The Streamlight Keymate is a USB-charged LED flashlight that’s small enough to fit on your keychain.
It delivers 35 lumens of illumination, and can run for up to 1 hour per charge. There’s also a 16 lumens low mode, which gives you 2 hours of runtime, and an emergency flash mode.
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The push-button is on the front. At the center is a charging indicator LED, which switches from red during charging to green when the battery is fully charged.
And the “key” part is the light source. Streamlight says that this will give you an “optimal illumination.”
It has a built-in 110 mAh litium polymer battery, and comes with a 5″ USB cord for charging.
The spring clip can be used to attach the Streamlight Keymate to your keyring, but it can also be used with zippers, lanyards, and other types of gear.
An IPX4 rating means it’s water resistant.
The Keymate is 2.9″ ling and weighs 0.50 ounce (14.17 grams).
Price: $17
Buy Now(via Amazon)
See Also: Pelican Keychain LED Flashlight
First Thoughts
Well, the best LED flashlight is the one you have on you. And with the Streamlight Keymate being as small as it is, this probably the only flashlight most people would be willing to carry.
Is there a need for something like this? I mean, most people carry smartphones, and most smartphones have LED flash emitters that can double as flashlights. But… this is smaller, and can be used hands-free, or in spaces you couldn’t or wouldn’t put your much pricier phone.
This doesn’t seem like a perfect fit for me, but I like the idea of having a capable backlight light.
I have a Pelican 1810C, and it looks to be a little smaller. But it’s also dimmer, and works on button cell batteries. With frequent use, the Streamlight will likely pay for itself, since it’s rechargeable and doesn’t require battery changes.
But… is something like this really meant for frequent use?
Less expensive keychain lights, such as the traditional squeeze light form factor of the Nite Ize Inova light, are much dimmer. They make brigher models, but then you’re back at the ~$10+ price range.
Looking at competitive options, I think that the Streamlight Keymate is properly priced. It seems like it’s a bit much, but compared to what you can get for less money, or more, this is a well-spec’ed mini flashlight.
If you think that 35 lumens is nowhere near bright enough for your needs, check out the Surefire Sidekick instead.
Jared
For keychain lights, nothing beats the Olight I1R EOS right now in my opinion. Also rechargeable and under $20, but produces 130 lumens instead of 35.
Or, if you don’t need it to be rechargable, grab the $10 Olight i3E EOS which throws out 90 Lumens.
Pete
I love all my olight lights. I’ll have to try this one.
David
I carried a Nitecore Tube for a while ($8ish quite often from reputable resellers, and $10ish via Amazon). It fills a similar niche, and I don’t feel like the key shape for this really offers a lot. For the price, you can have a pair of Tubes.
At a similar price ($19.99 on Amazon), I think the Nicecore Thumb’s ability to bend would be more attractive to me.
But the honest answer is that when my Tube failed, I didn’t replace it, and just leave quality LED flashlights in places where I use them frequently and use my phone for everything else.
Blythe
I don’t own one, but I think for about the same price I would rather have the olight I1R EOS. Usb rechargeable also, but you get 5 lumen(7 hours) and 130 lumen (20 minutes) settings
Olight I1R EOS https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CT423H2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WxtkBb7FSS9ZE
Big Adam
Surely they missed a trick here. Why faff about is a micro-usb cable when you could have just shaped the key blade so it terminated in a USB Type A male plug?
Stuart
I think it’s about size and convenience. A USB Type A plug might have made it too large.
Someone might rather connect it to a smartphone charger next to their phone, rather than taking the flashlight off their keys.
A USB Type A plug might also then require charging wires or more complex PCB traces, while the micro USB port can be made closer to the battery.
Wear, if they went with an exposed-type USB plug?
Cost?
Convenience? How many users would plug this into an easily-accessible USB port, as opposed to using a charging cable? Here, it’d be easier for me to use the micro USB port.
Unless they could do both, I think that the micro USB port is the more convenient and more popular choice.
Ren
Also using a USB flexible stand allows to position the light hands free, and if can charge and run at the same time *, increase it’s run time, off USB power source like a battery pack.
eg. http://flashlight.nitecore.com/product/usb-f-s
Think still prefer the Nitecore TINI though.
