The N01 max meant absolutely nothing to me when Flashlightgo reached out for a review. After a quick inquiry on Reddit about the light, I was convinced enough that it would be worth reviewing. However, I still had no real idea what to expect.
All my reviews can be found on my website.
Disclaimer: Flashlightgo provided this light to me free of charge. This had no influence on the review.
All measurements were done using hobby-grade equipment, inaccuracies and deviations are therefore possible.
The N01 is available in several versions—the “max” in multiple colors. It is best to check Flashlightgo (no affiliatelink) or Aliexpress to see what appeals to you most.
The light arrives in a surprisingly elaborate, multi-piece box. From the outside, it makes a very premium impression! Along with the flashlight and battery, a lanyard, a spare O-ring, and a manual are included.
The N01 max, which I received in a vibrant pink, is actually quite an average light if you only look at the numbers. Yes, the throw is definitely remarkable, but it is not just about the numbers. The design also wins points with me. The battery tube, which is slightly thicker in the rear two-thirds and features grippy, deep knurling/grooves, doesn’t really have a traditional tailcap anymore. A cap is screwed in, but it cannot be removed without tools.
The light can be split roughly in half, and the threads are protected against water and dust by a dual O-ring setup. The threads are not anodized, meaning a mechanical lockout is not possible.
The switch and the USB-C port sit opposite each other on the head of the light. Around the switch, there is a battery status and charging indicator.
Optically, it is beautifully done, and even though the switch is flush, the shaping of the housing makes it easy to find even when wearing gloves. My only gripe is the almost silent actuation point, which feels a bit mushy. A bit more tactile feedback would have been nicer to my taste. However, operation works flawlessly, and I experienced no accidental activations during my testing.
The USB-C port is sealed by a rubber flap that sits quite tight and should therefore provide a clean seal. Mechanically, all of my cables fit; unfortunately, the light only charges via USB-A-to-C cables, not on chargers with a USB-C output.
Crowning the exterior of the light is a black bezel with notches and 3 glass-breaker beads. Looking into it from the front, you see a smooth reflector with a surprisingly large opening at the bottom. A large, black centering gasket sits there, and neatly centered in its middle is an unspecified LED. This strongly resembles a Luminus SFT-25R in the 5050 footprint—however, the samples I have on hand differ enough from the one installed in the light that I assume it is a different LED.
Just a small note: the reflector is not dust-free. On the contrary, quite a few dust specks can be found in there. While this is unusual, it shouldn’t noticeably affect the beam profile or performance. What is good for performance, on the other hand, is the coated glass lens.
Reverse polarity protection works, inserting the battery backwards does not damage the light. Once the battery is inserted correctly again, it continues to function without issues.
A battery is also included, rated at 5000mAh.
Acebeam T29, Wurkkos TD01C, Niwalker N01 max, Acebeam L19, Xiwanfire BT90
My scale measured the light at 238g.
The dimensions of the light:
- Flashlight head: 57mm
- Battery tube: 30.5mm
- Length: 142mm
Lanyard: A lanyard is included. This can be attached to the tailcap and at least features a cord lock, so it is not the absolute cheapest option.
Clip: A pocket clip is not included.
Magnet: There is no magnet.
(Jacket)pocket: The light is too large for my pants pockets; in a jacket pocket, it is surprisingly compact for a thrower and carries quite well.
Explanation 1C, 1H...
1C: short click, 2C: double click, …
1H: press and hold without letting go
2H: short click, followed by 1H
The UI is pretty “standard”:
| State of the light | Action | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| off | 1C | Last used mode |
| off | 1H | Moonlight |
| off | 2C | Turbo |
| On - except Turbo | 1C | off |
| on | 1H | Cycle modes |
| On - Moonlight | 1H | No mode cycling possible |
| On - not Turbo or Moonlight | 2C | Turbo |
| On - Turbo | 1C | Return to previously used mode |
| On/Off | 3C | Strobe |
| off | 4C | Battery indicator |
| off | 5C | Lock |
All measurements were done in my 30cm integrating sphere. The temperature was at around 29°, thanks to a heatwave. Additionally, an Opple Light Master III and a TASi TA636B lux meter were used. Please note that this is hobby equipment, so inaccuracies and deviations (also upwards!) are possible! The accuracy is currently at approx. 10-15% possible deviation.
