Hello my friends!
There are a lot of great reviewers out there making beatiful pictures and great videos using their skills and/or professional equipment.
I do things sometimes a bit different - so I put some lights together to review them at once.
If my idea works you can find differtent plus and minus of each light an get a clue what is important for you!
maybe one of the lights is your favorite, maybe none… but knowing what you don´t like will help you finding your perfect light!
I tried hard to keep it short(ish) - so i did not made a teardown as i usually do.
if you miss any info or want a special view (maybe also inside) ask me! i will try to make this review “responsive”.
Today i want to show you some “EDC” lights.
EDC means “every day carry”, things that are useful and worth enough having them with you all the time.
Here is what is NOT a EDC
a EDC can have a lot of shapes… one has it in his big trowsers pockets, one in the purse or even on the keyring.
Lets have a first look on the participants in order of size and unpack them:
Lumintop EDC21
the box
whats inside
the light, a holster, USB A-micro cable, spare O-rings, a rubber cap and a very nice made lanyard
in detail
XR30 from banggood
came in a bubble bag
Lumintop SD20
the box
whats inside
the light, holster, O-ring and the same lanyard as shown above
E01 from banggood
came in a bag (well wrapped)
acebeam L10
the box
whats inside
Olight S10R Baton
the box
from the homepage
whats inside:
a lot…
the light, USB A-micro cable, charging dock, a lanyard and spare O-Rings
group foto
the flashlights with their power sources:
RCR123 - AA - AA - 18650-18650 - 18650
okay - lets have a closer look on each one…
Lumintop EDC21
the biggest one today…
but it has a feature which makes it a EDC: its a USB powerbank!
it charges your phone or other devices with 1 A max (can´t measure that) but i hooked up my 10.000 mAh Powerbank which draws up to 1,5 A and the tailcap got quite hot (too much for me) so i charged some phones and my GPS-watch …
the internal cell was drained to 2,85 Volts - seems save to me
carging then the light gave me 4,15 Volts - save again
all that magic happens in the tailcap - which is huge!
to make it work from behind the batterytube has 2 shells
with nice square cut threads…
and so are both polaritis in the tailcap…
the button is flush with the head - and thats the biggest con for me
you need light to find that button… - got the problem ?
its hard to feel it with the bare thumb - no way one does that wearing gloves
the XM-L2 U2 sits well centered in a soft orange peel reflector behind a AR coated glass
the UI:
to switch ON or OFF you have to hold the button half a second - easy if you can see where to press
when the light is ON a short click toggles modes (LOW-MID-HIGH)
fast doulbe click gives a strobe (HIGH)
it has mode memory (starts in the mode you switch off - but not in strobe)
my thoughts:
the Lumintop EDC21 is a good light. maybe a little big for a EDC, but the extra length comes from the charging/powerbank function of the tailcap. and i think its better having 2 cm more in the pocket than 2 devices!
the annodisation is on the slippery side - and the lack of a knurling doesnt make it better (a bit is on the tailcap to make opening easier)
perfect machining, and slightly lubed sealing ring give me a feeling of a solid product!
and its delivered in a nice box with lots of useful acessories…
but the button should be raised or made from rubber to feel it
XR30 from banggood
under a massive bezel it has a non coated lens
and the deep orange peel reflector with a XM-L2
it has a pre-mounted, nice looking paracord lanyard
the tailcap has a long unthreaded area
to take the double sealing rings to keep the light waterproof
ano is good, threads are square cut and well lubed
the head side has also 2 sealing rings and aditionally was kind of “glued”
the spring side of the driver shows a AMC7135 linear current regulator.
rated 350mA
the UI:
using the reverse clicky you switch ON
a soft half press toggles modes (HIGH-MID-LOW-Strobe-SOS)
another full press to OFF
no mode memory (10 sec) - starts in HIGH
my thoughts:
cheap, but feels like a much expensiver light!
well machined, nice fins, deep reflector
knurling is soft, but does the job
simple UI - good light!
