Picture this: you’re fumbling around in a power outage, reach for your EDC flashlight, and instead of just clicking it on, you’re greeted by a tiny pixelated smiley face winking back at you. Welcome to 2025, where the humble flashlight has evolved into something that would make your inner 90s kid absolutely lose their mind. The LOOPDOT isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here, but it’s definitely asking why that wheel can’t also play rock-paper-scissors while illuminating your path.

The intersection of EDC culture and gaming tech has been brewing for years, but the LOOPDOT is the first product to nail the landing. While most flashlight manufacturers obsess over lumens and battery life (important, sure), LOOPGEAR decided to ask a different question: what if your everyday carry could also be your everyday joy? The result is a device that manages to be both a serious 400-lumen workhorse and a delightful pocket companion that can entertain you during boring meetings or power outages.

Designer: LOOPGEAR

Click Here to Buy Now: $35 $50 (30% off). Hurry, only a few left!

Let’s talk specs first because underneath all that pixel art magic lies a genuinely capable flashlight. The LOOPDOT pumps out 400 lumens at maximum output with a CRI of 90, which means colors look natural and accurate under its beam. That’s impressive for something this compact and playful. The stepless dimming system lets you dial in exactly the brightness you need, from a gentle nightstand glow to full-power illumination. Most EDC lights force you into preset brightness levels, but the LOOPDOT’s smooth adjustment feels luxurious by comparison. The dual beam system offers both flood and throw modes, making it versatile enough for close-up work or distance lighting.

What sets this apart from every other flashlight on the market is that RGB pixel display staring back at you. Early users describe it as surprisingly bright, colorful, and crisp, which immediately transforms the device from tool to conversation starter. The display shows custom animations, mini-games, battery status, and whatever else the community dreams up. Think of it as a tiny canvas for 8-bit art that happens to be attached to a high-quality flashlight. The display isn’t just decorative either; it communicates useful information about your flashlight’s status in ways that feel more engaging than traditional LED indicators.

Controlling everything is a mechanical fidget dial that doubles as both interface and stress toy. Modeled to somewhat resemble the crown on an Apple Watch, this little wheel is sheer eye and finger-candy, giving you something to obsess over. You scroll through brightness levels, navigate the pixel display menus, and play those built-in mini-games all through this single control. The fidget aspect isn’t accidental; LOOPGEAR clearly understands that EDC enthusiasts love objects they can manipulate and interact with throughout the day. The dial gives your hands something to do during conference calls while also serving as the primary interface for a surprisingly sophisticated device.

Gaming elements elevate this beyond typical EDC fare. The mini-games aren’t throwaway features; they’re genuinely engaging diversions that take advantage of the pixel display and fidget dial interface. Imagine playing a quick rock-paper-scissors while waiting for your coffee to brew to reflect your mood. These features tap into the same nostalgic gaming impulses that make retro handhelds so appealing, but in a package that serves a practical daily function.

Community input shaped the LOOPDOT’s development, with over 2,500 EDC enthusiasts contributing feedback during the design process. This crowdsourced approach shows in the final product’s attention to user preferences and real-world needs. The device feels like it was designed by people who actually carry and use EDC gear daily, rather than engineers working in isolation. That community connection also suggests ongoing firmware updates and new features as the user base grows and shares ideas.

The entire device has the design appeal of something made by a nerdy tech and EDC enthusiast. The LOOPDOT pays tribute to new-age products like the Plaud NotePin with its capsule-shaped design, the Apple Watch with its rotating crown/wheel, and retro gizmos like the Tamagotchi with its pixel-based gaming interface. The body of the LOOPDOT is sand-blasted aluminum, complete with a curved tempered glass on the front.

A magnetic back lets you snap it to metallic objects, the built-in clip lets you attach the LOOPDOT to your pocket for hands-free lighting, and a lanyard hole lets you string a lanyard for easy carry. The LOOPDOT is EDC, after all…

The LOOPDOT represents something genuinely new in the EDC space: a device that combines serious functionality with unabashed playfulness. At 400 lumens with high color rendering, it handles lighting duties admirably. The pixel display and fidget dial transform routine interactions into moments of delight. For $23.50 during the pre-order campaign, it’s positioned as an accessible entry point into this new category of playful EDC gear. Whether this signals the future direction of pocket tools or remains a delightful novelty, the LOOPDOT proves that even the most utilitarian objects can benefit from a generous helping of joy and creativity.

