StreamLight Pocket Mate Review: The Mighty Mini Flashlight

Written By Anthony Bryant

What’s about the size of a quarter comes in a bunch of fun colors with a smooth anodized finish, has multiple ways to attach, and has the power of almost thirty candles? The StreamLight Pocket Mate. Although this little light is small, it’s mighty! Debuted in early 2021, this powerful little light is a must-have for everyone, and you won’t just want one—you’ll want a bunch!

What makes this light a win for me? First and foremost is its size. The Pocket Mate is honestly not much bigger than a silver dollar! The second thing I like is that you have multiple ways to secure or attach this light to different things. It comes with a removable pocket clip that also works great for attaching to a hat, and it has a one-way carabiner-style clasp so it can be securely attached to a zipper or key chain without fear of falling off. Oh, did I mention it’s USB rechargeable with the included micro USB cord? The Pocket Mate has two settings and will run for about 20 minutes at the higher setting of 325 lumens, or almost an hour at the lower setting of 45 lumens. It’s drop tested from one meter and water-resistant with an IPX4 rating, and if I know anything about StreamLight I’d say it’s way tougher than what its specs probably give it credit for. 

Now, let’s talk about where they dropped the ball. While it already has multiple ways to mount the light, I think they missed the opportunity to include a small magnet on the back. This would greatly improve the light’s utility. Next, I would love to see a little more power and run time, but I understand that to keep its minimally invasive size, that’s probably not possible. The only other thing I don’t like about this light is the rubber dust cover over the USB port. It’s so tiny that it can actually be hard to open because your fingers can’t easily grab it. In my experience, those covers don’t hold up for long anyway, so I’m not too worried about it, as I imagine it will fall off soon enough.

You can pick one of these up on Amazon right now, on sale for about $25, and at that price, you might as well get a handful of them. It comes in a few different colors, including red, blue, pink, and silver, so you can put one on every key chain in the house. I know your wife hates your flashlight addiction but she’ll thank you when she always has one clipped to her purse when she needs it and I don’t know about you but my kids ask me for a flashlight about 15 times a day so why not attach one  to the kids’ backpacks, and clip one to your hunting hat while your at it just I case you drop your main light out of a tree stand or into a river, You’ll thank me, I promise.

Are there cheaper options out there? Yeah, probably, but I’ve been in the trades for the last fifteen years, and I’ve tried just about every flashlight brand under the sun. I like a lot of them, but one brand I can say has never once left me in the dark, and that’s StreamLight. You pay a fair price for a very high-quality product, and at just twenty-five bucks for this one it’s well worth the piece of mind. After all, these guys were literally doing rocket science when they developed the first StreamLight. 

In the early 1970s, a group of engineers from Fairfield, New Jersey, were working on a solar simulator for NASA’s space program. The research from this project led to the development of a handheld flashlight that produced one million candlepower, shortly after that Harry French, a private investor from the Philly area moved the company to Pennsylvania and founded the company StreamLight in 1973. Ever since the company has taken a very hands-on approach to the flashlights they build and Streamlight is known for its that approach and understanding the needs of its customers because they understand their customers. Taking  courses in low-light shooting, going through firefighters’ training, and being hunters and fishermen themselves are just a few ways that this company learns how to really dial in their products. As a company, they believe that is what sets them apart from other light companies. They are doing the things we do and using their products in the same way that we use their products. 

How about a warranty? Yeah, they have you covered there as well. StreamLight warranty page reads “Streamlight warrants its products to be free of defects for a lifetime of use except for batteries and bulbs, abuse and normal wear. We will repair, replace, or refund the purchase price of this product should we determine it to be defective. This limited lifetime warranty also excludes rechargeable batteries, chargers, switches, and electronics, which have a 2 year warranty with proof of purchase.”

I think it’s pretty clear where I stand on StreamLight as a brand and not every single one of their products has been a total win for me but I’ve never been disappointed and the function of one and the pocket mate is no exception to that rule. If you get the chance to check one out, come back and let me know what you think or shoot me a message on my Instagram page!