Reylight Mini Pineapple Review
Let’s make a checklist of an ideal EDC torch.
Small size
Common cell with rechargeable compatibility
Good clip
Durable
Sensible UI
Multimode output with a true low and a sustainable high
Tailstanding
Decent price
Clicky
It wouldn’t seem like this is all that hard, but if you run down through the list of lights out there nothing really hits all of these marks. A lot of stuff is close, but nothing is all 9. The Reylight Mini Pineapple is pretty darn close. This is a truly excellent light and one of the better EDC options out there. It has a lot of solid design choices as a few lux touches. But the truly amazing thing about the Reylight Mini Pineapple (hereafter the MP) is the price. At just over $50 for the titanium version, this is probably one of the best values ever in any product category in the gear world. It is an outstandingly good light at an astoundingly good price. You could pay twice the retail price for this light and it would still be a good value. If you want a solid torch and don’t need Lightning Storm party mode or 42 seconds of 4,000 lumens, this is a great buy.
Here is the product page. Currently the light comes in a few configurations in three materials—brass, copper, and titanium. Ti has two versions, a full polish and a stonewash. I got a stonewash version. There is a precut tritium slot in the clicky switch, and you can have an a tritium insert installed for an additional $10, which I did (opting for, of course, blue). Here is a review from the venerable ZeroAir, one of the best product reviewers on the planet and the true heir to Quickbeam’s crown as King of the Flashlight Reviewers. Here is a video of the Mini Pineapple. Here is my video overview. Here is the review sample (purchased with my own money and mine to keep):
Twitter Review Summary: An EDC Champion.
Design: 2
There isn’t much fancy here in terms of design, but what is here is very solid. A lot of the points above are present here, with only the clip being a negative, kind of. Its not complicated, its not fancy, but it works well. What makes the MP really good is the ways it takes the basic design and improves on it. The texture on the body tube is good. The tritium insert on the tailcap is a good upgrade. The emiter is very nice. Over and over again Rey Ye (the guy behind Reylight) made good, solid upgrades. The end result is a brilliant EDC light that is familiar and simple to use but bristling with valuable upgrades.
Fit and Finish: 2
With a nice burnished stonewash, excellent emitter centering, and smooth, clean threads, the MP is like most of the stuff Reylight makes—impeccable. There are a lot of more expensive light brands that could learn a thing or two from taking a Reylight apart. If I didn’t know the brand and you told me this came off a Jason Hui machine, I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Grip: 2
The eponymously named texture on the body tube is a marvel of good design and excellent machining. It is just small enough to not be offensive (see: Cold Steel G10) and it is just grippy enough to look the thinnish body tube in place during use. If you have problems with the light, it won’t be because of the grip.
Carry: 1
With a slim profile and decent clip, the MP has the benefit that all 1xAAA format lights do—its absolutely perfect in the pocket—small enough to not notice but big enough to grab immediately. Really, the more time I carry lights the more certain I am that the 1xAAA format is the perfect format for EDC torches. This is just another exhibit in that case in the court of gear public opinion.
One problem I found with the MP is that it can activate on accident in your pocket. I have had it happen twice, both times when it was being carried in my shirt pocket which is usually smaller and more filled with stuff, but has happened and that causes me concern. In the pants pocket it was fine. In future models I’d love to see a shrouded switch like that found on the CWF Micro Acadian or the vaunted BOSS 35.
Output: 2
The low is a genuine low, preserving your night vision and the high is quite high, appearing brighter than the 240 lumen max would suggest. Its funny how marketing as ruined flashlights, placing an emphasis on the mode you use the least, at the very real cost of the mode you use the most. Fortunately Reylight is run by true flashlight fans that know that low is more important than high and thus you have a decent high and a real moonlight low.
