Thrunite TI5 Thoughts

I was preparing to write a very positive review of this light, but then it started having a lot of issues. It's a real shame, because I really thought this would make a good EDC light. I can't personally recommend it; however, it did have the potential to be a pretty cool light.

My issue with this light is that it isn't turning on consistently anymore. Sometimes I'll press the button and nothing happens. I'll take out the battery, put it back in, and it works for a couple clicks then nothing happens again. I'll try hours later, and all of sudden it will work for a minute or two then cut off again. I've tried a number of easy fixes, but nothing has worked unfortunately.

Besides that, everything about this light was very nice. I haven't tried many Thrunites before, so I was sure what I was getting myself into. The design is simple. There's nothing that really stands out about this light. There's no knurling or machining anywhere, which is fine because it's not necessary. The small size would be good for pocket carry. The pocket clip is nice and works as it should. I like that it's a clicky instead of a twisty light. The clicky is nice and firm. It takes a decent amount of pressure to push, so I don't think you'd have any issues with it accidentally turning on in the pocket. The TI5 retails for $16.95 on Thrunite's website at the moment. That's a good price for an EDC light that puts out more than a hundred lumens. One of my biggest gripes with this light is its lack of color options. You can get this light in either black or silver. Those are the most boring color options ever. As dumb as it sounds, I don't like to carry gear that isn't colorful.

The TI5 is a single AAA light that puts out a max output of 130 lumens and has a firefly mode output of 0.08 lumens. It also has a low mode of 10 lumens and a strobe at 130 lumens as well. I'm kind of surprised it has no medium mode. Sometimes 10 lumens is too little and 130 lumens is too much. I find strobe modes pointless, but at this point, pretty much every light has one. I've found that I really appreciate having firefly modes on my lights. Sometime, I only need a very small amount of light, and a firefly mode is perfect for that. I don't keep track of specific runtimes, so you'll have to look that up on Thrunite's website. The tint is a nice color. The light has momentary on, which is a feature I absolutely love.

I wish I could say more about this light, but once I've had a quality issue, there's really not much to say. You could have the fanciest and prettiest piece of gear out there. Yet if it doesn't work reliably, then what's the point in talking about it. I had a lot of faith in this light and was ultimately let down. I think this might just be a bad one, because I'm also trying out a Thrunite TI4, and that one has had no issues at all. Maybe it's just bad luck, but I can't personally recommend this light. I've had much more success with my FourSevens Preon P1, so check out that if you want a light in more color options that works reliably. The TI5 is less than $20, so it's not like you're going to break the bank by trying it out. Still, I've had plenty of cheaper lights, and they've all worked flawlessly. Thanks for looking!