Introduction
The ThruNite Ti3 is a diminutive but rugged little flashlight that can produce as much as 120 Lumens of brightness on a single AAA battery. It is worth noting that the Ti3 at 18 g (.63 oz) with battery is somewhat lighter than any headlight I have, even my UL MYOG models which start at 52 g (1.8 oz). This weight difference alone makes it worthy of consideration as a piece of ultralight gear. The Ti3 arrived with an explanation that ThruNite has a newer production version coming out shortly.
The Ti3 arrived in a small tin box with all the accessories stored away inside under the foam. There’s a clip as shown here and a little clip on some chain, all of which I quickly discarded.
Instead, I made a loop of fluoro nylon string ( I used 330 mm), large enough to easily slip over my hand but small enough that it would not fall off.
The genius of the Ti3 rests in its size to brightness ratio. A single AAA Lithium battery powers it. The flashlight is only slightly larger than the battery itself. That is TINY! The marginally larger head contains the electronics that handle the modes.
Features and Specifications
| Price | 16 USD |
| LED | Cree XP-G2 R5 |
| LED life | 20+ years |
| Length | 70 mm (2.75 in) |
| Diameter | 14 mm (.55 in) |
| IPX-8 waterproof to | 2 m (6.56 ft) |
| Made in | China |
| Weight without battery | 12 g (.42 oz) |
| Weight with AAA lithium battery & string | 17.7 g (.62 oz) |
| Firefly mode | 0.04 Lm, 115 hr life |
| Low mode | 12 Lm, 6.3 hr life |
| High mode | 120 Lm, 0.5 hr life |
The flashlight first activates in Firefly mode, the lowest power setting with the most extended battery life (115 hours). You can bump it up to a higher power by turning it off and on again quickly. Do that three times, and you get a high power strobe operation. You get back to Firefly mode by leaving the light off for >10 seconds.
You activate the light by screwing the head of the flashlight down onto the body a bit. In effect, you are screwing the contact in the head of the flashlight down onto the battery. This action can be achieved with the thumb and forefinger while the rest of the fingers hold the body of the light. No actual switch or button is required!
The head of the flashlight is not loose on the body: there is a replaceable O-ring between the two parts which makes the twisting operation smooth and keeps the light waterproof. ThruNite provides a replacement O-ring. It was hard to measure, but my best guess is 9 x 1 mm. ThruNite recommends a minimal amount of silicone grease when replacing the O-ring.
You could compare the Ti3 with any of the button flashlights on the market – the ones generally based on a CR2032 coin cell battery. Button flashlights are smaller and lighter, but we would be talking about just a few grams difference here – in one case 16.5 g (.58 oz) vs. 17.7 g (.62 oz). The big difference to my mind is the expected life of the battery. The button cells, typically CR2032, are rated at 250 mA.hr at a trickle discharge rate, significantly less at a flashlight discharge rate. Those button batteries are designed for low-power uses. The AAA Lithium battery, on the other hand, is rated at 1250 mA.hr at a significant discharge. The official specifications don’t go as low as the Firefly mode. The AAA battery has much more guts.
Field Testing
I found the Ti3 extremely simple to use in practical situations. I was able to quickly orient it in the dark and activate it with one hand. Firefly mode is all one would need in a tent – it is quite bright. Outside the tent, the Firefly mode is still bright enough for casual excursions, while the battery life is long enough that I didn’t feel the need to keep turning it off and on. I just let it dangle from my wrist on the string loop.
Commentary
The Ti3 is a featherweight flashlight that punches far above its class. The ease of use, powerful AAA battery, and rugged construction are all attractive features. The holding loop was easy to modify and the Lumens provided in the low power Firefly mode are more than adequate for interior tent use and casual after dark wanderings. On top of all that, my wife said it best.
“It’s cute!”
Where To Buy
Disclosure
The manufacturer provided complimentary samples of the products in this review with no obligation required to publish a review. Some links in this review may be affiliate links: if you click on a link and place an order with one of our affiliate merchant partners, Backpacking Light receives a small commission on the sale, at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support our website and create new content – and we’re grateful for your support.
Discussion
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Ha, ha…I hear that. I headed out away from the tent one night and had taken no more than ten or twelve steps and almost stepped on a black bear. Fortunately he ran like hell…I was shocked to find him so close to camp and curled up sleeping…I just stood there with my flashlight on him. What IS that? Then he started moving…
That’s a first. I’ve not heard of anyone stepping ON a bear.
