Intro
Lumintop is pretty well known around here for producing the FW series of lights (FW3A, FWAA, etc) and also an interesting lineup of throwers that all started with the BLF GT (or “Giggles” if you’re so inclined).
While those are nice lights, sometimes I need something a bit more practical. For a long time I carried an EDC01 AAA twisty in my pocket at night, every night.
It served me very well. The EDC01 was a successor to the Worm series of keychain lights from Lumintop. I’m even proud to own a Worm in damascus steel, which isn’t very practical, but is very pretty to look at.
So when FlashlightBrand approached me about reviewing the Lumintop EDC15, I was instantly curious. A big shout out to FlashlightBrand for providing the light for the review. Note: aside from providing the light, no other compensation has been provided, nor have they put any other stipulations on the review (eg, giving it so many “stars” or saying particular things about it… nothing of the sort).
Packaging
If you’ve purchased any of the smaller Lumintop lights like the EDC01 or Tool, you know what to expect. They arrive in a pretty standard looking white box with the Lumintop branding, dense white foam insert, and an array of goodies: flashlight, manual, clip, spare o-rings, and GITD diffuser. A battery was not in the Lumintop packaging, but FlashlightBrand kindly threw one in for testing purposes.
Build Quality & Usage
Have you ever used a Lumintop Worm or EDC01? Well, imagine that… except that your flashlight hit up the all-you-can-eat buffet a few times. Its like it has just been stretched out enough to fit a AA or 14500 battery. The black anodizing on my sample is near-matte and flawless. The machining is very clean and well done. The twisting action is very smooth. The knurling on the head provides necessary grip for single-handed use. Actually, the increase in size from AAA to AA seem to help out in this aspect, making it easier to get a one-handed grip.
LED & Beam
Lumintop’s marketing material says that the LED is an OSRAM GW PUSRA1.PM… how’s that for a model name? The packaging itself has checkboxes for Cree (CW), Cree (NW), Nichia, and OSRAM, but something tells me that those are carry-overs from something else (a Tool AA, maybe?). Mine definitely has a cool white emitter. Thanks to the honeycomb TIR, the beam profile is very diffused and even, no signs of tint shifts. Here’s a reading from my Opple Light Master on Turbo with a 14500 from about 1 meter away.
User Interface
It’s a twisty, it doesn’t get too much easier than this. There are four modes (Low, Med, High, Turbo) plus a hidden Strobe that gets activated if you rapidly twist on-off for 6 times. There is mode memory, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you feel about that. In general, I’d rather prefer memory than have it always come on in a mode I didn’t want (eg, Medium every time).
Batteries & Charging
The Lumintop EDC15 did not come with a battery in the packaging, but FlashlightBrand was kind enough to send along a Lumintop-branded USB-C rechargeable 14500 battery. It performed really nicely and its really nice having the integrated USB-C port. Not worrying about having a Li-ion charger around is nice, especially when you’re traveling.
The Lumintop EDC15 supports alkaline AA batteries and NiMH as well. In fact, if you like lower low modes, NiMH may be what you should be using. Low mode is rated at 8 lumens for Li-ion, but only 2 lumens with alkaline or NiMH. I wouldn’t ever recommend keeping an alkaline battery in a flashlight for extended periods due to the risk of corrosion. NiMH, like an Eneloop Pro, however, would be an excellent choice.
Performance
I’m a bit curious where Lumintop got their specs. They claim 760 lumens from a lithium-ion. I saw 631 lumens at turn on, and 606 lumens at 30 seconds. Maybe their testing setup was different that mine. My gear certainly isn’t professional-level stuff, but I use it all the time for other reviews and tend to get pretty consistent results (after having calibrated with a Maukka light). So, I’m not entirely sure why I’m getting about 20% lower readings that what Lumintop says. If you want the highest performance, make sure you’ve got a Lithium-Ion battery for the EDC15. But if you prefer constant, level outputs albeit at a lower level, I’d highly recommend feeding it a diet of Eneloops, like the Eneloop Pro that I used in my testing.
Verdict
It seems like over the past few years, almost every single light has moved over to using e-switches with robust (and occasionally overly-complicated) UIs. That’s nice and all, but sometimes you really want a simple light that just works. I think that’s where the Lumintop EDC15 really shines. There’s not a single button to accidentally press in your pocket. A simple twist and you’re in business. The LED temperature isn’t necessarily my favorite, but if its anything like the Tool AA or EDC01, that won’t be a problem if you know what I mean. The beaded TIR provides a really smooth beam. The choice of Li-ion for high output or NiMH for consistent regulation make this a flexible flashlight. All in all, it’s a great little EDC light. And I would be amiss if I didn’t give one final shout-out to FlashlightBrand for providing the light and battery for this review!
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