“REVIEW”: RovyVon S3 Black – 1x16340 - Triple – 1200 Lumens & High CRI (Nichia) – USB-C Rechargeable

LED Flashlights – General Info CR123A Flashlights
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Hi BLF!

This is my review of the RovyVon S3 flashlight.
You can find the S3 for sale on RovyVon website (non-affiliate): RovyVon S3 USB-C Rechargeable 1800 Lumens EDC Flashlight

This is the black version, in aluminium, with Nichia (~4500K) LEDs.

Besides this, there is a Red version (aluminium) and a Titanium version. The flashlight is also sold with CREE XP-G3 (cool white) LEDs.

The S3 was sent by RovyVon for review, with no other compensation than the flashlight and the included accessories.

The standard price (currently) is $69.95.

Here are some other reviews online:
Zeroair: RovyVon S3 Flashlight Review - ZeroAir Reviews
1lumen: RovyVon S3 review | 16340 EDC flashlight with 1,200 lumens | 1Lumen.com
PreparedGuy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkI7vi66G3Q&ab_channel=PreparedGuy

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

Body Colour: Black
Material: Aluminium alloy
Emitter: Nichia (~4500-5000K, High CRI)
Lens: LEDiL TIR
Battery: 16340 Li-Ion (rechargeable) / CR123 lithium (non-rechargeable)
Switch: Side e-switch
Built-in Charging: USB-C
Low Voltage Warning: Yes
Reverse Polarity Protection: Yes (not stated)
Max runtime: 22 hours
Max beam distance: 126m
Max output: 1200 lumens (1800 lumens on XP-G3)
Candela: 4000 candela
Waterproofness: IPX7 (under water 2m)
Impact resistance: 1.5m

OTHERS

- ¼ tripod hole, on the pocket clip

  • Ceramic glass breaker, on the tailcap

PACKAGE & FLASHLIGHT

The RovyVon S3 arrives inside a standard RovyVon box, which has some general information on the different faces.

Inside we get:

- RovyVon S3 w/ pocket clip

- 16340 3.6V 2.4Wh 650mAh Li-Ion battery

- USB to USB-C cable

- spare o-ring

- spare charging port cover

- RovyVon branded adjustable lanyard

- multilingual user manual

  • warranty card.

What can I say about the flashlight?
Under an appreciative perspective:

- it is not the smallest nor the thinnest 16340 flashlight, but it is also not the longest or largest

- it feels good in the hand, very ergonomic and easily operated

- the UI is – on my opinion – good, although not perfect

- the beam, at least in the Nichia version, is very pleasant

- seems to be a solid option for an EDC flashlight

Under a descriptive perspective:

- the S3 is composed by 2 parts: body/tube + tailcap

- the black anodizing is smooth and provides a good grip and feeling in the hands

- there is some diagonal milling/grooves around the flashlight (3 full size, 2 half-sized)

- the pocket clip is removable and slightly adjustable, since the groove where it sits in is longer than the “clip’s arms”

- the pocket clip also has a ¼ tripod hole, in a part that is composed by 2 pieces (which I didn’t dismantle)

- the serial number is engraved in the pocket clip along with other information

- there is a stainless steel bezel with 4 small grooves (I didn’t remove it, couldn’t unscrew it easily)

- the LEDiL lens/optic has a…not flat surface, and it fits “inside” the bezel (like one the optic of the 2nd batch of FW3As) not just “below” (like a flat Carclo lens). I believe this is a LEDiL SATU lens so check what I mean about its’ shape

- the LEDs on my version are Nichia, probably around 4500K-5000K High CRI.

