The Best Keychain/Keyring Flashlights

Keychain Pocket Knife Key Flashlight Door Key

Ever went to a party or a convention and got yourself a handful of lights for your keychain? And, by the time you got to the car they were all off already?

Of course I’m exaggerating, but this is a main problem when it comes to these flashlights: it’s difficult to manufacture them properly on the cheap, to make them keep working and they get easily damaged.

It seems that getting a flashlight, especially for everyday carry, requires special forces. This flashlight would have to be bright enough and long-lasting, and yet small enough to slip easily into your pocket.

A keychain light… what is that?

Our pockets are bulging with our keys, notebooks, stuffed wallet receipts and all kinds of small items, useless when it comes to protecting us against stumbling in the middle of the night.

A compact light source is therefore a must and you need one that shrugs off weather, is long lasting, has a sturdy construction, and preferably an LED bulb these days, for low consumption.

There are many features and technical details to consider when you’re looking to get yourself a keychain flashlight. If you’re new to this, choosing the best keyring flashlight might get confusing. Some features are more obvious, like a pocket clip, battery type or output, but others are not that much.

For instance, many great lights require common AA and AAA batteries, while others need lithium ion or rechargeable cells. You also need to take a look at the brightness of your light – 100 lumens is enough and anything over 400 is way too much.

Beam and tint quality, run time, along with a good user interface are also important things to look for when on the lookout for the best keyring torch.

When surfing for keychain light you might get lost in some technical terms like CRI, for instance. CRI is related to the light’s ability to preserve colors accurately (your skin looks different under sunlight than under a fluorescent bulb, right?). The term “tail standing” stands for the ability of the light to stand vertically just as a candle in an emergency situation by bouncing its beam off of a ceiling for diffuse illumination.

The keys to… the best keychain light

After this intro, you should already be able to get a grip on the things that matter most when it comes to a good keychain flashlight.

The first thing to consider is the size of the keychain light. The smaller the flashlight, the better the chances to use it all the time. The main idea is for the keyring to have a flashlight, not the other way around!

The power of the light might be a tricky subject. Some small keychain flashlights are too small to be of any use, but you may find some with some high lumen outputs. This makes them strong, despite their size.

It’s important to get a portable flashlight that has battery that is small and long lasting at the same time. Most of the flashlights come with a watch battery or a common AA or AAA battery. Think how often you use the flashlight and how often you want to change its battery before making your purchase.

Most of the time you don’t really pay attention when you throw out your keys on the table, so the flashlight may get damaged when you do that. A solid construction and a sturdy material for your keychain flashlight is therefore important as you want it to last for a long time.

Take a look at your wallet when you buy a keychain flashlight. The price is important as you may find cheap flashlights that are oftentimes useless, and pricey ones that don’t actually stand up to the demand. So, stay away from these categories as much as you can.

The Top 3 Keychain Flashlight Reviews

1. SureFire Sidekick 300-Lumen Ultra-Compact Triple-Output Keychain Light

When you’re out shopping and want a small, highly efficient keyring flashlight, take a look at this SureFire Sidekick 300-Lumen Ultra-Compact Triple-Output Keychain Light.

This small, compact keyring torch puts out a 300-lumen beam and a light that is smooth for the human eye. Here are the pros for the Sidekick:

  • there is a special multi-faceted Reflector to produce the smooth 300-lumen beam
  • the flashlight charges via micro-USB port into the integrated Li-ion battery
  • the Polymer body is compact, lightweight and weather resistant
  • the flashlight features a split ring for easy attachment to your keys or carabiner clips
  • it comes ready for every day carry or emergency situations
  • its range goes up to 50 meters
  • the beam has a nice, warm color
  • it is easy to use even by children
  • you can carry this even in your pocket or purse
  • the Sidekick flashlight keyring is easy to use and comfortable

There are some minor aspects that we didn’t like that much. Our cons are:

  • you can charge this solely via USB
  • there is an LED blinking all the time when you charge the flashlight… This gets disturbing especially if you charge it in your room, for instance
  • the light lasts around 50 minutes continuously
  • the externals of the flashlight look cheaply made (although the material itself is not)
  • the LED is not well centered
  • there is no strobe option
  • you might consider this a bit pricey

All in all, though, this is a small, compact, tough, and highly efficient keyring light that will do its job well.

See the reviews and pricing on Amazon. Or check out other Surefire flashlights.

2. LUMINTOP WORM Copper AAA Mini Flashlight

Just because you’re out to get a keychain light, it doesn’t mean you can’t get pampered and feel special when getting it. Your new keychain light could come beautifully wrapped, in a luxurious jewelry box with the LUMINTOP WORM Copper AAA Mini Flashlight.

This flashlight is made of solid Pure Copper, with smooth polishing and comes packed in vacuum package to avoid oxidation. There are many nice features to this small keychain light so here are the pros:

  • this flashlight gives you 2 options for the LED which differ in brightness and light range
  • you can easily go through the 3 modes of brightness by twisting it
  • the flashlight comes in a nice jewelry box
  • there are extra O rings and a quality keychain with lobster claw clip
  • you can use this flashlight as a zipper pull or a clip to your key ring
  • O rings act as gaskets to seal out water, moisture, dust and debris
  • there is an automatic function on this light
  • this flashlight is a great fit and has an amazing finish
  • it works for everyday carry as well as emergency cases
  • it’s well made and well designed
  • the keychain flashlight is lightweight and easy to operate

There are some minor issues for the flashlight, as it figures. Our cons are:

  • the “glow in the dark” ring is kind of useless
  • the threads appear to be a bit rough
  • the AAA battery is not included
  • you need to twist the flashlight, and so a button would have been a more common choice. And more long lasting, maybe

But, despite this, we still like and find this small, compact, elegant looking flashlight a great buy anytime.