I have had one of the little thru nite lights for about a year. It is the model with just one brightness. I like simplicity.
It was about 9 or 10 dollars, I use the free old timey heavy duty batteries from Harbor Freight for everyday use. Put a little mitten clip on it with a loop of thin cord so it clips to my key ring. It can also clip to a cord around my neck or to an overhead tarp cord. I use it everyday retrieving inventory in a back room. Those little zinc batteries last about 2 months. I would guess a lithium would last all year at that rate.
After ~6 months of using this flashlight daily walking the dog late at night and it’s starting to flicker sometimes when I turn it on. If I screw it in/out I can find a spot where it seems to work better. This does not inspire confidence.
Well, it is a mechanical switch. The body of the light carries current. The bare aluminum can get oxidized, I have found the need to clean periodically. It is also possible the “driver”, which is the circuit board the battery + terminal contacts, is a bit loose and needs to be screwed in a bit. I have not had that happen to mine, but your 6 months of daily use is >> than my 3 weeks on the trail.
6 months of daily use. Any maintenance, other than recharging/replacing batteries, of any sort yet? If not, I would say that’s pretty good for an inexpensive LED light.
No maintenance. I didn’t think a little flashlight needed any maintenance. What do you recommend?
“6 months of daily use. Any maintenance, other than recharging/replacing batteries, of any sort yet? If not, I would say that’s pretty good for an inexpensive LED light.”
I use it in the morning sometimes too. Let’s say six months, twice daily. 6x30x2=360 uses. Each one involves turning it on/off/on and then off a few minutes later… that’s 4 turns per use so 1440 cycles. Let’s double that because maybe my estimation is way off. 3000 cycles of a switch is less than I would expect. Maybe my expectations are unrealistic…
Well said, you are correct, any actual component “switch” should last many more than 3000 cycles. But that is not the switch that is in your light. You have an bare aluminum cylinder, which will oxidize over time, and a bare copper trace on a circuit board. When you put these together, current flows. When they are no longer in contact, the current stops.
But if this was the problem in your case, the light would not just flicker, but probably change modes (get brighter or dimmer). You did not describe that, so perhaps there is something different going on besides an oxidized aluminum cylinder. I was just trying to provide a helpful suggestion, but perhaps its not helpful after all.
This may be helpful, that is I have had a failure with two other Thrunite lights. One was a Ti-3, the other a AA light. I got free replacements for both when I contacted their customer service. I have heard others have not had the same result. Maybe you’ll get a replacement that will last longer, maybe not.
I will add that at the price point of the item purchased, the quality is not going to be a million cycles. I don’t have a recommendation for that, even at a higher price point. Today’s consumer goods are just not as robust as in years gone by.
I hope you find a better solution for you and your use, when you do I would love to hear about it too. :-)
Maintenance? Use Caig Labs DexIt on screw threads and contacts.
Excellent insight that it’s not switching modes when it flickers. I would think that means the flicker is happening between the bulb and the circuit board rather than between the battery and the circuitry.
The positive end of the battery presses on a gold-plated circle on the PCB. I suspect that the gold plating may be wearing a bit thin in places. Always assuming I have the right torch in mind!
Compared to the previous generation of ‘brand-name’ torches, these Asian ones really are ‘inexpensive’.
Cheers
With the switching, there is likely a capacitor in there, probably with a resistor on it so it looks like a bit of memory…it “remembers” to switch modes screwing it off/on and it doesn’t always default to firefly mode. A brief flicker might not discharge the electronics enough to switch modes.
As far as oxidation inside, You could try a little grease. The spring/body side might be tight. You might need to make a tool to reach it(or use a long nosed “needle” nosed pliers if you have one,) but often just spinning the spring(if possible) will resume a solid contact. A dollop of grease in the bottom will prevent most forms of oxidation going forward. A small bit of grease on the top will also prevent any oxidation, especially if the gold is worn away. I know, “Grease my flashlight” sounds stupid.
I stand corrected. I agree with James Marco. I was using another light recently that changes modes by interrupting the power to the light, and it was flickering a bit just sitting on the table. So one does not need to break the connection to see an LED light “flicker”, but just a poor connection somewhere can do it.
Would be curious to know if matthew k has tried any cleaning ideas presented yet, and what the results are.
I have not. It’s been a crazy week.
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