[Review] Klarus XT32 - KIT version (2x18650, 1200lm, 1000m ANSI thrower, hunting & tactical)

Hello everyone
thanking them for the trust granted to me, today we will review the Klarus XT32
that was kindly provided by Klarus and sent by Lamelancette (its official dealer on Italian soil).




CLICK HERE to go to the official page of the product on the Klarus website.

I want to clarify that my reviews are made at an amateur level and without the aid of scientific instruments or tests in cutting-edge secret laboratories and therefore, among the lines that follow, there will also be my humble impressions.


Official features:

- gen 4 Tactical and Hunting flashlight, long extended range, high performance, and patented revolutionary technology
- CREE XP-L HI V3 LED, max brightness up to 1200 lumens
- precision manufactured reflector with optimized design for extended range illumination, improved spotlight performance, max beam distance up to 1000 meters, exceeds current industry level
- patented Dual Tactical Tail Switch and side switch design to meet different user need; easy, intuitive operation
- full range of options: one-touch Strobe, one-touch Turbo, one-touch Low, Mode Memory function, SOS, multiple modes, side switch lock-out, Intelligent Battery Indicator, ITS Intelligent Temperature Control System
- two settings: Classic tactical setting, hunting setting
- newest ITS Intelligent Temperature Protection System, monitors internal temperature and adjust output for maximum brightness, protects LED and internal components to ensure safety, stability, optimum performance, and user comfort
- lock-out function of the side switch prevents accidental or unnecessary activation
- intelligent capacity indicator; monitor remaining battery capacity any time
- front and Rear mounted springs protect against shocks and drops
- aerospace aluminum alloy construction; CNC precision machining; Mil-Spec HAIII Anodizing, rugged and anti-abrasion
- hardened and AR-coated lens, anti-abrasion and high light transmittance



The package and the accessories

The XT32 comes in a rigid cardboard box which offers a good protection to its contents. On the front there are the logo and name Klarus, a photo of the flashlight (albeit on a reduced scale), the model name, its maximum power expressed in lumens and the maximum throw expressed in ANSI meters. A small sticker informs us that batteries are included. But I remind you that this is the KIT version (that include also the charger).



On the back we find the list of features and specifications of the flashlight as well as a QR-code that will link us to the home of the Klarus website.



On one of the sides of the box are highlighted graphically the key features of this XT32 while,



on the other side, there is only the Klarus logo.



The package will be opened like a book and two small magnets take care to keep it closed. Once we have opened it, we will immediately find the flashlight inserted in the sheath. All other accessories are housed immediately under it.



Once we have extracted everything from the package, we will find:

- the XT32
- the ring for the cigar-grip, with the hole for the lace, attached to the flashlight
- two nominal 2600 mAh batteries inserted inside the flashlight
- Cordura sheath
- the wrist strap
- 2 spare O-rings
- a USB cable -> microUSB about 60 cm long
- the Klarus K2 battery charger
- the manual in the English and Chinese languages only



The scabbard is in cordura and, on the front, has a good velcro closure.



On one side there is a strip of red fabric on where is embroidered the name Klarus.



On the back there is a plastic D-ring, a belt loop of a not too generous size and a further flap of cordura, complete with Velcro, to attach the scabbard to a MOLLE or similar attachment.



The XT32 can, obviously, be only inserted from one side and, if we leave on the ring for the cigar-grip, we could have a flashlight jamming in the lower part of the sheath when we try to extract it quickly. It will be necessary to perform the operation slowest.
There will be no problems if the ring will be removed.



About the manual, here is the scan of the only part in English.




The flashlight

The XT32 is the new Thrower of the Klarus brand. Made almost entirely of aluminum, it has fairly clean lines. Close to the switch on the body, there are enough prominent reliefs that help to eliminate excess heat. Can not miss the rhomboid knurling on the central part of the flashlight body to favor an excellent grip.
The flashlight can be powered by 2x18650 (in the case of the KIT version, they are included in the package) or by 4xCR123A. According to the specifications, it has a working range between 5V and 12.8V. Therefore the RCR123A (or 16340) are not allowed to be used.



