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Olight IMINI 2
Cost: $13.99
Power: 50 Lumens
Charge: UBS-A
Weight: 0.7 oz (19.5g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/40dMcpI
Olight I1R 2 Pro
Cost: $21.95
Power: 180 Lumens
Charge: USB-C
Weight: 0.78 oz (22.1 g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3DPErip
Olight OClip:
Cost: $29.99
Power: 300 Lumens
Charge: UBS-C
Weight: 1.05 oz (30 g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/4adZVkR
Olight OClip Pro
Cost: $39.99
Power 500 Lumens
Charge: USB-C
Weight: 1.87 oz (53 g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/4fRLLY5
Nitecore Tip SE:
Cost: $31.95
Power 700 lumens
Charge: USB-C
Weight: 0.92 oz (26 g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/4gL75zO
RovyVon Angel Eyes E1:
Cost: $32.95
Power: 700 lumens
Charge: USB-C plus AAA battery backup
Weight: 1.2 oz (34 g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3PPwo85
RovyVon Aurora A28:
Cost: $56.95
Power 600 lumens
Charge: USB-C
Weight: 1.77 oz (50.2 g)
Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3RlV8Vu
Introduction
Whether you’re searching for a dropped earbud under your plane seat or the power goes off at your Airbnb, owning a mini travel flashlight is far more useful than you might think.
Today, I want to make the argument for why I think it’s a good idea to carry a small flashlight in your travel bag. I’ll also show you some tiny, powerful lights that I think work great for travel, so buckle up.
Why Carry a Travel Flashlight?
During my travels this last year, there were several times I found a flashlight to be extremely useful. But there were also times when I didn’t have one and really wished I did.
During a night boat tour in Costa Rica, I brought a little light that turned out to be incredibly bright. It helped me spot animals in the mangrove forest at night, and I was so glad I had it. On the other hand, during a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, I found myself trying to explore some lava caves west of Hilo, but I didn’t bring a flashlight.
The weak light on my phone wasn’t enough, and trying to climb over rocks while holding a phone was awkward. I couldn’t venture very far and missed out on a cool opportunity.
There are plenty of other reasons why I think it’s a good idea to pack a flashlight. Sometimes it’s nice to have a small light to clip to your pack while walking down dark roads at night. Several of the flashlights I’ll mention have red blinking lights for extra visibility, plus low-light modes good for reading in bed or finding your way around a shared room without disturbing others.
I also don’t like relying on my phone’s battery to see, especially because your phone’s flashlight may not be bright enough for certain situations—and it’s not always ideal to pull your phone out in public.
So what are some of the best types, makes, and models of flashlight for your travel? And before that, what even makes these minimalist flashlights truly “minimal”? Spoiler, it’s not just the fact that they make a great addition to any carry-on packing list.
Criteria for Minimalist Flashlights
Now that I’ve hopefully made a good argument for carrying a small flashlight, let’s look at a few that I think work great for travel.
There are a lot of options out there, so to narrow it down, I’ll only show you three high-quality brands—Olight, RovyVon, and Nitecore—and three styles of lights for different situations: front-facing handheld lights, clip-on lights, and simple keychain lights.
The criteria I used to select these lights are the size, the features, and the ability to charge via USB.
First, the size. The travel flashlight needs to be tiny, easy to carry, and most of all unobtrusive while packing.
Next, the features. This flashlight needs to have features that actually compliment travel, such as a keychain attachment, easy turn-on, a moonlight mode, bright output, and most of all a long-lasting battery.
Finally, of course, it needs to charge via USB. Who really wants a flashlight that you can’t recharge in this day and age?
Front Lights
The first category I’ll show you is the simple, front-facing, all-purpose, handheld light. Here are three options, ranked from simpler to more feature-packed:
- Nitecore Tip SE
- RovyVon Angel Eyes E1
- RovyVon Aurora A28
The Nitecore Tip SE is the simplest: it has two buttons and three brightness levels, including a moonlight mode and a max Turbo of 700 lumens. It comes with an adjustable clip, keychain attachment, and USB-C charging.
