Mosh sent in an early morning tip, about the Streamlight Stylus Pro LED penlight being on sale.
This isn’t a huge sale – I’ve bought a number of them on sale for $18 or $19 before, and a couple at the full $21-$22 price. At the end of December, the silver version was on sale for just under $15.
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The Streamlight Stylus Pro is a fantastically durable and convenient LED flashlight. It runs on 2x AAA batteries, and delivers 90 lumens of bright light illumination. It is also water resistant, with an IPX4 rating, and can withstand impacts from 1-meter drops. Runtime is said to be 6.5 hours.
Streamlight customer service is supposed to be very good, but I have not yet had to communicate with them about any of my Streamlight products.
The tail caps on mine have always been a little stiff, requiring a bit of pressure to use. In other words, if you’re thinking about picking this up for a Father’s Day gift, it might not be perfectly suited for recipients with older hands.
Price: $15.75
Buy Now(via Amazon)
I tend to carry different mini penlights these days, but I still use my Stylus Pros (yes, plural) quite often.
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One thing to note is that the Stylus Pro flashlight now comes with Prop 65 warnings. Could it be the rubbery tailcap, or maybe the o-ring material? Polycarb lens? For work lights, I generally don’t care. But for an EDC flashlight that sees a lot more casual handling time, Prop 65 warnings tend to make me a little uneasy (but just a little).
(By “I don’t care,” I mean I’m not as sensitive to warnings when dealing with things I generally wash my hands after using anyways. A Prop 65 warning for an extension cord generally doesn’t make me uneasy, but if I see a warning on audio cables or headphones, I won’t buy them. My personal practice is to wash my hands after using anything with lead or similar chemicals in them. That’s why I don’t like to see something like a pocket penlight with an unspecified Prop 65 warning.)
J.C.
Stuart,
There are some videos online on how to help with the stiff clickie on the stylus pro. The one I saw mentioned taking a hole punch and a piece of bicycle inner tube. You only need one hole. You can unscrew the cap and you put the thin piece of round inner tube inside and screw it back on. It will make a substantial difference. You might give it a try and see if it works for you. 🙂
I tried it but ended up returning mine to normal because I was afraid it might hit something in my pocket or I might hit it and turn it on accidentally. Less likely to happen with the stiff clickie the way it comes.
Stuart
It never really bothered me, but I know it’s something that might give my father a hard time.
I mentioned that in case someone bought it as a father’s day gift.
I’ve learned that there are things I’d want for myself, and things I shouldn’t give my father or FIL. Both had trouble with the liner locks on the Leatherman multi-tools I gave them.
Larger or less stuff push-button or twist-to-activate LED flashlights? No problem. Something like this? Without modification, it requires quite a bit of fingertip pressure.
On the other hand, I’ve had other penlights with softer tail caps turn on in my pocket before. This one won’t, at least not in my experience.
Nate G
Work issued me one of these flashlights and it has held up very well in an industrial environment. I have dropped it several times and when it gets caked in dirt and gunk I just wash it under hot water and it comes out looking new again.
The only negative I have is with the pouch. Mine ripped at the top toward the opening a few weeks after using it. It was easily fixed with a needle and thread but still a bit of a pain.
I find the button being harder to press a positive as I don’t want to accidentally turn it on, but it really is not noticeably difficult to press.
Marc
I saw that on Amazon earlier and ordered. It arrived Sunday. Great little light. 90 lumens is plenty for a EDC light. You are right. The tail switch is stiff, but not too bad. Definitely won’t accidentally turn on in your pocket.
Jason
The Stylus Pro is my EDC light. The switch was stiff when it was new, but it has gotten easier after a month or so of usage.
Pete
Prop 65…. basically EVERYTHING is known to the state of california to give you cancer. So you ignore ALL warnings about cancer. Then is it even useful? Heck even buildings have to have warnings- “this building may contain chemicals…. “
TonyT
I thought the whole purpose of Prop 65 was to provide employment for lawyers…supposedly the stuff on the list is decided by bureaucrats without any solid scientific basis. And when everything has a Prop 65 warning, then it loses its meaning….except lawyers can sue if you forget it.
Pete
This was the first thing that came up when i searched “prop 65”. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/general-info/cancer-warning-labels-based-on-californias-proposition-65.html
Stuart
I don’t ignore them.