- the beam produced is wide but it also produces a kind of “hotspot” ; it is also very pleasant, although, if analysed thoroughly some slight artifacts can be seen on the outer limits of the beam, due to the lens shape/reflection; however, it doesn’t bother or interfere with the overall quality of the beam

- above the switch there is the S3 – Search engraving; below the switch there is the RovyVon logo engraving

- the switch is made of metal, with a “hole” in the middle (for low voltage warning purposes) and it has a raised part around it, which helps preventing accidental activation while on a pocket

- the tailcap has a ceramic glass breaker, 2 lanyard holes, and the USB-C port (with a charging indicator at its’ side)

- concerning the internals, the threads are not anodized and square; there’s an o-ring to prevent water from entering through the sides of the tailcap

- there is a pin (with a wire below a plate with 2 screws to hold it in place) in the tube structure; I believe that this is to carry the charging energy or some sort of signal between the tailcap and the driver

- the tailcap, on the interior, has a PCB where a spring is attached throw 1 screw; the PCB has a the “drawing” of some kind of circuitry, probably related to the charging function; it also has a brass part that makes contact with the pin mentioned above

- the driver has a spring and some chips in it

Functioning aspects

  • despite the protruding parts of the tailcap, the flashlight can tailstand

- the pocket clip provides good retention and almost deep carry (if the tripod hole parts are removed, it can be deep carry because there are no hindrances on the way)

- the flashlight can take longer/protected 16340 cells (but not larger such as 18350s)

Random thoughts

- I guess the flashlight is assembled through the head, because it seems that the driver sits in a narrower part of the body structure (like a shelf), holding it in place

Let’s see some photos to make this more concrete:

FLASHLIGHT

HEAD

CLIP + SWITCH

TAIL

INSIDE & TAILCAP

Now let’s take a look at the dimensions and weight of the RovyVon S3. As I said, it is not the smallest nor the thinnest. If this gives a sense of robustness, it may had some “bulkiness” to someone’s pockets.

I can tell that it is less large than the Emisar D4 head but as large as it’s tailcap, and larger than an S2+; and while it is smaller than an OTR M3 Pro, it is taller (~5mm) than the S1R Baton II, which are two 16340 flashlights. However, it is shorter and slimmer than the Wuben TO10R.

ACCESSORIES

Now let’s check the accessories and also some functioning aspects!!

BATTERY

The battery included is a RovyVon branded 16340 3.6V 2.4Wh 650mAh Li-Ion cell. There is nothing outstanding in this battery that makes it much different than other batteries. Unless that the top is “golden” but I am not sure if it is golden plated or just some brass piece of metal.

I can’t tell which is the original cell underneath the wrapping. I can tell, however that it performs (in terms of initial brightenss peak), similarly to the white INR Vapcell 800mAh 7A, but less good than the IMR Acebeam cell included in the TK16 flashlight.

USB-C CABLE

As for the USB to USB-C cable, it is similar to others included in other RovyVon flashlights. It is 27cm long, white, RovyVon branded.

LANYARD

The lanyard is also the typical model included by RovyVon for several flashlights, which is RV branded and adjustable by a sliding part.

It can be attached in 2 parts of the tailcap, one is the largest hole in the tailcap, and the other is in the narrower hole near the charging port.

It can also be attached in the pocket clip, either in the tripod hole or in another part, depending on your preference.

1/4 HOLE - TRIPOD MOUNT

This is a neat feature of this flashlight or, in this case, the pocket clip. Given that this has High CRI LEDs, maybe it can be used for photography purposes or something else.

The hole is formed by 2 pieces that can be dismantled, which is good specially for carrying purposes.

USER MANUAL

The user manual is written in several languages (English, Italian, French, Spanish, Japanese, German).
It provides the necessary information for working with the flashlight except about Reverse Polarity Protection. Well, and the type of LEDiL TIR :stuck_out_tongue:

It could present the runtime graphic for Nichia LEDs, but it only presents it for CREE LEDs.


CHARGING & LOW VOLTAGE WARNING

Concerning charging, it is supposed to work at 5V/1A, and to charge the battery in 90minutes.
Only 16340 batteries can be charged, not CR123, of course!!

The LED indicator in the tailcap will be RED while charging and BLUE when charged.
When the BLUE led turns ON, the battery is around 4.14V. I left mine for a while more, and it went up to 4.16V. If you want to charge it more, it is better to use an external charger.

