I am one of a group of people who were chosen to test out the latest offering from Rofis (R1). This review is the resulting synopsis of my time with the Rofis R1 flashlight. I’d like to take this time to thank Rofis for granting me the opportunity to review the R1 and I’d like to thank the people who take the time to read my review of the Rofis R1 flashlight.
Roughly the size of my thumb (I have big hands) the Rofis R1 flashlight is the most useful flashlight I have ever used. I was blown away by the Rofis TR15 flashlight, but somehow Rofis managed to take an amazing flashlight and create a new model that is better - with more power, more features, more usability, more convenience, and it’s all in a smaller form.
The extreme usefulness, of the R1, really begins with the rotating head – from 180 degrees to 90 degrees, and everything in between the two. Coupled with the magnetic tail cap and the reversible clip, the rotating head allows the user to position the R1 perfectly – so the flashlight outputs light to the exact area that needs to be illuminated.
With the side-switch face upwards (toward the user) simply twist the head to your left to adjust the head to the angle needed. The flashlight works at any angle between 180 degrees and 90 degrees – giving the user complete control and nearly unlimited possibilities.
Tail-stand the R1, attach it (via the magnetic tail-cap) to something ferrous, hang it by the included lanyard, or attach it to something (like the brim of your cap) with the reversible clip – once you’ve chosen the best placement for the R1 it is simply a manner of twisting the head to the appropriate angle and you’ve got light exactly where it is needed. It doesn’t matter if you’re working on your vehicle, cleaning out a clogged drain under the kitchen sink, or hanging up decorations for the holidays – you can adjust the R1 to put the light exactly where it is needed.
No more fumbling around while trying to light up a specific area; no more wishing you had a third hand to hold a light while working on a project. The R1 is small enough to fit into tight spaces, while still putting out a lot of light (up to 900 Lumens).
The head rotates easily, but does require just a bit of pressure. Once a position is chosen, the head stays in that selected position until the user moves it.
The magnetic tail is strong enough that it easily holds the R1 in place when attached to a ferrous object; even upside down or on a vertical object. On the inside of the tail-cap is a stout spring (no spring on the other end).
The included clip is reversible; allowing the user to clip it on the brim of their cap, and pocket-carry it head-up or tail-up. The clip itself is quite sturdy and unlikely to be knocked off the body of the R1 by accident. The spring portion of the clip is as close to perfect as it gets – not a nail-breaker, but not too weak either.
The lanyard (included) is of a good quality and attached (to the tail-cap) via slots cut into the side of the tail-cap: allowing the R1 to tail-stand without interference from the lanyard.
On the head of the R1 – opposite of the side-switch – is the magnetic charging port. The magnetic USB cord (included) plugs into a computer or an outlet plug (with a USB port). While charging, the side-switch will glow red. Once charged, the side-switch glows green. The side-switch blinks red/green when there is a charging issue. I didn’t keep track of the time it takes to charge the R1, but it doesn’t seem like it is very long. My guess is less than two hours. I really like the magnetic charging feature – it gives me the ability to charge the R1 nearly everywhere and all I have to carry is the charging cord.
The side-switch is located on the end of the body (near the head of the R1). It is covered in a rubber coating and is very responsive, with excellent feedback. The side doubles as a battery status indicator – glowing green when the battery is above 50% and glowing red when the battery is below 50%. When the battery is in need of charging, the side-switch will flash red. To access the status of the battery, simply unscrew the tail-cap and then screw it back on.
The Rofis R1 also comes with a head-strap. The strap itself is a wide single strap and quite comfortable. The R1 attaches (to the head-strap) by way of two orange rubber straps that slide over the body of the R1 and hold it securely. I found it much easier to remove the clip before inserting the body into the straps. I also found it easier to adjust the position and the head of the R1 prior to placing the head-strap onto my head. Being right-handed, it is easier for me to place the R1 into the straps in a manner that leaves the side-switch to my right (as I am wearing the head-strap).
The build quality is fantastic. Everything works like a finely crafted instrument. The body is evenly anodized in a very appealing black that isn’t quite what I’d call a flat black. The bezel is smooth and appears to be stainless steel.
The body itself feels smooth – almost silky – but provides ample grip thanks to the cylindrical grooves that are interrupted with two opposing flat sides. Just above the clip attachment are a series of short vertical grooves and opposing flat sides that are a continuation of the flat sides on the body. The small vertical grooves give excellent gripping ability to the user.
