Loop Gear SK06: First look at the compact 4-in-1 EDC flashlight

Loop Gear has launched another flashlight, the SK06. As with the relatively recent SK05, the company has opted for a traditional flashlight design. The SK06 has a conventional cylindrical body but includes a wide range of functions.

The SK06 follows the familiar 3-in-1 flashlight formula, although Loop Gear has added a fourth function. These models typically combine a laser pointer, UV light and a conventional flashlight. There are plenty of examples on the market. Flat models with built-in batteries include Olight's Ark(feld) series, which will soon get a new model called the ArkTac, and the Fenix E06R Pro.

The SK06 instead uses a replaceable battery, as does the Acebeam K1. The latter runs on a 14500 battery, making it very compact, although its head is large. Loop Gear's model accommodates a larger 18650 battery rated at 14.4 watt-hours. It can be charged through a USB-C port on the flashlight. A sturdy cap protects the port on the IP68-rated flashlight. There is one drawback, though: the SK06 cannot be switched on while charging.

Alongside the laser pointer, UV light and main beam, Loop Gear has fitted the flashlight with a 3 x 2 LED array. These LEDs serve as a battery status indicator, which can be disabled, but can also be switched on independently. They offer playful color-changing effects as well as steady colors. This makes them useful as a marker light on a backpack, for example, or as a low-level light to help find your way around rooms, tents or outdoor spaces.

In Moonlight mode, the side light is rated for up to 300 hours of runtime. According to the manufacturer, using it as a 100-lumen lantern cuts that to just 3.65 hours, although it does get quite bright. There are also 35- and 5-lumen settings, rated for 20 and 40 hours respectively, both comfortably lasting through the night. The individual LEDs are clearly visible. The PR images suggest there is an effective diffuser over them, but that is not the case. Unfortunately, this is difficult to capture on camera.

The laser pointer and UV light work as expected, with nothing particularly noteworthy to report. The laser is not quite centered within the main beam, though. Double-clicking while the laser pointer is active switches on the main light. The misalignment is not an issue at a distance. The main beam itself has a pleasing pattern, with a bright hotspot and fairly wide spill around it. This works well for everyday use but is less suitable for evenly illuminating a broad area. Anyone who also needs that capability should look at competing models from Olight or Fenix, which offer both.

The controls are fairly simple compared with those from other manufacturers, although they take some getting used to. A rotary selector surrounds the main button and has four positions. One is marked with a white dot. Icons on the side indicate which function corresponds to each position. Reading them requires good eyesight, and selecting the right function in the dark is difficult even after memorizing the positions. The white dot is so small that we initially missed it. We were very pleased with the SK06's build quality. It feels well made, and the rotary selector works well too.

Returning to the laser pointer, the flashlight does carry a label identifying it as Class 1. Unfortunately, that information is printed on an easily removable sticker, which came off very quickly on our unit. This could soon cause problems when taking the SK06 into Switzerland, since there is no longer any way to demonstrate that its laser is Class 1. The same model is also sold with a Class 3R laser in other countries.

The flashlight would therefore be highly likely to be confiscated at the border. Switzerland permits only Class 1 laser pointers, and that classification must be marked on the device. For anyone comfortable with those limitations and the rotary selector, the SK06 is a good all-in-one flashlight that can also provide low-level lighting to help you find your way around. The flashlight is already available on Amazon, with US list prices starting at $89.99. A current discount brings that price down to $76.