OLIGHT don’t specify the exact LED used but I measured its colour temperature as a very cool 7251K without any noticeable unpleasant tint and with a CRI of 77. The torch has a IPX8 rating with the USB-C port well protected by the screwing mechanism and o-ring, but it does mean you can’t use the torch whilst it’s charging like the other rechargeable keyring torches. If you’re on a budget the Thrunite Ti2 is hard to beat. It offers plenty of light, couldn’t be simpler to use and feels rugged. If you still want a AAA torch but don’t want to bother with rechargeable batteries, the OLIGHT i3E runs very well even on an alkaline battery – there’s even one included. And it’s only a few pounds more than the Thrunite.

In this first article I’ll look at keyring torches, starting with the lightest. These use either an integrated battery or a replaceable AAA battery. They are super lightweight weighing less than 25g – you’ll barely even know you have them on you. They’re still surprisingly bright – way brighter and with far more reach than an iPhone 13 Pro’s torch that I’ve included as a baseline.I confirmed these outputs, although high I measured a little lower at 240 lumens – but that’s still pretty good for a light this size and weight. This drops to around 50 lumens after 1 minute. Unless I state otherwise I’m measuring the lumens after 30 seconds, as per the American ANSI flashlight testing standards.

If you press the mode button with the torch off the display shows the exact battery voltage of the built-in battery with a graphical display too. And it shows the memorised mode you last used and if you’re in Daily or Demo mode. The battery voltage may not mean an awful lot to many, but a lithium-ion battery is fully charged at 4.2V and empty at around 3.0V. Its CREE XTE LED has a cool 7088K colour temperature with a CRI of 73, but mine was very neutral with no nasty green tint you often get with cheap torches. The beam has a visible hotspot and in high mode has 580 candela of intensity equating to 48m of throw.The E03R also has a Everlight 2835 4 lumen red LED accessed with a long press with the torch off. Press the button again for a flashing mode. The red light is useful to preserve your night vision, and as an emergency beacon.

If you triple press the power button with the torch on or off you get to the 365nm UV side LED, again useful for identifying counterfeit banknotes amongst other things. A single press in this mode takes you to the 20 lumen red LED and then again to the flashing red mode. When charging, a status LED lights “breathing” blue – meaning a slow fade-up/fade-down flash. The LED glows green when the light completes charging. If you try to turn the light on when the battery is below acceptable voltage, the LED lights red.It’s no secret that I love these little Aurora keychain lights. If you need UV, this is a fine option. USB-C charging is a great update, too. Long Review The Big Table RovyVon Aurora A8 keychain flashlight