First post here - please help me figure out what EDC to buy - best AAA for pocket

Hi guys -- this is my first post here -- I just found this forum a few days ago, and I realized maybe I could get some help finding the right EDC flashlight for my usage patterns and preferences! Thanks in advance for any thoughts, recommendations!

Basically, the specs I need are in the neighborhood of the AAA Streamlight Microstream, but better than the Microstream. So far I've come across the Olight i3T EOS and the Zanflare F3, both of which seem to me to be a step up from the Microstream in terms of what I need. This larger AAA size seems to work pretty well for my pocket, and the features are about right. I prefer 2 or 3 modes rather than the Microstream's single mode, and I definitely want to stick with AAA size so I can use Eneloop rechargeable batteries.

So I've also tried several others from Amazon -- including:

1 - Lumintop AAA Tool -- I love this flashlight but I find the clip is not positioned well for a pocket (too much sticks out), and I feel it's actually too light for pocket use in general too, since it's so light I constantly think I'm going to lose it. It can just fly out of my pocket and disappear without noticing. Also, I don't like the way it attaches to a keychain, so it's not even going to work for me on a keychain. Surprisingly, the Lumintop AAA Tool won't work for me for EDC, unless it's just in a coat pocket or briefcase.

2 - Lumintop AA Tool version 2 -- I also love this one, but it's too thick for my pocket. And the same problem as the AAA Tool with the clip position. But it's still a top notch flashlight IMO, I just don't know where I'll put it. Maybe on the nightstand or a briefcase. It's also made me realize that AA-sized EDCs are too thick for my preference for my pocket. So I've decided to stick with AAA.

3 - Olight i3E EOS -- So I tried this and also like it, but it's just as a backup keychain light. Also not a fan of twisty switches... so I also want to eventually find an alternate keychain light that has a rear clicky... but since I already tried the Lumintop AAA Tool, I'm skeptical there's a good rear clicky keychain light out there.

4 - I also tried a bunch of other AAA cheap generic looking flashlights from Amazon and all of them were honestly garbage... I finally realized that there must be some OEM generic design that a lot of sellers use and of the ones I tried, there were serious quality issues and I doubt they'd last a week with me. And of course you get what you pay for. So I don't mind paying a little more for quality, but I'd like to keep it under $30 since these are the kinds of things that go missing too easily.

So all that led me to the size of the Streamlight Microstream for my pocket, which seems to be a nice balance of size and ergonomics. But I was not totally satisfied with the brightness and single mode... which then led me to the Olight i3T which is pretty good (maybe my favorite so far), and then I found the the Zanflare F3, which is also really close in size and seems like a nice build quality. I also like the modes on the Zanflare, but it seems to have an inferior clip.

Anyway, given that info above, are there any other ones out there that I've missed?

BTW, I looked at the Fenix LD02 v2.0 and the size seems pretty nice, likely good build quality, but I read reviews that concerned me about the consistency of the high mode (plus I definitely don't need UV). I also looked at the SureFire Titan-B Plus and that looks very nice, but the price seems too high (~ $90) since I'll probably lose it. I also saw the Pelican 1910, but that doesn't look like an improvement on the Microstream.

So basically, I want something in the same size/class as the Microstream, but better than the Microstream (more modes, brighter option), that has a super great clip (i3T's clip seems excellent, although the Microstream's is good too), rides very low in the pocket (unlike the Lumintop AAA Tool, which is also too small IMO), is really well built with a great tail clicky, and runs on a single AAA to keep things relatively thin and easy to swap out a common battery. Runtime is not critical since I can just swap out another AAA. (Not a fan of USB flashlights since I can't quickly swap and keep going, and I don't always have access to USB power.) If anyone should know what I'm missing on the market, I figure it would be you all.

Separately, and less importantly, I want to find a AAA keychain light that with tail clicky. The "best" one I found so far was the Lumintop AAA Tool, but it just didn't work well for me on a keychain. So I'm currently using the twisty Olight i3E. I've ordered the Lumintop EDC01 but that is also a twisty. Not sure if what I want even exists for keychain lights. But again, that's less important than the main pocket EDC.

Thanks again for any info you might have!

What about the Streamlight ProTac AAA?

More Streamlight goodness than the Micro and it sounds like just what you want?

An idea for the tool aaa- since you have it already. The streamlight clip above, can fit it as a deeper carry option.

AVService said:

What about the Streamlight ProTac AAA?

More Streamlight goodness than the Micro and it sounds like just what you want?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check it out again. I had passed on the ProTac AAA before because of the strobe mode -- forgot to mention I really don't like strobe mode in this form factor -- but I just looked up the ProTac AAA again and it looks like it's programmable, and I think in theory I can bypass the strobe mode. Pretty cool. So this could be a nice candidate.

