In2theLight Trio, 29 LED Flashlight

Provided for review
by the kind folks at:

 
 
3½ Stars
Good/Very Good
         

Light Type: 5mm LED
Light Class: Outdoor / General Use

The In2theLight Trio is similar to several other inexpensive 29 LED lights out on the market right now. The difference is in the seller and the quality of the product. In2theLight states that they test all of their lights before shipping, load them with Duracell Procell batteries, and back their products with a 30 day return policy (minus shipping). They also communicated that they have shopped around extensively to find the best quality lights of the type they sell. There are many knock-offs made with inferior quality parts, but from the outside they may look the same. These are still inexpensive LED lights, but they're not "cheap quality".

The unique thing about the Trio is that although the head is loaded with 29 LEDs, they are not all the same color! The center 3 are white, the middle ring of 10 are green, and the outer ring of 16 are red. The click switch on the side allows you to select first white, then green, then the red LEDs.

The body of the light is anodized aluminum with raised rectangular sections along the battery tube for grip. The tailcap unscrews to reveal a 3 AAA battery carrier. The tailcap itself has notches for grip and an O-ring seal. The body is rather thick and it seems fairly durable. This particular light is a little different from other similar 29 LED lights on the market in that it also has 3 modes of output that are user selectable via the switch.

 

Inside the bezel of this torch is a module that contains twenty-nine 5mm LEDs. They all sit in a silvered reflector area behind a polycarbonate lens. It's really quite pretty to look at when viewed at an angle to the lens.

Output is pretty wild. The three white LEDs provide even soft lighting. The color of the beam is slightly bluish which is normal for 5mm LED lights. By clicking the switch in series you next get a blotchy green beam. Quite bright, but full of rings. Fun to bounce off the ceiling though! Third click gives you the outer 16 red LEDs. Good for preserving night adapted vision or warning approaching cars of your presence, but don't look directly at the LEDs! Fourth click is off.

Level
3 white LEDs
63 (7.94)
604 (6.04)
10 green LEDs
67 (8.18)
634 (6.34)
16 red LEDs
20 (4.47)
156 (1.56)

All throw readings are in Lux at one meter. The numbers in parenthesis are for comparison in the Comparison Charts.


Beam at one meter at target center

Runtime Plot: A runtime plot will not be completed at this time, since I would need to do a runtime graph for each of the LED modes. Perhaps in the future...

The switch is a simple rubber covered click switch in a slight dimple. The switch is a standard clickie and turns the light on the moment you hear the click. Click once for white, twice for green, three times for red.

This torch should be considered "water resistant" and can handle a splashing without too much trouble. O-ring seals protect the lens, bezel, head and tailcap connection points. Submersion is not recommended. If it gets wet inside, disassemble as far as you can without tools and let it dry out before using again.

Ergonomics: This light is just the right size for my hand. Comfortable and easy to hold and the switch is easy to operate.


Size compared to a common 2AA aluminum light

Use 3 AAA cell alkaline batteries for powering this light. Duracell Procell alkalines are included and are pre-loaded for you. Batteries need to be inserted into the special carrier inside the body tube. Simply remove the tailcap, drop out the carrier, put in 3 AAA cells with the negative (flat) side against the springs (2 point up, one points down) and drop the whole carrier in spring first. Reattach the tailcap and you're ready to go.

Accessories: Included with this light is a VERY nice belt sheath. The front has a velcro closure flap and the back has a belt loop with both Velcro and snap fasteners. You don't need to take your belt off to attach or remove this sheath - very nice touch! As a bonus, this sheath also fits most larger 2-cell 123A high intensity lights such as Surefire, Streamlight and Brinkmann.

What I Liked: Water resistant, Generally tough/impact resistant, Good battery life, Bright output, Fairly easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up, 3 output modes

What I Didn't Like: I really don't like the use of battery carriers - one more thing to lose or break.

Picky Little Things: It would be really cool to have a fourth mode with all LEDs on, but it would suck the batteries dry in no time.

Conclusions: Considering the effort the seller goes through to bring you a "better" quality inexpensive LED light, and the fact that it really does seem to be higher quality than many other inexpensive LED lights out there, I'd say this light is well worth consideration. Kudos to In2theLight.com for searching out a good supplier, backing their product with a 30 day refund guarantee and including high quality batteries as well. Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference. As for the three modes of light? The white is great for normal navigation at close range and the red should be helpful in preserving night adapted vision. The green is just fun.


Quick Facts Table:

Item Reviewed.......................... In2theLight Trio
Review Date ............................. November 2005
Case Material ........................... Anodized aluminum
Case Features .......................... Chunky ridges for grip
Case Access Type .................... Unscrew Tailcap
Switch Type ............................. Rubber clickie on side
Reflector Type ......................... Silvered plastic
Lens Type ................................ Clear polycarbonate
Bulb Type ................................. 29 x 5mm LEDs - 3 white, 10 green, 16 red
Beam Type ............................... Wide spot
Beam Characteristics ............... Smooth white beam, ringy splotchy green and red beams
Throw (Lux) at 1m (click for description) see table above
Overall Output (click for description) see table above
Battery / Power Type................ 3 x AAA alkaline cells (included)
Battery Life (advertised) ........... not given
Battery Life (test results) ........... not tested at this time
Environmental Protection ......... O-ring seals, splashable
Weight (oz.) with batteries ....... 6.7 oz.
Special Items of Note ............... Very nice belt sheath included
Warranty .................................. 30 day money back (minus shipping)
Retail Cost ................................ 24.95 US$ at time of review at In2theLight.com.
 

 

 
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