Horacio Pagani began his career in the automotive industry as an engineer for Renault’s F1 team. He was asked to improve the aerodynamics of the car. His efforts provided huge speed dividends for the French-owned team. After that he was hired at Lamborghini where he worked his way up the corporate ladder. Eventually he wanted to revolutionize Lamborghini’s car production by creating huge forms in carbon fiber. Lamborghini, looking to their rivals in Maranello, pointed out that they did not do this, so there was no need for Lamborghini to do it. Pagani, ever the visionary, borrowed money to purchase a huge autoclave and began making carbon fiber forms himself. Various racing teams purchased parts and Pagini parlayed that success into producing his first hypercar in 1997, the Pagini Zonda. Since then he has released only two other cars—the Huyara and the Utopia. Despite these three releases, Pagani is a brand that has been met with universal acclaim and sits along side the finest hypercars in the world. Why? They have continually iterated on a visionary idea.

This too is the formula for success for the Beta QR Ti. This tiny little ringed and faceted gem of a light is the practically perfect EDC, enough light to get you to your car in a dark parking garage but not so big that it feels like you are smuggling rolls of quarters post-bank heist. Of course all of this is true for the v2 version of this light, reviewed here. So think of this review as addressing two questions: 1) does v3 warrant a purchase if you don’t own v2?; and 2) does v3 warrant a purchase if you DO own v2?

To make this all a bit spicier, and as a presage of my opinion, there will be a giveaway of a brand new Beta QR Ti v3. Why? Because I bought one immediately upon their release AND, after that, Jason sent me one for review. I asked Jason if I could give it away and he agreed. So, we will be running our typical charity auction. More details below. If that’s not foreshadowing, I don’t know what is. I guess that proves I am not getting stuff cherry picked for reviews, at least from Jason.

Here is the product page. Here is the review of the v2 version. There are no written or video reviews. I purchased one with my money and then got another from Jason. See below for more details.

Design: 2

Fundamentally, this is not a groundbreaking innovation, but more of a tweaked iteration. And, really, the v2 didn’t really need that big of a tweak. Its a very small 1xAAA torch that uses a twisty UI. Add a few more fins and cuts in the body tube to make it grippier and a new emitter, and this is a better light than the original. More importantly, it is one of the best 1xAAA lights out there. Its so small, plenty bright, durable, and easy to use. Of course, its a limited edition Titanium light so its not designed to be a value, but its a sweet gem of a torch.

Fit and Finish: 2

There is not a single flaw or stray mark anywhere on the light. Its really beautiful and clean. Its not quite as good as something like the McGizmo Haiku, but it is very, very close. I’d put it on par with something like the Laulima Hoku, which is also a custom light. The point is this light is on par with some of the finer custom lights out there.

Grip: 2

If v2 had some challenges, it was that the light wasn’t the most grippy torch out there. There was a way to get it to work well, but the v3 version is simpler and easier to use. Having them side by side, it is a no brainer choice. And that is the reason for good, insight-based iteration.

Carry: 2

You won’t find a better light to carry daily. This light slips into a coin or a shirt pocket with ease. Its just a pocket partner that disappears until you need it, which, is, in fact, the best kind of thing you can carry.

Output: 1

Thundering walls of light are not going to happen here. The high is a meek 100 lumens. But those 90 lumens are supremely high quality, absolutely gorgeous HI CRI lumens. Any really, for most folks, unless you are doing something at night for an extended period of time, 90 lumens is more than enough. The low is also really nice. If 90 lumens is meek, the low here is just about as timid as it gets. And its really useful. It won’t steal your night vision at all. I love the spacing of the output modes. Think of them as: midnight snack without waking your wife, working on a computer case, and walk to your car in a dark parking garage.

Runtime: 2

The runtime on low is 50 hours. That’s pretty good and if you need power for longer than that, something has gone wrong beyond what your minimalist EDC can get you through. On high, the 50 minutes is pretty low, given it is only pushing 90 lumens.

Beam Type: 2

Without TIR optics, this is a bit throwier than you’d expect for a light of this size. The v3’s head is bigger resulting in a better throw. That said, this is not a LEP. Its pretty good for a 1xAAA though.

Beam Quality: 2

Without a single flaw or oblong shape, this is true treat to use. Flashing the light on a burger cooking on a grill in mid February or peeking under a car seat, the HI CRI and silky smooth beam work well.

UI: 2

The twist, twist more UI ain’t great, especially on a light this small, but thanks to some machining on the head, is now easy to switch modes. But again with the Beta’s design philosophy, the UI is both dead simple (and therefore unimpeachably reliable) AND results in an especially compact light. I may prefer other UIs more, but this one is truly in service to the light and all the better for it.

Hands Free: 2

With the QR lanyard removed and the pocket clip attached, the Beta tailstands like a granite carved monument. The clip is not fixed in place, but it does have enough tension in place to keep the light from rolling away. The light also fits between your teeth if need be. Over all, its small size makes it great in a bunch of unconventional holds.

