Nitecore TINI3 Keychain Flashlight Review
The Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight is a dual-switch, OLED-display light with multiple CCT options! It has cool, neutral, and warm white all in one! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight product page.
Versions
Three body colors of the Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight have been made, but it looks like this orange is out of stock. Available now are grey and black..
Price
All body colors of the Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight sell for $39.95. Buy yours Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight through my referral link!
What’s Included
- Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight
- Charging cable
- Keychain parts
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
It’s been a while (6 years!) since I tested a Mini – and that was the Tini CU. This is a similar light but has been updated in many ways, including the option of there CCTs all in one light.
The build quality seems fine, but I didn’t take the light apart at all. Both sides have three TORX screws, so it is possible to get in there!
Size and Comps
Dimensions L-1.86″ x W-1.00″ x H-0.55″
Weight 0.71 oz
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here. If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that here too!
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
In the photo above, you may note that the SRM (standard reference material) flashlight for comparison has changed! I used a TorchLAB BOSS 35 for ages. Now what you can see as the 18350 SRM is the Hanko Machine Works Trident. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast next to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, which also makes a great standard reference material.
Retention and Carry
This is a keychain light, so there’s a keychain loop on the body. 
Nitecore includes the pieces needed to attach the light to a keychain, too.
There’s no magnet or any other way to retain the light. I carry this in the pocket, though, without any attachment. I prefer it that way.
Power and Runtime
The Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight has a built-in internal cell, which is stated as a 330mAh battery. Nitecore has been accurate in the past with their other similar models. This isn’t a user-replaceable battery.
Every tooth of the sawtooth below is me releasing then clicking the switch again. Turbo is momentary-only, but doesn’t seem to step down to High – it just fades down.
Charging
Charging is by USB-C.
Nitecore includes a charging cable, too!
Charging looks great, at around 1C, or 0.3A. This finishes in around an hour and a half, with both A to C and C to C.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo – Cool white | 600 | – | 600 (0s) 469 (30s) |
| High – Cool white | 200 | 1h | 189 (0s) 185 (30s) |
| Mid – Cool white | 65 | 2h45m | 54 |
| Low – Cool white | 15 | 9h | 14 |
| Ultralow – Cool white | 1 | 85h | 1 |
| Turbo – Neutral white | 600 | – | 600 |
| High – Neutral white | 200 | 1h | 187 (0s) 183 (30s) |
| Mid – Neutral white | 65 | 2h45m | 56 |
| Low – Neutral white | 15 | 9h | 14 |
| Ultralow – Neutral white | 1 | 85h | 1 |
| Turbo – Warm white | 600 | – | 600 |
| High – Warm white | 200 | 1h | 186 (0s) 181 (30s) |
| Mid – Warm white | 65 | 2h45m | 57 |
| Low – Warm white | 15 | 9h | 14 |
| Ultralow – Warm white | 1 | 85h | 1 |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the modes really use PWM, but there’s a bit of waviness. One thing I did notice is that the OLED has a fairly slow refresh rate, and I picked that up (in my eye and mind) as “the light uses PWM.” The light doesn’t, but the OLED refresh rate can be distracting(ly slow).
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor.
Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
Two e-switches are used for controlling the Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight.
They don’t stick up much (any) and the action is good. The switches feel the same.
Here’s a look at that OLED display. Refresh is quite slow! It shows the level and output (claimed), as well as the duration the light will run at this level. It’s quite informative!
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Power Switch | On (mode memory) |
| Off | Click Mode Switch | Battery Check (OLED display shows battery level as a percentage) |
| Off | Hold Power Switch | Ultralow |
| Any | Hold Mode Switch | Turbo (momentary) |
| On | Both (>1s) | Advance through CCT options (Cool > Neutral > Warm) |
| Off | Double click (either) | No action |
| On | Click Power Switch | Off |
| On | Click Mode Switch | Mode advance (Ultralow>L>M>H) |
| On | Click Power Switch | Off |
| On | Hold Power Switch (observe OLED) | Semi Lockout (Turbo with Mode switch still available) |
| On | Hold Power Switch (longer than above, observe OLED) | Full Lock (no modes available) |
| Either lock | Hold both switches | Unlock to Ultralow |
LED and Beam
The Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight uses two NiteLab MCT UHE LEDs. I believe these emitters are divided into quadrants, so one die has enough variations to allow three CCTs. It’s a nice setup!
The dimpled TIR gives a good beam profile, too.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The CRI for all modes and levels hovers around 70-72. That’s pretty low, unfortunately. Still, the beam doesn’t appear green in the photos or in real use, so that’s a positive. CCT is within the claimed ranges (Cool, neutral, and warm).
CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) refers to the measurement of the color appearance of light, expressed in Kelvins (K), which indicates whether the light is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish). A lower CCT (below 3000K) is considered warm light, while a higher CCT (above 5000K) gives cooler, bluish light.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of how accurately a light source renders colors in comparison to natural sunlight. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, higher CRI values indicate that colors appear more true to life and vibrant, similar to how they would look under the sun.
Beamshots
These beamshots always have the following settings: f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level, and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
I keep the test flashlight on the left and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
I have liked the TINI series in the past, and the Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight is another good example. I like the CCT mixing options, and I like that each CCT has the full range of output levels. And not just that – the levels all seem to maintain the claimed lumen output. That is to say, the warm levels aren’t crippled by lower output. I would prefer that all the levels be high CRI. Finally, I think the cost is pretty reasonable for this light!
The Big Table
| Nitecore TINI3 keychain flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | NiteLab MCT UHE LEDs |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $39.95 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | All modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 600 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 469 (78.2% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.3 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 90 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 73lux @ 4.882m = 1740cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 83.4 (92.7% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5900-6200 Kelvin (Cool white) 4200 Kelvin (Neutral white) 3200 Kelvin (Warm white) |
| Item provided for review by: | Nitecore |
| All my Nitecore reviews! | |
^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.
What I like
- Orange body
- Can switch from CW to NW to WW
- Reasonable cost
- Good user interface
- Modes all have same output (no “warm tax”)
What I don’t like
- Low CRI
- Built-in battery
- Slow refresh on OLED
Notes
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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