I think the other (slight) drawback for me is the clip -- I'm a fan of the bidirectional clip on the Microstream and the Olight. The button looks a little more exposed too, I wonder if that will trigger accidentally. But otherwise, this looks like a very good possibility. Thanks again. I'll probably buy it and test it out!

Let me know if anyone else can think of other possibilities. And thanks all for your your help.

tech25 said:

An idea for the tool aaa- since you have it already. The streamlight clip above, can fit it as a deeper carry option.

Click to expand...

Oh cool -- thanks for the tip -- I will try that out! I really love the Tool AAA, the clip position is really the downer for me. Hadn't thought of trying a different clip.

Okay, I've now ordered a Streamlight ProTac 88049 as suggested by @AVService and I ordered some extra Microstream clips to experiment with as suggested by @tech25.

I also found another possibility -- the 348 Nichia NVSW219BT -- which I think is a modified SingFire 348, if I understand correctly. It looks interesting, with a nice Nichia LED, and the size/features look promising on paper. Not sure about the clip or how robust it is, and I think it will take a few weeks to get here. I will post an update.

Any other possible contenders?

I think the Olight i3T is an option worth considering.

It only comes cool white but the two levels cover most needs. Forward clicky for tactical is a bonus. Best of all the running efficiency on ordinary AAA (NiMH) is great.

pc_light said:

I think the Olight i3T is an option worth considering.

It only comes cool white but the two levels cover most needs. Forward clicky for tactical is a bonus. Best of all the running efficiency on ordinary AAA (NiMH) is great.

Click to expand...

Thank you, yes, the i3T is a real contender. I have one and ordered another one as either a gift or backup. Definitely right up there. Could be the winner.

Right now, besides several AA models which don't work for me for pocket EDC (too thick!), I've already got the following AAA models:

1 - Streamlight Microstream 66318 - (good overall, but I want more modes and I don't love the finish, plus don't like button)
2 - Olight i3T - (probably favorite so far, but I would like one more mode)
3 - Zanflare F3 - (very good overall, like the three modes, but not a fan of the clip)
4 - Lumintop Tool AAA - (doesn't work for pocket EDC for me, rides too high, although I will try Microstream clip as @tech25 suggested)
5 - Ultratac A7 - (nice, but don't know what I'll do with this, probably give it to my son as a gift)
6 - Olight i3E - (on my keychain but I don't like twisty switches -- need clicky version!)

On order:
7 - Lumintop EDC01 - (another twisty switch... bought it before I realized I don't like twisty switches... probably will give it away as gift)
8 - SingFire 348 - (Nichia version, looks interesting, might take weeks to get here)
9 - Streamlight ProTac 88049 - (looks very promising, looking forward to testing, might be a winner)

It looks like I'm starting a collection apparently.

Thinking of ordering:

10 - Wuben E01 - looks very similar to Lumintop Tool AAA, but has a smooth area where it might be easier to attach a different clip?
11 - Pelican 1910 (gen 3) - doesn't look like I gain much from it, and the clicky part might ride too high, but I've had luck with Pelican in the past
12 - SureFire Titan-B Plus - way too expensive for a single, easy-to-lose flashlight, but very nice... and if there was a good lightning deal or GB, I might go for it

Considered, but highly unlikely:

13 - 5.11 Tactical AAA EDC - not sure at all this is worth it, could be a piece of junk, haven't seen compelling reviews
14 - Fenix LD-02 v2.0 - read too many complaints about it, and don't want UV... but if a great lightning deal, might go for it
15 - Thorfire PF03 - seems pretty good on paper, but doesn't look like it's in production any more, plus negative reviews...
16 - Thorfire PF01S - probably won't get this one either - the button looks way too exposed plus inconsistent quality control

Did I miss anything? I guess I'm on a quest to find the perfect model for me. The ones I don't end up using for EDC will end up as backups, in cars, as gifts, etc...

The only other AAA light I might recommend is the Ultratac K18. It's a good tiny but bright side-clicky that takes AAA as well as 10440. Good UI and comes in a variety of colors and metals (aluminum, stainless steel, brass). Can be carried clip or keychain.

One thing that I personally find is that my need/interest/expectations in lights change over time and with situations. I have 4-5 regular lights that I rotate pocket carry depending on whether the light will be a secondary/tertiary back-up or the main light source, whether I need more or less lumens/more or less throw/more or less run-time.

Finally, new products are continually released all the time, which personally helps me avoid always jumping on the latest relase. Over time one usually discovers that there's never a best light, just what works best for you. My keychain lights are actually 10&15 yrs old.

