Those who know me are well aware of my affinity for Streamlight. I’ve been a fan of their products for years, and I own several. When I learned about their new Megastream USB, I had to get one.
Streamlight Megastream USB
Megastream USB Specs
This is a pretty powerful light in a fairly small package. On the highest setting, it throws 1,800 lumens and 26,000 candela with a 322-meter beam. To understand the difference between candela and lumens, check out our article here.
You can scale the light back to Medium for 500 lumens and 7,200 candela, or down to Low for 150 lumens and 2,100 candela. A push-button tail switch cycles through the modes. One push for High, two for Medium, three for Low.
The Megastream USB is powered by a lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack that, as the name would suggest, is charged via USB. A metal sleeve on the flashlight slides down to expose the charging port. When you plug in the cord, a tiny red light indicates that it’s charging. It will turn green when the battery is fully charged. You can also remove the battery and charge it separately, if that’s your preference.
The light measures 5.3 inches long and weighs a modest 5.4 ounces. It comes with a USB-C cord and belt holster. It’s equipped with a removable pocket clip.
Megastream USB Performance
This is a very bright light. It works great for spotlighting strange noises in the backyard, that sort of thing. There is enough overspill that you’ll be lighting up much of the yard at once.
While it’s a bit large for true EDC, it isn’t all that cumbersome. I suppose it depends on the available real estate in your pocket or on your belt. I prefer the former to the latter.
I’ve used the light quite a bit over the last several weeks. It’s come along on numerous nighttime dog walks and spent a fair bit of time searching for critters big and small out behind the house. It has an impressive range, especially for a pocket-sized light.
One Drawback
There is one drawback to the Megastream USB that is worth noting. If you hold it in your hand so that your thumb is operating the push button tail switch, you can inadvertently open the charge cover sleeve. What happens is that when you press the button, you’re effectively pushing the light forward a bit in your hand. As that happens, because you’re gripping the body of the light, the charge cover sleeve stays put as the body slides forward, opening the charge port.
Personally, I tend to use my index finger, rather than my thumb, to turn the light on and off. As a result, I’m gripping the light in a different way, and the sliding sleeve doesn’t give me any trouble.
Despite this issue, I still highly recommend the Streamlight Megastream USB. It’s a welcome addition to the illumination arsenal.
As of this writing, it retails for just under $100 at Amazon.
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