Streamlight Stylus

Streamlight Stylus

CW EVALUATIONS

A tiny light saber for fending off the dark side

FLASHLIGHTS ARE A LOT LIKE COPS: There never seems to be one around when you need it. That's why smart motorcyclists don't dare venture into the black of night without a flashlight along for the ride. But if you're just out

for an evening’s jaunt without even a tankbag for storage, where do you carry a flashlight?

Well, there are many different kinds of miniature flashlights available, and one of the more intriguing is the Stylus, an innovative, pen-type light from Streamlight. Thanks to its use of teeny, AAAA batteries-only a quarter-inch in diameter-the Stylus truly is just as slim as most pens. So it fits into a shirt or jacket pocket just as comfortably and unobtrusively as your favorite Bic.

But this is no ordinary penlight. The machined-aluminum Stylus is waterproof, and instead of a conventional incandescent bulb, its light source is a special high-intensity LED that projects a startlingly bright beam much like that discharged from a strobe light. Our test Stylus produced an amazing amount of illumination for its size, and its

powerful, blue-white light made objects in its beam seem exceptionally bright and sharply defined.

The Stylus is available at hardware and tool stores in two lengths, determined by whether they use two or three batteries, and in black, silver or gold finish. Costing approximately $20, the Stylus is a tad pricey for a penlight, perhaps, but it does come with a lifetime warranty. And the first time it sheds its considerable light on a late-night roadside problem, you’ll include it among your most cherished possessions. □

DETAILS

Streamlight, Inc. 1030 W. Germantown Pk. Norristown, PA 19403 800/523-7488 www.streamlight.com Price $17-$21

Incredibly bright light for its size LED claimed to last 100,000 hours

r Expensive fora penlight r AAAA batteries can be hard to find