Gear Diary Gear Review:  Icons Solo and Link LED Flashlights photo

I loved Icon’s Rogue 2 Flashlight.  It was the most durable flashlight I have ever had the opportunity to use. It was bright and well designed and will last many years. Paul Kim, the designer of the Icon line of flashlights is a genius at designing flashlights that are not only very good-looking, but very functional. That’s why I jumped at the chance to review flashlights of another shape and size. Icon sent me a Link and a Solo LED Flashlight and they are the smallest lights that Icon makes.

Gear Diary Gear Review:  Icons Solo and Link LED Flashlights photo

First up is the rugged and handy Link. The Link is made from machined high strength aluminum. If this flashlight was a little larger, they could probably be used like brass knuckles.

Gear Diary Gear Review:  Icons Solo and Link LED Flashlights photo

The specs of the Link:

  • High-strength aluminum body with carabiner* clip provides secure carry options
  • Durable power-regulated LED maximizes output and runtime; never needs replacing
  • Solid Total Internal Reflection (TIR) lens creates a smooth, focused beam
  • Ergonomic “clickie” tailcap switch allows for easy switching between two output levels
  • Sealed with O-rings; waterproof to one meter for 30 minutes
  • Powered by one AA alkaline battery; included.

Gear Diary Gear Review:  Icons Solo and Link LED Flashlights photo

Of the two lights, this one is the brightest and most convenient.  The built-in carabiner makes it really convenient to attach to a pack strap or a belt loop.  The orange color is also attractive and makes it easy to see the light when hunting for it on your pack’s strap.  It fits in a small pack pocket as well making it a handy tool to have.

Gear Diary Gear Review:  Icons Solo and Link LED Flashlights photo

The last light they sent me was the Solo.  The Solo reminds me of the penlight flashlights I used to have when I was a kid that used a conventional incandescent bulb.  This uses a white LED just like all of the other Icon flashlights instead of a regular bulb.  The Solo is also much more solid in construction of any penlight I have ever used.  The specs of the Solo are:

  • High-strength aluminum body with sturdy pocket clip
  • Durable power-regulated LED maximizes output and runtime; never needs replacing
  • Micro-textured reflector creates a smooth, powerful beam
  • Ergonomic “clickie” tailcap switch allows for easy switching between two output levels
  • Sealed with O-rings; weatherproof
  • Powered by two AAA alkaline batteries; included.

Gear Diary Gear Review:  Icons Solo and Link LED Flashlights photo

The Solo is an attractive, almost gun-metal like color.  It’s also not as powerful as the Link, but still plenty bright.  You could use this in your bag as a security light. It adds almost no weight to your bag and is extremely handy to have.

The Link is only $27.99 on Opticsplanet.com.  The Solo is $24.99 from our friends at Think Geek.

What I liked: Both lights are very small and very handy lights to have.  Quality construction that may last longer than you do.

What I did not care for: It would be nice to have some other colors.

Tags: ,



Joel is a system admin for a local college in Columbus, OH. While he loves Linux and tends to use it more than anything else, he will stoop to running closed source if it is the best tool for the job. His techno passions are Linux, Android, netbooks, GPS, podcasting and Amateur Radio.


Oh No Fractions! 2.0 for iOS Now Available

Oh No Fractions! 2.0 for iOS is now available As a guy who, for a while, actually majored in math [...]

Magic Paint with Math: Funny Math Tutor for Kids for Android and iOS

Magic Paint with Math: Funny Math Tutor for Kids for Android and iOS Okay, I don’t know why but for [...]

Geneva Sound System Model XS Review

Geneva Sound markets the Geneva Sound System Model XS as “the world’s first portable audio system with true Hi-Fi sound”. [...]

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Android Review

The never-ending battle for king of the smartphones has never been more interesting, with the Samsung Galaxy S 4 leading [...]

Moxtra for iOS Review – Moving Mountains of Info into Manageable Folders

I use my iPad for just about everything — notes, pictures, writing posts, browsing the web, etc. In many ways [...]

Grab Two Gameloft Games for Free This Weekend!

Gangster Rio

If you ask most ‘core’ gamers about the products Gameloft produces, chances are the words ‘shameless ripoffs’ will be uttered [...]