I want to start the measurements with a note: during an uncooled measurement on Turbo, I recorded a temperature of 75°C, as you can see in the following image. I then contacted Flashlightgo—and received confirmation that this can happen under certain conditions. Below you can also see a comparison between the cooled and uncooled run. The light really tries its best to keep the temperatures under control and steps down and up. This does not happen during the cooled measurement (using a small fan). In real-world use, the light gets significantly warm, but rarely hot. The only time I didn’t want to touch it was after the uncooled measurements.
uncooled runtime test - a hot affair!
The light is a thrower, through and through. Small spot, very little spill. Extremely good range for its size. Beautiful, pure white tint. The beam is mostly clean.Tthere is no donut hole and no artifacts. The only thing is a purple ring visible around the spill, but that never bothered me.
Turbo, as well as high, are temperature regulated, at least to a certain degree. Because the light gets very hot during uncooled runs, I aborted the uncooled Turbo run when no new insights were to be expected, which is why the curve ends earlier. Otherwise, it would have continued running parallel to the cooled curve, just like high. The light keeps stepping down and stepping back up, desperately trying to maintain output and temperature. At 29°C ambient temperature, it’s a very desperate attempt to keep the temperature under control, but under normal conditions, it should be sufficient. In the next diagram, you can see that the same regulation behavior is also present on High.
Finally, an overview of all runtimes.
| Mode (at turn-on) | moon | low2 | low1 | mid | high | Turbo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Factory Spec (lm) | 10 | 80 | 200 | 500 | 500 | 2000 |
| My measurements (lm) | 15 | 71 | 162 | 400 | 1030 | 1700 |
I measured the light at 1343m Reichweite / 451000cd (converted from a measurement at 6m). This is slightly above the factory specification and clearly shows how potent the light is in terms of throw.
| Low | Turbo | |
|---|---|---|
| CCT | 6450K | 7000K |
| CRI | 70 | 72 |
| DUV | 0,0012 | 0,000 |
Flicker is in the green zone.
Screenshots of the Light Master III can be found here.
PWM is visible with a camera at low output, but not with the naked eye.
Even if it doesn’t look like it in the pictures, it is about 280m to the barrier on the path. This also reflects the light a bit, making it beautifully distinct. The first sign is about 10m away. All images in the comparison were taken with the same settings immediately after one another.
The purple ring around the spill is easily visible
The light is equipped with a USB-C port. Unfortunately, it consistently refused to charge using USB-C-to-C cables. I could only convince the N01 max to accept power with a USB-A-to-C cable. I find this very unfortunate, as it severely limits charging options—I barely have any chargers left that feature a USB-A port!
The charging algorithm is somewhat unusual, not a typical CC-CV process. The CV phase is virtually missing entirely. This points to fairly simple charging electronics that charge at 1A until the battery is full. After that, it terminates. This is unusual, but not bad. It is somewhat inefficient, especially as the battery gets fuller, and quite slow, but it is actually gentler on the battery.
The voltage drop may have been caused by heat (we had a heatwave during testing, charging took place at ~29°C) or it might be intentional.Eeither way, it is not an issue for the charging process.
During the capacity test in the Vapcell S4+, the battery reached 4434mAh, which is about 10% below nominal capacity.
The light cannot be used while charging.
Visually, the light appeals to me. The design is creative, and the ergonomics are good. The switch also gets a thumbs up from me, with minor deductions for the actuation point. The color is great and feels quite robust. Overall, the build quality is on a high level — aside from the dust in the reflector.
The throw is impressive, and the sustained output is good, although the light is not optimally regulated. The size compared to the output and throw is impressive. The slightly simpler driver can be forgiven for that. Or to put it another way: I am not aware of any light that achieves this kind of throw with these dimensions!
Even if the light doesn’t seem ultimately impressive from the raw data sheet, I can assure you, the performance is. Especially in combination with a headlamp for the near field, this light fully shows its potential. It quickly disappears into a pocket, but if you want to see what is going on “way back there”, it is no problem at all. You get a little bit of spill, but the majority of the light goes into the hotspot—and you notice it. While indoors I was still wondering what to think of the light, it really positively surprised me on the first dark dog walk. Outdoors, the light definitely won me over! Such a pocket thrower is pretty great for my main use case (dog walks, checking the distant tree line every now and then, …).
By the way, the light is a real eye-catcher. Not least due to the design and color, the light makes a great gift—my wife has already claimed interest in the light as a useful decorative object, which has never happened before!