Runtime: 2
The flashlight industry as a whole has failed miserably in making meaningful specs. By narrowing defining things, they give us silly highs and obviously false runtimes. Its like reading a sweepstakes contest rules with all of the lawyer caveats (sorry) and baloney. The gizmo lights are the worst. 4000 LUMENS! 1 HOUR RUNTIME ON HIGH. But close inspection and regular use puts the lie to the numbers. Yes it can hit 4000 lumens and yes it can run on high for a hour, but 4000 lumens isn’t the high, its “turbo.” High is something like 400 lumens. With linguistic sleight of hand made permissible by the ANSI standards, runtimes from specs are 100% meaningless. Why? Because honest specs would read like this:
High: 4000 lumens
Runtime (high): 91 seconds
and that won’t sell lights. And so, after a decade of running this site and watching flashlight companies torture specs, I am done. What really matters is not the money shot high, but the actual, useful high. How bright is it and how long does it last? Looking at a runtime chart will help, but as the first light to use this new, data-based approach, the MP looks pretty weak. After 90 seconds, the high drops from 240 (or on ZeroAir’s chart 210) down to around 60 and holds it there for roughly an hour. Given the battery size and the quality of the beam that seems pretty good. For comparison, using ZeroAir’s data, the Aeon Mk. III, using this new approach, fares very well. Its peak of 160 falls off around 5 minutes to 140 and it holds 140 for roughly 45 minutes. This light has a brighter “turbo” but less practical runtime than the Aeon Mk. III, which isn’t bad given the Aeon Mk. III is one of the best lights of all time.
If you are interested in a more thorough tirade on this topic look for an article on it coming soon. I am friggin’ done with ANSI specs.
Beam Type: 2
This is clearly not a throw beam but with a real reflector (as opposed to a TIR reflector) and a decent hotspot it is better than average as a general purpose light with a bit of throw. Its not as spill-y as something like the Mini Turbo Mk. III, but that’s Jason’s preference—wall of light. Which is better? Like with medicine, it depends on the usage. As an EDC, this is quite good for me.
Beam Quality: 2
Ah, like slipping into a warm bath on a cold day, the Nichia 219b emitter produces a soothing eye pleasing tint. If you don’t like 219b output, you’re eyeballs are weird. Honestly, the MP’s tint is just beautiful. Similarly, the reflector is without holes or artifacts. The beam quality matches the machining quality—very good.
UI: 2
No muss, no fuss just quick changes between correctly selected outputs. Whodathunkit? Simple, responsive interfaces and true lows with decent highs is a winning formula. Its almost like your flashlight is worse if it has Candle Party Lightning Storm mode that you access with 31 presses followed by two hold inputs. Weird how simplicity works.
Hands Free: 1
The MP can tailstand. It needs a very flat and very stable surface like a table or a window sill. Given its size it is all but impossible for it to tailstand outside, so if you have visions of using this camping to light up your tent, be prepared for an exercise in patience. It won’t roll away and it is capable of being held by humans without using their hands, but I’d really like better tailstanding in an EDC light. This is the only flaw I could find in the MP, but it is not an insignificant one and worth the one point off, given how I use my EDC lights.
Other Considerations
Fidget Factor: Very High
With a cool texture and nice stone washing this is an object that your fingers will delight in.
Fett Effect: Very High
I have had my MP for about a year now and it only gets better with time. The stone washing is started to take on a bit of a shine, which I always love to see. Its a few years away from my Shamwari on this front, but it will get there.
Value: Very High
At $60 plus another $10 with the trit installed the Reylight MP is one of the best values in the gear world. You won’t find a better bang for you buck unless your in a fireworks store.
Overall Score: 18 out of 20
In a field crowded with ever more expensive stuff, it is nice to see the MP come in at a very reasonable price with lots of nice, lux touches that unlike MokuTi really do make the light better. This is a great torch and one you should jump on if you like the 1xAAA format. Reylight amazes every time and the MP is no different. In fact, I like it better than the the LAN by a substantial margin. I would like to see a shrouded clicky and a bit higher “true high” output, but none of that is necessary. As is, this a great light for a small amount of money.
Competition
Until the Surefire Titan is released with a clicky, this light has very little competition in the high end production market. Jumping up to the Lau Lima Hoku or the aforementioned CWF Micro Acadian puts you in a totally different part of the market, but for the price, the MP is pretty damn good. I do prefer it to the stock Surefire Titan. An often overlooked light that is a true competitor here is the Eagletac D25AAA. It is half the price of the MP and smaller, but it is available with the glorious 219b emitter. I also like the pocket clip a lot more. The two clearest competitors are the Jason Hui produced 47 Preon P1 and the Prometheus Lights Beta. Both are around the same price and both are as nicely made. I prefer the MP over the P1 because it can, in theory, tail stand. Compared to the Beta, I think I like the MP a little less. When equipped with the pocket clip and the flat tailcap, the Beta is an amazing torch. It is high isn’t as bright, but it is more honest in its runtime claims.
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