Concerning the Low Voltage Warning, it is supposed that the LED indicator in the switch becomes RED when the battery is at 2.8V . I will have to check this further when the battery reaches those lower levels.

USER INTERFACE, OUTPUT & RUNTIMES

The RovyVon was a bit of a surprise concerning the UI. I will tell, it is not perfect, but it is good in my opinion.

It has 4 regular (Low > Medium > High > Turbo) modes and 2 blinkies (Strobe > SOS). This is how it works:

From OFF

  • single click for ON > enters LOW mode

  • [> single click for OFF]

- double click > enters the last regular used mode

  • [> press & hold 0.3s or OFF]

- triple click > enters Strobe

  • [> press & hold 0.3s or OFF]

- press & hold > momentary turbo

  • [> release for OFF]

From ON

  • from any regular mode > single click to advance in the sequence L > M > H > T > L…

  • [> press & hold 0.3s or OFF]

- from any regular mode > triple click for Strobe

  • [> double click to return to the last regular mode memorized]
  • [> press & hold 0.3s or OFF]

- from Strobe > single click for SOS

  • [> single click for Strobe again]
  • [> double click to return to the last regular mode memorized]
  • [> press & hold 0.3s or OFF] regular used mode > press & hold 0.3s or OFF

NOTES

1 - What I like in this User Interface is that we can have quick access to the lowest mode (LOW), to a momentary Turbo and to Strobe. I also like that the press for OFF is not long and it feels like a single click.

2 - Strobe is double frequency

As for output vs runtime, here’s a graph from RovyVon.
Low Medium High Turbo Strobe
Output (Nichia) 4lm 60lm 400lm > 240 lm 1200lm > 500lm NA
Runtime (?) 22h 4.5h 3min+130min 1.5min+50min NA

NOTE
RovyVon indicates those decrease values on High and Turbo, but I am not sure if they are for the XP-G3 and Nichia or just the XP-G3. So, please take these lumen and times values relatively.
—

TEST
I conduced a 6 minute test with 3 different cells, on Turbo.

After the initial rise in the output, it started decreasing continuously with a more steep drop at around 45-50 seconds, and then it continued to decrease until 1m30s. At that point it stabilized (in all cells) and kept there for the test period, with minimal ups and downs of 1 or 2 values.

The test with the RovyVon battery started with 4.19V and ended with 3.90V (after the 6 minutes).

—

NOTE:
I didn’t measure parasitic draining, but I may do so if anyone wants me to check it.

FLASHLIGHT COMPARISON

Time to make some flashlight comparison with other lights, namely side switch and tail switch 16340s and others.

OTR M3 > Acebeam TK16 > RV S3 > Olight S1R Baton II > Emisar D4 (18350) > FW3A (18500)

Vs Acebeam TK16 (on the right, from above) [Also, see the differences between Carclo and LEDiL]

Klarus XT1C > RV S3 > OTR 311 > Olight M1T Raider

RovyVon Family

BEAMSHOTS

Time to show some beamshots of the RovyVon S3. This has a wide beam, not very throwy but very pleasant and with good colour rendering :wink:

There is no PWM :wink:

Beam profile

Colour rendering (vs RovyVon A8X XP-G3, on the LEFT)

Turbo

Dark and Light

Modes



Vs RovyVon A8X (LEFT)

VS FWAA (Nichia 4000K, LEFT)

OVERALL APPRECIATION

More or less, I’ve said what I like and don’t like much on this light, even if not directly.

WHAT I LIKE

- overall quality

- ergonomics

- easiness of use

- good anodizing

- good but not perfect UI (specially the access to low, momentary turbo and strobe)

- clip with good retention (and that can be used in a cap, although the weight…)

- pleasant beam and High CRI

- USB-C charging (no need to carry more cables)

- brings a battery included (rechargeable and replaceable)

- raised part around the metal switch to avoid accidental activation

- tripod hole can be useful (but is not the most important aspect)

- ceramic glass breaker is not something I would use, but helps tailstanding so it comes in handy:D

WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED

  • size and weight are the main aspects that may hinder someone to use this as an EDC, specially if one wears tight jeans :stuck_out_tongue:

- fast decrease of max output, which is understandable since it seems that there is not a thick shelf to absorb heat, but could take a little longer; despite, the stabilized output lasts for a while, so it is not absolutely bad

- the tailcap could be aligned better with the body to match (vertically) the switch location with the lanyard hole or the glass breaker

DISCLOSURE:
I didn’t point out more positive aspects than negative because this flashlight was sent for free for review, but because in my (honest) appreciation I thought they are worth mentioning.
This flashlight was, indeed, a surprise for me for what it is, and it is also a proof that RovyVon keeps doing good and innovative flashlights no matter how many copycats are out there.

I would like to thank Ken from RV for sending this flashlight. :+1:

Leave your comments and questions if you want to :wink:

Cheers :beer:

2

Video Review here! See it in action…above table :smiley:

1 Thank
3

Bravo!

excellent video and very informative written review

4

Thanks for your words, jon_slider :wink:

Some more info on this light.

- There is a black o-ring “under” the bezel, and a white one between the bezel and the LEDiL optic.

- There is a bit of glue on the bezel, to keep it in place. I needed some ring opening pliers to open rotate the bezel by using the grooves it has.

- There seems to be a brass structure that is pressed in or screwed in from the top of the flashlight. It acts as shelf and pill at the same time.

- The MPCB os quite thick and also has a good amount of thermal paste below it.

- The wires are relatively thin and have an outer tube protection, eventually to avoid any damage and short in case they are teared open.

- The LEDiL optic is taller tha the Carclo, and larger. As example, it fits in the bezel of the FW3A, but it doesn’t fit in its head.

1 Thank
5

Excellent review! I considered getting the Titanium version, but a couple things held me back:

  • No electronic lockout - I currently own one Rovyvon also with metal sideswitches. The switches don't take much pressure to activate and have no lockout. I don't consider that light suitable for pocket EDC due to risk of accidental activation and this new Rovyvon looks to have the same issue.
  • Strange Clip - At first glance, it looks deep carry, but I don't think it is. The cylinder in the clip with threads for tripod attachment would clearly get in the way.
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Top shelf review indeed. Thank you for taking the time. I have their small glow-in-the-dark model. Amazing to me how much flashlight they are able to cram into such small form factors.

7

Thanks for your words Firelight2 :wink:

Hum, I get you concerning the switch, but actually this is one that inspires me confidence! That raised edge around it prevents acidental activation, unless something is making pressure onto the center of the switch directly (which can happen, of course).

And, because single click always takes to the lowest mode, and press&hold only gives momentary, I guess I wouldn’t worry a lot.

As for the clip, depeding on the fabric thickness, it can be deep carry or not (only if it is reaaaally thick). The tripod hole structure can actually act both ways:
a) hindering deep carry, as the fabric could stop below the protruding part
b) providing deep carry, because it would prevent the flashlight from falling due to that protruding part (that would make more pressue on the fabric)

I didn’t try to remove that part for the tripod mount, because it may become helpful.

There are 2 things I forgot to mention on the review above:

  • The first is a not so positive aspect:
    • there is no physical lockout, because that pin on the bottom of the structure only breaks contact with the tailcap when it is almost 100% unscrewed. I would not implement electronic lockout to avoid parasitic draining , but having physical lock-out would be nice
  • The second is:
    • the flashlight can be used without battery but with the charging cable plugged into the tailcap. Turbo will not work properly, but the other modes will. The LED indicator on the tailcap, while being used in this situation, will lit up in a mix of blue and red, becoming “purple”.
1 Thank
8

Thanks fourbyfive :wink:

Their keychain lights are still my favourite ones, and I have several. This one was a surprise, despite being larger than the others.
RovyVon is innovative and I guess they will be even more in the future, as they keep presenting different solutions and structures :wink:

9

An interesting light. A bit pricey for me, and I’m not sold on the UI. And the Ti is priced beyond my comprehension

10

Hum, I do agree that the price may be higher than what a “budget” light can be considered!
I believe that the explanation may come from both the innovation and the company size, which is probably smaller than other brands. Still, a budget is a budget :wink:

Can you please elaborate on the UI, please?

