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