Streamlight Macrostream VS. Streamlight Microstream: Every Carry, Work Light Showdown | USB Versions

[@robertnunziata2950]

I got my first microstream i guess 15 years ago after a lot of abuse it now has no color left on it ,after many washer and dryer rides it still works fine i upgraded to the USB model about a year ago and couldn't be happier its perfect for most edc use

[@EverydayTacticalVids]

Good stuff here. Thanks for sharing

[@robertnunziata2950]

I got that too

[@robertnunziata2950]

Sometimes you need more light

[@Poorboychickencoop]

I have the original microstream still working, matter of fact it was missing for a few days did some laundry and found it when I emptied the dryer. While it was missing I have been looking at these usb models. How has it held up since your post is 4 years old I was curious about a update on it now?

[@robertnunziata2950]

@Poorboychickencoop still using it probably could use a battery seems like i charge it more often but I use it a lot

[@glennmorgan3320]

Microstream is my EDC. Fits perfect in the watch pocket. Add a Leatherman Skeletool KB pocket knife, perfect combo. Both fit side by side in the watch pocket. Thanks for the great review and clearing things up for me. The Macrostream really looks like a nice flashlight, but the size comparison is what made my choice. Good to have these choices depending on your needs. I will keep the Macrostream in my mind to toss in my backpack as an extra backup.

[@dashcammer4322]

The micro is so small and light that I usually forget I even have it clipped on me.

[@dmartinez1993]

I’m blown away by the Macrostream I just got this week. Took it out to a house under construction and compared it against the Surefire X300U and Streamlight TLR1 HL and it held its own for sure. I know they’re different POU’s but it was an interesting comparison, I’ll be uploading the video soon to my channel. I also have the Microstream battery version, I think this Macro rechargeable blows it out of the water and the increase in size and weight is worth the increase in light output. I liked your video, good comparison.

[@EverydayTacticalVids]

Thanks for sharing.

[@calebchan-nantais5308]

Got my microstream last night... Also got one for my dad. Great flashlight, it's my first real edc light. Just waiting for my macrostream now. Super excited.

[@jginete73]

I’ve carried the micro for few years now. First the AAA.. then when the rechargeable one came out I switch to that one… compact and bright enough. But I was recently looking for one a bit brighter and here it is. Great comparison and great video.

[@Stoney_AKA_James]

I'll take Streamlight over O'Light anyday

[@EverydayTacticalVids]

Interesting - can you tell us why? I'd like to hear more on that.

[@Stoney_AKA_James]

@@EverydayTacticalVids First of all, I do enjoy your videos I just don't like or appreciate aggressive marketing or salespeople. Every time they have a sell (which is often) I receive at least 6 notifications from KZbinrs that I subscribe to. For instance, yesterday I received several notifications! I've been using both Streamlight and Surefire flashlights and weapon-mounted lights for both LEO duty and EDC, for decades. They are well built, perform great and don't need to have aggressive marketing to sell their products because they are durable and they work!!

[@surefireball]

Olight get way too hot n battery life is short to me. Micro stream is great light, it’s my backup to my Fenix PD36R is my main edc

[@DV77737]

I have only had Olight’s I need to try a streamlight

[@nitrorc4life1]

I like both

[@robertpetties5137]

Good comparison. I love my microstream had it for 2 years so far.

[@ServantofChrist81]

Just bought a coyote microstream today. Hope it’s legit.

[@cacklinghyena1624]

pls pls correct me if I'm wrong but why would you use micro usb for the charging port.

[@MrNiceGuy80x5]

So maybe a microstream body tapering to a bigger bezel like the macrostream? Kinda like the old school mag lights?

[@Bluespade115]

Hi, I was wondering how big is the head on the Macrostream?

[@nitrorc4life1]

I'll have to pick one up and try, love my microstream USB's have three, stylus pro USB (newer one is 350l) is also a favorite. But I'll be buying it more because I'm a flashlight nerd. Thank you sir for finally showing one, been wsuthing for about a year for it to release. I will say streamlight is still behind overall to many modern brands.

[@jimfortner1667]

Thanks for the video. Straight to the point, no BS.

[@randallkelley3599]

For me dark sucks, so along with protective equipment lights are an essential item. I tend to over due it when we go to the city, with one light for each child and two for me with extra mags, er I mean batts 😎...

[@taylorkicks3672]

I thought it was going to be a bigger difference. I will keep my microstream usb’s and maybe get one more. Like you said for the size the microstream is the winner in my opinion as well. For the size of the macrostream you might as well get one with closer to 1000 lumens.

[@TheGrenadier97]

But i guess that the runtime would be a lot smaller. For me, the greatest virtue of the Macrostream is added runtime at low plus few minutes at high but in a higher output. This is how i use my Microstream actually, as if the high is a kind of "reserve". The only downsize i see in the Macrostream is the high-low configuration, which could be programmable.

