Keyring flashlight help

Hello all.l need some recommendations for a keyring flashlight.

this is for a 17 yer old boy who is driving. I have under consideration the Four Sevens Atom cr123a and the Mini Mk 2. Also under consideration is the Olight i3e aaa.

I really like the Atom as it seems it could be useful at night changing a tire or looking under the hood due to the magnet. I am concerned because I have read it gets hot under continual usage. The olight because it is small and light.

I have CR123 lights so keeping him in batteries is not a concern. If I go that route I'll get a carrier for him to keep spare batteries in his car.

I could go a key ring light and a separate car light . I have purchased the previous model minis as xmas presents and I was pretty impressed with those.

Thanks!

I personally wouldn't use it as such, but a lot of people seem to like one of the Lumintop Tools as key ring lights. An advantage would be that there is a non-switching magnetic tail cap available. It turns the Tool into a twisty, but it does come in handy working around metallic objects.

No matter what light you get, I'll pass along a tip. Put the light on it's own O ring, then connect that O ring to the key ring. That way you can actually point the light in the same direction as the key when going to lock/unlock whatever. It doesn't seem like much, but it makes a world of difference in usability.

I'm partial to the AAA format due to bulk on a ring and have used a Maratac since they hit the scene years back. But if it's on a modern car key ring with the alarm clicker I'd consider a cr123 style stiff twisty for certain. Also a strobe function in case you need to attract attention on the road side. Not sure if Atoms have 4sevens hidden modes though

Great tip timothybill!
I like the two light option.

For a key chain light, the smaller the better.
Certainly no larger than a AAA light. There are some 10440 rechargeable options.
But for a car light, and for changing a tire, a headlamp is hard to beat.
However more important IMO is a traffic wand diffuser.

I also keep a Rayovac 2AA indestructible in my car.






I keep it loaded with a pair of Duracell NiMH batteries, that I occasionally charge, and a four pack of energizer lithium primaries in the glove box as back-up.

Timothybil said:

I personally wouldn't use it as such, but a lot of people seem to like one of the Lumintop Tools as key ring lights. An advantage would be that there is a non-switching magnetic tail cap available. It turns the Tool into a twisty, but it does come in handy working around metallic objects.

No matter what light you get, I'll pass along a tip. Put the light on it's own O ring, then connect that O ring to the key ring. That way you can actually point the light in the same direction as the key when going to lock/unlock whatever. It doesn't seem like much, but it makes a world of difference in usability.

Click to expand...

Great tip thanks! I'll keep that in mind. Maybe modern keyring with flashlight would make a good combo!

nein166 said:

I'm partial to the AAA format due to bulk on a ring and have used a Maratac since they hit the scene years back. But if it's on a modern car key ring with the alarm clicker I'd consider a cr123 style stiff twisty for certain. Also a strobe function in case you need to attract attention on the road side. Not sure if Atoms have 4sevens hidden modes though

Click to expand...

You are correct, I think he does have some kind of pod with his auto but I don't even know if he uses it or not, I'll have to check on that. I am glad you brought that up because I was just looking at the Surefire Sidekick. If he already has the clicker then a Sidekick would be too much..

Poppy said:

Great tip timothybill!
I like the two light option.

For a key chain light, the smaller the better.
Certainly no larger than a AAA light. There are some 10440 rechargeable options.
But for a car light, and for changing a tire, a headlamp is hard to beat.
However more important IMO is a traffic wand diffuser.

I also keep a Rayovac 2AA indestructible in my car.

I keep it loaded with a pair of Duracell NiMH batteries, that I occasionally charge, and a four pack of energizer lithium primaries in the glove box as back-up.

Click to expand...

I have decided that you are correct. I need to just go with a key ring light and I'll purchase a car light separately.

So on the keyring light under consideration are the Olight I3E EOS Copper, Maratac AAA Copper Rev4, Lumnitop Tool T1.
For CR123A the only thing I have found so far is the Four Sevens Mini MK 2 and the Atom. The only thing I don't like about the Mini MK2 is that the keyring clip is snap on.
Tomorrow he is going to look at the previous version of the Mini that I gave a few years ago as presents.
Any comments on any of these choices?
One other thing I have considered is the aaa for a keyring then buy him the Atom and the headband to keep in his car with spare batteries.

