Olight imini 2 Review

The Olight imini 2 is a tiny flashlight with an even tinier learning curve. There are no buttons to remember, no cables to pack, and no complicated lighting modes to cycle through. Instead, the light uses a magnetic two-piece design that makes it incredibly simple to use. Let’s dive in!

The Rundown

The imini 2’s body is made from aluminum, which gives this little flashlight a surprisingly durable feel. We’ve dropped it plenty of times during testing, and it has barely picked up any dings or damage. It’ll probably get scuffed up eventually, but we aren’t worried about durability here. The aluminum body is rated for drops up to 1.5 meters, too, so it’s built to handle some abuse.

There are also a bunch of different colorways available, which is a nice touch. You can pick one that matches your vibe instead of settling for whatever color is available.

The way the imini 2 works is pretty unique. The flashlight is essentially two pieces held together by a magnet. The front portion contains the light, while the back portion is the magnetic charging cap, with a hole for attaching the light to your keys. Pull the two pieces apart, and the flashlight turns on automatically.

The front end is magnetic, too, so you can stick the light onto a metal surface while it’s turned on. This is handy when you need both hands free to do something. It’s a simple feature, but one that makes the light more useful around the house, campsite, or wherever else you happen to need it.

The imini 2 puts out 50 lumens with a 21-meter throw and 115 candela. That might not sound like much compared to some larger flashlights, but this thing is tiny. For its size, it puts out a surprisingly useful amount of light. Olight says the 10180 rechargeable lithium battery provides up to 60 minutes of runtime on a full charge.

On the back is a weird-looking flat piece sticking out of the charging cap. That’s actually the charging plug. You don’t need a cable—just stick the flashlight directly into a USB-A port. It feels a little strange the first few times you use it, but you get used to it.

USB-A is definitely dated at this point, but we still have plenty of USB-A ports floating around, so it isn’t a huge deal. Or, plug it into your laptop (sorry Mac users). In fact, the lack of a cable makes charging the imini 2 particularly convenient for travel. Just find a USB-A port and plug it in. And, honestly, for most trips, you probably won’t even need to charge it while you’re away. Give it some juice before you leave, and you’re likely good to go.

There’s a small circular hole in the center of the USB-A charging end for attaching the light to your keys. Olight includes a small clip that attaches here, making it easy to connect the imini 2 to a keyring or other gear. The light also comes with two little plastic covers for the USB-A plug. These help keep the charging connector in good shape while it’s bouncing around in your bag or pocket.

The covers have stayed on during testing, which is nice considering how easy it would be for a tiny accessory like this to disappear. Just make sure you keep track of them when you take one off to charge the light.

Packability

The imini 2 is just 2.17 inches long and 0.59 inches in diameter. Holding it feels a little like holding a spark plug, just smaller and considerably more useful when you need to find your way around in the dark. It’s dense for its size, too, thanks to the aluminum construction and compact design.

You can put this thing almost anywhere. It fits comfortably in a pocket, hangs from your keys, disappears into a tech pouch, or can be tossed into a travel backpack or daypack without taking up meaningful space. There’s very little reason not to bring it along when you’re traveling.

The magnet is particularly handy for packability because it gives you another way to store or use the light. Stick it to a metal surface when you need hands-free illumination, or keep it attached to something else while you’re using it.

There is one thing to keep in mind with the two-piece design. Both parts are pretty small. If you separate the front light from the charging cap and set the back piece down while you’re using the light, it can be surprisingly easy to lose track of it. We recommend keeping the back end attached to something, like your keys or a clip, so you can just let it hang while you’re using the light.

The front end is a little harder to misplace while it’s running because it’s illuminated, which helps.

Quick Comparison

The original Olight imini and the imini 2 share the same basic idea: a tiny keychain flashlight that turns on when you separate it from its magnetic cap. However, the imini 2 makes some notable improvements over the original.

The original imini is smaller, uses a different battery, isn’t rechargeable, and is less powerful than the imini 2. The imini 2, meanwhile, uses a rechargeable 10180 lithium battery and produces 50 lumens. Being able to recharge the light directly via its integrated USB-A port also makes it considerably more convenient to keep it topped up, especially if you don’t have watch batteries floating around.

Both versions maintain the basic appeal of the imini: they’re tiny, simple, and easy to carry. However, the imini 2’s added power and rechargeable battery make it the more practical option for most travelers. After all, who wants to go looking for batteries while traveling across Spain?

Overall, we really dig the Olight imini 2. It’s not trying to replace a full-size flashlight, and it doesn’t need to. This is the light you keep on your keys or toss into your bag so you always have something when you need it. The magnetic activation is incredibly simple, the aluminum body has held up well, and the integrated charging plug means there’s one less cable to remember.

USB-A charging feels a little old-school, and the two tiny pieces can be easy to misplace when separated, but those are minor tradeoffs for such a compact flashlight. If you want something small enough to bring everywhere without thinking, the imini 2 is a pretty easy recommendation.