We review and recommend you flashlights that we have tested, and proven is good bang for the bucks. Which one to buy, where to buy and where to get coupon codes!
This is my best viewcount and earning flashlight video. Why did it went viral, can it be a magical blessing from YouTube? I don't know, but you can see it and tell me why. The camera quality isn't the best, video isn't fancy and not edited mostly. I was just having fun myself on the balcony and trying to be funny at the same time. Somehow, people like to see a fun guy having fun at home. That's YouTube!
I have been doing so many flashlight reviews on YouTube and most of them are product reviews, showing people the product, beamshot, getting more and more serious, but is this really driving in a lot of good traffic? Not as much as my old stuff. I wonder why. I think YouTube is a place where people are most inclined to search up something fun to watch, something that they will know a guy is not being a "sales" of a product, and just having fun himself, which shows the real side of human being, and the real feelings they have behind the product. I guess that's why.
Somehow I have this urge of wanting to try to goof around again and try to do some of these fun videos again with the informal vibe, not sure if that is a good idea?
Beside that, I want to buy new stuff in the future to do product reviews for my guns and stuff again, but I am really out of space at home. If anyone is interested in buying my gears including flashlights, guns, euro swords and stuff, you can alway e-mail me to inquire!
Some fans were asking me if I am still blogging and doing flashlight reviews - YES, I am! I just got busy with YouTube and such, then of course I killed my hours for blogging. It's hard to keep up, but I am going to tell you guys that I think I should be coming back very soon with nice pics and flashlight postings again. I have got some new flashlights after the previous post, and if you are a fans of our YouTube channel, you should know that we got a lot of products in the past few months, tons of fun toys and I have been playing with them everyday till today! There will be updates, re-review, and some honest comments to some comments of good and bad products I have tried and tested so far. It's time to pop my head up and tell you guys that I am coming back again with this blog. Stay tune for my future posting and hope you will keep supporting me and my channel by shopping with our codes, our amazon links and sharing out our blog and YouTube channel to your friends! See you soon!
The Olight S1 Baton is a very unique and small light, and yes, it is smaller than the Thrunite T21, or the "on the road M3" etc. All those CR123 lights cannot beat this one in terms of size. Somehow Olight just made it smaller, and it's sexy, shiny, fancy! This light is a little bit pricier than the other CR123 lights I have reviewed before, but is definitely worth the bucks if you are looking for quality and a super small size light for a CR123 EDC light. The lens they put on this light is also very unique, which I have never seen before. Before we go on with more details, let's give you the links to buy this light first..!
Somehow Amazon does not sell the titanium series anymore, but the black one is about the same thing, just a different finish on top, no worry! It's just some cosmetics difference.
When I get the Olight S1 Baton in hand, I thought to myself - this is tiny! The light comes with a diffuser which is glow in the dark! Such a sweet touch to the package! The black version or the other versions don't seems to include this, or maybe only a few "package" will come with one. I personally will pick the package with the diffuser for sure, it's just one of the best diffuser ever. First of all, it's not cheap plastic, and secondly, it glows! After the light is out, you get a long glowing green tube, super handy for camping and such!
This is the lens on the Olight S1 Baton, as you can see it is not those normal flat lens. They call this a TIR lens? It's like a little round shaped that pops out in the center, with the other place kind of sloped inward, it feels like a lens that is made to give you a super soft and diffused beam, while keeping all the light in one soft spot. There is also a copper bezel on top, that protects your lens from being damaged. I like how the color contrast between the bezel and the body, very high class!
I was trying to take a picture of the LED with the camera, while the light is turned on, and you can see the middle is totally a white ball looking spot, very much a diffused beam setup!
The button on the Olight S1 Baton is very neat. It is a smooth surface rubbery button with a copper ring that goes around it, making it very classy looking. The button is very easily felt by the finger too. The clip of the S1 baton is very well done and secured. The best thing is that you can have the ring slipped or rolled to overlap the button and it will not get jammed by the button too. It basically almost protects the button from being pressed, pretty cool.