See more reviews and pricing on Amazon.

3. Tool Logic KSLP1 Magnetic Hands-Free

For those of you who like to be practical more than anything, get this Tool Logic KSLP1 Magnetic Hands-Free.

This LED flashlight has a compact keyring sleeve and comes with many qualities. Our pros are:

  • the flashlight has directional hands-free magnetic base
  • you can use this flashlight under water, fully immersed as it’s entirely waterproof
  • the flashlight is completely hands-free operated
  • it’s very lightweight
  • the flashlight fits a tough keyring sleeve for easy carry
  • there are three flashlight/toolbinations to choose from, each with a brilliant white LED flashlight
  • it’s made of tough anodized aluminum
  • the flashlight is very efficient when working in tight spaces
  • the magnet attaches to any ferrous metal surface and pivots so that you can get a hands-free light just where you need it
  • you can also pick up small metal items with this
  • the light is powerful

The downsides for this flashlight keychain are as follow:

  • it’s a bit difficult to get the light to the point where you need it to stay on
  • the flashlight uses watch batteries
  • it’s a bit pricey

But, if everything that you use screams, above all, practical, this keychain light is the right one for you.

Make sure to check out the reviews and pricing on Amazon.

 

The Brightest Keychain Flashlight

It’s amazing how a very small keychain flashlight can pack so much power, but it’s the case for the LED Lenser – M3R Rechargeable Keychain Flashlight.

It gives you 220 lumens for highest brightness and it comes with so many other cool things. Here are the pros:

  • the light reaches far, up to 120 Meters (around 350 feet)
  • the life of the battery is long, around 6 hours
  • this keychain flashlight is also water resistant (rated at IPX4)
  • it features the patented combination of a reflector and lens to create a light system that gives you a focused beam for long distance and a spill-beam for up-close reading
  • there are three light functions (Power, Low power and Defense Strobe) that are easy to use with full/half clicks
  • the rapid focus lets you transition from close to far by only one move
  • the light runs for 6 hours in low mode and you can charge it on the go
  • the flashlight comes with a sheath and rechargeable Li-Ion battery
  • it gets to you nicely packaged in a gift box
  • it only needs 1 AAA battery
  • there is a strap to hook it wherever you need it
  • this is a small, lightweight and well-built flashlight

There is only one thing we really don’t like about it… the price. But, all in all, it’s definitely worth every single penny.

As always, make sure to check out the reviews and pricing on Amazon.

 

The Best AAA Keychain Flashlight

When you want the best keychain flashlight that uses AAA battery, give it a go with the FiFire A17 48 Lumens Retractable Mini Focus-adjustable Flashlight with Keychain.

Its popular shape makes it easy to use for your everyday purposes but also for the emergency situations. Here are our pros:

  • this flashlight torch is very well made from durable materials and is long lasting
  • the power consumption is low
  • the light it provides is powerful, bright and it reaches far (up to 30m)
  • the compact shape and size make this easy to carry everywhere
  • the reflector cap has a lens
  • it only needs one AAA battery (that’s included)
  • it’s made of high-quality aluminum
  • the flashlight is lightweight

It’s a shame that this comes only in black. Also, this sits on the high price end, but it’s a good buy either way.

Check out the reviews and pricing on Amazon.

 

The Best Keychain LED Flashlight

Let’s assume you haven’t decided yet which keychain flashlight to get (although all the lights we reviewed above are LED), and you really want a LED light that gets you through the night… Try this LUMINTOP Tool AAA Small Brightest Copper Keychain Flashlight Pocket Size with Reversible Clip that meets many of the likings of the customers.

Our pros for this Lumintop flashlight are:

  • it’s made of strong billet Pure Copper and it’s nicely polished
  • it comes to in a vacuum package to prevent oxidation
  • there is a nice diamond cut knurling with this flashlight
  • there is a metallic feeling, simple and chic
  • there is an exposed golden ring
  • the keychain light has Glow-in-the-dark front O-ring around the precision OP reflector
  • the flashlight is waterproof (IPX-8) and it can be immersed 2m
  • there are 2 choices for the LED that differ by brightness and light range
  • the flashlight comes beautifully packaged, in a luxurious jewelry box
  • it has a great gift and amazing finish
  • works great for your EDC purposes and the unusual situations just as well
  • the diamond pattern makes the flashlight very grippy
  • the flashlight comes with a reversible clip and a nice keychain attached

There are some minor things we’re not very fond of on this flashlight.

Our cons:

  • the removable pocket clip comes off too easily
  • the tail-end is too easy to press on
  • there is no strobe light

But, all in all, we still like this elegant, well-made keychain flashlight very much. It comes in a gift packaging like a jewelry box with stainless reversible clip and quality keychain.

See more reviews and pricing on Amazon.

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