3.5 Reasons Why the i3E is the Most Underrated Keychain Flashlight from Olight

[@Epicus..]

Very good video 👍 My first flashlight from them was itp A1 eos, I think 13 years ago. Then i bought olight i1 eos SS back in 2012 and in 2013 i bought i3s eos (the best flashlight for keychain ever). Still working and using them every day 😃

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Good to hear from someone who has over a decade of experience with these products! Thank you for sharing and for checking out the video 👍

[@simonh6371]

I had an i3E EOS which I used to carry in a coin pocket next to a Leatherman Squirt...I say had because it used to unscrew itself inside my pocket and one day I found that I had lost the body i.e. the bit which holds the battery. A great little torch apart from that. Now I carry the i1R2 EOS on my keychain, it's rechargeable, about half the size, and has 2 brightness settings. I'm very happy with Olight as a company.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice! Yeah those i1R2s are fantastic! I too like Olight as a company.

[@donaldstrader7241]

I think the issue you had is why they now come with a double o-ring, more to protect against head loss than added water resistance. One tip I read about for the old ones is to use a wrap of plumber's PFTE tape around the threads to keep the head from vibrating loose over time. If you asked for a new head, they might send you one...or just pick one up when they are giving them away for free [$5 shipping if you don't spend $49 on purchases to get free shipping].

[@WilliamsKnifeLife]

Great points. I don't run 10440's in the i3e mainly because it is so small, it can't dissipate the heat as well as an i3T. I still haven't figured out why some i3eos will work with 10440, and others do. It's a big mystery to me. Thanks for the shout out.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

I ran into the same issue with heat and I also just stick with AAAs for this model. Thank you for your testing surrounding the i3E. Your idea to swap components was smart! It’s a mystery indeed but hopefully these videos help in some way.

[@PaulB-justme]

I recently received an email from Olight (who I have purchased from before) when they were doing a January sale, with an offer of a free torch when purchasing any other torch. As I was planning on getting something as a gift for my father-in-law, I thought this would be a good time to get it. My free gift was an i3e eos in blue, and I will agree that it is a great little torch! Nice and bright light, even though it only has one output (I have an i1R2 eos to compare it to) and a nice size. I also think that it using a triple A battery is a good point, as they are easy available! 👍

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice! The Royal blue i3Es look really good. Yes, I love when Olight gives a free light during their frequent sales/promotions. Feels great to get a quality light included!

[@PaulB-justme]

@Pardon My English Thanks! Yes I thought that it was a good torch, but to then read someone else who also thinks they are great too is a bonus! 🙂

[@LupinxJigenTTV]

Thats awesome they still make these. I loved my original i3 i had years ago. Used it for awhile until it fell from my bed in a cabin and broke.

[@Wootang4569]

Olight customer service is excellent, I had a Titanium limited edition Baton Pro that wasn’t working properly and they sent me a brand new one a week ago. What surprised me is that I thought they were discontinued for years

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Wow! That’s awesome to hear!

[@arindambhattacharjee1121]

It's brighter than my streamlight microstrem aaa model, it's a beautiful creation by olight

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Oh wow, that’s impressive!

[@mobilegamersunite]

Olight has good customer support 👍 I gotta give them that 👏

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Yes, they are responsive and helpful.

[@williamgates1128]

Your chapstick lid diffuser trick works great on it as well, it fits like it was made for it without having to expand it

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice! Good to know. I hadn’t tried that yet. That’s another reason the i3E rocks in my book!

[@williamgates1128]

@@PardonMyEnglish most definitely, did you know olight sells a pocket clip that snaps on to the rear of the body? I plan on getting one soon cause I'd rather keep mine in my pocket than on my keys

[@PardonMyEnglish]

I had no idea!

[@MrGeforcerFX]

Olight has pocket clips available for the i3e on there store for like $3 right now, pretty useful if you want to get some more flexibility out of the light or at least keep them from rolling off tables.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Sweet! I obviously have a problem with them rolling around 😂

[@jumpstat]

I am getting one in a few days. Its the Regal Blue version. It is interesting that the bodies are not the same throught. Its most probably a contact issue, between battery tube and the head. I personally would not run a 10440, but would like to try the 1.5v rechargeable that has a micro usb charging port. Then again the physical length will be an important factor.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Sweet, the Regal Blue looks really nice. And good theory about the contacts. Please let me know if those rechargeable AAAs work well for you!

[@donaldstrader7241]

Good theory since I don't see any electronics in the tube to explain the difference. If one looks at the tube the only non-anodized part, to provide contact, is the very end of the tube which is bare, and touches a little ring around the electronics in the head. This as opposed to many flashlights that have a bit more bare area towards the end of the threads. So I suppose that might make battery size/length a critical factor. I have had great luck with hybrid [eneloop or Ikea Ladda] batteries, so for me it is not an issue. I avoid using alkaleaks if at all possible.

[@collectorsconquest]

Great video!

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Thank you and thanks for watching!

