UltraTac K18 Mini Keychain Flashlight Rechargeable, 130 Lumen Cree LED, 2 Light Level + Strobe, Include Battery and Micro USB Cable

This little guy is fabulous. I've had several key chain flashlights over the years, and either they aren't very bright, or they operate by turning the head on the barrel. There are two disadvantages to this: it takes two hands if it's small enough to use on a key chain; and it makes it prone to coming on in your pocket or purse, which wastes the tiny batteries. If you back it off far enough not to come on, the head is apt to fall off, which is a complete nuisance, even if you do find all your batteries.When I saw that there was a pushbutton switch on this little gem, I was interested. When I saw that there were several brightness settings, I was more interested. When I found out how much light it could put out, I was very interested. When I found out that there was a way to lock the switch so it would not come on in my pocket, I was sold.To lock the switch: When the flashlight is off, press the button twice quickly. It'll blink once to indicate that it's locked. Pressing the button, even holding it, does nothing. To turn it on, do a quick double press again, and it'll blink twice, showing that it's ready to be used normally. A long press turns it on at the brightness setting it was when you previously turned it off.It takes a long press - about a second - to turn it on. It comes on at the setting you left it, then rotates through dim, medium, and bright with each press of the button, which can be done quite quickly. At any point, a long press will turn it off, and, the next time you do a long press, it will come on where you left it, even if you've locked it in the meantime.I like that you have to do something special to get the strobe setting - it's probably not going to be used that often, so it's good that it's not a part of the regular rotation through dim-medium-bright. At any setting, do a quick double-press, and the strobe begins immediately. To stop it, a single press returns the light to the previous setting.Despite all the options. it is not at all complicated and cumbersome in practice. Take a couple of run-throughs to get the idea, and then it's very quick and intuitive. And one-handed. If you position the clip so it's at the switch, you can operate it easily by feel. I wish all modern flashlights operated this way - a very clever and ergonomically correct design.I was a little afraid that it would be too big/heavy for easy wear on the key chain. It's not, even though my previous light weighed nothing and was tiny. This is barely larger than the AAA battery that powers it, and quite light, despite being built like the proverbial brick shithouse. I don't notice the difference at all.This is cheap at the price, and then they give you all the extra parts. Grab one quick, before they change their minds.

The UltraTac K18 Mini Black must be the world's smallest and lightest side-button flashlight; at under 12 grams with battery inserted and a split ring and lobster claw (taken from a different flashlight) attached, it's just a bit over half the weight of the stainless version. Two minor issues: (1) Don't think I received the split ring, spare o-rings and instructions shown in the picture; if I did they immediately got lost. (2) After pulling the clearly-labeled "Remove" sticker from the battery, at first the flashlight wouldn't turn on and the battery wouldn't charge (saw immediate green light upon plugging in the charger instead of the expected red "charging" light). I probably would have returned it at that point if I didn't already own the stainless version. However, by using the battery from my K18 Mini Stainless, I determined that my new K18 Mini Black flashlight was working fine with my older battery. Eventually figured out that glue residue from the "Remove" sticker on the new battery was preventing electrical contact, which was easily corrected with some "Goo Gone," and now everything works correctly.Summary of the K18 Mini user interface for buyers who don't already own another K18 flashlight: Long press (> 1 sec) to turn On or Off; when On, one short click (< 0.5 sec) to toggle between Low and High, or double-click for Strobe; when Off, double-click to toggle electronic lock-out (the flashlight will flash once for locked, or twice for unlocked). See the side of the box for battery charging instructions.

I own several of these mini lights, all with micro USB interfaces, so I was disappointed to find the K18 came with a separate USB charger top like the old DQC Spy and Fairy lights. I really like the side switch, the user interface, and that it's the same size as my Jetbeam Mini 1 and Lumintop EDC Pico, the separate USB charger means an extra part to lose.

I did a lot of research comparing specs on keychain flashlights and settled on the K18. When I received it, seeing it in the flesh I was surprised and pleased by the small box and the tiny size and lightweight of the light. Workmanship is great except the clip tilts a little due to the design of the clip grooves, but that is just cosmetic and the clip works fine. Looking at the threads that fasten the body to the head, I was expecting truncated/squared threads that are found on many other high quality lights, but found full form threads instead. I imagine this was done to maximize strength and thats fine, you just have to be careful to avoid cross threading when attaching the head. The light output appears to be as claimed for the respective battery types, and with a 10440 battery it is extremely bright for its tiny size, and really does everything well for an EDC light. The light spill is uniform and is about a perfect balance of flood vs. throw for a light of this size. The side switch is excellent, with good tactile feedback, and the light starts in about half a second, in whichever mode it was last operating in. Seems unlikely that it would turn on inadvertently.I carry this light in a re-purposed pocket pistol holster together with my EDC folding knife. I simply sewed in a partition to hold the knife and light apart and in a vertical position.

I bought this as a potential upgrade to my Maratac AAA keychain light. This light is longer by about 1cm, which is actually noticeable in the pocket and not as comfortable. The button has to be held for ~0.5 sec to activate the light, probably to prevent accidental activation in the pocket, but this makes it actually slower to activate than the twist activation on the Maratac (and probably still less secure). I'll likely not use it for every day carry, but maybe my wife can fit it in her purse. If you like using the pocket clip to carry this, then the size shouldn't be an issue.That said, the UltraTac is more powerful and capable than the Maratac, with the 10440 and the extra strobe feature. This light is definitely a good purchase.

Operation issues when first received; would not turn on, intermittent functioning.Support was quick to respond and provide possible solutions. After doing some trouble shooting and cleaning all contacts, light is performing normally.Flashlight is impressive!!! Small sleek design makes the light very discreet and easy to carry every day.The max setting is super bright; strobe is a great feature for signalling or distraction/visual disabling.The USB charging cap provides a great portable charging option.I use a flashlight 2-3 times daily; looking forward to testing the K18 on a regular basis to determine reliability and performance.I am inclined to think it will do well and I'll be ordering a couple more for family/friends.

Tested the light with both AAA and 10440, there is a substantial difference in lumens as noted. I will be using it with a 10440 battery, this will be my back up light, EDC. Clip is strong and light is durable, May feel a bit small and cumbersome in larger hands. Hopefully Ultratac will design a similar light with a clicky type tactical switch. This light sometimes turns on when in my side holster or pocket.

Wow! This flashlight is incredibly brilliant on max setting. There are 3 light levels to choose from. The switch design prevents accidental discharge very well. I like that you need to hold the switch button down for 2 seconds to turn the unit on or off. Well made. Perfect for travelling. 👍👍

Fantastic light, adequate with Standard AAA but really performs with 10440 Li-ion.Full featured and excellent built quality.I've purchased 2 so far, likely want more for gifts. The availability of 10440s is problematic but patience wins out.