* Unclear if this does.
Jason
I am a huge Streamlight fan, I own several and use them for my primary EDC lights. I also keep a small light on my keychain, but it’s not the Streamlight Keymate. I wanted to like it, but the switch/battery compartment area is just too thick! So the light that has been on my keychain for at least 10 years now has been the Nite Ize Inova. It’s not the brightest light, but it is handy when you just need a few lumens. I’m actually surprised it has lasted this long. I had a Photon before that and while I liked the size, I hated the switch on it. Streamlight has another keychain light called the Nano, but it has another set of issues, mainly coming on while its in your pocket and the batteries are small button cells that are harder to find than your normal 2016s or 2032s.
TZi
I’ve used the Nitecore Tube flashlights on a few of my different keychains. One of them did eventually die though, after maybe 3 years or so.
Fazal Majid
My EDC keychain flashlight is a Nitecore TIP CRI (2017 model). It’s $30, but it has a 500mAh battery, goes up to 360 lumens of high-color-rendering-index light, and the LED has a light so it is focused and not an uncontrolled flood.It’s reasonably compact as well, and has a tough all-metal chassis. The Streamlight is quite thick and would be awkward on a split-ring. The Nitecore attaches to the keychain with a lobster-claw clamp and thus dangles without getting in the way of the keys.
Reed Prince
I carry the same flashlight. It is brighter and has higher quality light than the suggested Surefire, which retails for $45+.
Michaelhammer
My edc light is one probably none of you guys can relate to, but here it is anyway…
https://www.cpomilwaukee.com/milwaukee-2202-20-voltage-detector-with-led/miln2202-20,default,pd.html
I’ve carried key chain lights of various types over the years, but found I mostly used them to get in the house. Now my house doesn’t require a key so I don’t require a light.
Benjamen
That is a pretty good idea. If you’re going to carry a flashlight, might as well provide some other functions too.
J.C.
That looks interesting but I’ll stick with my Fenix E01. Less lumens for sure but WAY more runtime. And…..sometimes less lumens can be better than more lumens. Nice article though and thanks for bringing this to our attention Stuart! 🙂
Pete
You should try the E05. I would say it’s 100% better than the E01. But thats my opinion- that might be because i started with a E05 and got so used to it, then to go to a E01… that was terrible. I gave it to my mother in law.
Brett
Neat idea but no way am I plugging in my keys.
I just carry an olight somethingorother (i3e?) that I got for christmas some years ago. It’s not USB rechargeable but I just use rechargeable AAA batteries in it, and wind up swapping them out every other month or so.
Brian M
If you only need a little bit of light I think I’d rather go with a Victorinox midnight manager with white(other option is night vision saving red) LED. Small knife blade, file/slotted screwdriver, scissors, bottle opener/phillips screwdriver and most importantly a light and a pen. I carry the Victorinox manager and it disappears in your pocket, the pen is soooo handy to have around.
If you need more light than this key then you’re better off with one of the flashlights mentioned previously. The key is somewhere between these, but with the singular function and low lumens, it seems like a miss to me. Neat idea but it needs to be brighter. I think the inventor would agree but not much better you can do in that form factor, pretty impressive they got anything retail-able out of that idea.
Baseball Mike
As pocket / squeeze lights go – I think that the Photon X-Light is the best.
If you haven’t seen it – hop on over to their site at PhotonLight…
4.5 lumens, and variable brightness, and SOS/blinking mode.
Also, what I love about it – is that it partially glows and is a white/translucent plastic, so if you happen to drop it at night when it wasn’t turned on, you’ve got a shot at finding it still (unlike all of the lights finished in black).
Sure – its not rechargeable, but I don’t think that’s actually a very big draw in this category. I think if you use a light enough to need to recharge it, you’re going to go for a larger and more general purpose light (say, something with a RCR123a, like one of the OLight Batons or H1R).
I hadn’t seen the O1R EOS before – but, I think a squeeze light is infinitely more usable than a twist in this category. Once you step up beyond this – then twist/button is up to preference.