Short Description:

The Minilight is a keychain light made by Boker Magnum. This light is available for purchase from Pocketlights.com. This particular light is the absolute smallest keychain light I've seen that runs on 2 coin cells.

The body of the Minilight is made of plastic with brushed-finish metal plates on the top and bottom. The single 5mm white LED protrudes from the front of the light surrounded at the base by an extension of the body with 2 ridges cut into the material for apparently decorative purposes. At the back of the light is a molded-in lanyard attachment loop where a triangular metal clip is attached. A split ring keychain is attached to the triangle of metal. Near the end of the light on one side is a slot where you can insert the edge of a dime to pry open the 2 clamshell halves of body for battery changes. On top of the light is a cutout in the thin metal plate to accommodate the triangular switch that protrudes from the body of the light. The body has no seals to keep out the environment.

The bulb is a single white 5mm LED which produces a surprisingly ringed beam with noticeable brighter and dimmer areas.

The switch is a simple slider switch. Slide forward to turn the light on, slide back for off. There is no momentary capability. There are no ridges or indents to protect the switch from accidental activation.

Batteries used are two 1620 lithium coin cells (included). This explains the fact that this keychain light is smaller than most others. The 1620 cells are smaller than the usual 2016 cells you find in other lithium coin cell keychain lights. When changing batteries, be aware that there is a plastic insulator that rests on top of the batteries between the switch and the batteries. This is necessary for the operation of the light and should not be discarded. It will need to be placed in the same position on top of the new batteries.

Accessories: Batteries included, keychain split ring attached.

Reviewer's Impressions:

The Boker Magnum Minilight is by far the smallest lithium coin cell light on the commercial market that I've ever seen. Unfortunately, its size is about the only thing I see that it has going for it.

Fit and finish are ok, but not great. The LED wobbles in the front of the light, indicating a lack of tight tolerances. There are obvious ridges on the sides of the body where the 2 halves of the clamshell designed body do not mate together smoothly. The brushed metal plates on the top and bottom do give the light a "classy" look.

Quality / Durability / Construction are all marginal. The plastic itself deforms quite readily and after opening it with a dime, large digs could be seen in the plastic where it was necessary to pry the light open with the coin. The light snaps together fairly well, but after opening it and closing it a couple of times noticeable gaps appeared that would not go away no matter how hard I pressed the light between my fingers. The triangular metal loop on the end of the light has a very large gap between the ends and I would not trust it to holding the light. In fact, with just a slight twist I was able to pop the light off of the keychain. I would replace it with a small split ring if possible.

Output is good, coming in at about 22 lux at 1 meter on new batteries.

Beam quality is not great. The center of the beam has an obvious blue splotch surrounded by a dim area, again surrounded by a brighter bluish ring.

Water resistance is nonexistent. Protect the light from water.

The switch is a real problem area. It is raised and protrudes above the body of the light where it can be accidentally activated in the pocket, thereby draining the batteries.

No battery life is given for this light, but the batteries have almost the same mAh rating as the 2016 batteries found in many other lithium coin cell lights. I would expect the battery life to be similar, but a little shorter. Removing and changing the batteries can be a little tricky considering that the switch threads onto the LED lead and an insulating disk must be placed on top of the batteries. Line everything up and snap back together.

Improvements: A raised area is needed to protect the switch from accidental activation, the plastic used needs to be tougher, and it would be nice if there was at least some water resistance.

If you are looking for the absolute smallest keychain light, this is it.

+ + + Pluses: Small, Bright, Lightweight

- - - Minuses: Not water resistant, Not durable, Exposed LED, Exposed switch, Small parts involved in battery change

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