Intro
Manker makes quite a few really nice lights, but I can’t say that I’ve ever used a Manker headlamp / right-angle light before. I’ve seen a lot of positive feedback about this model, so when FlashlightBrand offered it to me for review, I just couldn’t say no! 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
The Manker E03H II arrived in a box with an eye-catching black & orange color scheme. There’s a little window that let’s you see the light inside. The package would be right at home on any store’s racks. The package contained: the Manker E03H II, headstrap, clip, lanyard, spare o-ring 3 diffusers (clear, red, and green), and the instruction manual. The battery was NOT included in the package, but FlashlightBrand kindly sent one along with the light separately.
Build Quality & Usage
As I would expect from Manker, the build quality of the E03H II is well done. The machining is nicely executed and there aren’t any sharp edges… well, except for the lanyard attachment point. It’s kinda sharp. I’ve seen this on lights from several brands. I’m not sure why they all seem to forget about reducing the sharp edges around the lanyard hole. That aside… there are a few anodizing options: Black, Red, Green, and Sand. Mine happens to be the green model and I really like it. I’m sure they would all look nice. I’m just happy to have some variety to escape the usual black models.
While the clip isn’t captive, it is a nice clip. It can be attached near the tailcap, where it provides proper deep-carry positioning. You can attach it by the head as well, where it could help if you put it in a shirt pocket or something. The tailcap is magentic, which can help with positioning when you use it as a right-angle light. The lanyard is pretty nice, a small step up from the usual basic lanyards. And the headstrap is befitting of a AA/14500 light. It only goes around the head (not on top), but I don’t find that to be an issue with smaller/lighter lamps. Due to its design, it’s pretty easy to install and remove the E03H II for quick and easy usage changes.
LED & Beam
Manker gives two choices for the LED: Cool White and Neutral White. The Neutral White model uses a 4000K 95-CRI SST-20 LED. The Cool White is still an SST-20, but it’s a 6500K 70-CRI version. While I would normally prefer the Neutral White version, I received the Cool White version and I’m not about to complain about the version of a free light. Do note that the Cool White will have better performance attributes: a CW, low CRI LED will pretty much always pump out more lumens than a NW, high CRI counterpart. It’s your usual quantity vs quality trade-off. Here’s a reading from my Opple Light Master on Turbo with a 14500 from about 1 meter away.
User Interface
The Manker E03H II uses a mostly standard e-switch UI, but it does use a feature that you see on quite a few Manker models that I really enjoy: adjustable ECO mode levels. On a AA, you get 6 levels to choose from (0.1-15 lumens) and on a 14500, you get 5 levels to choose from (5-40 lumens).
- Click for on/off
- Hold from Off for ECO mode
- Double click for Turbo
- Triple click for Strobe
- When On, hold to switch between Mid and High
- When in ECO, hold to adjust the brightness level (memorized!)
Batteries & Charging
The Manker E03H II did not come with a battery in the packaging, but FlashlightBrand was kind enough to send along a Manker-branded USB-C rechargeable 14500 battery. It performed really nicely… until I fried it trying to recharge it. My USB meter had just been used to charge a USB-PD capable light at 9 volts. I think it defaulted back to this 9 volt setting, and when I plugged in the Manker battery it immediately released some magic smoke. The charging LED still lights up, but the positive button gets blazing hot after a few seconds, so… I’m pretty sure the charging / protection circuit is toast. Burnt toast.
On a positive note, the Manker E03H II supports alkaline AA batteries and NiMH as well. In looking at Manker’s documentation, NiMH is actually the preferred fuel for the E03H II. I can see why - it supports much lower lows and gives nice regulated runtime. While 14500 is support, it appears to be running in a pass-through mode (akin to a FET-driven light with some added resistance).
Performance
The lumen claims that Manker provides are clearly for the Cool White version. I see that Marco at 1lumen.com reviewed the Neutral White version and was a bit disappointed to see that it missed the lumen claims. Understandable! But as stated earlier, the Neutral White model clearly prioritizes quality (CCT & CRI) over quantity (lumens).
My runtime tests on Turbo line up pretty well with what Manker claims. Some highlights:
- 14500 started at 657 lumens
- At 30 sec, the 14500 was at 576 lumens
- At 1 hr 13 min, the 14500 experienced a large drop off (ending the ANSI runtime)
- NiMH (Eneloop 1900 mAh) started at 361 lumens
- At 30 sec, the Eneloop was at 264 lumens
- At 1 hr 54 min, the NiMH output dropped off a cliff (ending the ANSI runtime)
Size Comparisons
Here’s the Manker E03H II compared to some other great 14500 (or AA/14500) lights: ThruNite TH20, Manker E03H II, Wuben H5, and the Wurkkos TS10
Verdict
There’s an awful lot to like about the Manker E03H II: AA alkaline, NiMH, and 14500 lithium-ion compatibility, small, light-weight, 3 included diffusers (clear, red, and green), 4 different color options, and nice built quality. The button is a bit small, but it is well designed otherwise and is stainless (who doesn’t like stainless?). Now I see why everyone seems to rave about the Manker E03H II - it really is a great little 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!
Links (non-aff)
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