Streamlight66318 MicroStream 45-Lumen Everyday Carry Pocket Flashlight with AAA Alkaline Battery, Black

Why is it so hard to find a well-made, compact flashlight that simply turns on and provides a beam of light? Nowdays it seems like they all have multiple modes that you must click through before they behave like a flashlight. I've got some that strobe when I turn them on, then do an S-O-S thing on the next click, and only on the 3rd click can I get it to act like a frikking flashlight! This is NOT something I want to deal with when I hear the cat barfing in the middle of the night! I don't need to S-O-S a rescue plane while walking down the hall at 2-AM!Enter this little gem! The build quality is AWESOME! I have to depress the button with deliberate force which is good for preventing it from turning on by accident. I can also twist the column to disconnect the current. It's super tiny so it fits in any pocket without bulk. It comes with a convenient pocket clip, too.When I click it, all I get is a simple beam of light with a good throw pattern for something so small.Compact. Check!Built like a (tiny) tank. Check!Super simple. Check!I plan to get a few more for various rooms in my house and will give away the ones that strobe.

I purchased this flashlight 3 years ago as a backup light to my main flashlight. While I worked as an electrician I constantly resorted to this if my main light died due to always working in the dark. I loved this light because it provided enough light to keep working, runs on one battery so while the main light charges this puppy just runs, and the clip allows you to put it on a hat so no need for a dedicated headlamp.Now I’m in a union office setting and this light has become my main daily carry. My other light is too big for dress pants and this fits the bill perfectly. I use it daily and won’t look back!

This is a truly outstanding light, and at $16.00, it competes with other lights in the $30 - 60 range in terms of build quality, form factor, and beam quality. I'm very impressed.First, this is the UPDATED version of the original MicroStream, so if you've read older, pre-2011 reviews (many are still circulating online), you may be surprised to learn that this version has resolved several known issues with the older model. The beam is brighter (28 lumens instead of 20), battery run time is longer (2.5 hours instead of 1.75 hours), the tail switch is much stiffer (nearly impossible to turn on by accident in your pocket), and, though I have no way to confirm it, the anodized coating seems to be more scratch resistant.Second, this light is very small. It is barely larger in diameter than an AAA battery, and the length is about the same as the width of my medium-sized hand (i.e., if you clutch it in your fist, you should be able to palm the entire light). The two-way pocket clip is reasonably stiff and very functional. It can be clipped onto your pocket for a more secure ride or onto the brim of a hat (or backpack strap, etc.) to hold the light for hands-free illumination. I've also clipped it onto the edge of a stroller as a very effective headlight to illuminate the pathway when pushing a stroller at night. The weight is so light you will absolutely forget that you're carrying it. It's only negligibly heavier than the weight of the AAA battery itself. Basically, if you have room for a tube of chapstick in your pocket, you have room for this light.Third, the beam is very clean. It creates a nice, round, evenly illuminated circle of light with no hot spots or shadows anywhere in the center of the beam. The beam has a very effective reach (throw range) of about 15 feet. When you shine it at your feet, it casts a brightly lit circle about 18" in diameter. There is some spill at the edges of the beam, but not enough to illuminate the surrounding area, so it's closer to a spotlight than a floodlight (as any light of this size should be). It's ideal for illuminating a pathway at night, reading in the dark (though perhaps too bright for extended reading), locating a keyhole in a door, or momentarily blinding a potential attacker to gain an edge in a self defense situation.Fourth, the light is certainly weatherproof and, theoretically, waterproof. I haven't tested the latter claim, but there is an O-ring seal on the barrel threads where the light screws together so I suspect it would certainly survive a drop into a puddle or other casual contact with water. I wouldn't deliberately take it diving, of course, but it's not a dive light so it hardly matters.In short, I'm very impressed with this excellent, lightweight, perfect-for-casual-lighting-needs light. I'll probably buy several more and stow them in various places (kitchen cupboard, boat hatch, glovebox, office drawer, etc.) because they're so affordable and useful, yet take up almost no room.

This little light exceeds expectations. I have never taken the time to write a review before, but am doing so now because the reviews that others have written helped me to find this excellent little piece of gear and I am grateful for that. There are many other small LED flashlights cheaper than this one but none that come close in performance. It produces a far brighter light than any other using the same battery power. It doesn't have a lot of fancy features that make it harder to use and that I don't want or need (or that break and render the light useless). It just switches on and off. It's so small you can tuck it into a shirt pocket and forget about it - until suddenly you need it unexpectedly and it's there, bright and strong. It doesn't dim until you can no longer use it before the battery wears down completely. It does of course dim somewhat, but it's still bright enough to use until the moment the battery goes dead. It's rugged too. I inadvertently ran it through the laundry last week. It soaked overnight with the load, then ran through the wash cycle in the morning. I discovered it only when I heard it clattering in the dryer after fifteen minutes. When I took it out, it still worked perfectly, and the case appears completely undamaged. When you figure in the cost savings in batteries and the extraordinary durability of this little rig, it is actually the most economical small light around by far. I have owned it for about a year. I also recently picked up the 66118 (2 x AAA) version of this light. It is marginally brighter and lasts about 2.5 longer before battery changes. I like that one too, but you cannot beat the little 66318 (single AAA) for sheer size and convenience. I'm getting a second one now in case the manufacturer switches to a less good factory in the future. I have often seen a pattern in goods manufactured in China: that they are very good at the outset and then the quality declines later. While I have not seen this happen with any Streamlight product to date, I'm not going to wait for it to happen.