Nitecore BR25
At the end there will be a summary for those who like only particulars. In each topic I will bold the key sentences, so it will be easier to notice what's the most important. Enjoy!
I was given this flshlight by Nitecore, you an read about it here, on poducer's official website:
https://flashlight.nitecore.com/Product/br25
And purchase it here:
https://www.nitecorestore.com/Nitecore- ... e-br25.htm
Table of Contents:
- General parameters
- Package content
- Appearance, parameters
- IU and charging
- PWM
- Waterproofness
- Light pattern, tint
- Beamshots
- Usage and my experiences
- Gallery and Summary
General Parameters
LED: SST-40-W
Max brightness: 1400 lumens
Throw: 163 meters
Modes: 4 modes
Low: 28 lm
Medium: 170 lm
High: 430 lm
Turbo: 1400 lm
Powered by: 1x 21700 Li-Ion 5000mAh with USB C built-in charging
IP Standard: IP68 - Immersion up to 2 meters
Impact resistant: 1m
Weight without battery cell: 76 grams
Package Content
I haven't received the whole kit, in my case there was a lanyard, charging cable, flashlight with cell and bike mount, but the Nitecore website indicates what should be included:
- Flashlight
- Li-Ion 21700 cell (NL2150R)
- USB-C cable
- Bike mount
- 2 thin rubber mounting pads
- 2 thick rubber mounting pads
- Adapter for 18650/CR123
- Spare O-ring
- Lanyard
Appearance, parameters
A flashlight attached to a bicycle:
And a mount:
The mount is really good, plus the top part that holds the flashlight is put on with a latch, so when you're stopping, you can very quickly unhook the flashlight and take it with you.
Starting from the reflector side:
- At the front, we are welcomed by a plastic canopy limiting the light from above, so as not to dazzle people while riding a bike. It is white on the underside to reflect the light and direct it under the bike - helpful at rest stops or when we want to admire the asphalt below us while riding.
And I must admit, it WORKS GREAT! (pictures below in "Light pattern, tint")
But why a plastic canopy? Well, maybe it is safer than thin piece of metal sticking out, or maybe it is just lighter? I don't know.
- A small lens (it's glass, I checked), armed with anti-reflective coatings
- OP reflector
- SST40 cold-white diode
- The illuminated rubber button, what annoys me about it is that inside something is not attached properly and a single piece is able to hear underneath it, and I couldn't unscrew it even though I tried very hard. This may be a defect of just my copy, I don't know.
- Springs on both sides
- The tube is thin, so the whole flashlight isn't heavy - it is perfectly balanced in the grip, not tilting back and forth. For those who don't know what kind of suffering it is to drive over bumps with the flashlight constantly tilting: a huge suffering.
- Threads greased, they also move very pleasantly :)
- The cap has holes for a lanyard, and that's its only function. Other than...of course...being a cap.
IU and Charging
IU
There are 4 modes, on and off by holding down the switch and changing modes with a click - a typical cycling solution, it would be ideal to switch on with a click and hold down only for off.
We also have a slow strobe, also typical for bicycles, available after 3 clicks - a good solution, makes it difficult to accidentally turn on the strobe when switching modes quickly.
Charging
The included 21700 5000mAh cell has a USB Type C charging port in it, so we just need a cable (which is included) and a charger like for a phone.
PWM
No PWM on the lowest mode, so you can travel comfortably without tired eyes!
Waterproofness
IP68, resistance to immersion up to 2 meters, so you can safely leave such a bike with a flashlight near the shore in a lake.
Light pattern, tint
The light is well limited by the canopy, it shines halfway though leaves a strong spot in the middle, for distance lighting. It's nice that it doesn't limit more, everything is okay.
As you can see in the pictures, the canopy works and does not shine into the camera lens, which is quite low, at a height of 1.4 meters - well, sometimes it shines a little, but those 20 or more cm make a difference. Anyway, I don't think I need to convince anyone that the canopy in the bike flashlight simply works as expected.
The canopy also acts as a reflector (it's white on the underside) and redirects some of the light under the flashlight, so under the bike. Good for illuminating a spot during a stop.
Very nice and functional
Beamshots
As you can see, a very good arrangement of modes, just excellent!
Usage and my experiences
Intended to be used typically on a bicycle, as you know. A bike flashlight is not suitable for walking with it in hand. It is possible, but it is also possible to walk in flip-flops in the mountains, travel with a PC, cook at home on a travel stove, or use different cosmetics to wash your body, hair and face.
You get the idea...
It's the same with flashlights: headlamps are for the mountains, lanterns are for sitting at the campsite, keychain flashlights are for keys, you dive with those for scuba diving, and bike flashlights are for biking. If you only have a "regular" handheld flashlight, of course it will be suitable for all of this, but it will be meh.
2 things that seriously impressed me: a canopy with a nice cut-off and plenty of light under the bike, with emphasis on the latter. Super deal and I will definitely be choosing the BR25 for bike tours.
Let's not misunderstand each other, bike touring for me is not riding through the woods at night where I'd rather took something from XHP70.2 or BR25 + Convoy S12
Gallery
Summary
Nitecore BR25 is a typical bike flashlight - it has a canopy that limits light so it doesn't dazzle people on the other side of the street, it also illuminates the area under the bike well (very well). The cold-white tint SST40 LED provides 1400 lumens, which is more than enough light in the city and enough for out-of-town roads. The kit includes a handlebar mount with interchangeable rubber pads of 2 sizes, and the flashlight itself has a 5000mAh 21700 cell, with built-in charging via USB type C port.
Pros:
+ Good cut-off and great illumination of the area under the bike
+ Good distribution of modes (28 - 170 - 430 - 1400 lumens)
+ IP68 (oftenly in bike flashlights there is IPX6, but what if I want to ride in the desert or under water? Well, learn to give IP68)
Cons:
- What is basically missing from the ideal here is a detachable visor so that it can be converted into a handheld flashlight.
I hope you enjoyed!