If a combination wrench has a grip material that comes with a Prop 65 warning, I’ll use it in different ways or places than a wrench that doesn’t come with such a warning.
If I know what the warning is about, that makes a difference too.
O-rings that never see skin contact? The polycarbonate lens? I’m fine with that. Lead or a toxic leachable plasticizer in a handle? There’s no way to know these days.
I remember about 14-15 years ago, I picked up an audio cable at an electronics store. It had a Prop 65 warning, and I returned it so fast. These days, there are so many options that there’s no reason for audio cables, at least those meant to be handled, to have Prop 65 chemicals.
David brock
I don’t even pay attention to those Prop 65’s. Just wish they would label the lawyers in CA as causing cancer.
The Prop would not affect my decision in any way for a purchase unless it was on something like a insecticide then I would be more inclined to buy it and spray it.
Adam g
Sal from spyderco had said that knives now have to come with the prop 65 warning now to because of nickel i believe. I’ll try to find the post and confirm.
Adam g
Wow, I wish I could edit that knives not jamboree. And yes it’s nickel.
“We also have to add a line in our letters with the knives that states that our knives may have nickle in the steel and that nickle can cause cancer. A California law that is mandatory by this summer.
sal”
Stuart
At least with that, they’re clear as to where the warning comes from.
Rockler, I believe, adds a warning to almost everything, because they don’t want to go through the hassle of describing what does not justify the Prop 65 warning.
My fish knife has a Prop 65 warning. I assumed it was because of the handle, made from a rubbery plastic so as to have a non-slip grip. For other knives, or a dinner knife, a Prop 65 warning would be unacceptable to me.
TonyT
Rockler’s approach is understandable, since the current Prop 65 list is currently over 900 chemicals:
https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/chemicals
and when I jumped to the end, I noticed “Wood Dust” was on the list
Jim Felt
Maybe all wood use centric sites should display the warning too?
Just because.
;-)~
Pete
Well…. california is requiring coffee has a prop 65 label on it now. Will you stop drinking coffee? lol Not being contentious, i just find a majority of prop 65 warnings to be stupid.
Keith
You literally can’t make a product that doesn’t have a prop 65 issue if it uses steel, plastic or even fairy dust!
Hang Fire
For that size/form factor light, I prefer the Little Larry (that’s really it’s name). 250 Lumens, been getting a lot of use out of mine since picking it up at a local battery store.
and typo: ” a little stuff” I think that’s “stiff”.
Stuart
Thanks! *Fixed*
Hang Fire
augh… its name.
davey
Prop 65, don’t even pay any attention to it. It would not affect my purchasing decision one bit. Hopefully they label any Lawyers in CA with it also. I’m sure that lawyers cause cancer also.
Drew
I haven’t tried out the Streamlight though my EDC is a Pelican 1920 and I love it. takes a ton of abuse. Uses 2 AAA batteries and 220 Lumens on high. I had one tail cap fail and called them up. They only asked my address and shipped me a new one in a week. No credit card required.
Steve
Just don’t put it in your mouth and you’ll be fine.
Joe
Don’t most people end up putting a penlight in their mouth ? With hundreds of pen lights available,why recommend one with that warning? Most people on forums aren’t professional woodworkers,framers,builders,plumbers or the such., which would be used to such warnings.
Don’t see the point when your in a position to know about vast options in most , if not all, categories. I’d prefer foolproof options for such items and the latest news on new tools….
Stuart
I have never put a penlight in my mouth.
If I need hands-free illumunation, I use a headlamp or find a clamp.
There are not many strongly recommended penlights. The Stylus Pro was the first decent one I found that was usably bright and worked with easy to find batteries.
I can recommend some older FourSevens models. Coast’s is okay. Milwaukee’s is decent but chunky.
My Maglite failed inexplicably.
The Stylus Pro is a consistent and reliable performer.
JoeM
Plus… This ‘Prop 65’ thing is probably based on numbers so low as to be irrelevant. California tends to over-react to many such things. Arsenic, for example. Happens to be the atomic substance that give Almonds a good crunchy texture. It’s one of those elements that is integral to holding other elements in a configuration we need, but is very dangerous on its own.
