's always been in stock at Amazon/Best Buy I haven't even bothered. I've compared it to every other button cell light I've come across including some of the plastic Photons with the sliding switch + momentary press and it's seemed as bright or brighter.

I should probably slip some new batteries on it and compare it to the low modes on my SC52 just to get a better feel for it, I've got an i3s on the way too which I might start pocket carrying (with my Leatherman Squirt) but I doubt it'll displace the little Energizer, at best it might find a place next to my car keys on the other keychain. I've seen a couple lights that use the smaller/fatter LR41 cells, I think I remember thinking they were spec'd for longer run times, but they were either twisties or didn't look as ergonomic for my keychain (keys sit flat against the back of the Energizer in my coin pocket:...

Any inherent benefit to a couple LR41s over CR2016s? I actually have tiny RC toys that use both (along with a Bluetoothremotething and other stuff) so I tend to have both on hand. Sorry for the Necro thread, figured I'd add more info for a little unknown light.

 

[yoyoman]

A couple of highlights and new lights.

The ThruNite Ti2 is a good one handed light. Twist (tighten) to low, keep twisting to high. Mine is reliable but this is not my EDC and so it doesn't get a lot of use. There are some reports about long term reliability. Also, I can't get a 10440 to work in mine.

Tain Ottavino AAA and 10280. Ti with beautiful knurling and a trit. Tighten to off, loosen to L and keep loosening to H. Very easy to use with one hand. Nice beam and tint. The 2 modes are well spaced. The AAA only runs on primaries or Eneloops and is bright enough for my use. Small (not as small as the DQG AAA) and always in my pocket.

AAA clickies are too big for a key chain, IMHO, and many are hard to use because the clickies are stiff and too small for my hands. I end up using 2 hands with most of them... The Preon 1 with optional clicky is about the best to use and is a little bigger than other AAA clickies.

DQG recently released a ti 10180 light. Available in CW or N XP-G2. I don't have it - yet - and don't know how good the fit and finish are or how reliable the light is. Probably too small for one hand operation.

 

[marinemaster]

For many years I carried the Inova 2x2016. Batteries got expensive. Next stop was the Arc AAA P which I had for a while but it just did not put enough light. Next Fenix E05 which is good. However every now and then it will not turn on after few months. Had to clean it to turn on. Regular alkaline lasted about 1 hour maybe longer but after that it will diminish. I then got a Peak Eiger Neutral. Is nice but the head is almost round is slippery to turn on and is kind of long due to QTC. Working ok so far.

Based on my experience keyring lights should be twisty one level AAA with 2 to 4 hours runtime around 25 to 45 lumens. Longer runtime maybe in the future.

Some are two modes but in practice the ones i tried are awkward, one level is more practical. Low level i think is not really required as a keyring light as i use it outside and/or larger area as opposed inside the house where low level works fine.

 

[Impulses]

The Olight i3s (one of the shorter AAAs I think, outside extremes like the DQG Tiny) is a three mode but it comes on at medium first and they're claiming an impressive 8 hours/20 lumens... Not quite sure if it really manages 20lm, seen lots of i3 reviews but fewer i3s reviews, someone probably measured it (don't recall seeing an in depth selfbuilt-like review tho).

I've got one I'm the way but I doubt I could tell 20lm apart from 30 or 40... They made a few changes between the clip, CC on all modes, etc. For me personally it's still too big for keychain duty but I have a two keychain setup and most of my stuff is on a smaller one save for the car keys, makes it easier to hand them off at valets and also dangle them off my main pocket while the rest is neatly tucked into the change pocket.

Everyone's gonna have their own little system depending on number/ of keys and what else you got on there, keychain light is a pretty broad range...

 

[yoyoman]

There are a few reviews of the Olight i3S (http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...ht-Olight-i3S-EOS&highlight=review+olight+i3s). It is a nice light and runs fine on 10440 li-ion cells. Take care with the little triangle and lobster claw that attach to the light because there are several reports of them failing. Several users suggested replacing the triangle with a split ring. While it is a nice light, I am not sure it meets the requirements in the OP.