A black or electro-less nickel Beta QRv2 from Prometheus lights, it has a clip option that is hands down the best clip and deepest carry of any production AAA light. It also comes with a very nice 4500K high CRI 219B that has a good tint, I like my copper tool but the 219B it came with was green as hell. It'll be $90 shipped with the titanium clip option however.

pc_light said:

The only other AAA light I might recommend is the Ultratac K18. It's a good tiny but bright side-clicky that takes AAA as well as 10440. Good UI and comes in a variety of colors and metals (aluminum, stainless steel, brass). Can be carried clip or keychain.

Click to expand...

I'll take a look at the K18 -- I don't know how I missed it. A side clicky would definitely be preferable to a twisty, so that might be perfect for my keychain i3E replacement.... assuming I keep a keychain light.

pc_light said:

One thing that I personally find is that my need/interest/expectations in lights change over time and with situations. I have 4-5 regular lights that I rotate pocket carry depending on whether the light will be a secondary/tertiary back-up or the main light source, whether I need more or less lumens/more or less throw/more or less run-time.

Finally, new products are continually released all the time, which personally helps me avoid always jumping on the latest relase. Over time one usually discovers that there's never a best light, just what works best for you. My keychain lights are actually 10&15 yrs old.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your thoughts. I initially (and recently) got into this because I just needed a portable EDC light, and I hated pulling out my phone to use the light. So I was resigned to using a twisty keychain light at first... but then I was blown away by the variety of options out there, and I realized I could find something that could fit my personal patterns. I've gravitated towards this "slim pocket clicky AAA with a good clip" form factor that seems to cover 95%+ of my situations. I'll keep some of my AA and other larger flashlights, of course, which all have their uses and way more lumens, but I think my daily life is just made "better" by having a slim pocket clicky AAA attached to my pocket. It's sort of a magical device.

Lately my keychain flashlight doesn't get used very much... if at all come to think of it. The i3E is often too bright for the situations where I might want it anyway, and it's a hassle. In fact, I may just take it off my keychain. Pulling out my keys to use a tiny little twisty light is just plain annoying. But pulling out a little Microstream (or Olight i3T, etc) size feels very natural and useful. It's so much faster and more comfortable, it's becoming kind of a necessity on a daily basis.

And I totally get the idea of rotating flashlights depending on the situation. I think I'll keep a few models of Microstream-sized for my main EDC rotation, but then maybe pick one of my favorite AA flashlights for the rotation if I need more a little more horesepower and have larger pockets that day... which would mean the Lumintop AA Tool V2 will probably be my "larger" EDC. But I might start a different thread if I need to reevaluate my AA choices!

Anyway, thanks again for your help.

Thetasigma said:

A black or electro-less nickel Beta QRv2 from Prometheus lights, it has a clip option that is hands down the best clip and deepest carry of any production AAA light. It also comes with a very nice 4500K high CRI 219B that has a good tint, I like my copper tool but the 219B it came with was green as hell. It'll be $90 shipped with the titanium clip option however.

Click to expand...

Thank you -- that Prometheus is indeed beautiful. I love the clip design BTW. Really great. However, two things hold me back from it -- first, the fact that it's a twisty (unless I totally misunderstand how to activate it), and second, the price. I feel like it's so easy to lose flashlights of this size (unless connected to keychain) that I'd rather stick with something less than $30, or even less than $20 if possible. And knowing how my son somehow commandeers little things like this from me (he just "borrowed" some of my headphones yesterday because it was "an emergency"), I doubt I'd be holding on to something this nice for very long before it became an "emergency" item and I wouldn't see it again for months or years.

However, I'll keep my eye on this since the design itself is really special or maybe as a special gift for someone. If it ever has a great lightning deal, I might spring for it. If they made a clicky one, I'd be much more tempted.

Factor Equipment Mizpah 130 is what replaced my Microstream a couple years ago.

Never mind - it has an unavoidable strobe.

LightObsession said:

Factor Equipment Mizpah 130 is what replaced my Microstream a couple years ago.

Never mind - it has an unavoidable strobe.

Click to expand...

That Factor Equipment Mizpah 130 looks great, but you're right, in my case, the strobe would be very undesirable unless it could be disabled or hidden like on the Streamlight ProTac 88049.

Would be really great if they had a version without that dang strobe... the features/specs look excellent, and the clip looks great too. In fact, I really like the way the clip is so securely attached. Looks almost perfect for what I want. I might pick one up just to try it though, if I can't find a closer model -- crossing fingers the 88049 is a home run.

cpfnovo said:

That Factor Equipment Mizpah 130 looks great, but you're right, in my case, the strobe would be very undesirable unless it could be disabled or hidden like on the Streamlight ProTac 88049.