The base of the Olight S1 Baton is magnetic with a magnet inside the base, which also helps you sticks out the battery in case you need to take out a very tightly fitted one. The magnet is about the same strength as the one they used in Thrunite T21. Not bad, it is good enough for all kinds of normal usage and you can have the light sticking to your car's steel frame and be your repairing work light, very handy for most people.
The size of the Olight S1 Baton is the reason why you want this over the other CR123 lights. It's powerful, and it is the smallest in its class. I have not encountered another light that is smaller and offers the same kind of power. It's basically the smallest CR123 light so far, maybe?
The wall of the light is not very thick, which helps to reduce a bit of thickness and size, and the base is equipped with a gold plated spring, which is kind of stiff and hard. The light overall is simple, and yet powerful. They say the highest mode should be about 500 lumens, yet my box say that it is about 450 lumens or 490 lumens, but whatever lumen number it is, it feels bright enough beside my other CR123 lights of the same class. It's legit!
This picture you can see the magnet better, and it's not a ring magnet but a one piece circular magnet with the spring over it.
When you get your Olight S1 Baton, remember to look at this and do not put the batteries in the normal way, the positive ends goes to the BACK end and not the front! I tried doing it the normal way and thought my light was defective! It just doesn't turn on! Glad there is no damage done to the light even with my accidents though.
The diffuser is one of a kind, and it has a spot that is kind of flat on the lower portion to give your diffuser some space to slips in and not be jammed by the diffuser. It's a very cute and handy setup, and as you can see, the whole thing combined is not so big at all.
The tone of the elight is very warm and very comfortable to the eyes. I have got addicted to this light for my night time bed light purpose, because the light is so yellow and so warm that it brings me some comfortable feelings when I was trying to read before sleep, definitely a great EDC or for camping.
Holding the light in hand on turbo mode is tricky, because after about 5minutes of burning the light on turbo, it gets a bit hot and is not the best light for a long runtime usage on turbo. I would say that using the light on medium mode is the most practical way of using this light. It provides you a long runtime and enough brightness for most tasks.
This is the light after the light shuts off, the glow in the dark glows and continue glowing for a pretty good amount of time. Usually I went to sleep with the light glowing green and even after 10 minutes or 15 minutes, it is still green and you can easily spot the light in the dark, giving you a quick access to the light in case you need to get the light to go to washroom or something. Great feature, and I love that long-glowing diffuser, unlike any cheapo glow in the dark things that just looks green on the surface when not glowing, and doesn't really glows in the dark.
As you can see, the light do sticks! I have tried it on doors, fridge, cars, and many other places, it just totally rocks! You can think of so many usage with this light, it's so practical, so small and so EDC-friendly. Even for a bit more money, I would say that if you want a "small" EDC, this one should be your top choice.
Thrunite T01 Giveaway for anyone who subscribed to my channel, liked this video below, and comment on the video page to say you want to win and why you like the light. Aug 7, 2016 will be our draw date, do whatever you need to do to get the prize! Amazing flashlight for free, and free shipping for you no matter where you are! Just hope you don't live on the moon or Venus...because Canada Post don't deliver there..! WOW! Join now and win a light!
This is the Thrunite TH20 Headlamp, 520 lumens max output with a 14500 battery and 250 lumens from a NiMH AA cell! Very crazy deal for a $30 range headlamp. Have you handled some average joe grade headlamp from the big box store before? Ugly beam, low lumens, and very crappy plastic. This one is made from good metal, runs on both AA and 14500 cells, powerful, durable, and reliable, with a good company that backs you up in case of anything. What's better than a Thrunite TH20? I just put the Thrunite T01 beside the box as a reference, so you know how small the package is!! Before I get into the review, let's give you all the links for purchasing this flashlight!
Open up the box, and there goes a well packaged headlamp. It's so small and so nicely packed, like as if it is jewelry out of a box! I like how Thrunite package their products, it's a nice presentation!
There is a spare rubber holder piece below the light, and also the manual and such.