The very top part of the body features vertical grooves (on opposing sides) that remind me of a chart that would be useful to convey statistics. Presumably those grooves are for cooling purposes, but they help to provide grip as well.
The head itself has diagonal grooves on opposing sides, with two deep cut-outs on either side of the magnetic charging port. I’m not sure what the purpose of the two cut-outs is, but I do find them to be very pleasing to my eye.
The reflector is polished, smooth, and not very deep. I don’t know what material the reflector is made from, and couldn’t find that information in the owner’s manual.
The lens appears to be made out of glass and seems to be coated as well. I couldn’t find that information in the owner’s manual.
In the Box
R1 Flashlight
16340 Lithium Ion Rofis battery (700mAh)
Headband
Charging cord
Clip
Lanyard
Spare O-rings
Owner’s Manual
Warranty Card
Specs
Length – 3.14 inches (head at 180 degrees)
Length – 2.74 inches (head at 90 degrees)
Head length – 1.22 inches (head at 90 degrees)
Head Diameter - .866 inch
Weight – 67 grams (battery included)
LED – Cree XM-L2 U2
Features
Magnetic Tail
Magnetic Charging
Adjustable angle head
Thermal protection
Over discharge protection
Battery status indication
Switch lock out
IPX8 Waterproof – 2 meters
Drop Resistant – 1 meter
900 Lumen output (maximum)
150 meter maximum distance
5 year Warranty (and a limited lifetime warranty)
Modes/ User Interface
There are seven modes total. Three of which are regular modes and four special modes.
ON/OFF – click/release the side-switch.
Press/hold to change modes – low, medium, high, low, etc… Release the side-switch to stay in the mode wanted.
Lock-out - press/hold switch until flashlight comes on and then turns back off (about 3 seconds) then release switch. To Unlock – press/hold switch until light turns on, then release switch.
Moonlight mode is accessed by pressing/holding the side-switch until the light comes on, then release side-switch. Press/hold side-switch to go to the regular modes. Press/release side-switch to turn flashlight off.
Turbo mode is accessed by double clicking side-switch (from on or off position).
Strobe mode is accessed by triple clicking side-switch (from on or off position).
From strobe mode, press/hold side-switch to go into SOS mode. From SOS mode, press/hold side-switch to go back into strobe mode. Press/release side-switch to turn flashlight off.
Mode memory works for the three regular modes only. If the flashlight is turned off while in one of the three regular modes, it will turn back on in that same mode.
Moonlight Mode - .5 Lumens, will run for up to 20 days
Low Mode – 10 Lumens, will run for up to 40 hours
Medium Mode – 60 Lumens, will run for up to 7.5 hours
High Mode – 300 Lumens, will run for up to 70 minutes
Turbo Mode – 900 Lumens, will run for up to 65 minutes. (Steps down to 300 Lumens after 30 seconds).
Beam
The R1 has a noticeable hot-spot in the center of the beam. From there it transitions into a very nice spill that covers a wide area. More of a flood beam, the R1 does have decent throwing ability; especially for the small size.
The beam, in general, is excellent; providing for good peripheral vision and doing an excellent job of illuminating objects out to 100 yards or so (turbo mode). In high mode the R1 does a great job of illuminating objects out to 50 yards or so – perhaps just a bit more.
To my eyes the light temperature is a cool white, perhaps even neutral. In the higher modes it does appear to be a bit warmer (not sure why that is). I find the light to be very pleasant and very effective.
Conclusion
My wife was with me when I opened the package, and immediately claimed the R1 for herself. I agreed to let her have the R1 – after I had ample time to run it through its paces so I could offer my thoughts (on the R1) in a review.
It didn’t take long – a couple of days – before I realized the fact that I had made a mistake in agreeing to give the R1 to her, and ordered another R1 for her. I found the R1 to be so useful, so convenient, that I simply couldn’t go without one.
I said Rofis hit a home run with their TR15 and still believe that to be true. With the R1 I believe Rofis hit a grand-slam home-run – making their new model (the R1) even better than their excellent TR15. I didn’t see how that was possible, but Rofis did it.
I couldn’t be more pleased with the R1, and I can’t wait to see what Rofis comes up with next.
I bought the 2nd R1 here.