Braun Pen Light Review: A Handy $20 Multi-Output Tool Bag Light

Introduction

Pen lights are one of those tools that rarely get much attention until you actually need one. The Braun Pen Light manages to stand out in this crowded category by combining a traditional front-facing flashlight, a side LED strip, and a UV light into a single USB-C rechargeable body, all at around a $20 price point.

It is currently on sale at Harbor Freight for about $20, down from $25, and coupons can often bring it lower. For a light this small and affordable, that combination of outputs is genuinely uncommon.

What Makes It Interesting

The light runs on a 750 milliamp-hour onboard rechargeable battery charged over USB-C. In classic pen light style, the body is slim and pocketable, but the feature set goes well beyond what the form factor usually offers.

The headline specification is a 175-lumen flashlight on the front, but the real trick up its sleeve sits on the side: an LED strip rated at 145 and 400 lumens, plus a UV light. Not many pen lights at this price include ultraviolet output at all.

Output Modes and Controls

Operation is handled by a single button. One press turns on the front flashlight, which has a lens and throws noticeably further than a typical phone light. A second press after a few seconds shuts it off, otherwise you can cycle through the modes: the 175-lumen front beam, then the 145- and 400-lumen side LED strip steps, then off.

Continue cycling through all the modes to the fourth step and you get the ultraviolet light. It is not super bright if you are used to larger hobbyist brands, but get it close enough to something and it is clearly visible, giving the light minor detection capabilities that are genuinely useful for inspections, leaks, or checking for marks.

There is also a small flipper covering the USB-C port. It is a slightly cheesy detail and it tends to pop up, so long-term durability of that little cover is a fair question mark.

Real-World Use: The Tool Bag Light

This is where the Braun Pen Light really earns its keep. Click it on, hang it in your tool bag, and you can easily see what is going on inside. The reviewer behind this style of setup uses similar lights inside safes, sticking them to the top so they can reach in, feel the button, and light up the work space without juggling a separate lamp.

The magnets on some of these lights do tend to get covered in iron filings in such environments, which is worth keeping in mind, but as a grab-and-go work light the concept works beautifully.

The Braun Pen Light has also developed something of a cult following. People hack it and modify it, flipping it around in creative ways, though that approach is not for everyone. Some prefer competing designs, and there is still room for improvement in this style of lighting; everyone seems to get close, but not all the way there.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The UV output is modest compared to dedicated UV lights, the little USB-C cover flap feels like a long-term wear point, and if you are chasing maximum brightness or throw, larger lights make more sense. But none of that undermines what this light is trying to be.

Buying Advice

For around $20, this is a great pick if you need a tool bag light, a handy utility light, or even a pocket light, which is what it was designed to be. If you regularly dig around in bags, safes, or dim work spaces, the always-ready rechargeable design with multiple output modes is genuinely convenient.

With Harbor Freight’s regular sales and coupons, you can often get it for less than the $20 sale price, which makes it an easy low-risk addition to any kit.

Conclusion

The Braun Pen Light packs a flashlight, a two-stage side LED strip, and UV detection into a slim USB-C rechargeable body at an easy price. It is not perfect, and the category still has room to grow, but for a tool bag or pocket light at $20, it is a surprisingly capable little light that earns a spot in the kit.