I bought a PrincetonTec Pulsar for my sister. She's since broken the protruding LED. She needs a new keyring LED. She is usually juggling several bags of gorceries and my favorite and only niece.

Hence, one-handed operation is essential and critical and vital.

This light needs to be a simple squeeze-beam. A protected LED would be nice, because it is going to get the hell beaten out of it. This light needs to be low-tech. No special modes or anything like that. Squeeze on. Squeeze off.

If the proposed LED is not a tough little bastard, it will be broken and dead inside of a month, if not a week or less.

Your suggestions would be appreciated.

-- Craig

How about twist-on-twist-off? Try a Peak LED:

http://www.peakledsolutions.net/

Not with a toddler in one arm and groceries in the other. This LED has to be one-handed operation.

what about an inova, the led protrudes is the only problem. or a photon light 1 - very tough btw - ? take a look at www.ledmuseum.org (hope that's the right address!) to see what the guy there says.
Ian

Hi Craig,

Photon makes a less expensive model called the x-light:
http://www.photonlight.com/x-light/

It's one handed, simple squeeze on/off button and the LED is nicely protected by the body. It's $7.95 on their site and might be worth a look.

Stay safe,
J.T.

Whoa! I didn't know about that one. That light looks like a winner.

I was about to part with my beloved Photon Freedom Micro Covert. I like the Freedom Covert a lot, but I love my sister, so I was going to give the light to her, but now it's looking like I won't have to. Yippee!

I'm off to do more investigating. Thanks much.

-- Craig

I don't have any trouble working a cylindrical twist-switch with one hand. But push button is definitely easier.

There is a photon "covert" model with a shrouded LED, but they have multiple modes so I guess it isn't what you're looking for.

Coast, LED Lenser, and Eddie Bauer are US distributors of Zweibruder flashlights. Short of the photons, these are the best I've seen.

They have several keychain models, the thinnest of which I use in my PSK because it's so out of the way. This is a combination twist/push button tail type so it's out of the question.

Two of the slightly bigger keychain model, the V8 and V9, has the pushbutton feature you're looking for. I have the blue model V8, and it's bright enough that if you shine it at the ceiling in a dark room, it bathes your entire room in a blue glow enough to get around in. Push the button and you have momentary light; push harder to turn on hands free. It has a clip on it that can be positioned over the button to protect it, and it's flexible enough that you can push momentary on.

These Zweibruder flashlights look interesting to me for my own needs!

I'm always peering under and behind desks and behind computer towers -- and into dark closet corners when my wife can't find the exact shoes she's hunting for.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm off to take another look at Zweibruder.

-- Craig

Cool <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

The eddie bauer ones seem to be of slightly less quality for some reason (one of my LED's from them projected a square beam on the wall instead of round!) but the coast ones seem pretty good. To boot, they come in black instead of just silver.

Here's a pic I just took, the Maglight Solitaire and swiss army knife for scale.

From top to bottom:
Solitaire
Micro Lenser (Eddie Bauer, red)
Micro Lenser (Coast, red)
V9 (Eddie Bauer, white)
V8 (Coast, blue)



The micro lensers use an odd looking battery, but the others (excluding solitaire) use some of the more common button cells.

Why not just get her a bag of these, they can be scattered around, if one breaks, no great loss (and no guilt):

http://www.countycomm.com/light10.htm

I got the blue ones as they were out of white at the time, and they work great, gave a couple to my son at college, stuffed a couple in my PSK (Doug's kit, they slid right in) and gave a few away.

For key rings I go with CountComm lights or Photons. Photon is having a sale on their web site now.
Dave

I was going to recomend these from CountyComm since durability seems to be an issue.

Super Tough LED

I can't say I have personal experience with them, but I do have experience with CountyComm. Once again, the price is so good, nobody will cry too hard if it breaks.

Dontcha just love County Comm? They've always got something cool up their sleeve.

A friend wanted one of these (at least for its USB flash drive), and while expensive, they might more funtionality (that you may or may not need):

http://www.swissarmy.com/webstore/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=4069&category=39

Photons failed my wife's toddler taste test. 2 min in his mouth and the photon no longer functions. Twist tops are difficult to use with hands full. The Inova coin cell LED has turned out to be the best for her.

edit: The Inova runs $6 at my local sporting goods strore ... not too pricey for a light with almost identical specs to the $15 photon IMO.

