Best Copper AAA/AA Light?

Looking for a copper AA or AAA light to replace my families ancient Arc-AAA's. Have a favourite production or custom that will last as long as the Arc's?

Lots of great options these days. I will mention a few.
Twisties: Prometheus Beta II, Maratac AAA, BLF AO1 or Old Lumens Nicha 219, Lumintop Worm, Olight IE3
Great Clickies: Reylight Tool, 47 Preon
Worth Considering: Surefire Titan Plus (Brass)

There are many copper lights now available. I have doubts whether any of them can outlast an old Arc AAA.
The Peak Eiger may be the exception... the Arcs are up there with the e01s as far as longevity is concerned.

I sure love my Lumentop Tool Coppers. Nice heft, beautiful copper. Waiting for it to tarnish a bit.
The Nichia is amazing. However, my Thrunight T10 with an AA really blows my Tool away. Don't know how a cool white Tool would fare though. So the Tool with the Nichia is not super bright, but great to keep my my pocket around the house and navigate the dark yard/house. It's small. Great clicky too. Can't compare it to as many torches as most people around here tho.

The ReyLight copper tool is a great light... and one I carry frequently. Love the modes and L - M - H sequence.

As I note in a post after mine - I love the copper S1A, too; hope it comes in a neutral tint soon.

Olight S1A copper.

Maratac copper AAA. I've had the AL version on my key ring for over 5 years and it's been flawless.

JLeephoto said:

Maratac copper AAA. I've had the AL version on my key ring for over 5 years and it's been flawless.

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incredible looking light

Maratac AAA copper edition

Astrolux A01 copper with Nichia

'Best' is very relative.

For instance, this creams all previously mentioned, for brightness (1400lm and moonlight and lots in between), throw, programmability of interface (Bistro), host customizability, and number of drivers (FET+1, it literally is 2 in 1). Yet it has some characteristics that bother me, and I am in an extreme minority. Such as? It is heavy, and designed that way, i.e. to be massive for heat sinking; the stock tailcap has another LED in it, but it is blue (red would have been my choice, as blue messes with circadian rhythms) and too bright for dark adapted eyes, and it can't be turned off (but it would take a month or so to drain a cell); is 14500 only (still an AA-sized cell, still a valid candidate! but it is cheating I guess); and it necessarily utilizes PWM (though it is fast, and with the upgraded firmware, there is at least one CC mode).

That is a flashaholics' flashlight, designed from scratch to interest those interested in modding.

But my personal favorite Cu GLL ("great little light") is the AAA Maratac Copper Rev.2, and especially the Rev.2, for its simple 2 modes, it's a tailstander, its constant current Worm driver, that it is somehow a shrunken and more streamlined twisty version of the Classic 6P (IMO), its ability to accept all cell chems, and the fact that Vinh can stick a triple copper heat sink in its pill and swap the LED and directly onto copper, for a warmer temp and higher CRI... and he has done these mods so many times he may be able to do it in his sleep with one hand behind his back.

Both cheats?

bmstrong said:

Looking for a copper AA or AAA light to replace my families ancient Arc-AAA's.

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If you want a single mode 10 lumen light that is durable like the Arc, maybe a Fenix E01? (not copper)

Im a big fan of copper AAA lights. Curious what interests you about copper?
be warned, copper is heavy, for my keychain, too heavy

my copper Maratac 40 grams with battery, my Fenix E01 is 26 grams
in copper, I suggest you consider going to an AAA copper light with a Nichia. (I vote Tool)
in AA copper, Olight has some options, but only Low CRI, and they are quite heavy, compared to Aluminum..

these are 3 mode lights, not inexpensive:
Maratac Copper is cool white, low CRI. My favorite form factor, but least favorite LED (Im not into Low CRI). Supposedly the first mode is 40 lumens (I have not verified)
Lumintop Copper Worm with Nichia is High CRI. Overly heavy, I dont use the body. I sometimes put the head on my Maratac. First mode is about 20 lumens
Lumintop Copper Tool with Nichia is High CRI. This is imho the ultimate current production copper AAA available with a High CRI LED. I use the head of the Tool on my Maratac body (to get a Nichia with High CRI). First mode is about 20 lumens

stock maratac on left, stock Worm w Nichia middle, Custom modification to Warm LED on right


the beams in the same order


Here are a couple tools also, the Nichia Tool heads are swapped with the Maratacs. I dont carry the Tools, they live in my cars, I pocket carry Maratacs


thanks for the excuse to post one of my favorite pics.. worm head w Nichia, on Maratac body




while on the subject of copper lights for keychain, just for fun
consider an Astrolux M03, they are inexpensive atm. Its more of a novelty toy, they are in no way a cockroach light like the Fenix E01 and the Arc-AAA. otoh, the Astrolux is half the size, and half the weight, of a Maratac.

