Worth an Upgrade? - Olight iMini 2 Review

[@gearedforward]

What do you think of the Olight iMini 2?

[@majorkonfuzion1007]

no amazon ??

[@gearedforward]

@@majorkonfuzion1007 Sorry about that! Links: www.amazon.com/OLIGHT-Rechargeable-Keychain-Flashlight-Emergencies/dp/B0C54ZH8WW/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=PK9VPLXGAIBX&keywords=olight%2Bimini&qid=1693359906&sprefix=olight%2Bimini%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1 www.amazon.com/OLIGHT-Flashlight-Quick-Release-Flashlights-Emergency/dp/B0B42Q3S9J/ref=sr_1_5?crid=PK9VPLXGAIBX&keywords=olight%2Bimini&qid=1693359906&sprefix=olight%2Bimini%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-5&th=1

[@C_A_S_66]

Just make sure you keep it away from your wallet. The magnet can mess up your cards.

[@gearedforward]

@@C_A_S_66 This is definitely true for the magnetic stripes, though the chips widely used today would be unaffected.

[@randomescu]

Absolutely awesome. Bought ot for my mother. The only keyxhain light that dont start by itself in a pocket or wallet.

[@gearedforward]

The pull-to-activate method is really great!

[@TheMagicalSock]

The iMini 2 is so useful and clever. They make such great gifts. The rechargeability was a great decision.

[@walley2637]

i have the iMini 2 on my key lanyard at work. i use a short paracord lanyard with a key ring at the end that hooks onto my belt and hangs into my pocket. the iMini 2 hangs at the top of the lanyard so its just inside the top of my pocket and i can pull it out on a moments notice. a good brightness for inspections or a quick light when you need it.

[@gearedforward]

Excellent use! Back in the day (2019 lol) I had a Poplite, basically a chunkier version of the same concept, clipped to my belt loop for the same reason in factory dispatch!

[@walley2637]

@@gearedforward yes, it works so well the guys started calling me quick-draw because i'm always the first to pull out a light. (I even just bought them for my team for xmas presents this year)

[@Tech-Nobby]

hell yes it does the cost of 3 x LR44 every week or so was ridiculous the iMini2 is so much better - let's see how robust the USB attachment is, I don't carry a lot on my keyring so should be OK - the spare silicone cover was a nice touch too I often work impromptu in a data cab or false ceiling and this right to hand all the time has been fantastic give it a few months and i'll order a few more I think :) loving the work mate, keep it up

[@gearedforward]

Whilst I will miss the compactness I think the 2 is a massive upgrade, I love a rechargeable, disposable batteries are both a waste, expensive and inefficient EDC! Happy you're enjoying the content! Plenty more of it to come, aiming to maintain 2 a week for as long as I can :)

[@1vbAPiYk]

@@gearedforward Can you buy and change the rechargable battery on the iMini 2? Rechargable batteries degrade.

[@gearedforward]

@@1vbAPiYk You can, the body unscrews and uses a 10180, the most common rechargeable cell for keychain size lights.

[@1vbAPiYk]

@@gearedforward thanks!

[@GeneralKato]

Looks handy and fun for a non-flash-a-holics! But in similar lengths but thicker you could go for an 18350 light.

[@gearedforward]

You could, but I think that's a different kettle of fish altogether. These are more entirely about the convenience of pulling-to-activate. For example, when I worked dispatch in a factory, I had a couple lights on me (Olight H1 Nova and Lumintop ToolAA), but if I needed to look at something for a second what I reached for was my Nebo Poplite, which is the same pulling mechanism, it's all about convenience in the moment.

[@longranger308]

My Imini is very finicky with the circuit breaker piece, it has trouble turning on and off. Any ideas how to fix this issue?

[@gearedforward]

The circuit is basically a rod (in the keychain part) pushing down to break the circuit inside of the light. If you're having trouble I would take a look in the endcap to make sure that the rod isn't damaged and that no gunk has accumulated around it to create a platform that stops the circuit breaking. I guess it's also possible that it's snapping in at an angle and not seating all the way, that shouldn't really be a problem but I guess you can try and be more conscious of putting it into the cap straight to test if that's the issue. If you're still having issues then I'd encourage you to reach out to Olight, their FB support is particularly good in my experience. Your light should be covered under warranty for at least a couple years, I don't think it's their full five year warranty but I could be wrong. I hope that helps and you get it sorted!