Lumintop SD20
ON/OFF symbol on the rubber switch
nice knurling
flat tailcap for stable tailstand - but i miss a magnet…
the ring to connect the lanyard or a keyring is free turning
hold in place by the lubed O-ring - also you see nice square cut threads
… and a thin spring…
XM-L2 U2 in soft orange peel reflector wnd a AR coated lens
well soldered spring down in the battery tube…
the UI:
to switch ON or OFF you have to hold the button half a second
when the light is ON a short click toggles modes (LOW-MID-HIGH)
fast doulbe click gives a strobe (HIGH)
it has mode memory (starts in the mode you switch off - but not in strobe)
my thoughts:
the Lumintop SD20 is nice. the annodisation is perfect as is the machining.
feels robust altough ist light
and its also delivered in a nice box with lots of useful acessories…
but i am afraid of a!identaly activation in the pocket due to the raised button
what is too less on the EDC21 is too much here…
E01 from banggood
made from stainless steel
that thing is heavy
XP-G2, orange peel, GITD O-ring no coating
they braided the tailcap!!
inside the head
the UI:
using the reverse clicky you switch ON
a soft half press toggles modes (LOW-MID-HIGH)
another full press to OFF
no mode memory (10 sec) - starts in LOW
my thoughts:
not very cheap, but feels heavy and trustfully
no knurling - just polished, slippery stainless steel
very simple UI - i love lights without disco which start in low!
acebeam L10
soo tiny
XP-G R5, orange peel reflector, no coating
no bezel
the hole for the keyring or the lanyard
the light is slightly bigger than a AA
the negative contact is just a button - simple and good
the head has a ring of foam to prevent ratling of the battery
no spring needed
the UI:
this is a twisty - you just tighten the head to make contact on both ends of the battery
first ON gets you into a firefly mode
then open/close within 3 seconds to get to LOW - HIGH - Strobe
no mode memory (5 sec) - starts in firefly
my thoughts:
not very cheap for a “simple” light, but the quality is very good!
the knurling is good - not too agressive and not slippery
very simple UI - i like lights which start in low Mode!
(did i say that before?)
disco is there - but if you can count to three you can avoid it
Olight S10R Baton
biggest thing is the dock
it connects to a PC or phone charger with a USB out (in is micro)
very nice: a USB port that also routes data through (tried with my mouse) or can be used for charging another device
in the perfect power button (nice klick, easy to find, small bezel to prevent a!identally activation)
there is a tiny window for low battery warning
XM-L2, AR coated lens and GITD O-ring above a smooth reflector
the contacts in the tailcap are sligtliy deeper or risen…
hole for lanyard
the clip can be mounted both ways
i prefer the first one (lens looking into pocket) - so the clip gives nice guidance
tailcap with strong spring, square cut, lubed threads an sealing ring
powered by a RCR123 LiIon battery
reverse polarity protection?
yes - it sticks!
the UI:
this one is not as easy as the others…
lets start in “locked”… a short klick does nothing
holding 1 sec brings it up to moon mode (you can hold as long the battery lasts (168h) - nothing changes)
short klicks now switch it ON/OFF - the mode is remembered!
hold it when ON toggles LOW-MID-HIGH-LOW… moon cant be reached now
switch OFF - hold the button: after 1 sec moon comes and if still holding after another secong light goes OFF and is locked.
strobe can be reachen with fast doubleclick in ON
my thoughts:
not cheap but the quality is very good!
the knurling is okay - not slippery but with the clip grip is good enough
you have to get used to the UI but then its great!
disco is well hidden
if you are still reading…
here are some numbers:
Light | moon | LOW | MID | HIGH | LOW | MID | HIGH |
S10R | 0,008 A | 0,017 A | 0,148 A | 0,985 A | 28 Lx | 490 Lx | 2.890 Lx |
L10 | 0,006 A | 0,035 A | - | 1,495 A | 25 Lx | - | 1.230 Lx |
E01 | - | 0,177 A | 0,650 A | 2,1 A | 105 Lx | 480 Lx | 1.470 Lx |
SD20 | - | 0,030 A | 0,380 A | 2,57 A | 98 Lx | 1.810 Lx | 6.700 Lx |
XR30 | - | 0,105 A | 0,575 A | 1,9 A | 490 Lx | 2.500 Lx | 8.800 Lx |
EDC21 | - | 0,054 A | 0,390 A | 2,70 A | 360 Lx | 2.400 Lx | 10.900 Lx |
measured with a HS1010A - 1m distance to lens / Amps with a DMM and short 4mm² wires