Wednesday, April 19, 2017

FourSevens Updated Preon P2 Thoughts

I'm a huge fan of FourSevens' Preon line. I've got a classic P1 that's my most carried EDC light. I've never tried 2 AAA lights before, but I must admit, I really like the form factor. I'll never be able to carry them on my person. However, they're great to throw in whatever bag I've got with me. This Preon P2 has been a great light, and I'd say it's worth checking out.


At first, I didn't think I'd like the updated Preon P2 much. If you're not aware, FourSevens discontinued the original Preons and put out these newer updated version. The biggest difference between the updated and classic Preons would have to be the ridges, new pocket clip, and a clicky on all the updated ones. I loved the classic Preon for its sleek and classy look, so I didn't think I'd like the ridges on the updated one. The ridges are really not that noticeable though. If anything, they're nice to have so you don't have a super slippery light.

The quality of this light is great. I've had no issues with it at all.

Design wise, like I said earlier, the ridges are really what stand out. They're functional and look pretty cool too. Besides that, there's nothing that fancy about the light's design. It's simple and to the point. I love that FourSevens made these with clicky tailcaps instead of doing a twisty light. The clicky is great. It's got momentary on, which is a feature I've really started to appreciate more in lights. I've never once had this light accidentally turn on. The clicky isn't the firmest if that makes any sense. It can occasionally get stuck in the on position, but you can easily get it unstuck. It's kind of hard to explain, so sorry if that makes no sense. It only gets stuck every so often, which doesn't both me too much. The pocket clip is normal. It carries well and has pretty decent retention.

Output wise, this would be a perfectly adequate light for EDC. It's not the brightest light in the world. The max output is only 220 lumens, but I've found that it lights up everything I'd need on a day-to-day basis. This light has 5 different configuration levels. The default configuration is high and then low. To change the configuration, you have to do a few complicated things. It's too much of a hassle for me (basically you have to turn the light on/off quickly like 5 times and then wait until the light flashes to show what configuration you're on. you then just click until the light flashes to your desired configuration), so I've just left it in high and low. Normally, I like to have low, medium, and high, but it's kind of nice to have the two extremes only. It really simplifies how you use the light. There is mode memory, which is nice to have. The low mode, 10 lumens, seems way too bright for me personally, but that could be because I'm used to all my lights having firefly modes that are around 1 lumen. If you want more modes then just high and low, there's also medium, strobe, and various beacons if you change the configurations. I honestly don't know official runtime numbers. I use my lights so sparingly, only a couple minutes at a time, that they always seem to last forever. I've used this light a lot over the past few weeks, and I've never once had to charge it. The tint of the light is very nice.

These retail for around $50 on FourSevens' website. I'm sure you can find them cheaper at other places. I'm not sure whether these are worth it for the price. I've tried another 2 AAA light, the Thrunite TI4, that's extremely similar to this light for a lot less. As of now, you can only get this light in black or blue. I really want FourSevens to add more colors like they did in the classic Preon line. I recently bought a classic P2 for $35, and it's extremely similar output wise and looks a lot cooler in my opinion.

I really do like this updated Preon P2, but when comparing it the classic one, I don't think the raised price justifies picking one up. I've got a comparison post coming soon between the updated and classic P2 so you can see what I'm talking about. If you want all the fancy, updated features like mode memory and different configuration levels, then you're better off with the updated P2. Otherwise, I'd suggest a different light altogether or the classic P2. The 2AAA form factor is well-suited for EDC. I thought the size would be too big to carry, but it's not an issue at all. I like the light, but for some reason I feel tentative about recommending it. Maybe that's because of my undying love for the classic Preons. There was nothing wrong with the classic Preons that warranted them being discontinued. They were pretty old though, so I guess they were due for a technology update. The price of the updated Preons also makes me kind of cautious in recommending them. I'm not the biggest fan of FourSevens' configuration levels, so I don't necessarily see the need to pay extra to have that. I bet there's some better 2 AAA lights out there for a cheaper price. If you're a huge fan of FourSevens or want to try out a Preon, I'd recommend it. Otherwise, I think you could potentially find better 2 AAA EDC lights out there. Thanks for looking!

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