While I was at SHOT Show in January, I met with the wonderful PR team for Streamlight. I’ve been a fan of their product line for ages, and I own far more Streamlight products than any other in the portable illumination niche. So, I was excited to see what new models they were rolling out this year.
The one that really got my attention is the Wedge SL. This is the third model in their Wedge series of lights. I’ve previously reviewed the original Wedge and the Wedge XT.
I’ve been carrying the Wedge SL as my primary EDC flashlight for about a month now. Gotta say, it’s pretty cool.
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The Streamlight Wedge SL
Streamlight Wedge SL Specs
If you’ve ever used a carpenter’s pencil, you’re already familiar with the basic size and shape of the Wedge SL. It’s 5.65 inches long, just 0.55 inches wide, and a mere 0.28 inches thick. It weighs a nearly negligible 1.14 ounces.
Currently, it’s available in black, silver, or coyote brown. During my meeting at SHOT, I implored them to expand the line to match the colors available for the original Wedge. Particularly because I love the blue they’ve used in that line.
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Streamlight Wedge SL Features
There are three illumination levels available. On High, you get 100 lumens, which will last about 1.75 hours. On Low, you’re looking at 50 lumens and about 3.5 hours. Then there’s the THRO feature, which gives you 500 lumens. THRO stands for Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output. To activate it, you click the tail switch to turn the light on, then press and hold the switch.
The lithium polymer battery is recharged via USB-C. It takes about four hours to go from empty to full. There are four tiny LED lights next to the charging port that indicate the battery power level. These turn on briefly when you turn on the light, as well as stay on when you’re charging it.
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The pocket clip is slim but very sturdy. Given its slim, lightweight design, you could easily carry the Wedge SL in a shirt pocket next to your pen.
It comes with a removable rubber cap that fits over the tail switch. About the only complaint I have about the Wedge SL is that this rubber cap doesn’t extend down to cover the USB-C port. They did, however, design it such that you can still see the power level illumination LEDs with the cap in place.
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Streamlight Wedge SL Performance
I’ve been using this light for about a month now. The original Wedge is one of my all-time favorite EDC lights, and this new slim iteration is definitely in the top 5 or so. It’s incredibly easy to carry. I don’t usually clip it to my pants pocket. Instead, I just drop it into the pocket. I’ve found that the rubber cap helps with finding and deploying the light quickly.
At 100 lumens on High, there’s plenty of light to see what you’re doing without blinding you. Let’s be honest. Most of us don’t need 2,500 lumens when we’re working on the car in the driveway or searching for dog toys under the couch.
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I was initially concerned that maybe the Wedge SL was going to be too slim for comfort. I have large hands, and sometimes smaller pocket knives feel lost in my grip. No problems here, though. The light was comfortable and easy to use, no matter what I was doing.
If you’re on the hunt for a new EDC light and you want something slim and sleek, the Wedge SL is exactly what you need. Hit up Streamlight’s site to find a dealer near you, or order it online from Amazon or other retailers. The Wedge SL runs about $65-$75, depending on color and retailer.
