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Video Overview

Big thanks to Jon Gadget for a clear, hands-on look at the light that just took his number-one handheld spot. In SIMPLY THE BEST Flashlight I have reviewed, he puts the new Loop Gear SK05 Pro 2 through real carry checks and explains why it edged out his longtime favorite, the Nitecore EDC37. This is not a sponsored pitch. Jon walks through power, beam and flood control, side light upgrades, battery life, and the built-in power bank so you can decide if it belongs in your pocket kit.

Items & Gear List

• Loop Gear SK05 Pro 2 (SK05 II Pro) Flat LED Flashlight – Purchase on Amazon
• Loop Gear SK05 Pro 2 (official product page) – View at Loop Gear
• Nitecore EDC37 Ultimate Tactical EDC Flashlight – Purchase on Amazon
• Kangol 507 Gatsby Flat Cap – Purchase on Amazon
• Ahlem Eyewear (blue-light / everyday glasses) – View at Ahlem

Editor’s Insight

Jon Gadget gets a second shoutout for keeping this review practical. He only does single-product deep dives when something feels special, and the SK05 Pro 2 cleared that bar. Loop Gear is a young brand (around since 2022), but the build, rotary control, and feature mix already put this light in serious EDC company.

The Pro 2 looks a lot like the earlier SK05 Pro that Jon liked a year ago, and that is a good thing. You still get a flat aluminum body, black anodize or tougher MAO finishes in white and gray, and a top rotary switch with a center button. What changed is feel and output. The dial is smoother and more clicky, with less friction, so you can run it with a thumb without fighting the ring. Four positions cover lockout, flood, beam, and the side light bar.

Main light power jumped hard. Flood turbo now hits about 3,800 lumens, up from roughly 3,060. The deep-reflector spotlight doubles to about 2,500 lumens and a claimed 410-meter throw. You can keep different levels on spot and flood, then flip between them with the dial. Hold the center button to step low, medium, and high. Double-press for a turbo burst of about 30 seconds. You can also stack spot and flood for a short combined blast near 5,000 lumens, or triple-click into a bright strobe and SOS pattern. Separate flood and throw optics beat a single lens that tries to do both.

The side light is the other big upgrade. Beside the original RGB effects, Pro 2 adds 38 high-CRI white LEDs. Useful white side output goes from a near-useless 1 lumen on the first Pro to about 120 lumens across four levels. That turns the side bar into a real camp, map, or close-work light, not just a color toy. Jon still finds the multi-color modes more novelty than need and would prefer simple white plus red for night visibility, but the options are there if you want them. A red-and-blue flash pattern is bright for roadside warnings; he notes it may not be welcome everywhere because it can look like emergency lighting.

Power is two replaceable 18650 cells in parallel for about 8,000 mAh total. Low flood or spot settings that still light a walk home are claimed around 48 hours. There is no true 1-lumen moonlight on the main emitters, but the side light covers that with 1, 10, 40, and 120 lumen steps. A lockable rear hatch swaps cells, and one cell alone still runs the light with shorter runtime. USB-C charging now sits under a metal flap and supports up to about 22 W in and out, so the torch doubles as a power bank. Add a magnetic base, pocket clip, lanyard point, side-bar battery indicator, and IP68 sealing, and the feature list is hard to poke holes in.

Jon’s prior favorite, the Nitecore EDC37, stays in the conversation for good reason. It is a bit smaller thanks to a sealed pack, and the OLED runtime display is excellent. Its dual multi-LED heads blend spill and throw rather than letting you pick one mode cleanly, and Lumen Shield flood bursts are extremely bright but very short. On pure utility, he gives the SK05 Pro 2 the edge: true spot/flood switching, a useful high-CRI side light, power-bank duty, magnetic tail, and field-swappable cells. List pricing sits near the mid-premium handheld tier, and he has seen solid sale pricing that makes the package easier to justify.

If you already own a strong flat EDC light, this is still worth a look when you want replaceable cells and mode separation in one body. If you are upgrading from a basic single-emitter torch, the Pro 2 can replace both a walk-around light and a spare power bank. Pair it with simple soft goods from the description—Jon’s Kangol 507 and Ahlem frames—and you get a clear picture of the full daily kit he films with, not only the hero flashlight.

Closing Remarks

Watch the full Jon Gadget review above for beam shots, control demos, and the side-by-side with the Nitecore EDC37. If a flat, dual-battery handheld with real flood, real throw, and a power-bank port is on your short list, start with the Loop Gear SK05 Pro 2 links in the gear list. Is this your next door-grab flashlight, or does another light still hold your top spot?