Both my brother and mother have an affection for Cu and the patina that develops. Their Arc's have to be a decade old at this point. I would like to grab them something that's aesthetically pleasing while updating the internal technology. I would prefer a HCRI with 2 modes. These will live and die on their key-chains so I favour simple robust construction.

AAA is fine.

bmstrong said:

I would prefer a HCRI with 2 modes. These will live and die on their key-chains so I favour simple robust construction.

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The Copper Astrolux M03 is HCRI w 2 modes. But they are finnicky to turn on. I consider the light itself strong enough for keychain. I have not tried the copper one yet, I only have the Stainless so far..

for me, the copper Tool does not work on a keychain due to the location of the keyring loop interfering with the switch button. Plus the Tool is longer than the Maratac.

Maratacs are sturdy, although they hang cockeyed due to location of the keyring connection.. Copper Maratacs are out of stock atm, but they come back regularly. The issues Ive had with mode skipping, are caused by too much lubricant on the threads. wiping it off makes the modes reliable. If I unscrew the twisty Maratac head just 1/4 turn, it will come on in my pocket. But 1/2 turn solves the problem.

You can educate yourself about the Copper Prometheus Beta, it has a really cool quick release from a keychain, so you can pop it off and back on as needed. But its kind of a long light (pretty much identical to the Copper worm, except the tail design, but the Beta has PWM and the Worm does not. The copper Beta has 3 modes and starts on a low of 1 lumen. I find this impractical and prefer the Lumintops that start on Medium, for non flashoholics. fwiw, the non copper Betas are 2 mode lights. Betas come with very nice Nichia LEDs.





There is also a Copper Maratac AA, but it is out of stock, and it has PWM. The most recent Rev3 AAA Maratac has NoPWM, but also out of stock.

jon_slider said:

The issues Ive had with mode skipping, are caused by too much lubricant on the threads.

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Yes, but mode skipping is solved not by wiping the threads, but only wiping the top flat part of the body that comes into contact with the driver, and wiping the driver itself with a Q-tip, best soaked in alcohol, but dry works as well. Take off the head, dump out the cell, put a paper towel on a flat hard surface, and turn the headless body upside down onto the paper towel, and twist, then move it to another location on the paper towel, and repeat until the tiny lube rings stop appearing. Don't ever wipe your threads unless you are doing a full cleaning. You'll be putting tiny particles into the threads which will accumulate and cause pitting in soft copper.

And I am in full agreement about the high CRI copper Tool. A smaller split ring (.125") attached to it's tail, and another attached to it to form a short chain before attaching to the larger split ring keychain mitigates the fouling of access to its button switch. My only grievance with the high CRI Cu Tool is its inablity to tail stand without leaning, which messes with the ceiling bounce.

Out of curiosity: Any custom makers out there working in Cu?

Sure, Mac's Customs in the past, Sinner, TnC, Prometheus, Pi Projects, recently Okluma with his Tiny DC line, George7806 with his Nucleus watch battery light in various metals. Currently Alloy Lights out of NYC offers a high end copper light at $1100 if I recall right, as well as the cheaper A1.8 for $180.

chillinn said:

turn the headless body upside down onto the paper towel, and twist, then move it to another location on the paper towel, and repeat until the tiny lube rings stop appearing.

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I agree that wet spot at the end of the threads, is the cause of mode skipping
I also wipe the head out with a dry paper towel.

I do sometimes clean off all the threads, inside the head, and on the body, and start over with fresh lube.
Ive used qtips, and alternatively a paper towel, both wet with alcohol. Both worked for me.

Ive also used a kleenex, which imo is less ideal, because they shed a lot of paper "dust", although Ive not had any pitting from it, and most of the dust comes off during wiping.

here is the full list of Copper lights, both past and presently available

Ive had quite a few AAA's, my most favorite probably being the Prometheus Beta QR v2.
Aside from that, if youre on a budget I really liked the Streamlight microstream also.
Another goodie but cheapie is the Olight i3e.

Im testing some Astrolux M01 and M03 for possible gifts as keychain lights. The Copper is 50% heavier.
Pic is a link

bmstrong said:

Both my brother and mother have an affection for Cu and the patina that develops. Their Arc's have to be a decade old at this point. I would like to grab them something that's aesthetically pleasing while updating the internal technology. I would prefer a HCRI with 2 modes. These will live and die on their key-chains so I favour simple robust construction.

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I find the Lad much easier to use and more reliable, but its not copper. These two lights weigh exactly the same, and recharge from built in USB, no need to buy batteries.




here is AAA