These are all the goodies inside the box. 2 spare o-rings, one spare holder, manual, welcome card, the light with head strap, and air from Thrunite's factory.
The light! Thrunite TH20 is slim, slick and sexy!
Of course, the LED here, with a pretty unique look. Not sure how that orange peel rim works, but I am sure the light is more of a diffused beam than a focused beam. This headlamp is going to be a practical light for those who needs to work with medium range to close range, such as fishing, boating, camping, BBQ, and such. It's not a long range headlamp - but we have got their TH10 for that job!
The Thrunite TH20 from the top.
The bottom.
One side of the light is the camp that you opens up - gosh this is small! Look at the cap compared to a Canadian quarter. The light is even smaller than the quarter! I think the TH20 and TH10 is kind of similar, while the TH10 is smaller and meant for a closer range purpose.
Notice the gold plated spring and thick wall of the flashlight itself? There is also a plastic piece that lowers your battery to one side, which I think is because of the LED sticking out the front, so the battery got to be pushed to one side to fit.
Take a close look at the inside.
The button is very unique, you can click it once to turn it on, hold for it to gradually dims down or brighten up to infinity. Then after it reaches the highest point, it will blink and you will know it has stopped. Then when you double click, you get your highest mode. When the light is off, and you hold the button for a few seconds, you get your firefly mode. I love this UI, it's so unique and so practical! The Nitecore HC90 used to be cool with this gradual-dimming and brightening feature, but the HC90 just love to be accidentally turned on, the switch is too lose and too easy to click over by accident when carried in a bag. I prefer the Thrunite TH20 for sure. Not forget that this light runs on AA or 14500, which is super friendly for all audience!
The more you use it, the more you like it! The light is bright and offers you a good spready beam. The light is also very slim in size, it's like a smaller brother of the TH10 when put side by side!
I put an Olight 14500 in the light and boom! There goes 520 lumens! It's a very nice beam profile and brightness. The 520 lumens seems legit, and has a similar beam color as the TH10 too. The best mode on this light is the FIREFLY MODE! I cannot explain it, but you need a firefly mode for these lights! When it's pitch black out there, a firefly mode really helps without using up all your battery juice!
Thrunite TH20 vs TH10 side by side, you can see the TH10 is larger and heavier, but it uses a 18650 battery, with a longer beam distance, which is meant for longer range. If you are hiking and such, the TH10 is for you. If you want a light for close up or mid range, the TH20 is definitely the best headlamp I have owned so far. I am proud of this product! It beats all the headlamp I have here as of today!
The top is the TH10, bottom is Thrunite TH20. Much smaller in size!
The Nitecore HC30 used to be my favorite light for headlamp back then, because it is so small and uses a single 18650 cell for 1000 lumens. At the same time, it's has a 90 degree head, which is pretty unique and useful. I use the HC30 as a clip-on light on my messenger bag so it can help me brighten the road while I walk outside at night. Um.. To be honest, the Thurnite TH20 is better. Smaller in size, can use AA or 14500, plus, it has a more diffused beam, which makes it better for walking at night.
Thrunite TH20 beside Thrunite T01 keychain light. Wow, they are about the same length!
Thrunite TH20 beside a Canadian quarter. Small head and small bezel, I think this is so far the best headlamp I have owned and used. Looking forward to report how it works when I have used it at night for an extended period of time. Exciting!
Thrunite T01, 125 lumens keychain light on sales for $6.95! What do I need to say on top of "awesome, get a few!!!"? I have no idea why they can do this to knock the market's bottom line! People have been selling lots of cheap lights here and there, but none of them are really quality flashlights. There are $3-4 crap-lights on ebaey, but they sucks and they have no quality control, bad LED and beam profile, and most important, they don't give a crap about customer service, no warranty, no customer care. Thrunite is a reputable company, and they care about their customer, if anything, contact them and they will take care of you. I like to buy from trusted and ethical company only, and so should you! Never trust a crap-light for something that is so important. When you need a flashlight the most, it's probably an emergency time, and you don't want the light the have any chance of failure. Thrunite will not disappoint you. GET A FEW!
