REVIEW – At first glance, you might think that I’m holding a bunch of USB drives. But you’d be wrong. What I’m holding are USB flashlights in their most minimal and basic form. Let’s take a quick look at these tiny EDC lights.
What is it?
Flashlights in the form of a USB stick.
Design and features
I am obsessed with EDC items. But I prefer unusual items. That’s why these flashlights (I use that term a bit loosely, as you’ll come to find out soon) caught my eye and I had to order them. I ended up with two types from two different companies.
If you look closely, you’ll see they have an exposed circuit board with 2 or 6 LEDs and pins for a USB-A port. The 6 LED version is from JacobsParts and the 2 LED version is from HiLetgo.
These flashlights have no power source of their own, but as soon as you plug them into a power source like a USB power bank, a USB port on your computer, or a USB power adapter, they will light up. The 6 LED version even has a touch control so you can tap the back quickly to turn it on/off, or tap and hold to dim to the desired brightness. Unfortunately, I have a hard time getting that feature to work. It’s probably the same reason that I always have issues with fingerprint readers on phones and TouchID on my MacBook.
Using these flashlights is easy as long as you can find a power source. I tested them using a Baseus PowerCombo charger and a Benks power bank (see video below). It’s cool that it doesn’t matter which way you plug them in. Either side works for both versions.
I plugged it in, tapped the back, and wow, that’s a bright light. So bright that I saw spots for a while after I pulled it out.
Here’s the 2 LED version. It’s crazy bright too. Note that the 2 LED version does not have any type of power control.
See them in action
What I like about the USB Keychain lamps
- Unusual
- Bright
- Inexpensive
What needs to be improved?
- Physical power button instead of touch control
Final thoughts
I realize that these “flashlights” aren’t super useful because you have to find a power source. However, if you regularly carry around a power bank with USB-A ports, you could use one as a pseudo candle in a pinch. In the end, I just like EDC gear and thought they would be fun to test. Would this type of flashlight be useful to you? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
Price: $7.99 for the JacobsParts 6 LED version (5/pk), $6.79 HiLetGo 2 LED version (5/pk
Where to buy: Amazon (6 LED version) and Amazon (2 LED version)
Source: I purchased the sample for this review with my own money.