In the head there is a small LED CREE XP-L HI with a cold tint without particular dominants. The LED is located at the bottom of a large SMO dish and is well centered thanks to a black center-LED. The lens that dominates the whole thing has an anti-reflective treatment.



The large lens is well protected by a crenellation that has no aggressive edges. On the edge of the bezel you can see the usual little drawing that warns us that the area can become hot and that we run the risk of being burned.



Externally, at the base of the parabola, we find the already mentioned parts in relief that dispose of the heat. Immediately below there is an electronic switch (in plastic), surrounded by a gray ring (also in plastic), which allows us to control the flashlight when we will handle it in the classic way. The switch has a fairly short stroke and emits a not particularly noisy sound.
In the middle of this switch there are 3 different colored lights, which will indicate the remaining battery power (we will see them later).




The knurled part is interrupted only by a space with the name of the brand, the model, its identification number and the CE and RoHS certifications.



In the tailcap there are two other switches that can be operated easily with both dagger/cigar-grip.
The circular one is a mechanical switch (rubberized) and it not only takes care of turning the flashlight on and off but also allows the momentary-ON. The other is an electronic selector (plastic) and performs other functions that we will see later in the appropriate paragraph.

The mechanical switch has a not too long stroke and emits a sound click but not too noisy; the selector has a shorter stroke than the mechanical switch but has a low noise.



The mechanical switch protrudes more than the selector and both do not go beyond what is the final part of the flashlight. Despite everything, however, I do not recommend to trying to put the flashlight in the tail-stand... there is a point where the XT32 remains standing but it is so precarious that a slight breeze would make it unbalance and get fall.



Immediately below the tailcap there is the ring (plastic) that allows the cigar-grip, slightly dampens the rolling effect that has the flashlight on a horizontal or inclined plane and, finally, also has the hole in which insert the wrist strap.
If you wish, you can remove this ring. The operation is very simple to perform, just unscrew the tailcap and take off the ring.It will come off without too much trouble.




The first time we unscrew the tailcap of the KIT version, we will already find the 2x18650 inside the flashlight with a small plastic film that blocks the circuit and avoids any parasitic discharges. As soon as they arrived, the batteries had a charge of 3.65V.
Note the NON anodized thread that does NOT allow, on this side, any physical lock-out.




Once we have completely disassembled the flashlight, we could see all the parts that compose it: the head, the body and the tail-cap.
I was amazed to find the 2x18650 inserted inside a sort of cylindrical adapter (in aluminum with an outer diameter of 2.11 cm) similar to the one used for the CR123A. I asked Klarus for some clarification, but they told me that the XT32 is NOT officially compatible with batteries larger than 18650.
Furthermore, there is no risk of inserting the cylinder in reverse or of screwing the flashlight body upside down. It should be noted that both of the threads on the sides do not have anodization but both are well greased and have an O-ring which gives this XT32 water resistance according to the IPX8 standard and can be immersed up to a maximum of 2 meters .



On the positive pole side, the cylinder has a contact that will touch the flashlight head. If we slightly unscrew the head of the flashlight, we could benefit of the physical lock-out.



The positive pole of the flashlight consists of a not too much big size golden spring that which suggests the possibility of using flat top batteries as well. The circuitry is visible. Note the abundance of grease on the thread.



At the negative pole the spring is double and keeps the gilding.



By the presence of several switches on the flashlight, we can hold it in different ways. From the most classic way



to the cigar-grip



to the dagger-grip.




The charger and the batteries

The charger that we will find inside the package is the Klarus K2 . It is made entirely of a type of plastic that delays the possible propagation of the flames. It does not have a monitor but it has light indicators that perform their work just as well. It also has the function "0V activator", protection against short circuits and reverse polarity.
The K2 is a multichimic battery charger with separate channels that sharing the same charging speed (which can be 0.5A or 1A). It accepts Ni-MH and Ni-Cd (AA, AAA, AAAA and C), LiFePO4 and Li-Ion 3.7V or 3.85V ( 26650, 22650, 18650, 18490, 18350, 17670, 17500, 16340, 14500 and 10440 ) .
On the front, you can see in the upper corners the two indicators (red) that warn us of the recharge speed in use (selectable at will), the word Klarus in the middle, two switches below it and other indicators (blue). Among these indicators are listed the types of chemistry accepted by the charger.
The blue indicators will inform us both of the type of chemistry of the inserted battery (automatically recognized) and of the progress of the recharge.