[@MundaneGray]

I own both of the iMini flashlights. Each one has pros and cons. Which one you prefer is mostly a matter of your priorities. I dislike having anything bulky or heavy on my key ring, so I wanted the tiniest flashlight I could find. That's the iMini 1. But it's just a backup for my Arkfeld. I use it as little as possible to conserve the batteries, but I like having it available if I need it. I haven't had to replace the batteries yet, but if it turns out to be difficult or time-consuming, my opinion of the light could change. The iMini 2 is larger and heavier, but has the obvious advantage of being rechargeable. I should try putting it on my key ring and see if I actually notice the difference.

[@gearedforward]

Changing the batteries in the original isn't bad, you just pull it off the keyring and unscrew the tail. I don't like magnetic lights on my keychain, but I can definitely see how it would be a good option! Please update on if you like the iMini2 in the same role!

[@nickybozic]

can you switch end cap part around between the mini1 and mini2?

[@gearedforward]

Unfortunately no, the diameters difference between them is too significant. You can use the original in the 2's end cap (but with a lot of space around it) but the 2 won't fit at all in the original's.

[@hectorlozada2503]

How do you charge the little one?

[@gearedforward]

The original iMini (the small one) isn't rechargeable, instead it uses 3 small button cells.

[@michaelnasser8697]

Well, I don’t have either (I have one of their other rechargeable keychain lights), I like the mini 2 and may get one. My take on the battery vs rechargeable is this. The flat batteries can be a pain if they’re not common one’s. For a very small flashlight like those, rechargeable is the way to go, in my opinion. For larger flashlights, I like triple A or double A because you can just put new batteries in and not wait for it to recharge, if that makes sense? I’ve had the rechargeable lights be dead when I needed a light and with a battery powered one, I could just switch the batteries and keep going.

[@gearedforward]

I can recommend this one for ease of use, the i12R series (which I think is what you probably have) are great lights, it's the magnetic pull activate that really separates this option. And I get where you're coming from, personally I use rechargeables in my common cell lights too, I just like that I have the option of looking in a random drawer or the corner shop to find replacements in a hurry. For me, I don't like not knowing what charge I have, so I like being able to top up rechargeables periodically or before I know I'll need them. The equivalent with disposing is carrying the spare or swapping prematurely, which is a bit wasteful for me. Thanks for watching!

[@michaelnasser8697]

@@gearedforward yes, I think that’s the little one I have and I agree, having the detachable ability would be a game changer for sure. I haven’t really looked into the rechargeable “regular sized” batteries, but that is definitely a viable option for sure.

[@gearedforward]

@@michaelnasser8697 I mostly just use the ikea brand ones and charge them in a bay charger, but you can get ones nowadaysthat have a port right on the cell.

[@patrickhender6242]

The mini 2 will break soon because of the plastic that covers the charger on a keychain removing a putting back on will cause wear especially with electronics. The imini with the cells you can get 30 for 6$ and can carry them all in you're change pocket.i want durability the first one has it.the second is on sale everwere now cause it is junk

[@gearedforward]

I've not personally had any durability issues with mine so far and I doubt the cover would damage the USB, it's not really applying much friction to the contacts and isn't really abrasive itself. I agree that the batteries are cheap and certainly a viable way to go, the rechargeable mini 2 mostly offers convenience of not having to replace them and generating less battery-waste overall. They both have their place imo, with the small size being the original's greatest asset in a direct comparison.

[@patrickhender6242]

It will anything like the 2 I had on keychains busts

[@patrickhender6242]

But it's cool not dependable in the long run.tje charging port if kept clean and dry give it 8 months

[@patrickhender6242]

The USB port is its akilles heal

[@patrickhender6242]

No it's that lobster clip.the wire clasp is known to fail and move over the top.losing said flashlight.there is a reason why they are pushing this light.3 is comming soon.you want a real lanyard light.the first imini is it🎉

[@patrickhender6242]

That cover over the USB port will fail and cause moisture. I wish the first one had more lumens but it's not a edc I have my nightcore e11 for that.the imini is on my knife lanyard perfection.

[@patrickhender6242]

Also that so called lobster clip is shit.the wire spring clamps will go over solid clamp good bye light.remember this is on a keychain it gets abused.

[@patrickhender6242]

You can get them shrink wrapped in three fits perfectly in regular or rechargeable for dirt cheap.the second is bigger and will fail the first is small notba edc but fits on keychain or knife lanyard

[@patrickhender6242]

You can get 30 cells for 6$ that charge port rubber will wear and cause problems

[@82sjmc]

Amazon doodoo cells?

[@gearedforward]

Are you asking if you can get the disposable cells the original uses on Amazon?

[@82sjmc]

@@gearedforward at 5.20 i thought you said amazon dodo cells but you said dodo sales. My bad!

[@patrickhender6242]

It's not durable