[@ianhinkle1878]

@@TheGrenadier97 I could be wrong but I know the macro comes in 2 colors, I’m pretty sure black is low then high and brown is high then low

[@nsayegh3205]

@@ianhinkle1878 correct

[@kappasigds]

Just bought one of each. I like the hat clip idea. Wasn't sure if the Macro may be too big for my hat. Im sure I can put it to good use regardless.

[@onedirection3510]

How long will they hold a full charge if not used? The USB port on the Macro looks much more substantial in terms of water resistance. It would be nice if they were an option to use a regular battery.

[@Dad_Brad]

Hearing all the insects in the background outside sure reminds me of Oklahoma. Camping at the lake with the campfire and the camper trailers.

[@randyyeager]

Can you change the batteries on them? I wouldn't have minded seeing the batteries if you could show them.

[@jackfernandez3021]

I carry the micro light and love it its my EDC I have the 3a version and I carry s extra battery I am not a fan of rechargeable lights. Have not tried the Macro lite but thanks for the comparison I enjoy your videos.

[@alexgingue7945]

Great video for comparison!

[@ComradCyborg]

Great video! I appreciate your content bro! one thing, I'm not a fan of the USB charging on these. I prefer the batteries themselves to be rechargeable rather than the light itself requires more orings which (in my mind) adds more possible failure points. I carry 2lx (high only) and the stylus pro

[@EverydayTacticalVids]

Thanks for sharing

[@samholt4139]

I agree with you 100% on the tail cap switch the small one is much more firm to get it to click to constant compared to the macro

[@mk.1175]

I checked Amazon and eBay and I cannot find the macro stream there for sale

[@jamesheffington3931]

Several macro's on ebay today starting at $55 new in package

[@BlackdogADV]

I have both. I lost my previous 2 micros probably because they’re so small. I think I’ll be able to keep the Maco longer due to its size. I also like the Macro beam for what I do.

[@TheGrenadier97]

Interesting, the beamshots make both look quite similar. However, the 50 lumens is a very useful output for me and the Macrostream lasts longer, so i may get one for EDC.

[@onedirection3510]

Something very frustrating is that the 1L-1AA at 350 lumens has a nice 6400 candela. This Macrostream 500 lumens only has 2000 candela. I don’t have the Macrostream but I can only assume it’s not nearly as bright as the 1L-1AA. It’s also way more expensive.

[@Gieszkanne]

I dont think you understand what candela is. You write everywhere your comment about your 1L-1AA and its candela. It just means more spot focus. So if someone needs or wants a floody light he need low candela.

[@onedirection3510]

@@Gieszkanne Good point. I do understand candela. I perceive the 1L-1AA at 350lm to be at least as bright as the macrostream’s 500lm in terms of flood. The macrostream does serve a purpose but it’s advertised as very bright which it really is not. That’s all. I had the macro stream and I wanted to like it because it’s a very cool light but it’s just disappointingly weak in output. I returned it for that reason.

[@piela650]

I do really enjoy my MicroStream in all aspects besides the pocket clip. It is SO WEAK. it very easily slides up and out of my pocket and has lead to many near-losses. The clip on the MacroStream looks more like the ones from thier bigger lights like the ProTac which is nice and strong. Is the pocket clip on the Macro any more secure than the Micro?

[@jimfortner1667]

Just take it off and bend it to make it tighter.

[@charlesmckinley29]

Not a fan of the s shaped clips. I like the stylus pro better than the micro.

[@OzMan9989]

I think I prefer the micro stream. Would be interesting to see the beam throw comparison between the two.

[@indigosunset70]

thanks for showing us how to charge, package doesnt say explain how. i was confused when i saw no usb port lol

[@randallkelley3599]

Sure fire offers the highest output Aaa light at 325 L I believe. But it’s just under $100. My Aaa lights range from 80-130 L... 500 L for a double a batt seems pretty good???

[@randyyeager]

did you mean to type Every "Day" Carry, in your title?

[@larrykates3910]

Great video man! Thank you!!

