Not SHOT Show 2021 was a weird experience, and I can say I didn’t care for it. It was disorganized, a little crazy to keep track of, but we persevered. We got to see what to expect in 2021, and Streamlight captured my attention. Specifically, the Streamlight TLR 7 SUB and the Wedge. I was lucky enough to get a Wedge variant early for test and review straight from Streamlight and have been carting it around in the Pocket Express for a few weeks.
The Wedge — Innovative Design
The Wedge is a dedicated everyday carry light designed to be both low profile and comfortable to pocket. The name comes from the shape of the light. It’s not your traditional round pocket light; instead, it’s flat-bodied.
The flat design offers several benefits to an EDC user.
The biggest benefit is its ability to lay flat inside your pocket. When wearing quasi-formal business wear, a bulge in your pants is far from professional. Dress pants, in particular, tend to make a traditional light stand out but the flat design of the Wedge doesn’t break the lines of your pants and look bulbous or obnoxious.
The flat low profile design is also largely textureless. The way it sits in your hand ensures a sure grip without the need for external abrasive grip texture. An aggressive grip texture is great on tactical lights, but it can rub a hole through jeans and dress pants.
The flat design also allows the Wedge to sit flush and clean on a MOLLE platform. The MOLLE design fits a Wedge with little issue and allows it to be quickly retrieved. It won’t budge or fall out when things get kinetic, either.
A Wedge Issue? — Ergonomics
Ergonomics are dead on with the Wedge. It’s flat and thin enough to be ambidextrous in use, and I could activate the single control with either hand without issue. The Wedge fits the hand like a good knife and is designed for a thumbs forward grip. There is no clicky tailcap or buttons here. Instead, you have a toggle that moves forward and rearward.
The toggle provides tactile feedback as it springs into action. You’ll feel a slight resistance, but that’s valuable to prevent light negligent discharges. Speaking of, since the toggle sits flush with the body of the light, it’s nearly impossible for the light to ND in your pocket. Yet it’s easy to use with shooting gloves.
The Wedge’s pocket clip is nice and long and can be swapped to either side for more convenient carry options. It’s a little thing, but it makes a big improvement for setting the light up for carry use. A small hole in the pocket clip also acts as a lanyard loop.
Day to Day Use
The practicality of an EDC light can not be understated. It’s like a pocket knife in terms of utility. From searching dark corners of desk drawers for a Snickers to identifying potential hazards, an EDC light is super handy. As a Floridian, summer storms knock power out all the time, and a flashlight is a Godsend.
The Wedge is rather handy. I went from carrying an old ASP light to the Wedge, and I’m not going back. The ASP light was great, but the Wedge kicks its butt for daily carry. What I mean by that is the comfort level of the Wedge cannot be ignored. Round lights and their bulbous design ensure you never forget you have a light in your pocket.
I absolutely forget the Wedge is in my pocket until I need a light. Best of all, it takes up very little room in my pocket. It never gets in the way when I’m retrieving my keys, some change, or that Snickers I know I left in my pocket. It never rubs, pokes, or prods and draws smoothly without catching on anything.
Keep Clicking
The Wedge has two function modes. The first is the standard and constant 300-lumen beam. The second is a turbo mode that brings the brightness up to 1,000 lumens for 35 seconds. This turbo mode is referred to by Streamlight as the THRO. This sweet acronym stands for Temporarily Heightened Regulated Output.
300 lumens will take you quite far in your day-to-day tasks. It’s the perfect range of power for simple tasks and navigating in the dark. 300 lumens beat back those dark corners, dark parking garages, and power outages with ease.
The turbo mode is for more nonpermissive situations, which present a more immediate danger. Speaking as someone who lives in the woods, loud noises in the brush might need more light to identify an armadillo from a wild dog. I might want to pop the THRO on to see how deep a hole in the ground is during night navigation. THRO also extends the light’s effective range, which can be very valuable in wide-open situations.
Lastly, the combination of the THRO mode and the Wedge’s innovative design and shape make it perfectly paired with a pistol. A 1,000 lumens and 3,000 candela light outperforms any dedicated subcompact pistol light I’ve ever seen. The shape allows you to comfortably and easily use the Surefire method of wielding the light while maintaining a two-handed, thumbs forward-firing grip.
The Wedge and I
A big reason I love my ASP light for so long is my ability to recharge it. I understand the preference for replaceable batteries for tactical lights, but this is for EDC. I want to plug it in beside my phone when I go to bed and call it a day.
Luckily, the Wedge is a rechargeable light that uses a USB C cord to recharge. That means it’s adaptable with my current crop of phone chargers and can be plugged in at home, in my, and my office without the need to remember a special cord.
The battery lasts for three hours of continuous use, and the toggle packs a low battery indicator. When you see a dim red light beneath the toggle, you know it’s time to charge the battery. It’s convenient, handy, and easy to do. The USB C slot is also waterproof, so no fears there.
Streamlight has done a fantastic job with the Wedge. It’s powerful, easy to carry, and packs the features necessary for EDC use. It’s tough to beat at this price point and has become my new EDC light. What do you folks think?
What do you carry for EDC?
Let us know below.