Hydrogen… same thing. VERY dangerous substance in gas form. Bond with Oxygen, and it is not only stable, it’s NECESSARY for life. Neodymium Ore has absolutely no value, or use on its own. In fact, if reduced to dust, and accidentally inhaled, it can cause SEVERE heavy metal poisoning, similar to Lead. But, add it to Iron, and it forces all of that Iron’s atoms to align polarity, making the new alloy one of the strongest Magnets we have available to us, as well as removing their toxicity in the process.
Arsenic, Lead, Mercury, Xenon, Neon… There are damages that they can do to a human being on their own, among many, many other elements on the periodic table. Legislation like this “Prop 65” are often overdoing the caution involved. If they deemed Hydrogen a toxic substance, and forced people to be warned wherever it exists, then Water would carry a label for it. (H2O, Dihydrogen Monoxide, AKA WATER.)
I have MAJOR doubts about the danger of holding a streamlight flashlight between your teeth. Companies and Lawyers just love to sue for things they can get away with the public not understanding.
Oh, and… Adding insult to injury here… Sulfur- Poisonus, Lights on fire in contact with Water. Natural Sap from the Latex Gum Tree- Toxic if Swallowed. Melt together Latex Gum and Sulfur? Vulcanized Rubber, the basis of all flexible rubber products in existence, including Condoms, Tires, and the O-Rings in Flashlights and Plumbing Systems. Not all Molecules that contain a dangerous substance are, themselves, dangerous. After all, the most fertile volcanic soil in the world, usually found in places like Hawaii and Italy, are full of Radioactive Uranium, the basic element used in Atom Bombs, as well as Nuclear Reactors. Yet it’s what enables soil to hold intense amounts of vitamins and necessary minerals for crops to grow.
TonyT
If you live in California, you get used to Prop 65 warnings…for example, there’s one on the door of the grocery store just across the street from me – fulfills the law, keeps the lawyers at bay, but provides no useful information.
I suspect most of the Prop 65 cynics on this board live in CA.
IJK
A lot of the prop 65 warnings are just generic catchalls, just in case. The way that law seems to be written burdens the manufacturer with ensuring nothing falls under the warning, and documenting accordingly. If someone somehow finds something, even if just a small contamination of out of spec material by a component supplier, the manufacturer is still liable to penalties and lawsuits. Or, just slap a generic warning label on it and not have to worry about it, regardless.
JoeM
One stupid question, then I’ll shut up. Anyone seen those pen/utility loops on the sides of Leatherman sheaths? The ones to hold the bit extender and whatever else?
Would this particular pen light fit into one of those elastic tubes? I’ve been considering one for ages, but can’t seem to measure it before buying it. I have a spare tube available, and looking for an EDC light to put there. Current contenders are this Streamlight Stylus Pro, or the Fisher Space Beam LED Flashlight.
Thoughts?
Stuart
Depends on the sheath.
I can’t find my Stylus Pro at the moment (any of them), so I tried a large Sharpie Pro marker, with blunt bottom.
It fit nicely and comfortably in the Sheath that came with my Surge, and it fit, albeit not easily, with the sheath that came with my Wave. I’d consider carrying it with the Surge sheath, but not with the Wave, if that helps.
JoeM
Yep. Perfect. Streamlight it is. I’ve modified the sheath in question anyways, so it should fit regardless. It’s elastic, after all.
Max
I have a Stylus Pro, but I found that 90 Lumens is both too dim and too bright for EDC for me. I still use it, but more around the house.
I have switched to the Pelican 1920B for EDC. I like that it is still 2 AAA (so fits in my back pocket easily and does not need a belt case), is forward clicky/momentary on (I will not buy a flashlight that is not), comes on at 220 Lumens (enough to momentarily blind someone or check on an animal in the bushes) but can go to 20 Lumens if you click it quickly (to not blind me when looking at something up close). It has a short reset, so I rarely get it on low when I want it on high.
I have much larger and brighter lights that I take when I am going camping or otherwise spending a lot of time outdoors, but I like the small ones for my office job and hanging out around town.
John
Well, I bought this through the Toolguyd link and it arrived today. Can’t believe how bright it is for two AAA batteries. I have no problem with the on/off switch. Very happy with it.