On the back there are the infos about the output currents / voltages and on the types of batteries accepted. There are also the writing "read the manual" (not included in the package) and the various certifications (CE, RoHS and FCC).
There are no openings that improve the dissipation of the charger.



On the side, in the upper part, there are grooves that help to reduce the heat produced.



On the upper short side there are 2 USB ports. The classic allows us to use the charger as a powerbank, if batteries are inserted in the slides, with a maximum output of 5V and 1A. The microUSB is just to power the charger. Any device capable of delivering 5V and 2A can be used. So the powerbanks will be fine too.



If we insert the batteries inside the slides, without the power supply switched on, the indicators will indicate (in an approximate way) the remaining charge of the batteries. In this case they were 100% charged.



As soon as we put them, with the charger connected to the power supply, the batteries will be automatically recognized and, for a short time before starting the actual recharge at 0.5A, the corresponding to the chemistry of the cell indicator will flash.



The batteries can be charged at 0.5A each (I recorded an absorption of 0.85A)



or at 1A (absorption of 1.76A). The selected speed will be maintained for both channels.
To select the highest speed, you must hold down one of the two switch for a few seconds until the correct indicator will lights up.



I started the recharge having the cells at about 3.25V and at 0.5A. It took about 6 hours and, at 1A, about 4 hours to complete the recharge. At the end of the recharge, the 8 indicators (4 per slide) were all on. The voltage at the end of the charge was 4.22V for each cell.



Obviously I also performed a discharge test (at 500mA) with the Klarus batteries and I have detected 2700 mAh for the first and 2680mAh for the second.



The battery is obviously a 18650 button top. In fact, this is the protruding positive pole



and the negative one.



And here is the information on its sheath.






How does it work

The Klarus XT32 has 6 selectable levels in total and 2 of them are special that have to be recalled (the Strobo and the SOS).

According to official brand data, normal levels have the following characteristics:

- Turbo -> 1200 lumens for 3 hours
- High -> 400 lumens for 7 hours

- Medium -> 100 lumens for 34 hours
- Low -> 20 lumens for 120 hours

The flashlight has two modes, two settings if we want to say, which make the flashlight behave slightly differently. The modes are called Tactical Setting (TS) and Hunting Setting (HS).
Switching between TS and HS is simple, just press and hold the switch on the body for 10 seconds. The LED will start to flicker and, always keeping the side switch pressed, we will have to press the selector in the queue once. In this way the LED will emit one or two flashes (with one, we select the TS or, with two, we select the HS).
Despite the two modes, the operation of the flashlight will be almost the same.

On / Off

A long press of the electronic switch on the body will turn the flashlight on or off.
Instead, it takes only a single and complete press of the mechanical switch in the tail to turn it on or off.

Change levels

With the flashlight on, and with a single pressure, we can choose whether to intervene with the switch on the body or with the selector in the tail. In the first case, the four levels will cycle in loops in descending order or, in the second case, in increasing order.
If we interact with the switch on the body, we can also take advantage of the flashlight's memory because it will remember the last level used.

Quick access to Low, Turbo, Momentary-On and Strobo

When the flashlight is off, we can recall the Low level by holding the switch on the body slightly or by pressing the selector in the tail (when the HS mode is active) and this level can be switched on momentarily (with a pressure of less than 2 seconds) or fixed (if the pressure is greater than 2 seconds).
With the flashlight off, we can recall the Strobo level by pressing the selector in the tail (when the TS mode is active) and this level can be switched on momentarily (with a pressure of less than 2 seconds) or in a fixed way (if the pressure is higher than 2 seconds).
With the mechanical switch in the tail it always turn on at the Turbo level in a fixed way with a full pressure or, with a half-pressure, in Momentary-ON.