[@mf6532]

So i just got one and to say that i am impressed would be an understatement.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

I agree. Definitely my favorite keychain flashlight

[@onedirection3510]

Excellent review. The rechargeable ones have that low mode of 5 lm which can be very convenient when you don’t want to blind yourself if you’ve been in the dark for a while or maybe you’re in an environment where you dropped something and you want to look for it without too much attention. The iR2 is also one intact piece. There is no danger of dropping one piece of the flashlight. Unfortunately, the I3e has to completely unscrew before replacing the battery. Perhaps not likely but the head could come off in pocket or even while you’re replacing the battery it’s potentially droppable. I think the IR2 will last for a ton of time before needing replacement but a lot of people will probably replace them long before that as they will get very scuffed on a keychain. They are both excellent. I feel however the low light mode wins the contest for versatility ! 😅

[@landonjackson9377]

Sweet! Looks like I’ll have a decent little flashlight for work if I need it!

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Indeed! Handy and hardly takes up any space.

[@chrissinclair8705]

I have a Lumintop EDC01 that runs great on 10440's. It has 3 settings so usually I put it on medium so it doesn't heat up as much and it's around 300 lumens instead of a max of 120 lumens on high with a 1.5v battery. On high with a 10440 it's like 500 lumens but heats up after 5 mins. It also works well with a 3.2v LiFePo4 battery as well with less heat and slightly less output.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice! Good to know. I need to look into other options such as the EDC01. I know those LiFePo4 batteries also last for thousands of cycles, so great option.

[@chrissinclair8705]

@@PardonMyEnglish Well I tried the liFePo4 batteries after I found out my OPUS BT-C3100 true delta-V smart charger had a secret switch inside which allows you to set the terminal voltage to 3.7v which is terminal for LiFePo4 batteries. I dremeled out the area where the switch is so I don't have to take it apart to switch the terminal voltage, it has 3 settings 3.7, 4.2, 4.35. Gotta love it when the engineers put stuff in before the bean counters get a hold of a product and neuter it for "profitablilty". 🙂 I get about 5mins less run times and slightly less lumens than a 10440 but 2500 charges until 80% is a small price to pay. It's still 3 times brighter than using a NiMh or alkaline battery with way less heat than a 10440. For regular voltages I use EBL 1100 mAh NiMh batteries and those things rock. It has about %30 more of the mA of your standard alkaline battery and keeps it's voltage right until the end. If you click on my name I think I have a review on them and you can see the Opus in action. I also have a short video with all 3 batteries being used and their brightness levels and run times somewhere in there. Even buying the cheapest ass charger and a 4 pack of rechargeable batteries with pay for themselves many times over. I bought the Opus because I charge a lot of different stuff with different sizes from 10440's to 18650's and some of the funky 20350's, it handles it all and has programmable charging profiles and a battery repair function. I think it was about maybe $35 USD? Can't remember but it wasn't that much money, maybe it's a little more now but no more than $50 and you can charge anything that will fit in any standard flashlights. Open it up and look for the "secret switch" on the right hand side of the PCB board and dremel out a groove so you can stick a pen or pencil in there if you want to charge LIFePo4's. It probably doesn't charge te LiFePo4's perfectly as it doesn't have a specific LiFePo4 profile but they are almost identical and it works just fine LiFePo4's are very tough and resistant to overcharging. They can be safely charged to 4.2v but it's not recommended and may reduce the overall life of the battery but they don't explode like Li-ion or have a thermal runaway problem. You don't want to have a keychain flashlight's battery go into thermal runaway next to your twig and berries...to quote Egon from the Ghostbusters...it would be bad.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice mod! That’s probably over my head but I’ll definitely check out your videos. If I had to guess, I’d say LiFePo4 batteries will eventually take over in the flashlight/torch industry in the years to come. It’s a superior battery technology/chemistry. I think you’re ahead of the game, my friend!

[@chrissinclair8705]

@@PardonMyEnglish I'd have to agree with you especially on flashlights that have a non-exchangable internal battery. There are many perfectly good flashlights that end up in a landfill simply because the internal battery has worn out. But if you get 6 times the longevity with only a slight lumen and weight cost it, many of those flashlights would still trucking on today. Also LiFePo4's are extremely safe. You can pop them in a fire and they just melt. There are many You tube videos out there of what happens when a Li-ion battery hits thermal runaway and it's not pretty.

[@deltawing9]

Hi, good review! To me the most interesting point is that your witer i3E has double orings, so it is definitely a different light than old i3E-s.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Good observation!

[@MrPsiman]

with a rechargable li-ion battery it becomes about a 300 lumen light and the other keychain Olights aren't even close.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Yeah, it’s an impressive combo.

[@Pritam043]

@MrPsiman thanks for this tip but will it cause heating or other issues ? Please suggest good rechargeable Lithium ion battery

[@CraigThomas2070]

Great points. I ordered one. I love you. That is all.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Haha, thanks! I think you’ll enjoy it. I’ve had one on my keys for a while now since making this video. I officially prefer it over the other options (which are also great, in my opinion).

[@CraigThomas2070]

@@PardonMyEnglish I have a stream light polytac for edc, but I like the idea of a small keychain light. It’s more likely to be used on the fly. I don’t always need 600 lumens. Around the house I keep a couple stream light dualies, NiMH batteries so I can recharge, and the energizer ultimate lithium batteries stockpiled for emergencies. I bought one decent flashlight and oddly became addicted. Perhaps I should just smoke drugs it may be cheaper.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Haha, yes it’s funny/surprising how addictive flashlights can be.

