For decades, I've been wanting a light which is small enough for a keychain, uses common rechargeable batteries, never needs a bulb replacement, can be both dim and bright, and provides light for a long time before needing new batteries.
I've finally found it. This is the one.
This light is the length of a tube of chapstick, but thinner. It provides anywhere from 2 lumens to 96 lumens depending on which setting it's on, and it starts with the low setting. The manual claims it lasts 50 hours per charge on low (1.8 lumens), 4 hours on medium (22 lumens), or 55 minutes on high (96 lumens), but I haven't tested it yet. Candlepowerforums measured it at 1 hour, 2.2 hours, and 34 hours (if I recall correctly), at a brightness of 78 lumens, ~25 lumens, and 3.5 lumens. The people at candlepowerforums also claim it can produce about 225 lumens when using a Li-Ion 10440 battery, but I haven't tried that either (they recommend against it since it may burn out the LED due to overheating). I got mine for $20.
With just a single AAA NiMH battery, it out-shines my
much-larger CREE Q5 LED flashlight
which takes three AAA batteries. However, it is not nearly as bright as my other favorite light, an
UltraFire BBQbuy@7w 300lm Mini Cree Led Flashlight
, which uses a single AA battery and gets 200+ lumens.
Pro:
- Small! Is the length of a tube of chapstick, but narrower. Fits nicely on my keychain or in my purse.
- Bright! Shines up to 96 lumens, which is plenty for almost anything less than 100 feet away. (I hear it can do 200+ lumens with a Li-Ion battery, too)
- Uses a standard AAA battery; NiMH rechargeables work great and allow me to use the light as much as I want without worrying about batteries.
- Dimmable: 1.8 lumens, 22 lumens, or 96 lumens. I use the dim setting a lot when I don't want to ruin my night vision or I don't want to wake people up.
- The modes go low -> medium -> high, which is great for avoiding accidental blinding. Only shines brighter if you want it to.
- The light color is solid white -- probably around 5000K, with no visible discoloration at the center or edges like most LED lights.
- Long(ish) battery life, especially on the low setting.
- Includes a clip-on chain. (split ring plus claw attachment)
- Includes a removable, reversible pocket clip. (which I don't use, but it'd be nice for people who want to clip it to the brim of a hat)
- Includes two extra "O" rings for long-term use. I may never need another keychain light again.
Con:
- A button might be nicer than twisting on/off, but it's so small there's nowhere to put a button.
- Would be nice if it could focus (but the fixed focus is done well).
- Can't tail-stand.
- The light is waterproof, but the split ring and claw attachment can rust in water.
- At $20 the price isn't bad, but it's more than 3X as much as the 200+ lumen AA-battery light I got for $6. That's the only thing keeping me from buying one for everyone I know.
This light will be going everywhere with me for a long, long time.
Update 2012-10-10:
I did a bit of research and found that the LED in this light is a Cree XP-G R5. This LED is rated for up to 493 lumens at 4.9 watts, so the iTP light is only running at 20% its rated capacity. This is good, since it will extend the LED lifetime, and it means you can cram a lot more power through it if you need extra brightness (and don't mind overheating since there's no heat sink). The XP-G R5 is rated at an efficiency of 141 lumens per watt at 350mA, which is more than twice the XR-E Q5 found in the AA UltraFire light I linked above (rated at 60 lumens per watt). It's also twice the efficiency of fluorescent lights, which is an impressive feat.
Similar lights:
(2013-05) This product has been replaced by a newer model: the Olight i3. The Olight i3 has also been replaced now, by the Olight i3S. The main differences are: the i3 can tail-stand, has a screw-on clip, and hangs askew on a keychain. The i3S can tail-stand, went back to the clip-on clip, hangs a little straighter (but not as straight as the iTP A3), replaced the strobey PWM with current-controlled constant output, and completely changed the output modes -- medium (20lm/10h), high (80lm/1h), moon (0.5lm/120h), in that order. Note that the i3S does *not* have a traditional "low" mode (my favorite mode), and its moon mode is at the end of its sequence (so you'll have to kill your night vision before entering moon mode). I prefer the i3 over the i3S, and I've seen the i3 for as little as $15 sometimes.
For those with more cash, there is another product which may be slightly nicer but it costs nearly twice as much (about $38 vs $20). It's the
Fenix LD01 R4
. Compared to this light, it's slightly longer... but it can tail-stand, it has better throw, it has longer battery life at similar light levels, and it's current regulated for consistent light output. The Fenix product is only 72 lumens, but CandlePowerForums measured this iTP at only 78 lumens so it's not a big difference. It also comes in a bundle with a cheaper light (E01) for the same price as the light by itself. However, the iTP A3 EOS still seems to be the best in its price range.
For a cheaper option, the Tank007 E09 is a very popular clone of the Fenix LD01 and costs around $13 last I checked.
Or, for an even more expensive alternative ($50 to $70 depending on color), the
Klarus Mi-X6
is pretty and can be worn as jewelry. It has nice current-regulated output too, comparable to the Fenix light, but it's more floody and less throwy. Only really useful indoors and up close, and probably good for reading.
But for that price, I'd rather upgrade my primary torch to a Zebralight. The
Zebralight H51
is in a similar price range and is far more powerful and versatile. Some have even turned it into a bolo necktie, though it's not as pretty as a Klarus. For ideas, look up "zebralight mods" on candlepowerforums. (the short version is: with a shoelace, a cable lock, a bit of velcro, and a magnet, that light can do almost anything)
| Special Feature | Rechargeable |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Light Source Type | LED |
| Material | Aluminum |
| White Brightness | 150 Lumens |
| Included Components | Battery |
| Brand | ITP |
| Brightness | 150 Lumen |
| Battery Description | Lithium |
| Runtime | 50 hours |
| Finish Type | Aluminum |
| Manufacturer | Aimkon |
| Part Number | FBA_A3-150 |
| Item Weight | 0.16 ounces |
| Package Dimensions | 4.3 x 2.6 x 0.5 inches |
| Item model number | FBA_A3-150 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Finish types | Aluminum |
| Special Features | Rechargeable |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | Yes |