[@EverydayTacticalVids]

Thanks for checking it out

[@mk.1175]

Both lights are cool. My favorite set up now is Streamlight polytac Streamlight AAA 45 lumens which does 90% of use. But tactical or blinding power I got my polytac with me also

[@jayn8392]

Both great, as a work light both will work great, but the micro really does have a noticibly smaller feel when carrying it all day. I carry the macro, a Leatherman wave on the belt pouch and another cheaper blade (tenacious, may find a smaller ckrt though) for opening bags of corrosive material and general shop tasks if I don't have a utility blade on me and running to the shop would be a pain (cutting ceiling tile, boxes, drywall etc. I just make sure to touch it up before the next day and it works fine. But then I have a phone, keys, vape, pen and pad, usually a mark it all. So even with wirkpants with OK poket setup it's a lot of setup without a tool pouch which I only need sometimes when doing maintenance on something like a small motor or minor plumbing (work in maintenance atm.). So honestlybifbInhadbtobdo it again I would likely go with the micro. It is plenty bright and really does just dissappear in the pocket. Only problem is I always think I lost it because it dissappears so well lol. But the macro is an excellent light. In person there really is a substantial difference in output. I would say as a general carry light, or something you throw in a pack or your vehicle, I'd go macro for sure. I may just get a little nerd pouch for it to ride on the belt s I hate having my pockets stuffed full of shi* while doing hard labor as I'm always checking to be sure everything is there. But with the micro I do go into panic mode more because it's so small I sometimes can't find it in a pocket for a second. Actually a perfect light to clip to the pocket of a good work shirt with chest pockets. Macro would probably work too. I need to get it sorted because I gotta add the Leatherman bit kit and driver extention, peferebly the ratcheting one. I wish I could find a good compact organizer but they are all huge looking and seem to ride a bit higher than I like. I like the top of my edc work tools to sit just below my belt, not way up on my hip. I was also thinking of modding a Rae gear Leatherman holster into some kind of system. Meh. Both great lights just consider what you truly need it for and if you need those double lumens. Plus, the micro just so little it really is easy to put in a edc kit. Hard choice. I am happy with my macro though, but happier with it outside work when I carry car less crap around

[@mikemccowan9454]

Is the USB brighter than the original? Thanks!

[@jamesheffington3931]

Yes, in both models

[@estebanes5928]

I will continue to carry the microstream. Regular AA and AAA batteries are 1.5 Volt, rechargeable is 3.9. Haven't tried switching to regular batteries, but probably would not like the result.

[@blazability3469]

why is the micro usb and micro battery have different specs? so weird

[@jamesheffington3931]

Differnt power output from different batteries

[@davidmadigan2504]

Totally neglected to consider burn times.

[@SlyDz420]

?

[@Phyxsius_85]

Everything always depends on who needs what, someone needs 250 lumens, someone needs 500 or more. I personally use Microstream because of its size and because I don't need high lumens

[@EverydayTacticalVids]

Well said - I agree.

[@wb5mgr]

I love streamlight and I have purchased a number of their lights over the years, but I have no desire to have a USB port on the side of my flashlight. It’s just something to get moisture in it and fail. I don’t care what kind of IPX rating they give it, it will eventually leak. They make another version of flashlight that has a removable battery where the battery itself has a USB port on it, I would rather go that route if I was going to be USB rechargeable. But in point of fact I really don’t care about USB rechargeable, I just carry extra batteries in a holder. I’ve never run through the (4) 18 650 batteries that I carry with me in a normal setting, and if I were going somewhere that I thought I might I could easily double or triple that without adding much weight or taking up much more space. And a light like their 2LX which is a single 18 650 light is not much larger than this macro stream in the dimensions that matter, but it blows it away in performance.

[@OldPackMule]

The Microstream does NOT use a AAA. it uses what APEARS to be a 10440 but it is unlabeled and may be proprietary. It is higher voltage. A AAA will not work in the Microstream. I have two late model Microstreams. One died. Still haven't gotten a reply to my service request to get it fixed. Hope they contact me 'cause I like the light.

[@jamesheffington3931]

The Micro USB uses a proprietary battery. They sell a Micro that isn't USB that uses off-the-shelf aaa.

[@dovetomarc]

Tail click extremely hard on micro stream. Difficult to click on to constant beam. If you’ve got any arthritis I would not recommend the microstream.

[@Frank-uf2vn]

Just ordered the coyote Microstream, not even here yet. I also currently EDC the original 45lm and that thing has worked great for 2 years now and even put it through the wash a few times and still working. I was all set to pull the trigger on the Macrostream till I saw the difference from 250lm to 500lm, I wasn't that impressed that I would drop another $60. The Streamlight Flashlights are worth every penny you spend on them....Im sure I will get one just not quite yet!

[@mountaindont34ify]

I put my stylus pro through the wash twice and it still works lol

[@DavidChurcheese]

No USB-C still in 2022. Fuck this.

[@seribas]

was a hard choice at first between macro vs micro, now i carry both lol

[@forgedsteelwrench9249]

😄 Agree, I did the same as you except I doubled up on each one in case one gets lost.