Indicators

Every time we turn on the XT32, one of the indicators will be activated for five seconds to warn us, approximately, of the remaining charge.
The green light indicates a charge between 100 and 70%, the orange indicator for a charge between 70 and 30%, the red indicator for a charge between 30 and 10% and the flashing red indicator for less than 10% charge.
Here are the three indicators on:



Block system

The side switch can be locked electronically for security reasons. To lock it, just press and hold this switch for 5 seconds. When the main LED flashes twice, it will mean that the switch has been locked correctly.
To unlock it, simply press the switch 3 times in rapid succession, another 2 flashes of the LED will inform you of the unlock.
Pressing the switch and the indicator will flash 5 times to show us that the lock is active.

ITS system

Intelligent Temperature Protection is the Klarus system that causes the flashlight to lower the light output, to avoid damaging its components, when the internal temperature becomes too high.


Weights and dimensions

The Klarus XT32 is 242 cm long and has a minimum diameter of 2.3 cm and a maximum diameter of 6.3 cm.
It weighs 263 gr without anything and 353 gr with the supplied 2x18650. The single battery weighs 45 gr.
The battery charger weighs 73 gr and the maximum excursion of the slide is 7.3 cm.

Next, here is the dimensional comparison with a big BIC lighter and a 18650,





with the Klarus XT30R, the Olight M3XS-UT and the Fenix TK65R.





Here, in detail, is the difference in the diameter of the head between the Klarus XT32, the Klarus XT30R (right)



and the Olight M3XS-UT (on the left).



And here is also the dimensional comparison between K2 and Opus.




Lumens, runtimes, candela and beamshot

NB The tests below were made with the 2x18650 included in the package. Everything was done in a home environment at 21 ° with and without forced ventilation.

The following values have been taken with the 18650 charges and are considered peak .



The following values have been taken with the 18650 charges and are considered peak .

NB The discharge curves are obviously indicative, the result could vary in positive or negative depending on the batteries used by the end user or the conditions of use that may vary from mine during my tests.

Any slight discrepancies related to the tests carried out on the same level can be attributed to a different positioning of the measuring equipment. my tests.






At the end of each test I found the flashlight turned off. On the multimeter, a battery had 3.35V while the other had the PCB locked (0.0V).
The supplied battery charger has, of course, unlocked the cell that at a second measurement resulted to have 3.25V.
In the various tests it was not always the same cell that fail.
A small gap between the 2 cells does not lead me to think that the XT32 discharges the 18650 in an anomalous way.

The following values were taken with the 18650 charge and are considered peak .



All the following photos were taken with the white balance set to 5200k.



Beam width



Beamshot at the Turbo, High and Medium levels. The tree line is at 25 meters away. The spill, with the spot facing the infinity on the horizontal plane, starts from about 2 meters from the feet but there is a slight sub-spill that almost approaches the shoes.







The house at the end of the road is at 70 meters away. The levels used are the Turbo and the High .





The line of trees is at 150 meters, the levels used are always Turbo and High.





NB the photographs are to be imagined all slightly brighter. Unfortunately, in my area rains uninterruptedly from about a week and I have not been able to take pictures with more distant targets (too much haze). I hope to add more soon.


Personal considerations

I start talking about the main difference between the 2 versions: the price.
With the presence of the two batteries and the charger, which proved to be honest after all, I would say that this KIT version is recommended to all who may not have other batteries (and chargers) to use.

The performance of the flashlight has been found to be true, aesthetically it is very beautiful to see and is also very comfortable to hold. The three switches and its double soul do not make it a product too difficult to command at all, indeed.

Maybe it is too long and cumbersome to use it every day and is probably, thanks to its throwing skills, a specific product only for certain uses (overseers and rescuers for example)... But, despite everything, it is neither heavy nor unbalanced if used in a classic way.

If I have to find a defect (definitely marginal and easily correctable), I found inconvenient that the flashlight stuck when we go to remove it from the scabbard with the cigar-grip ring attached.
But, for the rest, it turned out to be a good product that I'm sure will not let you deceive.

What do you think about it? Would you buy it?