LOOP GEAR SK03 EDC Flashlight review – this flashlight can do more than light the way

REVIEW – Hello, EDC fans. I have an interesting EDC flashlight to show you today. By itself, it’s a nice little flashlight, but it has an unusual add-on feature that takes it from nice to cool. Let’s dive in and take a look at the LOOP GEAR SK03 EDC Flashlight.

What is it?

The LOOP GEAR SK03 is a small pocket-sized flashlight with a built-in fold-out stand and knife that turns it into an interesting EDC tool.

What’s included?

• LOOP GEAR SK03 EDC Flashlight
• USB-C battery charging cable
• Manual

Two versions of the SK03 are available, one with a pocket clip and one with a multi-function bracket attachment that turns the flashlight into a minimalist multi-tool. The multi-tool attachment version is shown above. You can also get a set of 4 diffusers which are shown below with the pocket clip.

Tech specs

Design and features

The LOOP GEAR SK03 looks like a regular flashlight at first glance, but that changes quickly when you notice the attached bracket on the side.

The flashlight is comfortable in hand, although its rugged metal case gives it some weight. There’s no plastic on this light; it’s well-made and feels like a little tank in your hand.

But let’s talk about the unique extra feature of the LOOP GEAR SK03 flashlight that makes it my new favorite EDC “multi-tool”. It’s the bracket on the side that houses a slide out knife.

Look at the image above, See the round “button” in the center? That’s both the slider to extend the blade and the lock to prevent the blade from extending. If you turn the button so that the graphic in the center is vertical instead of horizontal, the blade will not extend when you slide it forward.

But when it’s unlocked, you can easily slide it forward to extend a short blade with a built-in bottle opener because all EDC tools have to have a bottle opener, or it’s not an EDC tool (sarcasm off).

Although it looks like it might be sharp, the blade isn’t actually a knife because it’s not very sharp. I think it will make the perfect box/package tape cutter.

I like how easy it is to extend and retract the little blade. So many of the small multi-tools and knives that I’ve been reviewing lately are difficult for me to open because I have some arthritis in my thumbs and my fingernails aren’t very strong. With the LOOP GEAR SK03, I have no issues at all extending or retracting the blade. As a matter of fact, it has a satisfying fidget factor to it.

The SK03 includes a 14500 rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The battery can be recharged via a USB-C port, or a standard AA alkaline battery can also be used.

The included battery has a built-in LED on top that glows red while charging and turns blue when it reaches a full charge (about 1.5 hours). I wish the flashlight itself had a charging port so I wouldn’t need to remove the battery to charge it, but that’s just a small complaint.

Before we turn on the light, let me talk about the additional functionality of the bracket on the side. In addition to being a knife, it can unfold to become a stand for the flashlight.

You can use the bracket to position the light at different angles to help with work, etc.

It also has a magnet on the back so you can attach the LOOP GEAR SK03 EDC flashlight to a metal surface like my homebrew magnetic bulletin board in my office. Cool right?

The stand/knife is easily removable when you unscrew the top cap of the flashlight.

Light it up up up!

The LOOP GEAR SK03 flashlight is controlled by the tail cap button. Press it once to turn on the light (it remembers the last used brightness level). If you hold the button while the light is on, it will cycle through 3 brightness levels.

The three main brightness modes will run for 50 hours, 10 hours, 2 hours, and 35 minutes, respectively.

To access turbo mode, you have to double-click the tail cap button when the light is off. This mode is 1000 lumens which can run up to 2.5 hours on a full charge.

If you hold the tail cap button for a second when the light is off, the 360-degree side light illumination turns on. You can cycle through different brightness levels for the side lights from micro, flashing beacon, low, and high modes.

There’s also a 1000 lumens strobe feature with and without SOS beacon.

You can also customize the side lights by snapping on the optional diffusers. This feature is kinda cool, but I am not sure if it’s all that useful for regular use. How would you use this feature?

The lens will also glow in the dark for a few minutes after you turn off the light.

See it in action

What I like about the LOOP GEAR SK03 flashlight

• Rugged little light
• Multiple brightness modes and side light mode
• Multi-function bracket with easy to use “knife”

What needs to be improved?

• Nothing

Final thoughts

I love this little light. It’s well made and can be used with a standard AA battery, but it comes with a rechargeable battery. The multi-function bracket is a nifty accessory that adds some extra functionality that other flashlights don’t have.

Price: $59.99 – $70.99
Where to buy: Flashlightgo and LOOP GEAR
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Flashlightgo. Flashlightgo did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.