The LOOPDOT carries an IPX6 rating, meaning it laughs off rain and even brief submersion. The body is built to handle drops and daily abuse, which is essential for any EDC item worth carrying. A magnetic base provide flexible mounting options, while the overall size remains compact enough for comfortable pocket carry. Each LOOPDOT ships with a 5-year warranty as well as a 30-day money-back guarantee if you aren’t thrilled with your purchase – although those 30 days will cruise by while you obsess over the light’s sheer usefulness and the addictive gaming feature on that RGB pixel display!

As of the launch day (August 12th), all users who place an order within the first 4 hours will receive magnetic clips along with their order. 10 lucky backers to register a pledge within the first 12 hours will be randomly selected to receive a standard aluminum LOOPDOT for free (priority shipped 10-15 days after the campaign ends). 3 more lucky winners within the next 24 hours will receive priority shipping too! The LOOPDOT ships locally from the US, the UK, and the EU.

Click Here to Buy Now: $35 $50 (30% off). Hurry, only a few left!

The post Where Outdoor EDC Meets Gaming: This Pocket Flashlight Also Has A RGB Pixel Display With ‘Games’ first appeared on Yanko Design.

In the course of using some everyday products, we probably seldom stop to question why things are designed the way they are. Why are appliances like speakers and air purifiers traditionally rectangular and boxy while flashlights and lamps are cylindrical? Sometimes, the answers lie in history and practicality, but other times it’s just a matter of convention and the lack of motivation to think outside the box.

This flashlight design concept, however, isn’t afraid to dare to be different, perhaps even to the point of sacrificing some ergonomics. Embracing a trending design aesthetic, it isn’t just breaking the mold by throwing out most conventions. It is also challenging those conventions to see what’s possible if we’re not afraid to ask “What if?”

Designer: Nikhil Kapoor

Industrial design aesthetics has carried a rather negative connotation of being cold and impersonal, but recent trends have cast a more positive light on modern renditions of the design language. Teenage Engineering’s products, in particular, have presented a certain flavor of minimalism that embraced the cold surface of metal, the angular and sharp edges of boxes, and an intentionally limited color palette.

The FL-1 flashlight concept embraces these design elements to shock and confound. Instead of the conventional barrel form, it comes in a box that will admittedly be cumbersome to hold for long periods of time, at least depending on the size. It could easily fit in the palm of your hand, as many EDC flashlights do these days, but the sharp edges could bite into your skin over time.

The design does have a few interesting features beyond its industrial aesthetic. The rectangular shape gives it enough room to fit two LED lights, which can be turned on individually or together with a simple sliding switch mechanism. There’s also a display to show the remaining battery charge so you’re never caught unaware. The flashlight is charged via USB-C, which is the only reference to the correct scale of the object.

Like Teenage Engineering’s designs, the FL-1 practically uses only two colors, or three if you count the contrasting shade of gray. A vibrant orange backside increases its visibility, but only if it’s upside down, while there’s no method for seeing the flashlight in the dark if it’s right side up. The concept definitely has its flaws, but it is still a worthwhile thought experiment on how we can challenge the status quo and come up with designs that aren’t just different but also even better.

The post Teenage Engineering-inspired flashlight concept breaks the mold with a boxy design first appeared on Yanko Design.

There’s no rule that says everyday tools need to be mundane and boring. With the trend in everyday carries and kits, people are discovering how ordinary objects can become more interesting or even more functional by changing their designs. Sometimes that means giving the object a fresh new look, one far removed from the original design and yet even more familiar to people. A flashlight, for example, doesn’t have to just be a cylindrical or rectangular stick you point with, and this concept design runs with that freedom to envision alternative forms, giving it the shape and interface of one of the most familiar products of this age: our smartphones.

Designer: Sihyun Choi

There is, of course, a good reason why conventional flashlights are shaped as long fat cylinders. They’re easy to grab and wrap your hands around, and their length allows you to possibly insert it in narrow spaces. There might also be some traces of their original inspiration, the equally cylindrical candlesticks. It might be an ergonomic design, but ergonomics can change over time as well.

Today, for example, many people are just as adept at grasping their smartphones in their hands, which is the inspiration behind the WHITT concept. In a nutshell, it takes the basic form of a smartphone but puts the internals of a flashlight instead. It’s not a completely faithful recreation of a smartphone, of course, considering it tapers to one side a bit. It actually looks more like a lopsided flask or even a handheld laser projector in this case.