Other Considerations

Fidget Factor: High

With lots of machining and a wonderful finish, this light is fun to play absentmindedly while doing something else.

Fett Effect: High

Dings and wear marks will look great here.

Value: Moderate

Don’t think this is a value item, but its custom-level quality shines at the Beta’s price point.

Overall Score: 19 of 20

Flashlights, of all the EDC items out there, are my favorite. I have been fascinated by them for years. But they are also the item that is closest to failing the EDC formula (price+carry<utility). You just don’t NEED a flashlight all that often on a sunny day. As a result, the carry part of the formula is really an issue. This is why I rarely carry a flashlight larger than the HDS Rotary or the McGizmo Haiku. I own flashlights bigger than that, I just don’t carry them. My two most often carried lights are the 47 Mini Turbo Mk. 3 in Titanium and this light. Why? They have virtually no carry penalty whatsoever. And since, the gear thing is kinda self-sustaining thanks to the blog, it is hard for me to see how the Beta QR Ti doesn’t get carried. And when I do need light, the beam is like a blade of sunshine peeking into an all dark room through a crack in the door. The Nichia 519a emitter is just so good, a generation later than the beloved 219b emitter. The beam pattern is so clean and perfect, too, adding greatly to the light’s utility. This is a premium bit of kit, for sure, $200 for a 100 lumen light, but if you can afford it, you’ll carry it often. For me, that’s the test. I am lucky enough to have a pretty great flashlight collection and among the gems I have (Haiku with modern 4s emitter, an HDS Rotary, the Laulima Hoku Clicky, a Prometheus Delta…), the Beta QR Ti gets a huge amount of pocket time. Why? Because it is that good.

If you have a v2, I don’t think you absolutely need to go get this one, but I own both, and I have essentially decommissioned the v2 (taken off its clip and removed its battery). Why? The v3 is just better. Its grippier and that is a real issue for the v2. I also prefer this emitter and I like the slightly larger head. Overall, this is a great light made unquestionably better.

Competition

Well, the 1xAAA is my favorite light size and the competition is fierce. The v2 version of the Reylight Mini Pineapple looks pretty darn competitive. Brighter, with a clicky, and it has an upgraded clip. But the reality is, this light gets carried so much because it is so tiny. Of my regularly carried stuff, this is the closest item I have to being truly invisible. But don’t sleep on the Mini Pineapple either. The Hoku Clicky is also in the same size category and it is a much more expensive light. I do think it is a better torch, but its close. Given the price difference, I think you could let preferences decide. I have also reviewed the CFW Mini Arcadian. That is a much, much more expensive light, more than twice the price, with the clip included, and I didn’t like it all that much. I loved the shape, but the UI and the inability to tailstand, were like grains of sand in my eye. Among the premium 1xAAA lights out there, this is a really good one, falling price-wise like Goldie locks.

Amazon Links

Reylight Mini Pineapple

GIVEAWAY

Jason sent me a review sample after I bought one with my own money, so I have two. He has authorized me to give one away for charity. I picked the new one. This is a light that has never been opened, it is truly NIB.

Here is how this will work. I am going to post the contest on Instagram when this review goes live. Bidding will commence immediately. After 48 hours, I will end the bidding. I will then DM the person with the highest bid. They will then donate the bid amount to Fisher House. Once they provide the email receipt to me, I will send them the light.

Why Fisher House? I pretty pleased with how the US military works and I am grateful for the sentinels of freedom that we have. Giving them a bit back seems like the right thing to do. And Fisher House has pernnially had the best rating of any veteran charity in the US, according to Charity Navigator. Additionally, Fisher House doesn’t just benefit vets, it benefits their families. Military families bear a disproportionate amount of the cost of service and helping them seems like a good idea, too.

All of this goes back to a friend I have named Joe. Joe was an intern at the Public Defender when I was working there. I was on Joe’s hiring committee. He was a no brainer hire. The office was delighted with our decision. Over the years, the wisdom of that decision has been affirmed over and over again. To say Joe was beloved at the office is an understatement. He was a clever, caring, and crafty lawyer and a truly great coworker. And Joe was a patriot. One day he told us that he was going off to Iraq on a tour of duty for the Reserves. It was a surreal experience to think that the guy that loaned me his pen was going to be shot at by the enemy. So a few of us got a care packet together for Joe and I built him a gear kit. I made sure he had the best stuff we could afford in the hope that if it ever mattered he could count on it. Then while over in Iraq his wife’s due date came up. The military flew him home for the birth of his child, but, having flown from the other side of the globe he got stuck in Atlanta. In his uniform, begging the airlines for help, some anonymous stranger overheard Joe’s plight and paid for a ticket home. He brandished his credit card and before the transaction was complete he was gone. A quick, powerful, anonymous thank you. Since then, from the very beginning, this site has raised money for vets and their families.

Let’s do it again.