Stainless steel garrity pen light tiny review.

I bought this just tonight at the local walmart store while i was picking up some toothpaste and other stuff. browsed the light section and found these new garrity stainless steel lights, i picked up the pen light cause it was pretty nice looking and all for $10 CDN. not bad considering a 2aaa minimag would be more. how would it compare to a mini mag? once i got home i opened up the package and it took me like 1 min to find out how to put the batteries in. hahah! the package didn't say which end to unscrew. the light has a nice heftly feel to it. and it's the same size and a skinny marker actually it's shorter by a bit than the marker i have but lengthwise it's only like 5mm shorter than a 2aa minimag but skinny as a small marker. the spot to flood settings worked well and it's held there by friction and not that easy to change while it's in your pocket so that's a plus while setting it to the spot mode and leaving it there. the lens is just some polycarbonate lens. while the clickie switch (what i really like about the whole thing) is made of plastic. bad thing is that the button wobbles in a up and down motion a bit and there is no momentary on for this light, it has to engage a click and release before it turns on. as for brightness it's bright before i put out my minimag with a nexstar then you find out it's pretty dim, but much brighter than my pelican mitylite (like every other 2aaa is brighter than this it seems). so i decided to switch the bulb to a 2aa nexstar bulb and wow it's like the same light output as my 2aa minimag with the nexstar. Oh and i'm running nimh batteries in both lights since it will help with the high current draw the penlight is getting from the bulb. plus its more equal comparing light output around the same voltage. i'm guessing with my 650mah 2aaa's i'm gonna get like 1 1/4 hrs of good light from this penlight and 2 hrs from alkalines. the light has a very nice throw. One note though when using my nexstar bulb, i couldn't focus the spot to a perfect hotspot without some form of black hole while my 2aa mag can focus a very nice egg shape hotspot with no holes. overall it seems like a very nicely made light for the price it offered it's probably the same light output as the 2aaa mag with a nexstar but in a more useful package in your pocket (no big focusing head! but you'll probably get a better hotspot with the mag). it's great to use around the park with friends but for camping it'd take my 2aa maglite or my SL 3N for the much needed longer runtime and the very important ability to carry a spare bulb in the mag! never know when i drop one and the bulb dies. I didn't get the 2aa one so someone comment on the beam of that if they have it with a nexstar, i'm thinking it'll be better cause the entire reflector is faceted.

I have one of these that I picked up at a Wallyworld junket perhaps a month ago (it was in a display on the sporting goods counter and seemed too good to pass up...).

I ditto that it is a solid slender piece, and that it has no momentary on the tail switch. I also don't have anything LED or Nexstar to compare it to. It's a trifle too heavy for shirt pocket carry. It throws a fairly well focused beam up to my ceiling, and will light up the clock about 10' away ok.

Right now have ARC AAA Ebayed but carry Solitaire in left front pocket, and have taken to clipping a Pelican 2aaa Mity Lite at the back of my right front pocket. That thing has truly amazing output!

Anyhow, the Garrity pen light sits here on my desk... scattered around are also white Eveready 2aaa pen, chrome Eveready 2aa pen, and Craftsman 2aa Tool light (Mag Lookalike) with a non momentary switch and a suprisingly bright and focused beam for what it is. If I ever decide to carry a belt pouch this Craftsman will probably fill it.

hey do you have a 2aaa mini mag to compare it to? i wonder which has the better beam?