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First, the downsides, so that we an end with the product in a positive light. My biggest gripe is that the patina isn’t that impressive after almost a year of ownership (received August 2, 2017), I was only half-joking on here when I asked to borrow someone’s sweaty palms. Essentially, the mirror-like gold finish turns into a dull matte with only a little darkening at the edges and creases of the design, and you can tell that the resistance to prevent the pocket clip from rotating can be defeated, because there is a small patch of brassing (yup) where the clip touches the body and scratches away some of the patina. It’s not a BAD look, and I do like how it shows some custom wear, but I thought it might get darker from frequent use like copper or bronze. One time, the heat from the light being on high for a bit more time managed to leave a hint of blueish heat anodization near the tip, but touching it with my finger wiped it away (I is sad).
Again, I actually think the brass still takes a nice “used” look, it just always proudly looks fairly “gold” so you have to like that, but I’d probably get another material if I bought it again. Other than that, I wish the “low” mode was lower (for night walks to the bathroom and plane passengers reading) so the brightness levels felt more spaced (thus I almost always use medium), the mechanical tail switch is a bit wobbly if you jiggle the light, the size is obviously too long to wear on a keychain (this is also a plus), the diamond-shaped accents near the tail don’t stop the light from rolling (but the pocket clip does), and it doesn’t tailstand.
Other than those things, there are mainly bright points to this flashlight! I needed a light to inspect charging ports in cellphones, several times a day, everyday at work for most of the past year. This light (Nichia option) even on medium isn’t very glaring at close range, and obviously brighter than incandescent Maglight penlights of yesteryear. The color of the light is great, I’ve used it often to add a soft highlight and better color rendition to quick cellphone pictures many times (way better than the built-in flash). The pattern has a bright hotspot, usable spill, and a good transition between, a very useful floody EDC pattern.
Quick snapshot with just some “soft white“ Philips light bulbs in a chandelier:
Snapshot with the Lumintop on low, directly pointed at the fake flowers (but a bit off to the side of the camera angle, chandelier off):
iPhone 8+ built-in flash (tru-tone flash better than most):
I’ve only changed the batteries once — the second pair are weaker now so all the modes are closer in brightness, however I still expect to get more functional time out of these. The green ring that glows in the dark after turning off the light is faint and short-lived, but remains the cool little touch that it always was. It doesn’t get hot to hold. I love the tactility of kid light: the tail switch “click” is as satisfying as a clicky pen (once on, you can lightly press it to switch brightness modes fast), and that brass always has that super satisfyingly smooth action to unscrew the battery compartment. No strong scent of dead bacteria.
Finally, my favorite part of this inexpensive yet nicer quality penlight: the size. I don’t lose it. My wife lost her AAA Olight (mine exploded in my pocket, ask me the story sometime), my Brass Massdrop special 1x AAA Lumintop got hooked on my jacket and fell out of my pocket somewhere, and I’ve had numerous scares with my Reylight Copper and $55 Olight Baton Mini where I couldn’t find them for a week, only for them to turn up on laundry day clipped to pants I thought I checked. If I lost this IYP365, I wouldn’t be out much money and could replace it cheap, but it’s long and heavy enough that I have the assurance that it’s in my pocket and little snags don’t pull it out. That said, it’s not so big to cause awkwardness sitting down, and I can easily accommodate a Delica clipped to the same pocket and usually still reach past it for keys in the same pocket. Did I mention that I only had to change batteries once?
While this light only comes close to perfect (I should only fault the brightness mode spacing, wishing it was more like the 1x AAA Lumintop or the Reylight Pineapple, and also wish for it to tailstand), this inexpensive experiment has turned out to be a dependable choice to carry everyday.
Look how close the tunnel roof was to our double-decker bus!!! vvv
Anyway, after I found the Olight and lost the Massdrop Brass, I went back to the Olight S3i for awhile. I had been working overtime at my retail job, a bit of my second job in social media, and just felt SO TIRED when I got home that I fell asleep in my bed still wearing my clothes, the AAA Olight S3i in my pocket. My wife was sleeping next to me, and we were under a blanket and duvet. Zzz... BANG! Out of a sound sleep! I learned at that moment, that when I am utterly surprised and scared and not knowing what is going on in the dark, I scream just like Doc Brown from Back to the Future. Oh, I freaked out my wife too, and probably the neighbors on either wall.
The Glass lens had blown out. I think the body heat of two people, under all the blankets, caused enough pressure buildup inside the sealed Reflector area that it just blew the lens out. I had the battery compartment release a “tissst!” of pressure like a can of soda in the past after letting the light get hot, so the extra heat is my best guess. No glass in the bed or body, luckily, but plenty of fine shards in my pocket.
Honestly, I believe it was my fault for sleeping with it, and even so Olight probably would’ve covered it with their generous warranty. I also have a copper S1 Mini Baton by Olight that has been a great light with an unusually uniform spotlight (almost no hot spot or spill), which has given me no problems, but that thing is like a jewel so I don’t EDC it as much as the cheaper ones. I doubt other people will have the same issue as me!