I own all the lights mentioned above. I love Four Sevens, and with any of their lights you mentioned, if he kept their $15 headband in his glove box he would have it available as handsfree whenever needed. I personally carry 3-4 lights in the car at all times(2-3 in car, plus 1,2 or 3 that I carry). If his "car light" is a 2x CR123, and keyring a mini or Atom(Cr123), you always have an extra battery. The one thing I suggest you consider is that if you used the Mini Mk 2, or an Olight i7R, as the keyring light they are always ready to just "pull" and the light is separate from the key ring to be used wherever needed. Of course a Nite Ize Mini carabiner is also a simple option.

I've found in my years of having a key chain flashlight that the AAA and CR123A format is too big to put on my keys.
This is just my opinion since I've previously had lights like the Fenix E05, 4Sevens P0, and 4Sevens Mini on my keys and considered them too bulky.

Last year I switched to a JetBeam Mini Ti and have been very pleased with it. It uses a rather weird cell - 10180 (not totally unfamiliar if you are aware of Peak or Veleno flashlights) but the flashlight is micro USB rechargeable so it's easy to recharge. I have it set up with a tiny McGizmo clip on my split ring for quick detachment.
The biggest downside is, of course, battery life but given that my key chain light is a backup it's an acceptable compromise.

Crazyeddiethefirst said:

I own all the lights mentioned above. I love Four Sevens, and with any of their lights you mentioned, if he kept their $15 headband in his glove box he would have it available as handsfree whenever needed. I personally carry 3-4 lights in the car at all times(2-3 in car, plus 1,2 or 3 that I carry). If his "car light" is a 2x CR123, and keyring a mini or Atom(Cr123), you always have an extra battery. The one thing I suggest you consider is that if you used the Mini Mk 2, or an Olight i7R, as the keyring light they are always ready to just "pull" and the light is separate from the key ring to be used wherever needed. Of course a Nite Ize Mini carabiner is also a simple option.

Click to expand...

We are thinking alike! The atom covers all the bases I'm just waiting on him to look at some minis for size evaluation. I didn't even know about the locking carabiner's but now I have one on my list.

I had a flash when I started checking this thread today. At one time I leased a Dodge 300. Yeah, I know, long long time ago. Doesn't really matter, this could apply to any vehicle. The wife, two little kids and I were traveling from Cincinnati to the Quad Cities (doesn't really matter where, just an eight hour drive) to the wife's home town for Christmas. We were traveling at night because that way the kids would sleep most of the way there. Anyway, as we drove along we noticed that the car was getting colder (Upper Midwest winter - probably around zero that night), and noticed that the heater fan wasn't running. Started to worry about what to do 'cause I didn't want to let it get too cold in the car, especially with the kids. Anyway, we stopped for an early breakfast, and when we got back in the car, the fan started working again, so I would check into it later. Subsequent investigation proved that the ignition switch was worn, and wouldn't always spring totally back after starting the car. Apparently multiple contacts were involved since most of the electrical functions would work, but not the heater fan. Then found it was only a problem with wife's key ring. While mine had the usual three or four keys on it, hers was loaded. Close to a dozen keys all together. Apparently the extra weight pulling down wore something partially out inside the switch.

The bottom line is since then I have always been leery of having too much weight on my key ring. Something to keep in mind when talking about fobs and lights on your key ring.

Thats the kind of lesson I love learning Timothybil and its knowledge I'll probably need as my own wife has a loaded up key ring, Car keyfob, house keys, padlock keys, Thrunite Ti, and every single shopping loyalty savings program scanner keyfob card in a 50 mi radius.

I'd go with Nitecore's unobtrusive Tube or Tip which he can recharge while he's on his computer each of which is light and has a slim form factor.

I'd suggest keeping the two lights - a headlamp in the car, and a single AAA light in the key ring. Either the i3S or the Thrunite Ti3. If you go for the Olight, but a separate keychain clip, as their one breaks easily and the light will disappear. It's literally the only problem with that light.

They could always glue a magnet to the tail of either of those lights.

That being said, also consider the Fenix UC02. It's tiny and USB rechargeable. Much better on a keychain than aight using a AAA battery.

I'd argue against a rechargeable light on a keychain. Put a 1xAAA light on there and use the Energizer Lithium cells or even a coin-cell light like a Photon.

Your keychain light should always be available to use and not have to worry about be charged or recharged, in my opinion.

this_is_nascar I second that primary cells on the keychain only for me. I can't depend on a rechargeable powered light with such a small capacity being ready when you need it.