WHITT is also operated like a smartphone, at least when it comes to turning it on and off. The button is at the side, like where you would find a phone’s own power button, which is something we probably unconsciously push dozens or even hundreds of times a day. The similarities end there, however, as the flashlight isn’t even powered by rechargeable batteries. It uses two AA batteries that can be easily swapped out, unlike the fixed batteries inside smartphones.

As interesting as the design might be, it still leaves the question of ergonomics hanging. Opposite the tapered side is a curved edge with a ribbed surface that should improve the flashlight’s grip. Even then, a cylindrical flashlight is probably still easier to grip firmly, which is an important aspect of the tool’s utility.

The post Flashlight design concept reframes an ordinary tool as a familiar smartphone first appeared on Yanko Design.

Life is like an adventure. You never know where it takes you so you best be prepared with the right tools to face anything. Everyday Carries have become popular exactly for this reason, making sure you have everything you need for any situation. Of course, not all tools are made equal, and some designs come in small packages at the expense of functionality and usefulness. A small flashlight, for example, might be able to do just one thing, and it won’t last very long on small AAA batteries. There’s no rule that says you have to pick between power and portability, and this very capable flashlight is proof of that. It crams no less than three types of very bright lights and can even function as an emergency power bank, all while sporting a compact palm-sized design that can withstand any weather condition or even an accidental drop in a puddle.

Designer: LOOP GEAR

Click Here to Buy Now: $57 $99 (43% off). Hurry, only 930/1000 left! Raised over $174,000.

EDC flashlights are quickly growing in number, and they’re defined by how small they can be to fit in your pouch or even your pocket. Most of the time, the smaller devices get, the less capable they become, but the LOOP GEAR SK05 is ready to prove them wrong. A small handheld device can function as a floodlight, a spotlight, and even a sidelight with enough brightness to let you safely see in the dark or call for help. And it’s designed to be easy to use with one hand, freeing your other hand to take action when needed.

The LOOP GEAR SK05’s ergonomic design includes grooves to rest your fingers on one side, and a rounded trim edge on the opposite side for your palm, giving you a confident grip whether you hold it with your right or your left hand. The dial ring that sits on the side is the only control you need to operate the flashlight and it’s conveniently always under your thumb, no matter how you hold it. You can easily switch from floodlight to spotlight with a turn of the dial or press the center button to activate the sidelight. There’s also lockout mode so that the flashlight doesn’t turn on accidentally in your pocket or bag and drain the battery or, worse, cause a fire hazard.

Spotlight & Floodlight Fast Switch

Sidelight

With its small size, it’s pretty mind-blowing how bright the SK05 can be. The SK05 Pro floodlight can reach a maximum of 3060 lumens output (2250 lumens for the base SK05), and the maximum beam range for the spotlight is 405 meters (370 meters for the SK05). The sidelight is no slouch either, featuring five modes (Constant Light, Flowing Light, Running Light, Night Light, and Colorful Light) and seven colors (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Purple), and you can even adjust the brightness for each of these. The sidelight can be used not just to illuminate or set the mood but to also call attention in case of an emergency.

Powering the LOOP GEAR SK05 are two rechargeable 18650 batteries, but the EDC flashlight is so robust that it can even work with a single battery thanks to the SK05 Pro’s parallel circuit design. You can also easily pop off the cover and replace the batteries in a flash for continuous use. And when it comes time to charge those batteries, the onboard 20W Type-C charger can fill them up in just two hours. Thanks to that USB-C connection, the SK05 can also function as a 20W power bank, keeping your phone from draining its own battery too quickly.

If its industrial design isn’t enough proof, the LOOP GEAR SK05 is made to withstand extreme weather conditions, especially with its IP68 rating that helps it survive underwater for a while. The EDC flashlight’s versatile design includes a clip for belts and pockets as well as a magnetic tail cap that can attach to the side of cars or any metal surface, freeing your hands to do the work you need to accomplish. And if the $200,000 stretch goal is reached, LOOP GEAR will also make the A03 Sheath for even easier handling as well as protection for the EDC flashlight. With the compact and versatile LOOP GEAR SK05 EDC flashlight, no darkness or emergency will be too tough to handle, bringing not only brightness but even a bit of power to your outdoor and nighttime adventures.

Click Here to Buy Now: $57 $99 (43% off). Hurry, only 930/1000 left! Raised over $174,000.

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