This is my favorite small flashlight. It is perfect for my pocket, shaving kit, backpack, flight carry-on bag or etc.
This may sound odd, but as a flashlight "geek", I have been waiting for this LED light to come out ever since Maglite announced it. I have looked intently for a comparable pocket LED flashlight, and to be honest I have had no luck at an affordable price. This flashlight seems a great blend of features and price.
I wanted a flashlight that had the following features, this light does them all well.
1) LED (currently the brightest and longest lasting technology for a small size)
2) Bright (the Maglite Solitaire LED is 37 lumens compared to 2 lumens for the conventional Maglite Solitaire incandescent bulb)
3) Small size (takes up minimal room in pocket)
4) Runs on a single AAA, for inexpensive and easy to find battery
5) Twist on/off, this is so it is not turned on accidently in a pocket like a push button
6) Rugged construction
7) Has a lanyard hole, for keychain, etc.
8) Easy to find, i.e. not a custom product or special factory run
9) Fairly inexpensive. Some competing pocket lights fit the bill above, but came in at $35 to $60 or more! Yikes!
This Maglite Solitaire LED AAA fit my wish list perfectly. There are many, many small lights out there. Some are excellent in different ways, but looking through my feature wish list, all that I looked at came up short in some way.
One note: A company named Fenix makes an LED model E01 that was the best affordable runner up to this Maglite LED Solitaire. However, it is not nearly as bright at 10 lumens (compared to Maglite's 37 lumens).
Regarding brightness, according to Maglite this light has a 37 lumen LED. That is more than twice as bright as a larger incandescent flashlight by Maglite. The commonly found 2 AA Maglite regular INCANDESCENT flashlight is 14 lumens according to Maglite.
For size comparison, this light is the same size and weight of the "old" traditional Maglite Solitaire AAA light.
Added pros of this Maglite LED Solitaire:
1) It can be used in candle mode. That is, aim up and rest on tail cap to illuminate a room. While this light isn't going to give you reading light, it will allow you to see the furniture or etc.
2) Made in the USA (according to the Maglite website).
3) This light has a lens instead of just the bare LED like some other pocket flashlights I've seen. This is nice for a pocket/bag as it protects the light from getting a lot of lint and obscuring the light.
4) The light goes on when the head is twisted just shy of half way (maybe 45%). This seems a nice balance between too little (could turn on in pocket accidentally) and too much (could prove tedious).
Minor con:
The light rolls easily when on a flat surface like a nightstand or table. But this is easily and cheaply fixed by attaching a key ring or similar clip to the lanyard hole. It doesn't even need keys on it, virtually any ring will do. A ring came in the Maglite package I got this in.
UPDATE:
I tested how long a "normal" off-the-shelf alkaline AAA battery would last in this flashlight. After an hour it dimmed ever so slightly and the flashlight itself got very slightly warm, but both were hardly noticeable. Then at 2:16 hours (aka 136 minutes), the light quit abruptly, and the flashlight did not give any more light. These "new" LED flashlights regulate the power so you get the max light for the max time out of the battery, but then when it gets below a certain level, it can't give you any light at all. Immediately after the light quit, I pulled the battery and it measured 0.9 volts (a new one is approx 1.6 volts). So it will do well on diminished batteries (in a pinch), but very dead batteries will give you nothing; not even a slight glow.
Bottom line, this is a great small flashlight. For slightly larger flashlights, see these other two I like below. My reviews on both are also under the pseudonym "Spiced Rum":
Maglite's XL50-
MAGLITE XL50-S3016 LED Flashlight, Black
Energizer High Intensity LED-
Energizer High Intensity LED Flashlight with 2AA Battery
.
| Special Feature | Adjustable,Durability |
|---|---|
| Color | Black |
| Power Source | Battery Powered |
| Light Source Type | LED |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Included Components | MagLite - 160-000-017 |
| Product Dimensions | 3.19"D x 0.5"W x 0.5"H |
| Battery Cell Composition | Alkaline |
| Item Weight | 24 Grams |
| Number of Batteries | 1 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Water Resistance Level | Water Resistant |
| Warranty Type | Manufacturer |
| Brand | MagLite |
| Brightness | 47 Lumen |
| Battery Description | Alkaline |
| Finish Type | Black |
| Recommended Uses For Product | Camping, climbing, fishing, hunting, everyday use |
| Manufacturer | MagLite |
| Part Number | SJ3A016 |
| Item Weight | 0.847 ounces |
| Item model number | SJ3A016 |
| Batteries | 1 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | AAA |
| Finish | Black |
| Thickness | 1 Inches |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Special Features | Adjustable,Durability |
| Batteries Included? | Yes |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Description Pile | Alkaline |
| Warranty Description | Limited lifetime. |