As for the UI, you reminded me of something I forgot to mention in my appreciation:

- as a thing to improve, I would like to have direct access to continuous Turbo from any mode or state (ON & OFF), which is not possible unless you turn the flashlight on that mode and then can access it through a double click from OFF.

11

I tried to measure parasitic drain on the flashlight.
The multimeter “said” 25.2-25.3 µA / 0.02 mA. I guess this is nice, right?

12

Really great review, MascaratumB. I see you’ve amassed quite a RovyVon collection!

For a long while, the E300S had grabbed my eye and I almost bought it when on a steep sale, but… it’s rather superfluous for me now. I’m heavily into Anduril now as well. But I have to say the E200 caught my eye. It has a kind of Nitecore look about it (rectangular box with 2 parallel reflectors). This new S3 looks nice, but I feel like it is priced out of reason when considering what else is available on the market. And while competitors are putting out 16340 lights with 18350 compatibility, alas this is just 16340.

RovyVon keeps getting better. I truly liked the original Aurora A8, but was not happy about the miniscule battery. At least now the new version made a good 200mAh leap forward. I have the A5 and I’m very happy with how it evolved. Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see what RovyVon does with the S3 going forward.

13

Great review. I just purchased an S3 Ti with blue trit.

Many thanks.

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Thanks xevious :wink:

Yup, I am a fan of RovyVon lights, like those from OTR :blush: They make small lights, with good quality and versatility. I do like these companies and I guess that they are still improving so I try to support them, even if I get some free lights for review.

I also bought the A8X, that I didn’t find to review yet, and I am not disappointed with any of their lights (depsite they are not perfect) :wink:

Hum, I hear you about the 16340/18350 compatibility, but I still find it nice that some lights can only take these smaller cells, otherwise, we only have larger lights making a bulk in the pocket :stuck_out_tongue:

Yes, the S3 seems a bit overpriced, but I guess it will have to do with the fact that they are a small company, and don’t have as much profit as brands like Olight, Nitecore, Fenix or others. And, compared to these, RovyVon is ahead, offering High CRI options :smiling_imp:

The E200 is a cool light, but those XP-G3 are not the best. Also, I would probably prefer a non-UV verison for the side leds, as it will gain more versatility.

My hope for a next evolution of the S3 is something more configurable in terms of UI, and eventually less large. But, don’t get me wrong, the body of this flashlight is strong and thick, so it can take some drops and beats.

Thanks weklund :wink:

Cool, that will add a “bling” to the flashlight, the “Ti and Tri” is a great combination and I am sure you’ll like it :wink:
Let us know what you think when you get it!

1 Thank
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Thanks weklund
Cool, that will add a “bling” to the flashlight, the “Ti and Tri” is a great combination and I am sure you’ll like it.
Let us know what you think when you get it!

……

Will do. I’m looking forward to it.

20% off today.

RovyVon - Flashlight | EDC Gear | Knife

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I agree. I have been impressed with RovyVon quality. I must admit I’ve been getting tempted to buy the slightly larger A28 with 600mAh battery.

Glad you mentioned this. It’s easy to forget context. And I do like the idea of supporting the smaller company, especially if it can provide a competitive product with something unique.

What is with Ken and those XP-G3 LEDs? I sometimes feel like he bought a massive batch for a nice discount and thus has used them in so many of his flashlights. At least he has employed Nichia quite a bit… but he does need to branch out. I’d gladly pay a little more for a better CRI LED.

Yes, I really think he should differentiate himself from Olight and just support Anduril. Good to know that the S3 is very solid.