[@CanItAlready]

They have changed the design of the i3e slightly over time. I have an i3uv which was based on the i3e but with a uv emitter that just a year ago could swap bodies with the i3e. It doesn't work with the latest version of the i3e, which now has two o rings and a slightly longer head. Maybe that has something to do with why 10440s work in some but not others?

[@PardonMyEnglish]

I was not aware of the change or those differences. I bet you’re right, something about the body must have been made the slightest bit longer to accommodate the extra ring, perhaps?

[@CanItAlready]

@@PardonMyEnglish I think you're right. I Just compared the i3uv to my new i3e and the threaded area on the new one is about 2mm longer.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Wow, 2mm is a big difference on a tiny light! That’s got to be the reason.

[@t5king850r]

Good to know I've been running a 10440 battery in my i3e for a year or more and never tried it on my 20+ other's. Now i need to test them lol. The glow in the dark fill on that light is amazing!! Did you do it? I know someone thats awesome that does stuff like that in the olight community now I'm wondering if that is his work.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Thanks! Glow in the dark is a good idea but I just put a little paint (nail polish) in the grooves of mine.

[@zeromoney9931]

Hmm ? Might be the paint on the threads …it probably need to be scuffed or removed further back to make a better contact my guess..

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Good theory. I have some acetone so I could try dipping the body into it to remove some paint if that’s what it is. I’ll let you know if I have any luck.

[@metanivk]

So I just watched an unboxing video of the i3t plus and the box states it can run 2 lithium batteries...so does that mean the i3t slim plus can run 2 10440's?!!?!?! that would be insane.....please advise with your expertise....thank for the awesome videos....just bought 2 i3t's because of you and your videos, the regular black and carbon fiber they come in today, and the pk 10440's with a nitecore usm4 charger come in tomorrow can't wait to upgrade my edc!

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice! I think you’ll enjoy the combo! As far as the i3T Plus goes, I have not personally tried 2 10440s in it but others have and it doesn’t work unfortunately. Basically stacking the batteries doubles the voltage to 7.4v and it’s too much for the light.

[@metanivk]

@PardonMyEnglish oh wow that's sucks that beam would have been awesome!! Thanks for your feedback!!

[@Whitepinoy]

During a power outage battery power wins out.

[@anstef1485]

I think it comes down to construction tolerances and margin of error. Maybe one spring is slightly thicker and you cannot screw down the head sufficiently to make a contact.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

It may well be just that. Others also mentioned that some i3E bodies have 1 O-ring, while others have 2.

[@donaldstrader7241]

@@PardonMyEnglish The new i3E models have 2 o-rings. I think that was because if you left the old model on a keychain for a long time without using it, the head could unscrew over time and fall off. Never happened to me, but I don't have it on a keychain. Just heard it second or third hand. I believe the double o-ring is to address this problem. Or maybe they just wanted it more waterproof. ;-) For those with an older model with one o-ring, carried on a key chain, someone said to wrap a piece of plumbers tape over the screw threads to tighten it up just enough that would be unlikely to happen.

[@jamble7k]

i've had the Olight i1R 2 EOS on my keys since sept 2021 and it still works perfectly, looks pretty battered though 😂

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Dang, that’s a great service life! Yeah, the keychain lights take quite a beating haha

[@fcthecat]

Very interesting. good video though. Thank you.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Indeed. Interesting and strange that the bodies of the lights would differ. Thanks for watching!

[@fcthecat]

@@PardonMyEnglish could be the material used as well. I wonder if they differ from batch to batch.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

That’s a good theory. So far, I’ve got nothing. I’m baffled.

[@korktx]

somepeople experienced battery stuck in the body and could not pull it out.

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Wow, interesting! Even on brand new lights?

[@antoniuscaesardscandia]

Olight I3e is the best flashlight ever made

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Definitely a solid light!

[@Imme...1]

I use ledlensor for my small one

[@ben9and1-3rd]

👍🍻

[@missyoujoel3275]

Just hold it down it takes a second for it power on

[@bronxhouse00]

I saw video where if you remove some of the plastic from the bottom/negative of the battery where some of the metal on the very lower negative side of the battery is exposed it runs fine on any i3 kzbin.info/www/bejne/eWiQmHytgpicjtksi=1TKvQyyn1xZIr1tg

[@stewartmcdonald4121]

Zebralight make decent flashlights. I carry Olight i3E EOS Have zebralight sc600 MK2 l2 and sc5 battery chewer Nice little lights, ordered one for my sister :)

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Nice, I’ll check those out! There are so many cool options. I wish I could get them all sometimes, haha. But I already have more lights than I’ll probably need in my lifetime 😂

[@stewartmcdonald4121]

Thrunite T10.s have battery issues. I think it's standard voltage issue. 1.2 - 1.4 v going on via battery chemistry. may God bless you too

[@PardonMyEnglish]

Good to know. Maybe the voltage is too low, perhaps?