Ever since Raven Concealment Systems discontinued their flashlight pocket clip back in 20XX, there’s been a bit of a gap in the market.
The only real options if you wanted a finger ring were either some cobbled-together DIY solution, or the Thyrm Switchback.
Now for duty carry, or instances where concealment isn’t a high priority, the Switchback is a perfectly functional product. I have my own qualms with it, but that’s primarily due to its form not being optimally suited for my particular use case.
The newly released Retention Ring is a solution to those for whom this is a challenge.
Designed by Daniel Easterday of 11 Minute Defense, the Retention Ring consists of a neoprene ring secured to a length of piece of type 1 paracord with dual-wall adhesive heat shrink tubing.
This handy little pull-ring can be attached to a variety of small handhelds, and allows for the use of that hand while still retaining the tool.
When paired with the Thyrm Low Profile clip, the Retention Ring gives you all the same functionality of the old RCS clip and at roughly the same cost ($17.99 for the clip + $9 for the Ring)
Personally I like the closed-ended variant the most, since it’s the easiest to attach (and I’m not great at knots). I’ve found it works great on both my Cloud Defense MCH and my Surefire Stiletto Pro.
Whether being carried clipped to a pocket, or more discreetly on something like a Pocket Shield the Ring allows for positive retrieval and retention.
Full Disclosure: Daniel sent me these for T&E. I have since purchased a couple additional rings, as I see the value of them and think it’s a quality product.
Up to now I haven’t done any destructive testing on them, but most of my light usage tends not to be in extreme or austere conditions.
The Retention Ring is available for purchase at https://retentionring.com.
Daniel Easterday, creator of the Retention Ring, has a background that includes product development, assembly, prototyping, and Logistics. Daniel is also a firearms instructor in the Chicago suburbs, and he used his varied experience to turn what originally started as a niche solution to add an O Ring to his own flashlight into a product line that has multiple uses across a wide variety of industries.