DO NOT use those big box stuff like duracell, panasonic, energizers etc.
Those rechargeables never last as long and love to self-drain all the
time. I only like Sanyo and Eneloop PRO these days for a good solid
reason, trust the experienced guy!
First of all, the Thrunite T01 is inexpensive, yet it is not cheap. You can see everything is nicely packaged just like their Thrunite Ti3 (one of my favorite!). The light comes in a nice aluminum/tin container, nicely packed and tightly held together with the cardboard "wrap-around" piece. It's secured and you won't hear a single rattle inside.
Open it up, the package is just like a perfect gift package, with the light placed perfectly in the right spot, and there is a keychain "chain", 2 spare o-rings, manual, welcome card, and such. The only thing missing is one freebie AAA battery, which I really wish Thrunite can do that to their products, then it will make it superb on top of awesome.
There are two different options for the beam color, cool white and neutral white. The neutral white is awesome! GET THAT! The cool white seems bright to the eyes, but neutral white is the thing you want for actual use, because it is so comfortable to the eyes, and it's addictive to look at! I cannot say more than GET IT today. Sorry, it's too awesome!
The LED and TIR lens! They look like a pair of yellow eyes, lol! I like the diffused beam, very clean looking to me, and a very comfortable beam profile.
The body is well constructed, and you do not have a pocket clip with the T01, yet you have a keychain thingy included. Well, if you want you can always clip your Ti3's pocket clip on this one if you really need a clip. To me, it's just fine!
I forgot to mention, the thickness of the "wall" of this tube is pretty decent, which means, it's tough and it is for sure strong enough to withstand any crazy abuse. The Thrunite T01 is really alike with the Ti3, but there IS a difference!
Some people complained about the Thrunite T01 having a shallow thread cutting? Not with mine! All my Tbrunite T01, Ti3, Ti Hi are all good after months of use, and they hold strongly together as new. Never a problem with mine, you can be ensured!
Nice texture showing up! Grippy!
From left to right - Thrunite T01, Thrunite Ti Hi (Ti3), Olight i3e, Lumintop Worm, Nitecore T5s, Thrunite T01 again, Lumintop Tool AAA.
To be honest, Thrunite T01 is not the smallest yet, but it is the 2nd smallest beside this Olight i3e. While the Olight i3e is nice and smaller, the beam from the Thrunite T01 is much brighter and nicer. It's hard to choose, but I will pick the Thrunite T01 over the Olight myself, because I like more lumens in my pocket. LOL! My spouse chose the Olight i3e because she likes something that is not just black or silver in color. Well, personal preference!
The Thrunite T01 vs the Ti Hi / Ti3. The Ti3 or Ti Hi is a tiny bit bigger, and with a clip for your pocket if you care about that. The clip can be snapped onto the T01 if you like.
After all, I can tell you that the Thrunite T01 is definitely a winner, and a legend in flashlight history. It's an inexpensive light, when on sales - only $6.95! While it's inexpensive, it's not cheap at all. You can bring this light to compare with any keychain light on the market and call this a winner. It's bright, it's simple and practical. If anything, contact Thrunite and they will take care of you, which is what you cannot get from buying a crap-light from ebay and such. Customer care from a good company is important, because it means they care about your safety and won't design a light that will be potentially dangerous for you and your family! Not only that, you are ensured to have the light WORK when you need it to work. Don't buy crap-light guys, stick to good ethical company with a good reputation! I strongly recommend the Thrunite T01, no matter it's on sales or not.
Why buy a single mode flashlight such as the Thrunite T01? I know the Ti3 is fancy and it has all sorts of modes, but the Thrunite T01 is simple, and during a real-life situation when you need a light, you mostly want it to just turn on and light up the place. You will not want to turn the head 3x to get your high mode! Most of the time, brighter is better, and it's never too bright. Some people say if you are just walking around the house or tents at night, you don't want to disturb everyone, and you want a lower lumen mode? Well, then you might want to get a Ti3 instead. This T01 is a keychain light that goes to your car keys and such. Just in case of anything, you need a light to help you get out of something or read a map, there goes the light. It's tough, it's simple, and you will not have any issues operating it under any stressful moment. Try it, you will love single mode AAA lights! It takes time to really enjoy a single mode light, but eventually you will - when you put it to real use!