Next is the RovyVon Angel Eyes E1. It’s still very simple to operate but adds increased water resistance and an AAA battery backup option in addition to the rechargeable lithium battery.
You can also use it without the AAA battery to save weight. The E1 has a moonlight mode, a Turbo mode of 700 lumens, a white strobe option, a clip attachment, and USB-C charging.
Finally, the Aurora A28 is the most versatile in this lineup. It has front and side-facing lights, a magnet clip, a keychain attachment, and USB-C charging.
Like the others, it offers moonlight mode and a high Turbo mode (600 lumens), but it also adds side light features: a simple white light, a red light (with multiple blinking modes), and even a UV light for detecting scorpions or, if you’re feeling particularly vigilant, stains in a hotel room!
Clip-On Lights
Next, let’s talk about clip-on lights, which are great for attaching to your shirt or backpack so you can see in front of you, or for clipping onto the back of your bag in red light mode to stay visible at night.
I have two from Olight—the Clip and the Clip Pro—and there’s also the RovyVon Aurora A28 mentioned above, which can function as a clip-on light too.
The simplest one here is so tiny yet powerful, and it’s fairly affordable for what it does. It has multiple brightness levels, including a moonlight mode, and a max output of 300 lumens.
I love the easy single-button operation and the built-in red light with a strobe option. It’s a truly great pick for anyone looking for some minimalist flashlights to add to their new collection.
For something a bit more powerful, Olight’s Clip Pro has three light modes: flood (for a wide beam), spotlight (for a more focused beam), and red (with multiple brightness and strobe options).
Flood and spotlight both have multiple brightness levels, and the highest setting goes up to 500 lumens.
All three of these clip-on lights (including the Aurora A28) have USB-C charging and a magnetic base so you can attach them to metallic surfaces. They’re super versatile and handy for a broad range of travel scenarios.
Keychain Lights
Lastly, here are two simple keychain lights for those who want something extremely compact for quick access. If you’re looking for truly minimalist flashlights, these should be your pick.
These don’t have the extra features like red lights or high brightness modes, but they’re remarkably easy to use.
My favorite is the Olight IMINI 2. It only offers about 50 lumens, but the operation is incredibly simple: it has a magnetic base, so you just pop the end off to turn it on. It’s also easy to charge. Instead of a port, you remove a small rubber cap on the end and plug it into a USB-A port.
If you want a bit more power, the Olight iR2 Pro has two brightness options. A half twist activates a low mode, and a full twist accesses a brighter 180 lumens.
Twisting off the other way reveals the USB-C charging port. It’s still small and simple, just slightly more powerful—and just as quick to attach to your keys.
Minimalist Flashlights for Travel
We have seven minimalist lights with different styles and functions. Basic front-facing handheld lights, clip on lights, and finally straightforward keychain lights for easy access.
Whether you just need a small light for reading at night or want a more powerful beam while exploring caves or forests, these tiny but mighty minimalist flashlights can be a great addition to your travel bag.
They’re compact, versatile, and can make those unexpected situations—like hunting for a dropped earbud—much easier to handle. Safe travels and happy exploring!
Minimalist Flashlights: Function Overview Shortcut
For anyone who wants to get started with these lights, here’s a quick guide to help navigate the instructions on the flashlights mentioned above.
Olight OClip
White: while off: press on; long press moonlight; while on: long press change brightness
Red light: off double press, hold for strobe
Olight OClip Pro
Switch: Flood; Spot; Red
Flood/Spot:
While off: On: short press; Moonlight: long press; Turbo: double press; Strobe: triple press
While on: White: Long press change brightness
Red: On: short press; long press change mode; High output double press
Nitecore Tip SE
Power button on, mode cycle brightness
Turbo: long press mode button
RovyVon Angel Eyes E1
Battery switch, triple click in moonlight mode
Regular modes: Double click button 1 cycle through modes
Strobe: Double click button 2
RovyVon Aurora A28
Button 1: single press moonlight, double press normal mode
Button 2: single press light, double press red, triple press UV,
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