Micro keychain lights.... Photon Freedom found a spot on my keychain. Perfect in every way, but I wanted more output. Since then, one contender after another has been tried. Two failed miserably, the rest just kept coming up short in some way, shape, or form. Photon Freedom always ended up back on there. About a month ago, Nitecore Tube ended up on my keychain.
I don't think it's going to leave. Which surprises the heck out of me. Remember those two keychain lights that were a miserable failure? One was the Streamlight Nano. The other was the Nitecore TIP. And, I generally despise Nitecore. Why? All of the few Nitecore models I've owned have let me down, and proven to be incredibly unreliable. I honestly have no clue why I decided to take a chance on their Tube. No clue at all. Sometimes you just say, "What the heck. Let's toss it against the wall, and see if it sticks!"
That expression has nothing to do with whether or not something sticks around, but yeah; looks like the Tube is sticking around. Pictures simply do NOT paint an accurate look at this light. It is a bit smaller than in pictures. It is a whole heck of a lot thinner than any picture I've seen of it. Use the triangle-shaped attachment point directly onto your main key-ring, and the light rests flat against your keys. It feels like it's not even there. Low-mode is what you'd typically expect out of a keychain light. High is 45 lumens and at least to me, seems brighter than that. The U.I. is ideal too. Especially if you just want momentary-on at the highest setting.
The Tube got right.... everything that the TIP got wrong. TIP is too thick. Attachment point is too low-profile. Requires a separate, small split-ring be attached before you can attach it to your main key-ring. The problem is, now the light doesn't lay flat against your keys. (Oops!) Charging port is exposed. (Unless you buy a version with that big, black, ugly, bulky, plastic clip that goes on the light and covers up the charging port. But then it's even less suitable to put on a keychain.) It switches on in your pocket by itself because.... It's dark in there and the light is scared of monsters? (You can lock it out. But unlocking it is a pain unless you use two hands.) And the buttons apparently hate the body because they keep trying to pop out of it.
None of those issues with the Tube. I highly recommend it. And no one is more surprised than I am that I'm recommending a Nitecore product.