DO NOT use those big box stuff like duracell, panasonic, energizers etc.
Those rechargeables never last as long and love to self-drain all the
time. I only like Sanyo and Eneloop PRO these days for a good solid
reason, trust the experienced guy!
Lumintop SD4A is another crazy good, oh wait, it's now my BEST 4xAA sub-compact flashlight! I have to tell you guys that this is not like any other 4xAA light you can find in the market! I have a lot of love for Thrunite's light and their TN4A, but this one made it better by using a smaller body, and has the D cell compatibility in case you run out of AA batteries! That's right, you can use a single D cell in the light as a replacement of the 4x AA battery too. This light outputs 1000 lumens with just 4x NiMH, and if you buy the XP-L Hi version, it claims 950 lumens, but is actually much brighter than that in reality. I remembered someone from another forum tested the lumens of these lights and they are actually all over 1000 lumens in his test. No matter what the number is, I cam just tell you that it's stunningly bright! I have no more words in my brain that can describe this light's brightness, but with 4x AA battery, it cannot get any brighter! Before we go on with the review, check out the links below to buy yours!
First of all, let's take a look at the size of this Lumintop SD4A, it's what I call a sub-popcan size flashlight. The light is very slim and feels very solid when put together. Everything fits tightly together and it seems like the light can even be a pocket-friendly light too. I tried carrying it on my jacket's chest pocket, it is okay and feels comfortable enough for a short walk.
There goes the head to head comparison. You can't imagine a 4x AA flashlight is that small eh? We used to call those pop can lights "tiny monsters" and what about this one now? I think we can call it Micro-monster? MM Light?
The design on this Lumintop SD4A is pretty slick. The knurling is not the best for grippy texture, but it does provides you some anti-slip texture. The light is not really anti-roll, but you can use the landyard for the job. I like how they have rubberized buttons. It took me a while to learn the UI though. I am too used to working with Thrunite and Nitecores these days. If you are new to flashlight, this UI can take you a while to get used to, but it's not too complicated. Some people like 2 buttons operation more than one, such as my spouse. She likes it when power and mode is separated!
See where the landyard loop is? The light is nicely balanced when you hang this by your wrist. It feels so comfortable to carry this light around when I walk around the block at night. It's just so slim, so small, and so comfortably balanced!
Mine is the XP-L Hi version, which gives me a super-batman beam, outputting over 1000 lumens of light and a tight beam that shoots out 450+ meters, dude, this is a 4xAA flashlight, we aren't even touching the 3.7v batteries here! Insane! Most people will not believe any AA battery flashlight can be that stunningly bright and throwing 450m!
When disassembled, you can see the light is like this, with a nice and sturdy battery holder in the center, which is designed to prevent any reversed polarity issue. You can put it in either way and it will still fire up the light. Putting a D cell in for the replacement of a AA holder is a nice touch, but my D cell (rechargeable) is not working well, so I have to put a piece of folded aluminum foil under the cell to make it fit. Maybe the normal D cell works better, or maybe it's just my crappy Trenergy cells that is too small? Not sure why!
Nice and sexy, period.
Fired up the light and you get you nice sexy 450m of throw. There are many modes there, but the strobe mode is the hardest one to get it working. I just learned it after I made the review. It's a good thing that they have this lock-out feature too, which prevents the light from accidentally turning itself on. I also like how the light feels very light weight in the hand when compared to a similar product such as the JETBeam SR40 and the Thrunite TN4A. The Lumintop SD4A is indeed the best 4xAA light in my collection now, and I think anyone going on a trip or flight might want to just pick one up. AA battery is easy to find, which makes the light a great choice if you have to go away for a longer period of time. Sometimes you just cannot find a place to charge your 3.7v li-ion cells.