[@raymondfoisel6933]

I had 2 Microstream USB it's really smaller 1 is 250 Lumens coyote color body and black Microstream USB is big can running 14500 Battery is working bright my new Microstream USB 500 Lumens version

[@louisyates5448]

Buyer Beware. Very short battery life after only 2 months the battery in my macrostream stopped recharging, I looked into it and found that it is a common problem with this light. Streamlight has a great warranty on these lights but it doesn't cover batteries and because of covid there are no Replacement batteries available.

[@TheBradleyd1146]

Megastream just came out I saw.

[@fredperry9235]

Had a blackout last night. Had my olight in my pocket. Worked like a charm. May check out the micro though as it's more powerful

[@Jacob_Gutierrez]

What olight you have?

[@fredperry9235]

@@Jacob_Gutierrez I3t

[@fredperry9235]

It's come in very handy. Is a lot cheaper than the competition here in Australia.

[@Jacob_Gutierrez]

@@fredperry9235 all the olights I have are: 2 s1r2s, m2r warrior, m2r pro warrior and seeker 2 pro. Then I also have the streamlight protac 2l-x.

[@fredperry9235]

@@Jacob_Gutierrez Wow that's great. Which light do you EDC?

[@whatisup3632]

I will stick to my Energizer 1500 lumen flashlight.

[@cynic256]

These should definitely be usb c

[@jonahyue4755]

Tail clicks on these light suck!

[@jonahyue4755]

@Nether Bound too much resistance when trying to click. Not a smooth operator.

[@Sumatra123]

The Microstream's button is actually a blessing. Because of the slightly stiffer on/off button you will never accidentally activate a microstream in your pocket. I have done that more than once with both my Olight i3t and my I5r.

[@jacobmanalang8162]

with a $90 msrp the macro doesn't make sense as far as any streamlight product. the protac series fits this niche perfectly so i dont even think the macro will come out. the olight i5t is definitely a direct competitor. cannot recommend. for the size, more battery compatibility, and price the protac 2-lx is another better streamlight offering. i run mine with a 16650 because my surefire e series accept them as well

[@npp909]

Micro USB ...... c'mon man.

[@barrybueler3356]

I have a streamlight for like 8 yrs it has a strobe,low,medium ,and high light options. A little pricey at the police outfitters store cost around $150 but I think the police store costs more than other stores because police are given around $1000 dollars for gear at police outfitters ounce a yr and even though it’s %100 illegal to have Switchblades in Massachusetts they sell them to cops which is weird but I guess cops protect them and understand they are above the law and the streamlight I got doesn’t recharge from a USB which is a big downer for me but 8 yrs ago I didn’t know as much it comes with a charging station that will only charge the light plus it’s big and bulky though it has lasted 8 yrs of heavy use dropped plenty of times etc. I could use another new light though so I’ll take the Macrostream thanx. PS Do u need an address to send it because no one has ever sent me what I said I’d take 😞.

[@rhino67]

Couple of things, first OLIGHT dominates both these lights in every useful metric. A few things that stand out the run time, lumen output, switching-massive difference, charging method, charging type (micro USB is circa 2014, everything now is USB Type C) the beam shot should be smooth without hotspots and either "throw" or "flood"/"spill". Even Olights clip is much better...

[@pillcosby3949]

O light blows.. sure fire or steam light

[@rhino67]

@@pillcosby3949Facts matter: Even my old Olight's are 10x brighter and last longer by a factor of 2 at a minimum at less than half the price have taken a beating and are stil running perfect, so I'll keep buying these much less expensive, brighter, longer lasting very tough lights, you can keep buying dimmer, battery hogging very expensive lights and we will both be happy... Howzzat genius, that work for you?

[@pillcosby3949]

@@rhino67 do you find it hard to hide the fact that you’re gay

[@rhino67]

@@pillcosby3949 great... Ya were done here genius...my responses get deleted but not the stupid sh*t you say...

[@jamesheffington3931]

@@rhino67 I'll keep buying lights that don't melt my bags or pants, so that will leave more Olights for you

[@mk.1175]

500 Lumen light is just too powerful for daily use

[@Venom-nk8nd]

🇵🇬

[@christianstorm8854]

Both lights are low quality. You can pay $15 and get a tactical military light that is over 1000 lumens variable. I’ve used these and the mainstream garbage and that’s what they all are, garbage. Great for walks at night or in the beach lol but any actual work I would not put my life in the hands of any of the mainstream brands and that is from hands on testing over years from deserts to arctic.

[@waldok814]

What

[@christianstorm8854]

@@waldok814 I’ve used these lights, over priced and not great. Not when you put them next to any of my under $20 flashlights. One is 90,000 lumens

[@jamesheffington3931]

@@christianstorm8854 have you put them through a lot of hard usage?

[@RahGzz90]

@@jamesheffington3931 no he hasn’t 🤣🤣

[@cornemare9223]

@@christianstorm8854 Why TF would i need 90 000 lumens to look for my keys i dropped ?