This is a review of the Astrolux S43S flashlight. Okay, to be fair, this is a comparison review between the Astrolux S43 and the Astrolux S43S, with the Astrolux S42S thrown in just for fun.
In the above picture, the Astrolux S43 is on the left, the Astrolux S42S is in the center, and the Astrolux S43S is on the right.
For the full review of the Astrolux S43, please read the following thread:
I recommend you read that thread first, for much more comprehensive information than is contained in this thread.
The Astrolux S43/S43S is a high-powered light that takes a single 18650 or 18350 battery. Four LED emitters, either XP-G3 (cool white) or Nichia 219C (high CRI neutral white), produce up to 2600 lumens in turbo mode. (Though that quickly fades to the advertised 2100 lumens.)
The light was provided by Banggood for review purposes. I receive no other form of compensation, and all my reviews are independent. You can find the Astrolux S43S light on Banggood’s site here, along with further details:
There is a discount code which brings the light down to $29. Use code BGS43S at checkout.
There is also a regular version of the light, the Astrolux S43. You can find details here:
There is also a discount code for this light, also $29. Use code 9f1297.
Overview:
Okay, you read the Astrolux S43 thread I linked above, right? Then what are you reading this section for? What you really want to know is what is the S43S and what makes it different than the S43.
Differences
Basically, the Astrolux S43S is the same as the S43, with one key difference: copper. The aluminum head of the S43 has been replaced by a chunky slab of shiny copper metal. The rest of the light is aluminum, just as with the S43. The user interface and extras you get are the same.
Why copper? Because it soaks up a lot more heat than aluminum can, and transports that heat to the surface a bit easier than copper. This allows the S43S to maintain a high output for longer than the S43, before thermal controls start to drop output to protect the light and user from burns.
And since this is a very bright light that gets hot quickly on high modes, extra run-time is a nice feature to have. Plus, that copper looks nice to some people.
In my testing, the copper allows the S43S to run approximately twice as long on a high mode, compared to the S43. On turbo (2100+ lumens), that means about 1-2 minutes before thermal step-downs begin, compared to about 30-60 seconds for the S43.
When the thermal controls kick in, the light is uncomfortably hot to hold at the head. Though, the body remains much cooler, so holding it is no problem. The copper head feels hotter than the anodized aluminum to the touch. Perhaps that is just because copper conducts heat into your hand more easily. If you’re man enough, I suppose you could keep a tight grip on the head to keep the internals cool a bit longer, and extend your run-time on turbo.
But nothing comes for free, so what do you give up? Weight. Copper is heavy, and so the Astrolux S43S weighs significantly more than the regular S43 aluminum version. The S43S weighs an additional 60g, due to the heavy copper head. This puts it at a total of 200g for the 18650 configuration, with a battery installed. In my opinion, this is a little heavy for EDC pocket carry, though it’s still light enough to carry in a coat pocket on walks.
By the way, the Astolux S43S bezel is supposed to be crenelated, just like the S43. My review copy was incorrect in that regard.
Conclusion
Both the Astrolux S43 and S43S are nice lights, with very high output and an excellent user interface. If you’re someone that likes to run their lights on high output a lot, then the S43S makes more sense. If weight is a more important concern, then the S43 is the one to get.
That’s all for now. Thank you for reading.