5 Of The Best And Brightest Keychain Flashlights
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Flashlights are one of the most useful items you can have at the ready, whether it's during a blackout, in an emergency situation on a dark road, or just a matter of convenience when looking for something in your car or under the couch. When you think of a flashlight, you might picture a traditional handheld cylindrical torch with a wide bulb at the end, but flashlights come in all shapes and sizes. There are USB lanterns, LED headlamps, and some highly-rated hand-crank flashlights that can be used completely off the grid.
Keychain flashlights, however, are especially convenient because — by attaching one to your keys — you can ensure you almost always have one on you without having to think about it. In fact, keychain flashlights are some of the most popular everyday carry (EDC) accessories around. While there are plenty of other items you can attach to your keys, like bottle openers or even keychain radiation detectors, you should consider buying a keychain flashlight. Of course, you'll want to make sure it's reliable and strong enough to find your way in the dark. Based on hands-on testing by experienced reviewers (more on that at the end of the article), here are five of the best and brightest keychain flashlights available.
EagTac Teeny DX3E
For a flashlight that's small enough to hang off your keychain, the EagTac Teeny DX3E is exceedingly bright — capable of 1,000 lumens. While that's a much smaller lumen count than the brightest flashlights available, it's an impressive level for a flashlight of its size. There are eight total brightness levels, and all of the levels can be programmable. On its lowest setting, the light can last 150 hours on a single charge; on its highest setting, the EagTac Teeny has a maximum beam distance of 114 yards (105 meters). It's easy to use, equipped with a stainless steel button with a lock-out function, as well as a blink locator and a brass heatsink. The flashlight also has an IPX-6 rating, making it very waterproof and capable to withstand being used in rainy weather — which would make it a great gadget for hiking and backpacking.
One drawback to the light, as noted by HiConsumption — which conducted hands-on testing with the product — is that its powerful brightness comes at the cost of battery life. If you're using it on its high setting, be prepared to recharge it often through its USB-C port. Other than that, the EagTac Teeny DX3E is one of the best and brightest everyday carry flashlights and is available for $35 from Amazon.
Lumintop Frog
Lumintop claims its popular everyday carry flashlight — the Frog — produces 600 lumens of light with a 10180 cell and up to 750 lumens when powered by a 10440 lithium-ion battery. 1Lumen, a publication that performed hands-on testing of the light, says the Frog can even exceed those listed numbers and generate up to 858 lumens. Depending on which battery you use, the product can throw light up to 135 to 150 meters. The LED flashlight is 45 millimeters long and weighs 11 grams without a battery — tiny and light enough not to burden your pockets if attached to your keys.
The Frog is made of aluminum and has an IP68 protection rating. Despite its small size, it has a nice, textured, non-slip grip. It has five brightness settings, including a long-lasting "Moonlight" dim mode, which can easily be changed with just one button. According to 1Lumen, one downside is that its battery life can be disappointingly short — which is something to consider before choosing this product. If you'd like to purchase the Lumintop Frog, you can find it on Amazon for $38.95, which includes a provided USB-C cable and charging port.
Rovyvon Aurora A4
Rovyvon has improved upon its Aurora keychain flashlight with each iteration, and the fourth-generation Aurora A4 is its best yet. It's bright, generating 650 lumens and a beam that can reach 360 feet. It uses a 300 mAh battery that, according to HiConsumption after testing the product, can be fully recharged (via USB-C) in an hour. Its biggest asset may be its durability — it has an IPX6 waterproof rating and is constructed of a strong titanium alloy, so you won't have to worry about it getting damaged during the everyday travel of your keys.
Other features include a magnetic base, a lockout mode, and a lanyard loop that's built directly into its body, making it easy to attach to your keys or backpack. Plus, its body has an ergonomic, anti-slip design. The flashlight is 2.38 inches long, so it might be one of your bigger keychains — perhaps even bulky enough to be a dealbreaker for you. But, if you're more concerned with weight, its titanium construction makes it weigh less than an ounce, even with a larger size. The Rovyvon Aurora A4 is available for $60 from Amazon and comes in silver — a black option is also available for nearly half that price but is from Aurora's previous generation.
Nitecore Tini 2
There are many different flashlights made by Nitecore, including several keychain-sized ones, and they're all generally reliable. However, the Nitecore Tini 2 may be the best combination of brightness and comfort for a keychain flashlight. Called "the ultimate everyday carry keychain light" by HiConsumption after its hands-on testing of the product, the dual LED lights of the Tini 2 can produce 500 lumens and have a max beam distance of 89 meters. The rechargeable light can last 15 minutes on its highest setting and eight hours on its lowest, which produces 15 lumens.
Weighing 0.66 ounces and measuring 1.83 inches long, the Tini 2 has an ergonomic key fob design that's easy to point and shoot. It uses two buttons — one for power and one for adjusting brightness — and has a lockout mode to prevent accidental usage. Its nicest feature might be its OLED display, which clearly tells you your current lumen level and user mode, voltage, battery level, and remaining runtime.
Unfortunately, the Tini 2 only has an IP54 rating, meaning it's less waterproof and durable than other keychain flashlights. However, it's still resistant to small amounts of water, like sweat, light rain, or occasional splashes. If you're not too worried about your keys getting wet, you can purchase the Nitecore Tini 2 in black or gray for $39.95. Stainless steel and titanium models are also available for $44.95.
Fenix E03R V2
The Fenix E03R V2 is a solid and affordable keychain flashlight that can generate 500 lumens and has a maximum throw of nearly 300 feet. It's capable of several output settings, including a red flash mode and a 1-lumen breathing light, and it can last 1.4 hours at its highest brightness. Features include an LED light that indicates low battery, intelligent overheating protection, a lockout function, and single button control. The flashlight is a little over 2 inches long and weighs 1.06 ounces.
It's also durable, constructed from CNC-machined full metal, splashproof, and dustproof with an IP66 rating. Its key fob design also makes it comfortable to hold and easy to use. In its hands-on review of the light, HiConsumption writes that the Fenix E03R V2 was "designed from the ground up as a keychain light, resulting in an incredibly sleek and user-friendly item." Plus, the flashlight comes in four different colors if you like your various keychains to match: gray, blue, rose red, and nebula — a purplish/pink gradient that has a cool cyberpunk aesthetic. The Fenix E03R V2 is available from Amazon for $30.95 in blue or gray. Unfortunately, if you want the sportier rose red or nebula options over the more industrial colors, you'll have to pay an additional five dollars.
Why we chose these keychain flashlights over others
All of the recommended keychain flashlights received hands-on testing from either HiConsumption or 1Lumen, publications with extensive knowledge in lighting and everyday carry products. That way, you can be sure the listed specs, including lumen levels and battery life, are accurate unless indicated otherwise. Additionally, while there are some great keychain flashlights on the market, only ones capable of generating 500 lumens or higher were selected for this list, as they are some of the brightest flashlights of their size. For comparison, many keychain lights are in the 40 to 100-lumen range, if not lower, and the average iPhone flashlight is rated at or around 40 to 50 lumens.
Of course, this list isn't just of the brightest keychain flashlights but also the best. That's why, in addition to strong reviews, factors including durability, size, weight, and comfort were taken into account — including how easy a flashlight is to handle when it's still connected to your keys. Other factors considered were how easily the lights could be operated, with no tricky controls, and if they had other unique and useful features, like OLED displays or overheating protection. When combined with a strong lumen level, these features help make these products some of the best and brightest keychain flashlights you can buy.