It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
(Update September 26, 2023: The SK01s LED is now available on Amazon on a significant sale for up to $40 off, through a coupon code on the product page and through an additional special promotion with code 59XP3N68. You get the light cheaper than even from LOOP direct, and the full kit including an 18350 battery. Promo ends October 1st, 2023.)
When it first hit the market, LOOP GEAR’s SK01s LEP was one of the most interesting flashlights I’d seen. In my opinion, it successfully mixed disparate flashlight ideas: super-premium builds that include titanium and PVD, a zoomable LEP (both concepts rare enough individually), fidget functionality, and even auxiliary LEDs simply for aesthetics. On paper, that shouldn’t make sense, but as a whole, especially when I got the light in hand, it just worked. The SK01s is by far one of the most fun and interesting lights I’ve ever owned.
But even with the dual modes and the zoomie capabilities, a LEP isn’t ideal for everyday use. At best, you get a somewhat wider beam profile, but without the useful spill that a regular LED can provide. So LOOP GEAR’s next project seeks to rectify that with a brand-new LED version of the SK01s. It comes with the same fidgetable body and 18350 battery powering the original LEP, but with a smaller head that packs a cool white SFT40 LED and TIR optics. With this new configuration, you get five usable modes from a 5-lumen Eco to the max of 1,600 rated lumens, with a respectable rated 500 meters of throw by way of 62,500 candela.
The TIR optics gives a more standard hotspot and spill combination even with the shorter height, and LOOP GEAR still manages to put additional aux light sequences in the head to match the party in the back. The rest of the SK01s toys are still present, from the fidget rings to the bolt lockout to the IP67 waterproof rating, and you still have a choice between aluminum and titanium in silver or black. This version also comes with a much cheaper price tag, so that’s a bonus for those who may have balked at the LEP’s asking prices.
What I like: More useful outputs for EDC at a much lower price tag, and still manages to add more fun features.
What to watch out for: The value of the SK01s is in the sum of its parts, and not all of those parts may appeal to everyone. You may want to look elsewhere if you lean towards more utilitarian features for your light.
Final verdict: LOOP GEAR continues to make flashlights that tickle my fancy, and these lights sit at a nice junction between more affordable, feature-rich enthusiast lights and the upper echelon of custom exotics. The SK01s in either LEP or LED form won’t be for everyone, but for those like me, they’ve been worth the price of admission.
