Streamlight61101 ClipMate 27-Lumen Ultra Bright Headlamp with Three White LEDs, Black

This was the main flashlight I used for a 3-week Everest Base Camp trek. I ended up using this rather than the Black Diamond Icon headlamp which was so heavy I ended up leaving it home and taking this little gem. The  Black Diamond Icon Headlamp  was brighter, sturdier, had several modes, fit much more sturdily on your head, but I was over my 15 kilogram limit and had to go light.Almost immediately, in my pocket, one of the clips broke that holds the end cap of the battery case on this Clipmate flashlight. It's under a lot of stress from the stiff springs in line with the batteries, and the thin plastic is no match for that much force. Fortunately, I had duct tape with me (wrapped around a freeby pseudo-credit card), and I was able to tape on the cap effectively, though the result was rather ugly. After another month or so, the clip broke while it was in my pocket. So if I had been relying on that I would have been screwed. My guess is that when picking up something very heavy I tend to press on the light in my pocket, and the leverage on the clip broke the tab on the cap, and then the clip itself. So if you need the clip or the light as a headlamp, don't carry it in your pocket.I thought it would come in handy occasionally in daily use to be able to clip it to something for hands-free operation, but in the 9 months I've used the flashlight, aside from the occasional use on the trail in the Himalayas, there was exactly once that I've used the clip.I bought a new one and immediately unsnapped the clip, and now I REALLY love the little bugger. It feels GREAT in the hand. I'm buying several of these as gifts. It's considerably brighter, and moderately thinner and "sleeker" in my pocket than the usual cheapo 9-led 3-AAA led flashlights. It has become a part of my basic stuff, and if I ever leave home without it I feel as if I screwed up.I have a very affectionate feeling about this little flashlight. The switch, activated by rotating the round head end of the thing, has been 100.0% reliable. It's surprisingly bright, though not as bright as the  Techlite Lumen Master 150 Lumens High-Intensity CREE XPE L.E.D. Tactical Flashlight, 3 Pack  which also uses 3 AAA batteries but is just too big and heavy to lug around in my pocket for general use.Regarding buying from Amazon, and here I must sound like somebody being paid to write favorable reviews (which I ain't), that I bought maybe 70% of the things for my trek at Amazon and 30% at REI, and I have come to take it for granted that when I click on "buy now with 1-click" using my account which has prime, I'd say 20% of the time the thing actually ends up coming earlier than the promised day, and virtually all the rest of the time it comes on the day promised. I bet it's less than 4% of the time it's actually late. On the subject of buying from Amazon, I really appreciate being able to see the average ratings, to read the reviews, and to filter options by price and various other things in a smart manor. I detest other sites where I have to select Brand A or Feature B, review what is available, then go back and select another brand or feature.Update: I dropped this precious pocket flashlight onto a hard floor, and it died immediately. Just the slightest dim glow out of the bulb. Reseating the batteries didn't help. Am buying another. Love this thing. (With the clip off) it feels so good in the hand and in the pocket.

The Streamlight is a versatile clip-on light. The included headband turns it into a headlamp. The clip locks in very securely to the another plastic piece on the headband. Once the light is attached to the headband, it is virtually impossible to dislodge it without releasing the clip. The headband is adjustable for a secure and comfortable fit.There are complaints that the light may slip off a baseball cap. Well, if you thrash your cap around vigorously enough, the clip WILL slip off. Admittedly, the clip does feel a little dinky, but I think it is reasonably strong and should remain quite securely attached to the cap under normal circumstances. Having said that, I do think Streamlight CAN improve on the clip with a larger gripping surface to provide better grip.As for brightness, other than saying the light is relatively bright, there is not much else to say. It is definitely not bright enough to be used as a self-defense light (like one that  Surefire  makes) for blinding an assailant. It's well suited, however, for just about anything else. You can use it, for example, for the outdoors (hiking, camping, backpacking) or for a nighttime roadside emergency. I use the light primarily for hiking, but I like it so much I'll be getting another one to throw in my glove box.The ball and socket joint allows the light to be directed every which way. I've been using the light for 5 months and haven't had the problem some people reportedly have with the ball and socket detaching.I like the twist on and twist off design and the resistance of the twist collar. The mechanism for turning the light on or off makes it virtually IMPOSSIBLE for the light to be inadvertently turned on. The twist collar is rubberized, which helps you to maintain a firm grip on it while you're twisting it to turn the light on or off.---To Recap: I really like this clip-light. Maybe I got lucky, because I don't have the problems a number of people reportedly have with the ball and socket joint, the twist collar, and the clip. I WILL say, however, the one improvement Streamlight CAN make is a larger gripping surface on the clip for better grippage.

I really like this flashlight except for one thing: the plastic it's made from is not durable. and prone to cracks. All the good things that people have said about this flashlight in reviews are true: * The flashlight is is very bright and the light is spread about the right amount for it not being a focusing flashlight. * The batteries last a LONG time. * The clip is strong and makes it convenient to attach to a small branch, the inside of a tent, etc. A very useful feature.The problem is the plastic that was used to make the flashlight is not at all durable and is literally falling apart. In the picture, you can notice numerous cracks in the plastic and I have wrapped one end of the flashlight with nylon thread and put some epoxy on it to try and reinforce the body. You can also notice cracks at the other end of the flashlight. I may just end up wrapping the whole flashlight body with the nylon thread and covering it in epoxy.This flashlight has not at all been abused, and though I've had it for four years, it's only been used a total of maybe a dozen times; in fact I've only changed the batteries once. If Streamlight would use a more durable plastic, or maybe even aluminum for the flashlight body, I would give it five stars, as I really like the little light. But as it is, I can't see recommending spending more than twenty dollars on a flashlight that falls apart so quickly and easily.

Perfect! Easy to use and works great!

This is a great flashlight. I bought it for its clip-on feature. It's bright, light and the battery lasts long.

Small & well made. Small, hard to handle and expensive batteries required.