Over at Amazon, this Streamlight Stylus Pro LED flashlight is on sale for $14.31.
The Stylus Pro is a fantastic LED flashlight. It’s pocketable, it’s durable, it’s reasonably bright, and it’s powered by 2 standard AAA batteries.
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I don’t remember the specs for mine, but the new ones are said to output 90 lumens, and are water resistant with a IPX4 rating.
They operate via a push button tail cap, which I would characterize as firm, unless they changed something. This is good because it means it’s difficult to turn it on accidentally, but perhaps not so good for older finger joints.
I’ve got 2 of these – one in black and one in blue – and also a Streamlight Stylus Pro Reach. I have also ordered quite a few as reader giveaway items over the years. So far, no complaints!
One of my flashlights did behave weirdly once, but I took the tail cap off, swapped the batteries around, and there haven’t been any issues since!
With the current promo, you save around $5 on each flashlight, or around 25% of the price.
In case you’re not familiar with the brand, Streamlight is well known for their quality and fantastic customer service.
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Update: I just ordered 2 for myself. While I don’t care for the color choice, perhaps a silver colored flashlight will be easier to find on my cluttered workbench.
Price: $14 and change
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See Also(More Streamlight Savings)
(Shipping is free for Prime members, or for non-Prime members on $49+ orders. When did Amazon increase the free shipping threshold for non-Prime members? Yikes!)
There are several other colors to choose from, but only the silver is on sale.
In case you’re wondering about the Pro part in Stylus Pro, the non-Pro Stylus lights are thinner penlights that work with AAAA batteries. I’d rather not deal with AAAA cells, but you can buy them, and some users have harvested them from 9V batteries. In addition to being harder to find, AAAA cells seem to have a shorter shelf life than AA and AA cells.
Update: I received my flashlights today. There’s a California Prop 65 warning, and so I might send them back. Is it because of the polycarbonate lens? The push button switch? The coating of the flashlight (which seems unlikely)? For extension cords, okay, I can wash my hands afterwards. But for an EDC flashlight? It makes me uneasy.
I’ll keep ’em if I can find an easy way to ask Streamlight about which component(s) necessitated the Prop 65 substance warning.
John
A heads up:
The SILVER (sale item) and BLACK versions are listed as 90 lumens. The BLUE and RED versions are listed as 48 lumens. All four skus/colors are “sold and shipped by Amazon.”
Stuart
They should all deliver the same output.
http://www.streamlight.com/products/detail/index/stylus-pro
I believe that Streamlight quietly updated these lights a few times now.
Toolfreak
90 lumens seems like a lot for a “penlight”. 48 lumens seems about right for a AAA light, that’s about what the Maglite Solitaire LED is, 47 lumens.
I really like my high-output LED flashlights for use outdoors at night, but found that the high lumen output is actually a drawback when used indoors and in small spaces.
The brighter smaller lights are so bright, they can just cause glare and don’t let you see what you’re aiming them at.
Would be nice if these tail cap push button lights had a low (48 lumens) and high (90 lumens) setting instead of just one, that way you could have a brighter beam when needing to use it like a regular flashlight, and a milder beam for using it as a penlight in smaller spaces and closer distances.
As for the color, silver lights do stand out more and are harder to lose. I’d rather they just do a machined aluminum look rather than coating it with textured silver color stuff though. Certainly hard to beat matte black for that tacticool look as well.
Stuart
Hmm, it does seem like a lot.
Well, my Preon 2 remains my favorite light – https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/foursevens-preon-2-led-flashlight-review/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
There’s a new version out, and it’s not cheap – around $50 when not on sale. I also have discontinued penlights from a few holiday seasons ago, but the Preon 2 remains my favorite by far.
Still, at just under $15, I couldn’t pass up this deal. The Stylus Pro’s will probably be stashed in tool drawers.
Toolfreak
It’s probably fine for a 2-AAA light you might grab to use like a regular flashlight, certainly better to have a bright 90 lumens than something way too dim, and of course the price makes it great if you already like the product.
I’d say these aren’t really “penlights” after all, despite older penlights that used to take 2 AAA batteries. I just use the cheapo Energizer or Dorcy branded LED penlights when I actually need an inspection lamp that isn’t too bright for close inspection work or for getting into smaller spaces. The newest Energizer LED penlight is 21 lumens (the older one was 11 lumens) and is just $6-7. The Dorcy seems to be about the same thing.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Energizer-21-Lumen-LED-Handheld-Battery-Flashlight-Battery-Included/3031928
http://www.sears.com/dorcy-penlight-led-1-each/p-03493591000P?sellerId=SEARS&prdNo=12&blockNo=12&blockType=G12
John
I have a black one and chime in that I love mine. The only negative though is the clip. At least on the flat black one, it will dig into the finish and scratch it up pretty easily. Keep that in mind if that kind of thing bothers you. Perhaps the silver will show such scratches less.
