Flashlight recommendation

Spent bunch of time this weekend reading up on flashlight….definitely lots of info.
I am looking for a flashlight

- that can fit in the palm of my hand,

- have uniform form factor like Convoy S2+

  • single 18650 battery

Looks like the rest is the balance between lumens, beam distance and runtime.
What ya recommend? You will notice that they are all over the price range. I don’t mind spending $$$ for a quality product instead of few subpar products. Below are some that look interesting:

Convoy S2
Nitecore MH20GT (rechargeable option is nice)
Lumintop SD Mini
Lumintop EDC25
Eagtac DX3B Mini Pro

I use an Imalent DM21T

Seems like everyone has their favorite given the number of brands and models offered on the market… Is there one that stands out?

Is this correct to assume that market is moving towards XHP and hence, we are starting to see 2k, 3k in this size range e.g. DX3B?

Depends on your needs. Do you need a larger hotspt? Do you need more throw? Do you like cool white neutral or warm? Its all personal preferences…

But the XHP series are mighty bright but with less throw.

Not much preference for cool white versus warm.
Definitely want throw and a setting for high brightness.
Most of the time, I care about runtime with medium brightness and distance (outdoor activities such as walking the dog and be able to preview the area in the rural setting).

http://www.kaidomain.com/Search/SearchResult.KDLITKER%20C8.2

You could go for the XHP version of the C8. Many tint options and mode options too

Thanks for the link. Not a big fan of the C8 form factor.
Looking for tube style form factor like Convoy S2/DX3B etc. which fit nicely into the palm of the hand.

Ah Shoulda mentioned it earlier. Look for those using XPL HI. More throw with reasonable output. Maybe can contact RMM of mountain electronics to custom build one for you :wink:

Your own firmware modes and output

I did list the 3 things I am looking for in my first post :slight_smile:

  • There is no off-the-shelf using XHP35/50 along with some comps. DX3B looks pretty impressive using XHP but is not budget. Hence, my posting to this forum.

Emisar D1? Has a slightly larger head but you get better throw, side switch, and a modern UI.

Ha! Missed the uniform factor part. Sorry!

All links are not aff.

Fitorch P26R XHP70.2 3600Lumens FCD Rechargeable Portable LED Flashlight +26650
https://banggood.app.link/0EBXrGygcJ

Can use 18650 with a sleeve.

Jetbeam TH15 XHP E2 1450Lumens Ultra-High Performance Tactical Outdoor LED Flashlight
https://banggood.app.link/myMZ8xDgcJ

Might appeal to you. Can get discount code from M4DM4X. :wink:

JETbeam TH20 XHP70.2 3450Lumens High Performance Tactical Flashlight
https://banggood.app.link/vHGUuzJgcJ

Not exactly budget either. Can get code from M4DM4X as well. But seems like a contender.

Klarus XT2CR XHP35 HD E4 1600LM Rechargeable Tactical LED Flashlight+18650
https://banggood.app.link/gj7Q9YOgcJ

M4DM4X can help u out.
Hope those help

Thank you! These are good options.

Are there any downsides of the options that I listed above? I realize that they are not “budget” brands and may not be fav of the folks here but the Emisar, Klarus etc. are $100+ as well.

you can look at the BLF A6 XPL

BLF A6

cheap and very good. i have one :sunglasses:

Sofirn has also some cheap but very good ones in kit with battery and charger

Sofirn store

You might want to check out the Imalent DN35 on gearbest, they have it on sale for 48.99 that fits nice in the hand and it has USB charging.

Unless you want to spend $100 or more ……. (Wrathbringer27 linked some nice lights, that Fitorch P26R is something I would like, except the $$:money_mouth_face:

For something almost tube style, and with good throw, I will second this………

Normally sells for around $40.
https://intl-outdoor.com/emisar-d1-mini-thrower-p-922.html
or when he gets more in stock
http://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=876
For a pocket thrower on a reasonable budget, I think it will be hard to beat.

…General info that may be helpful with your selection……….there are exceptions, but they are few.

1) Throw is mostly tied to reflector size (bigger = longer throw), and a LED w/high surface brightness. Tube lights will suffer here due to size restrictions.
2) A de-domed or HI version of a given LED will throw better.
3) large LEDs (XHP50, XHP70, MT-G2) are generally better at flood, though they can have decent throw in a large reflector
XHP35 is the thrower of the XHP line

Be prepared to end up with multiple lights. Once you have the batteries and charger it becomes a slippery slope.

The emisar isn’t $100+ but the some Klarus models are. Klarus so far hasn’t had any bad rep here except for some output issues. Eagtac is just really expensive but you are paying the premium for quality. Convoy is a community fav brand and nitecore is okay. Lumintop is also not bad. In fact they’re the manufacturer of our giggles

Convoy S2+
Convoy S9

How important is user interface? You haven’t mentioned anything on the subject. Some people absolutely hate having to cycle through blinky modes and do not want to replace driver or firmware, others don’t mind or even like blinkies.

Another light you might want to look at is the Convoy S9. I don’t have one yet (they are on the way) but appears to be a nice light with micro USB charging port. Convoy S9

I think you would be happy with one of the Convoy flashlights from the official Convoy store: convoy.aliexpress.com.

There are plenty to styles to choose from, including different tints and mode options.

I’ve purchased from Simon (the owner of Convoy) numerous times and have never been disappointed. He sells high quality flashlights and parts for very reasonable costs.

And if you don’t see exactly what you want, you can ask Simon to make something custom.

I have ordered a Convoy S2, Panasonic batteries and a charger. Figured S2 is well regarding in this community and the cost is low enough to get familiar with the modern flashlights and understand various terms. I may order a Convoy S9 as well once I receive all the items.

I had been looking into Convoy for some time and one of the reasons I started this thread was 2k or higher lumen range by Nitecore and Eagletac in same size footprint as S2+.

Regarding the question of UI, I don’t mind clicking through for various modes as long as I can lowest lows and highest highs.

Thanks for all the suggestions!