[REVIEW] Nitefox UT20

CC of the review I put on Amazon. It’s my first Nitefox light, and I quite like it.

Impressive light, which I’ve been EDCing for about 2 weeks to get a good feel for it. It’s hella bright, has good mode spacing in its 3 brightest modes, plus a decent moonlight mode for late-night use when you don’t want to ruin your night-vision.

I’ve really come to appreciate the battery-status indicator in the side-switch. In my Thorfire TK4A, when using 4 alkaleaks, it doesn’t indicate battery level too well because one or two cells out of the four always wear down faster than the others, and will show good (green) under light loads but show voltage sag (yellow or even red) under high loads, whereas in a single-cell light like this, it functions quite accurately.

I’m usually not a fan of usb recharging (except my Zanflare F1s, with the concentric O-ring-sealed screw-ring over the port), as the rubber plug is almost always the weak link as far as being waterproof, but the convenience of not needing a separate charger can offset this as long as you take care not to dunk your lights underwater for too long. I could live with it. :smiley:

In fact, the rubber plug provides a good index to be able to reach the side-switch that’s diametrically opposite. No more fumbling around twisting the light around and around in your hand trying to find the switch; with the flat soft plug, it’s easy to find it by feel alone, even when it’s pitch black.

Stylistically, it’s a nice clean design, doesn’t look too “busy” with all sorts of fins and projections and so on, looking like a random assortment of plumbing parts. Flats around the section by the switch/port keep the light from rolling. Included are a lanyard, extra O-rings, extra tailswitch cap, and so on. Even the box the light comes in is a nice thick 2-piece cardboard, almost a presentation-box, complete with fitted foam inserts. I wouldn’t be embarrassed giving this as a gift, even. Nice touches!

Anodisation is a really nice black semi-gloss, just like my ’502B. Perfectly applied, no chips, holes, dings, missed-spots, nothing of the kind.

One thing I like most of all is the forward-clicky (momentary-on) switch, vs the usual reverse-clickies. This lets you do a quick flash’n’dash with a half-press without having to fully press the switch to click on then click off. Oh, how I miss that…

The tint is quite nice, just warm of neutral, not the typische Angry Blue™ of cheaper lights. There’s some tint-shift, but only if you go white-wall hunting. In typical usage, it’s unnoticeable. Did I mention it’s hella bright? 1000 lemons from a tubelight is quite nice!

I just recently played with the “tactical mode”. While I usually despise blinky modes, TM is well-hidden, meaning you can’t accidentally strobe yourself into an epileptic fit by just pressing too quickly or whatnot. You need to press’n’hold for at least 3sec to select strobe then beacon temporarily, or keep holding to actually select TM. Then do the press’n’hold thing again to get back to “outdoor mode”, sans blinkies.

Cons? Yeah, to be fair, a couple. It won’t tailstand. The tailswitch button is juuuust ever so slightly protruding from the ridges to give it a wobble. You might get it to balance precariously, but a butterfly in Tibet can blow it over. If tailstanding is important to you, this’ll probably be disappointing. Also, I’m REALLY not a fan of thumb-cutouts on tailswitches. I’d much rather have a purely protruding button like on a Solarforce L2M, or somewhat protruding like on a Ultrafire ’502B, or just have the protective ring go completely around the button, like on at least one variety of Thorfire C8s.

The protective “ears” around the tailswitch are small enough only for lanyard holes, but when holding the light “icepick” style, thumb on the tailswitch and pinky on the sideswitch, the ears don’t line-up with your thumb, but instead press against your thumb at an odd angle. That’s why I’d really rather have no ring at all, or a full ring 360° around. So the alternative is to not be able to use the light truly one-handed, but have to manoeuver it to hit the switch you want, every time it’s needed.

If you prefer holding the light “sword” style, of course you’ll have to use it two-handed.

My only other suggestion (emphasis: not a complaint, just a suggestion) would be to use an orange-peel reflector vs smooth. There are very very faint artifacts in the beam that you really have to look hard to see, but an OP reflector would mask those nicely, as well as smooth out the beam a bit. In tubelights, OP is definitely the way to go.

Anyway, that’s only one maybe-nitpicky complaint (ring/ears around the tailswitch button), compared to the quite many positive features the light has, is pretty good. Great color/tint, hella bright, great UI (user-interface), built-in charging, battery-level indicator… I’m pretty impressed! This is my first Nitefox light (aside from the UW360), and I don’t think it’ll be my last. And at a tad over 20bux, it’s certainly affordable.

Plus, the “presentation box” would make it great for gifting. My b’day just passed, but I’ll happily still accept gifts. :smiley:

So? I’m definitely happy with it. :smiley:

Whups, here ya go, pic courtesy of Nitefox/Amazon…

Hmm, still no love for the UT20… :person_facepalming:

Hey, why not put in some IRL pics?

Would attract some more interest.

Upgrade the emitter with SST-20 and I’ll give it a shot.

Here’s a few picts for ya. Very Acebeam like packaging

Looks like dem sofirns, nice review

This is a nice and functional little light.

Nice, tnx! I was looking for the box(es) to try to scare up some pix, but ya beat me to it.

Oh, and get this

https://www.fasttech.com/products/1630/10021257/4594500-stainless-steel-flashlight-pocket-clip

for a nice deep-carry clip. Matches the finish of the ’20 perfectly, only costs a buk, and lets the ’20 ride low in the pocket vs sticking out like an antenna.

Get a dozen or so for all your S-series lights, too.

I loved mine for work duty, it was always in my pocket around the workshop…
Until it falls and quit working properly…
If I press the tail switch, it goes ON, and every modes is working too… but after around 30s it goes OFF…:frowning:
That was a review sample so I won’t complain about warranty but I’m kind of sad