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Received my Titanium S3 with Nichia a couple days ago. My impressions:

  • Big hunk of titanium. It’s thicker and fatter than some 18350 lights like the Jetbeam RRT-01. Much thicker than most of my other 16340 lights. Not too thick or heavy to EDC, but definitely more than I expected from a 16340 light.
  • It feels good in the hand and build quality is great. :person_with_crown: :heart_eyes:
  • True USB-C charging. This is unlike my Rovyvon E200s, which only had USB-A to USB-C charging. The new S3 features true USB-C charging and charges just fine from my Samsung phone’s USB-C cord. :sunglasses:
  • Charging port cover seats securely into its slot. It’s unlikely to come out by accident which is good. However, it is also quite tiny and I suspect it won’t last too long with repeated use.
  • Doesn’t tailstand well. The S3 tailstands … barely. Between the charging port cover and the ceramic glass breaker it is extremely unstable. Better than nothing, but except on the absolutely flattest surface it probably won’t tailstand at all. I do wonder if the ceramic glass breaker actually does anything. I would thick glass would break just hitting it with a chunk of titanium. The extra hardness of ceramic seems unnecessary.
  • Nichia LEDs and Ledil optics produce excellent tint with good CRI and beam pattern. The beam is floody, but looks great. Well done. :heart_eyes:
  • No lockout of any kind. Maybe the aluminum version has tailcap lockout, but the titanium version does not. :open_mouth:
  • Pressing and holding the button down turns the light on in turbo for as long as the light is held down. This is convenient for operation, but not good for pocket carry. In my experience, when I get accidental pocket activation it is because a light shifted in my pocket and the button became held down by my keys or a fold in my pants … possibly for an extended period of time before I notice. The choice of UI is exactly wrong for preventing turbo mode accidentally in the pants. At 1200 lumens, I don’t think the Nichia S3 is bright enough to burn pants, but I think it could quickly drain the small battery.
  • High risk of accidental pocket activation. The light has a metal sideswitch. There is ring around the switch, but it’s not tall enough to provide much protection against accidental pocket activation. I think this light is probably ok for carrying around town loose in a pocket. But I wouldn’t want to carry it on an airplane where chances of pocket activation are high. The switch feels the same as on the Rovyvon E200s, which I felt had the same problem. :weary:
  • Uses flat or button top cells. The battery compartment is double-sprung. The light comes with a 650 mAh cell, but that can easily be replaced by a 900 mAh Vapcell for extra capacity.
  • Good clip. The clip fits securely onto the light and has just the right amount of tension to securely hold to a pants pocket. It works well even though it is not deep carry due to the screw threads for the tripod attachment. On the titanium version, the light has slots so clip can attach to either the head or tail. From the pictures, it appears the aluminum version uses the same clip, but only has a slot for it to attach at the head.
1 Thank
18

Firelight2, thanks for your insight on the titanium version :wink:
I hope you like the flashlight, it seems a premium light for sure, despite being a “big hunk” :stuck_out_tongue:

I would like to focus on some aspects you mentioned in your post:

True USB-C charging - Thanks for checking this, as I a not used to use true usb-c charging I didn’t check it but is good to know that it has it :wink:

Uses flat or button top cells - This another thing I didn’t mention, I probably left it “undercover” on the mention of the spring in the driver, but thanks for stressing it :wink:

No lockout of any kind - I later added the information in another post saying that the version I have (aluminium) also doesn’t have it since the conductive pin prevents that physical lockout. Only unscrewing all the tailcap (to the point it can be removed) can prevent the light from turning ON.

High risk of accidental pocket activation - Well, yes, specially for moonlight and momentary turbo, since that for the regular modes it needs double click or activation. Still, this is probably a light to use clipped against something flat and not “loose” in a pocket or backpack.

Good clip - I confirm that on the alu version, it can only be used in the head on that specific groove.

BTW, I measured parasitic drain on it and it is around 25.2-25.3µA / 0.02mA.

Thanks again for sharing the information on yours :wink: And I hope you enjoy it! :sunglasses:

1 Thank
19

I received my S3Ti. I’m not to happy with the UI and the light turns on easily when carried in my front pants pocket. Would be more tolerable with electronic or mechanical lock out. Unfortunately I will be returning this one.

20

^ That’s what trounced my interest as well…