The Maratac AAA Led Flashlight with diffuser is a pretty minuscule little power-house of a light. With an advertised brightness, in Hi mode, of 138 lumens, this is a dazzling little pocket light. The body is all aircraft aluminum that has been anodized for protection. The reflector is orange-peel textured, to provide a smooth, even beam. The reflector is made from an aluminum alloy. The light is powered from a single AAA battery and is reverse-polarity protected. The clip is very sturdy and is reversible to either end of the light. You could carry it with the clip toward the back, which would place the head facing down, if clipped to at pocket. Or, you could place the clip toward the head, which would be useful for clipping it to the bill of a hat, and giving you a makeshift head-light. There is also a very low-profile lanyard ring, for attaching it to a key ring or cord.
There are three brightness modes: hi, medium, and low. To power on the light, you simply tighten the head. This turns the light to its default level of Medium(advertised 40 lumens). To cycle through the power levels, just loosen and retighten the head. When the light is turned off for over three seconds, it will revert to its default brightness.
In the package, there are extra O-rings and a glow diffuser. The glow diffuser slips onto the end of the light and spreads the beam, like a lantern. This is very useful for lighting the inside of a tent while camping or for playing card games when the power is out. When you turn the light off, the diffuser will glow in the dark for a few hours. The glow is bright enough to navigate in pitch black and also save your night-vision, as long as you charge it while its under a cover, so you don’t temporarily blind yourself. It is made of a flexible material, which makes me worry that it will eventually stretch out and not stay snug on the head.
All-in-all, this is a great little light for carrying in a pocket. I would recommend it to anyone that wants a small, but incredibly functional, utility light.
Firearms Insider Reviews - 8 Key Points
Claim to Fame: Tiny, but amazingly bright
Target Market: Anyone that needs a small light
FNBs (Features & Benefits of this product):
- Small
- Bright
- Twist User Interface
- Diffuser included
- Strong and reversible clip
- Lanyard loop
- AAA Battery powered
- 3 brightness modes
- Diffuser glows in the dark
What other aesthetic options or finishes are available?: These lights are available in black, stainless, polished stainless, and copper, though I think all but the black version are a previous generation, so they may lose some brightness and features.
What others are saying?: “So, after 6 months of using this thing clipped to my left pocket every day, even through power outages at work, I can say it's pretty awesome.” - Vicarious_Lee, ZombieSquad
Price Point:
- MSRP = $28.75
I need it now! Availability: You can purchase this light from County Comm, but their website says that they are out of stock until July.
Our Rating:
+-Tiny +-Bright +-Reversible clip
--Twist U/I (not my preference)
Score 8.5