Would be really great if they had a version without that dang strobe... the features/specs look excellent, and the clip looks great too. In fact, I really like the way the clip is so securely attached. Looks almost perfect for what I want. I might pick one up just to try it though, if I can't find a closer model -- crossing fingers the 88049 is a home run.

Click to expand...

The clip is the best that I've encountered on a 1AAA light.

The light weight (30g with battery), soft, floody beam, good mode spacing and fantastic clip are why this is still my light for hat brim use - despite the the unavoidable strobe. I haven't found an option that looks like it would work better for this use.

The other 1AAA that I carry is the Manker E02 right angle light. It has a nice soft beam and low low for dark adapted eyes.

Yeah, that Mizpah 130 is looking very tempting, almost perfect on paper, but I know that the strobe will give me grief. I definitely put it on my list though. I even contacted Factor and asked if they would consider making a hidden strobe option/version in the future, like the ProTac 88049 can do. Everything else about it looks like a winner for me.

The Manker E02 looks really nice for other uses, but wouldn't work out for my EDC patterns... nice feature set! I'm blown away by the number and configurations of flashlights... it's insane. I can see why people (including apparently myself) begin collecting!

Thanks again for your help!

Thanks again guys! With your help and after some more research, I think I've covered pretty much every decent AAA option that meets my specs, and I've boiled it down to the following flashlights. After more testing/pondering, the slightly revised version of my specs for my ideal "slim pocket clicky AAA with a good clip" are:

1 - Single AAA
2 - Good mechanical tail clicky with nice resistance to accidental clicks (as opposed to sensitive clickies or powered electronic clickies)
3 - Slim and preferably light, but does not need to be ultralight (i.e. keychain size is actually too small)
4 - Ideal length 3-3.5 inches
5 - Very good materials and build quality with no rough or sharp protrusions that can snag or scratch easily
6 - No strobe (hidden strobe is fine)
7 - No UV
8 - Good strong clip that allows flashlight to ride low in pocket
9 - Preferably reversible clip - either physically reversible or S/hat/two-way clip
10 - Preferably 3 modes with memory, starting with low: low + mid + high -- not sure on perfect mode spacing yet, but something like 3-5 + 35-50 + 110-150
11 - If 2 modes (not as preferable), then low + mid, something like 3-6 + 50-80
12 - If 1 mode (least preferable), then mid, but this is borderline not usable for me
13 - Under $30, preferably under $20 so I don't get too annoyed if I lose one or someone "borrows" one

I have either ordered or already have the flashlights listed below. When the rest come in, I'll post a comparative photo for the fun of it. Then I'll just rotate through them over the next few weeks and see which ones rise to the top. So the final list includes:

1 - Streamlight Microstream 66318
2 - Olight i3T
3 - Zanflare F3
4 - Lumintop Tool AAA (possibly will modify with new clip)
5 - SingFire 348 variant - (ordered Nichia version)
6 - Streamlight ProTac 88049
7 - Wuben E01 (possibly will modify with new clip)

I'll also rotate in a Lumintop Tool AA 2.0 when I have bigger pockets or need a few more features.

Unfortunately, some other great flashlights come close (like the Pelican 1910, Fenix LD02 v1 or v2, Mizpah 130, UltraTac A7, UltraTac K18), but don't make the list for one reason or another. But I think I've covered everything else on the market.

If anyone can think of another contender to order, please let me know! And thanks again!

tech25 said:

An idea for the tool aaa- since you have it already. The streamlight clip above, can fit it as a deeper carry option.

Click to expand...

Okay, quick update -- my extra Microstream clips just came in (didn't want to mess up the original clip on my actual Microstream) and so I just tried putting one of new ones on the Lumintop AAA Tool, and holy smokes, it fit really well. It might just be awesome... don't yet know how robustly it will stay on there, but this could be an *amazing* combo! Thank you to @tech25!!! Feeling like this *might* be a winner!

I'm glad it worked out! I can't take credit- I got the idea from someone on this forum.

Thats how I use mine, I feel like this should be the clip that comes with the light.

tech25 said:

I'm glad it worked out! I can't take credit- I got the idea from someone on this forum.

Thats how I use mine, I feel like this should be the clip that comes with the light.

Click to expand...

Yeah, it looks like it belongs, definitely better than the native Lumintop clip. It's like a whole new flashlight now. Almost perfect TBH. My only concern is how well it stays on there... there aren't any grooves to help prevent it from coming off like on the Microstream or the native clip, etc.. Have you had any issues? Did you need to use epoxy or something like that?

I just clipped it mostly on the knurling on the clicky end of the flashlight -- seems pretty solid/tight so far. Very excited to try this out. It's clipped to my pocket right now.

FYI for anyone who might read this thread in the future, the part number for the clip I bought is: Streamlight 660032 Pocket/Hat Clip for MicroStream.