The humble flashlight is older than you probably think. The first handheld electric torch was patented in 1899, and for the better part of 127 years, the core concept barely changed: battery, bulb, switch, done. LED technology gave it a serious brightness upgrade. Rechargeable cells made it more practical. But the fundamental experience of using a flashlight, including that moment of blind faith when you click it on and hope the battery cooperated, stayed remarkably unchanged. Until now, apparently.
GODYGA (pronounced Go-dee-ga) has taken the flashlight’s first real swing at becoming a smart device with the TorchEye X1, a clip-on EDC light that combines a full-color smart display, precise battery management, and a laser distance measurement tool in a package that fits on a jacket lapel. It looks like something a concept designer dreamed up after spending too long staring at luxury dive watches. It also genuinely works.
Designer: GODYGA
Click Here to Buy Now: TorchEye X1 – $39.99 $49.99 ($10 off, use coupon code “YANKOGDX1”) | TorchEye X0 – $30.59 $35.99 ($5.40 off, use coupon code “YANKOGDX0”). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
The laser distance measurement is where the TorchEye X1 separates itself from your average EDC flashlight. It fires a red beam that measures distances up to 20 meters with ±1/8 inch accuracy at 20 readings per second. That’s 20 measurements in a single second. For context, a standard tape measure requires two hands, an extra person ideally, and at least one moment of mild frustration. The TorchEye? You point, you press, and the number appears on the display before you’ve had time to question your life choices. Whether you’re figuring out if that new sectional sofa will actually fit in your living room, hanging a gallery wall without eyeballing it for the fifth time, or sizing up a workspace, this is the kind of tool that quietly earns its place in your pocket. It works best indoors on lighter surfaces, a white wall reads brilliantly, while darker or highly textured surfaces outdoors will give it a harder time, so keep expectations calibrated accordingly. There’s also a front and rear reference point mode, useful depending on whether you want to measure from the tip of the device or the back.
TorchEye X1 laser version
Flashlights have never told you anything. You click one on, it works or it doesn’t, and the only feedback is the slow dimming that tells you the battery gave up three days ago. The TorchEye’s full circular smart screen changes that entirely, displaying exact battery percentage, real-time runtime estimates per brightness mode, and a charging countdown when it’s plugged in. The screen wraps around the front face of the body and it’s genuinely striking to look at, drawing obvious visual inspiration from the dial of a luxury watch. That rotating green bezel isn’t decorative either. It clicks through brightness modes with satisfying haptic feedback, the kind of tactile interaction that makes cheap flashlight buttons feel embarrassing by comparison.
Charging is via USB-C, and you can run it straight from your phone using the included USB-C to USB-C cable. The more interesting detail is what happens when you plug it in. Most high-lumen flashlights require anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes of charging before they’ll unlock turbo mode. The TorchEye hits its full 500 lumens the instant power is connected, zero delay, which is actually meaningful in an emergency rather than just a spec sheet flex. The battery system also lets you run the light while it charges, so a dead battery doesn’t strand you in the dark while you wait.
TorchEye X0 Non-laser version
The design philosophy borrows heavily from luxury watchmaking. The rotating green bezel gives satisfying haptic click feedback as you cycle through light modes, making the whole interaction feel considered and premium rather than plasticky. The front-facing button placement is intentional too. Because the TorchEye is designed primarily to be clipped onto a jacket, backpack strap, or cap brim for hands-free use, putting the controls on the front face means they’re always reachable with a single thumb, no awkward side-button fishing required. It’s one of those small ergonomic decisions that only becomes obvious once you’ve used a light that got it wrong.
Seven brightness modes on the white LED, running from Moonlight all the way up to 500 lumens with a 120-meter throw, cover essentially every situation you’d reach for a pocket light. The red LED adds a low-impact visibility option for night walks, map reading, or any context where torching someone’s retinas with 500 lumens would be socially unacceptable. The built-in 18-hole golf stroke counter lives quietly inside the interface, accessible with a short press to count strokes and a long press to advance holes, with bezel rotation letting you review the front or back nine. If golf means nothing to you, it switches off and disappears entirely.
For carrying options, GODYGA gives you three: the clip for clothing and bags, a magnetic base for sticking it to any metal surface, and a lanyard loop for wrist or bag attachment. And tucked inside the interface, almost as a delightful easter egg, is a built-in 18-hole golf stroke counter. Short press counts strokes, long press advances holes, bezel rotation lets you review front and back nine. Golfers will love it. Everyone else can turn it off and forget it exists.
The TorchEye X1, the version with laser distance measurement, is priced at $39.99 on Amazon. If the distance tool isn’t something you’ll reach for regularly, the TorchEye X0 carries all the same smart screen and lighting features for $30.59. Both are worth every dollar for what they pack in. GODYGA has built something that makes the humble pocket flashlight feel genuinely exciting again, which brings us full circle to that 1899 patent, and the very long time it took for someone to finally do this.
Click Here to Buy Now: TorchEye X1 – $39.99 $49.99 ($10 off, use coupon code “YANKOGDX1”) | TorchEye X0 – $30.59 $35.99 ($5.40 off, use coupon code “YANKOGDX0”). Hurry, deal ends in 48-hours!
The post This $37.5 Clip-On EDC Flashlight Does Something a $200 Olight Still Cannot… Measure Distances first appeared on Yanko Design.
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