Stuart
Yea, that bugged me at first too. There’s enough spring pressure that it will drag a circle into the housing when unscrewing the tail cap. It didn’t leave a permanent mark, though, and after that I use paper or card stock between clip and housing when replacing batteries.
firefly
If you click on the used an new, there is a brand new store that sell it for $6.44. Shipped from OH, CA…
fred
I’d be cautious about sellers on Amazon that have bad reviews or no reviews because they are just launched. I’m guessing that Amazon tries hard to keep their third-party sellers on the up and up – but there are scammers everywhere including on Amazon
Stuart
Fred and I had a good convo the other day about “bait and scam” sellers on Amazon.
If the price looks too good to be true, and is being offered by a just-launched seller, I wouldn’t even think about it.
fred
Worse – and even more suspicious – are “sellers” who ask that you contact them ahead of buying for special pricing or some other deal. If they ask for payment outside of Amazon – or that you buy Amazon Gift Cards as a means of payments – then “alarm bells should go off in your head”. At least if you purchase through Amazon – you have their A-Z guarantee – but still may have a bit of a hassle to get your refund. One comment about a seller selling this flashlight for $6.44 – said that the vendor provided a phony tracking number – for a shipment – never returned calls etc. and finally Amazon made good on a refund. I guess that the majority of items offered for sale on Amazon Marketplace are as described, by legitimate vendors – but at this time of the year we may be vulnerable to seeking out what Stuart says are “prices too good to be true.”
firefly
I thought something was fishy for sure… I didn’t think about it being a scam. The thought of it being a knockoff did cross my mind. Hence I was curious more than anything else. I haven’t had a bad experience buying on Amazon yet, beside the occasional problem with poor packaging, so cross my fingers :))). Regardless I did place an order for one. Let see what turn up!
Fred is right, if any of the seller requested that you contact them ahead of time then run for your life. In this case, Amazon got my back so if the seller turn out to be fraudulent I am covered. I am more curious on what steps Amazon is doing to protect the buyer and itself. Either way it was a small enough investment that if my order help Amazon uncover a fraudulent seller it’s a win.
I am glad and amazed that Stuart and fred already had a conversation about this!
jeff
nice ordered one for my self and one for a stocking stuffer!
thanks!
Mark
I”ve been getting Larry C flashlights for $7 at my local plumbing and electrical supply store. They use the same batteries ((2 AAA) are very well made, and have better bulb technology giving a brighter light.
Greg
Stuart, I know there’s a million different flashlight brands out these days, but if you’re ever looking to add another onto the pen light review pile, I’d love to see your thoughts on this one:
https://www.factorequipment.com/product/flashlights/mizpah-250-led-flashlight/
I’ve been eyeing it for months, but just haven’t managed to talk myself into pulling the trigger.
They even have a smaller one (the MiZPAH 130) , but I have a tendency to lose the tiny ones.
Stuart
I have not heard of that brand before, but will keep them in mind.
250 lumens from 2 AAA seems excessive. I don’t think you can get that from alkaline cells in series.
Greg
The new Preon P2 claims 220 lumens from 2 AAA batteries, so perhaps the new emitters are just that efficient.
Though, both the Factor Equipment and Four Sevens say it’ll eat the batteries in about an hour. So, to put out that much light definitely has a downside, however at least they both offer lower power settings too.
Anyhow, thanks for the reply.
Stuart
Hmm, that seems excessive too. Looking at its possible output configurations, I wish there was a medium and low option. Or high and medium. There is high and low, though.
I think about my Fenix LD20, and how it can’t operate at its highest output with alkaline cells. The cells just cannot keep up with the current demands. But load it with Eneloops or Lithium AAs, and it can do anything.
Stuart
Mine arrived, and there’s a California Prop 65 warning on the back.
fred
Prop 65 warnings come on lots of things including brass doorknobs. Some of the Prop 65 warnings are probably worth heeding as a heads up to prevent ingestion or exposure to potentially cancer or birth-defect-causing elements. In the case of the brass door knob – I guess if you were to ingest the trace amounts of heavy metals often alloyed into the brass – then you would be at risk. For a yellow-brass water pipe this could an issue, for a door knob, I question the risk.
With a flashlight, I’m not sure if its metallic elements in its case, its batteries or something else that prompts the warning. INMO it would be better if the Prop 65 warning had some additional product-specific information to help you assess the severity and pathways of the risk – but that would place a very heavy, costly and potentially litigious burden on the manufacturer. As it is now, I think the warning gets slapped on so many things that it goes unheeded by many.
BTW – I see that Amazon seems to have taken down the two $6.64 offers for this pen light.
Stuart
True, but enough contact with lead can transfer to skin.
Generally, I consider if I’ll be washing my hands after use. Wiring? Yes. Certain tools? Yes. Anot EDC flashlight? Probably not.
With small kids around, and not yet knowing why this has a Prop 65 warning, I’d be more inclined to carry a different flashlight.
Not that I expect them to play around with a high powered flashlight.
I was looking into something recently and came across a report about a guy that got lead poisoning from chewing on PVC wiring at his desk.
Extension cords have “wash your hands” warnings, but I wouldn’t expect this from a pen light flashlight.
Domain
Where is the warning at on the package? Have a pic? Is it just the silver?