Customer Reviews

Streamlight 66118 Stylus Pro Black LED Pen Flashlight with Holster

5 star:		(254)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Length:: 8:28 Mins

I remain amazed at the progress in portable lighting technology. Recent advancements in LED quality and brightness levels surpasses past iterations and as of May 2008 this seems to be the best light in this size and form factor. The Stylus Pro is an improvement over the thinner but not-as-bright regular Stylus, also a great little light (and reviewed also in the video). The SP not only has a brighter "high flux" LED but its push button switch makes it one hand operable, a big advantage pretty much in all situations. For these features it is only slightly thicker than the regular Stylus but still very lightweight (only a svelte 1.8 oz). The output is also electronically controlled meaning its brightness will be more consistent and even through the life of the batteries. Other features including materials, battery types, and their clips are covered in the video. Both the Stylus and the Stylus Pro are super quality lights that feature lightweight, small size, and good durability. In the world of small lights the Stylus Pro is currently reigning supreme.

Lightweight, intense light, easy to operate with one hand- this would be an incredible tool for law enforcement or an emergency responder. I'm buying a few more immediately I doubt one could ask for a more versatile hand held light. The beam is very intense- might even do well as a self-defense item as it is blinding if shone directly in the eyes. Money well spent!

Never owned a better light!
Super bright, easy to get batteries, tough construction and even a holster with a lifetime guaranty.
I also bought the Streamlight Ulta Stinger and it too is wonderful.
Streamlight has turned me into a light junkie.
I'm spoiled and will never buy another Maglite nor anything else.

I am a resident physician and The Streamlight 66118 Stylus Pro is a great light for me. I was tired of using cheap penlights that always seemed to break or flicker and where not very bright for assessing pupilary reflexes and patients' oropharynxes. During the early morning hours when patients are still asleep, this light also comes in very handy to assess surgical wounds as well.

Overall, I'm very happy with this light, and would strongly recommend it to anyone who needs a small but bright light.

I'm a veterinarian and have been looking for a penlight that won't break when dropped and won't stop working when wet. I've FINALLY found the perfect light! Not only is this thing shockproof and waterproof, but it also puts out brighter light from a pen light than I've ever seen in my life. I finally can get accurate pupillary light reflexes from a pen light! I've recommended this to many veterinarians, and all have given rave reviews! This little flashlight is amazing!

I am a service tech for industrial cranes. i have a need for a small portable light because many times i am working up high where normal lighting just doesn't shine. the streamlight 66118 is a very convenient way to carry a small, bright light to places where i need some illumination for checking crane components in dark places. recently, my streamlight was dropped from a height of approx. 25 feet onto a concrete floor. i was worried because even shock proof items can break after that kind of a fall. when i got back down to ground level, it still worked. i was very impressed to say the least. i would recommend this to anyone looking for easily portable lighting. It's definitely going to be a stocking stuffer this year when i buy presents for friends and family. you can't beat it for $20.

I purchased this light about 8 months ago. I took it with me for my travels in Asia and India. It came in handy often for electrical outages, arriving in dormitory arrangements late at night, checking bed frames for bed bugs, etc. I absolutely used it everyday, and many times each day. I often left it running for half an hour at a time during outages. I'm still running on original batteries, though I have no idea how those things are still kicking, and its running just as bright as ever.

Recently I noticed a rip in the rubber end cap. No biggie, though I figured it may not serve my waterproof needs for my canoe trip this coming summer, so I emailed them asking if my lifetime warranty still applied, admitting that it traveled in my pocket every day for an extended period of time, and that I was probably to blame for any damage. They told me to send them my address and they would be happy to send me a replacement end cap and, "I'm happy to get your light back up & running for you!"

Excellent product! Incredible brightness and longevity in a very small, durable, well designed pen-light. Excellent customer service.

I have been using the Microstream (a half-length, 1-battery version of this Stylus Pro) for a couple years now.

But I am looking at the Stylus Pro as a member of the "pen light" category, which makes it a king among weaker competitors rather than just a longer version of the Microstream. If you want a 2-battery penlight for better handling and long battery life, the Sylus Pro completely tramples the alternatives.

It is twice as bright as the best 5mm LED flashlights (older Stylus model, cheap Energizer penlight, or even a Photon keychain).

The beam is smoother, with a nice round hotspot and a flood area almost completely free of rings (except for a few very dim rings at the edge, which are invisible in normal usage).

The beam is also whiter. It has a lot less of a blue tint than cheaper LEDs (though it is not as white as big fancy flashlights with CREE LEDs).

The 24-lumen brightness is perfect for most users, being both bright enough for most general-purpose tasks and not consuming too much energy. Streamlight's claim of 7.5 hours has been confirmed by independent user tests.

The Stylus Pro also appears to have a voltage regulator to maintain most of its peak brightness over it's full battery life. It does not begin to dim immediately as most penlights do. Many other penlights will claim some absurd battery life like 20-30 hours, even thought the flashlight is only half as bright after a couple hours.