Craig:

Why don't you just save shipping and minimum quantity requirement costs and buy AAA disposable lights.

I believe Everready has a 2-pack with a small key ring attached to a push momentary switch in the tail for $1.79 at our local Menards home improvement store. There is another type made that clips to your pocket and can be turned on by pressing the pocket clip after you remove it from your pocket for less than $1.00. Both use the magnifier type of bulb that is recessed in the housing so that dropping them will not allow the bulb to make contact with anything it hits.

Not cutting edge, but practical as all get out considering the potential for baby handling resistance.

Bountyhunter

I'm beginning to think that before our great army gets any gear, it should pass the toddler test.

If an item survives being swallowed, passed (you know what I mean), put through the dishwasher, thrown up on, spit up on, played with by sticky fingers, thrown into a corner and forgotten for a few weeks, tossed into the mud, stomped on for good measure and left out in subzero temperatures for a few weeks, chewed on by the dog, etc., etc., then it's good enough for our nation's finest.

The army might be hard on its gear, but our people won't freaking abuse it with quite the abandon a toddler would.

We should devise a new T&A (Toddler & Army) Test. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> If Item B lives through it, it will surely serve you well.

-- Craig

I think you're on to something there! Good ideas! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Your wife should not let the toddler play with such tiny lights. They are likely to be swallowed.

The Countycomm Super Tough lights are ok but you have to remember to press the front edge of the button, rather than the center. Also, they're not waterproof.

The Countycomm $1.00 slide switch lights are easy to operate one handed, though not too waterproof either.

Your best bet may be a CMG O-4, which is large by the standards of these coin cell lights, but waterproof.

Reviews of all these lights are in the reviews section of candlepowerforums.com.

That would certainly be true if the light wasn't attached to her obnoxiously enormous keyring. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" />

The Invoa mentioned above is a water "resistant" coin cell.

IMHO, nothing beats the Photon 2!

I've had this tough little sucker on my pocket-carried key ring for 3+ years now, and it works every time. Mine has the original larger battery (which according to the Photon forums can still be substituted for the stock two battery load - slightly dimmer, but battery life goes from 14 hours to 200 hours (more than a week continuous or as in my case three years and still no battery change).

Sure you can buy cheaper lights - but you've already read the stories in this thread...

Sure you can buy more expensive lights, like the Photon 3, but I've found the electronics to be finicky beyond usefulness - plus the vaunted waterproofness never beat the real world performance of my Photon 2 which has had a number of accidental submersions and rain soakings and dries out just fine...

Sure you can buy the big sucker AAA or N keychain lights and get some serious lumen-action - but how much do you want to stuff in your pocket everyday? I find that when I really need light in a pinch, the Photon 2 is plenty bright for true darkness. If you're looking for a macho power light, you'll be perennially dissatisfied with the keychain crop - go get some belt carried surefire law enforcement blinder baton if you're looking for this kinda trouble...

This is just one guy's user report, but I am very satisfied with the pocket functionality of this puppy!

<img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I have had a couple of Photon2s and they are nifty little lights unfortunately they are not anywhere close to being even slightly water resistant. The flimsy switch leave something to be desired as well but I admit mine have never broken. I have however completely ruined one with the smallest amount of moisture (as stated in previous post).

After testing many small key ring LEDs I rank them as follows:

Arc Light
Peak LED Solutions
Inova
Photon
The rest of them...

The Arc and the Peak are surely outstanding products, but to me they are simply not "small key ring" flashlights - I would describe them as towards the largest thing I might want to carry on my key ring. The Inova's I haven't tried.

...and don't get me wrong, I've got the technophilia gene - I want to carry everything on my key ring - but I have enacted the strictest discipline in enforcing the "light* is right" philosophy.

(*Note: "light" in this case means lightweight/compact not multi-mega-lumens...)

LOL I hear ya ... I wouldn't carry anything larger than a photon or an Inova coin cell on my keyring either. That's why I have nothing on my keyring except keys. I keep my Peak light in my pocket. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

*chuckles at "obnoxiously enormous." Have you EVER seen a woman with a small keyring???