The switch is a "forward clickie", meaning that the light turns on as you press the button forward so you can do a momentary flash by not clicking it on fully (vs. a "reverse clickie", which does not activate until the button is fully pressed and then released).

The overall construction is also very solid. No plastic screw threads, and the whole thing looks water resistant. The button has a rubber boot, the tailcap has a gasket, and there is a window over the front end.

It costs 2-3 times as much as cheap penlights, but for some reason 2-AAA penlights are always made as cheaply as possible. The Stylus Pro is currently the only option if you want a "good" one, and it has no obvious faults.

Recent developments in LED technology are very promising. LED's are an economical, super bright light source, that draw less power, and have a much longer life than incandescent lamps. Although LED's do degrade slowly over time, they will still produce decent output for a long, long time.

This Streamlight 66118 flashlight utilizes a single high output LED as the light source, and powered by two AAA batteries, produces a very bright and intense beam of light. Beam spread is rather narrow, and not adjustable. The flashlight provides good general illumination for short distances, and has the kick to reach quite far.

The housing is weather resistant anodized aluminum, with a rubber sealed on/off switch at the top. Gently pushing the switch, temporarily turns the light on. There is a metal clip which is attached to the screw on cap with the switch. As has been noted in another review, if you are not careful, the clip can scrape the finish of the housing when the cap is screwed off or on. Putting a layer of tape around the housing, where the clip touches the housing should help prevent damage. A serviceable nylon holster is also included.

Through the years there have probably been thousands of different designs for flashlights, and what is really amazing, is the small number that actually work well. The design of such simple device, apparently has not been perfected yet. The light output of this flashlight is fantastic, but I was having problems with the light not coming on every time the switch was pressed. I was using alkaline batteries, but when I switched to rechargeable batteries the problem almost completely went away. Evidently the terminals of the rechargeable batteries made better contact with the spring, and the LED lamp contact.

Conventional alkaline batteries usually hold their charge for a long time, and so they are a good choice for a flashlight that is mainly used for emergencies. The downside is that alkaline batteries can leak, and the acid can damage or destroy a flashlight. Using rechargeable batteries, you can avoid the leaking problem, but most rechargeables do not hold a charge for very long, and you run the risk of not having power when you really need it.

If you have a problem with a buggy switch, try using rechargeable batteries. Other than that issue, this is a very powerful and well constructed flashlight, that is convenient to carry and use. What is also good about this model versus others by Streamlight, is that the lens is flat and less exposed to danger, and it uses easy to obtain AAA batteries.

The good: Overall, this is a decent little gadget. It's really bright, super efficient, and runs on AAA batteries you can get anywhere. Of course, it's not a spotlight or anything, but I would certainly say this flashlight holds its own against the Minimag's brightness. I would probably recommend this light if you are absolutely strapped for cash and need a pen light (but see below).

The bad: Well for starters, this light is not particularly well built. It's hard to explain, but it just feels hulky and cheap. The cap has a squeakyness to it that attests to this. Also, the clicky switch on the back is difficult to depress, requiring you to really dig in with your thumb to turn on the light. It's not the end of the world, but if you want a user friendly, well built light, the Stylus Pro may not be for you.

My second issue is that while running this light for approximately 15 minutes consecutively, one of the original Duracell batteries that it came with exploded. The battery was not expired, and was in the light for about a month prior, with intermittent use. It is entirely possible that the battery was the culprit, but I suspect it has something to do with the design of the flashlight since I have never had an issue with Duracells before.

I sent the light to Streamlight, and they promptly remitted a (supposedly) brand new replacement, which was DOA. At first, I couldn't even swap out the batteries since they were stuck firmly in the light. To make a long story short, I managed to pry them out using a screw and I found they were wrapped in cellphane, which caused them to become stuck inside. In any event, I tried new batteries -- to no avail. I also noticed that the reflector appears to have been warped and wavy.

I contacted Streamlight, and they are supposed to be shipping me a new light, which I intend to promptly sell on Ebay upon receipt.


Preon II comparison:

In the interim, I splurged and purchased the 4Sevens Preon II and I could not be happier with it. The Preon is orders of multitude above the Stylus and IMHO is well worth the $45 outlay. The Preon has a very crisp and well made clicky switch, is waterproof to 12 feet, has 7 modes -- including 3 brightness levels, is made with a Cree led, is smaller and lighter than the Stylus pro, feels extremely well built and sleek, and maxes at a whopping 120 lumens. It boasts a noticeably superior build, without the "squeakyness" and bulky feel of the Stylus pro. (If you buy the Stylus, you will quickly see what I mean by "squeakyness.") If you can spare some more cash I would definitely recommend the Preon over the stylus pro. However, as mentioned above, if $20 is your budget go for the Stylus Pro.