Vastlite is still a relatively new and rather unknown flashlight manufacturer. However, the models they’ve released so far are quite interesting. Brand new to their lineup is the Vastlite Minima Bow, likely the smallest LEP flashlight currently on the market.
Don’t be misled by the name “Minima”: the flashlight is small, but by no means weak. Despite its finger-sized appearance, it can achieve a range of up to 750 meters.
You can find the German version of this review on my website: SammysHP Blog › Vastlite Minima Bow
The flashlight was kindly provided to me by flashlightgo for this review. The online store, based in China, offers a wide selection of flashlights from various manufacturers and ships worldwide.
What does “LEP” mean?
White LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are typically made from a blue LED coated with a phosphor layer. This layer converts part of the blue light into other wavelengths, making the emitted light appear white to the human eye. A challenge with this technology is heat dissipation: small LEDs can only dissipate a limited amount of heat, which restricts their maximum brightness. Conversely, if an LED is designed to be particularly bright, it needs to be larger, making it more difficult to focus its light into a tight beam.
LEP stands for “Laser Excited Phosphor” and describes the underlying principle: a blue laser is directed at a phosphor layer, creating a small, intense point of white light. Because the laser and the phosphor layer can be cooled separately, it’s possible to achieve a very small light-emitting surface with high intensity.
Currently, there are two common methods for implementing an LEP module: either the laser beam hits the phosphor layer from the front (sometimes with the help of a small mirror), or the laser is positioned behind the layer and shines through it. A collimator lens then focuses the light into a tight beam.
Overview
The flashlight comes in a small cardboard box with a foam insert and the usual accessories:
- Vastlite 16340 Li-ion battery (3.83 V at arrival)
- Clip
- 2x replacement o-rings
- Manual (EN, CN)
The manual is short and to the point: a small table with the technical specifications, three sentences about operation, and a few words about the warranty and contact options.
At just 71 mm in length and 20 mm in diameter, the Minima Bow is likely the smallest LEP flashlight currently on the market. It weighs only 54 g including the battery (36 g without it). That’s roughly the size of a Wurkkos TS10 or a 21700 battery.
Wurkkos TS10 | 18650 battery | Vastlite Minima Bow | Vastlite 16340 battery | Olight S1R Baton II
At the time of this review, the Minima Bow was only available in a slightly bluish gray. It’s now also offered in black and several colorful variants. I can imagine a brass or copper version would look great as well.
The protective front lens is held in place by a finely-toothed stainless steel bezel. Around the head of the flashlight are four slots, each measuring 2 × 9 mm. These are designed to hold optional glow inserts, such as afterglow GITD (glow-in-the-dark) material or tritium vials.
There’s an o-ring at the end of the flashlight that glows green in the dark. There are no buttons on the flashlight, as it’s operated by twisting it for on and off (“twisty”).
The clip, while securely attached to the flashlight, unfortunately has relatively low clamping force. It also touches the head of the flashlight, which will likely lead to scratches over time. Otherwise, I like its design: the wide opening makes it easy to use, and it extends all the way to the end of the flashlight, allowing it to sit fully inside a pocket.
An o-ring seals the flashlight at the head, protecting it against water ingress. The manual lists its protection rating as “IP68”, meaning it’s rated for continuous submersion up to 1 meter. However, if the head is loosened by more than one full turn to turn the flashlight off, the o-ring no longer seals completely. A slightly longer overlap of the head and the tube would have been better for a twisty flashlight.
The Minima Bow is designed for small 16340 Li-ion batteries. I’ll go into more detail about the included battery in the next section. Inside the battery tube, there’s a spring that ensures reliable contact and is almost fully compressed when the head of the flashlight is tightened.
I have no complaints about the build quality. There are no sharp edges, no defects, and the anodizing is perfect. That said, it’s also a relatively simple design made from just two aluminum parts.
With the battery tube from the Sofirn SP10, it’s also possible to use 14500 batteries. However, for the O-ring to seal properly, the tube needs to be shortened by a few millimeters.
Vastlite 16340 850 mAh
I liked the included battery so much that I dedicated a separate section to it. It’s a 16340-sized Li-ion battery with a stated capacity of 850 mAh and an integrated USB-C charging port. It measures 35.9 mm in length – slightly longer than a bare 16340 cell – and weighs 18 g.
The actual cell appears to be only about 26 mm long, which made me a bit skeptical about the stated capacity. However, when tested with a 500 mA discharge current, it actually delivered 805 mAh. Considering a lower cutoff voltage and typically lower discharge currents used for the specification, the 850 mAh rating is entirely justified.
The battery charges via USB-C at just under 400 mA. During charging, a red LED next to the positive terminal lights up. After a little over two and a half hours, the battery is fully charged, and the LED switches to green.
User interface
It doesn’t get much simpler: as a twisty, the flashlight is operated by twisting the head. To turn it on, simply tighten the head all the way; loosening it turns the light off.
The flashlight offers two brightness levels: Low and High. You switch between them by briefly loosening the head and then tightening it again. The last used brightness is remembered. Quickly turning the light on and off twice activates the strobe mode at 12 Hz.
There’s no battery level indicator, but the flashlight gives a single short blink when the battery is nearly empty.
Illumination
An LEP flashlight produces a very distinctive beam pattern, commonly called a “pencil beam”. Like a lightsaber. A narrow streak of light dancing across the landscape. The lens is protected by a glass with a greenish anti-reflective coating.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture convincing beamshots with the Minima Bow. The beam is so tightly focused that it appears as just a small, bright spot in the photos.
As expected, there’s no spill. The edge of the slightly bluish spot shows a gradient into yellow. This effect appears much more pronounced in the photo than it does in regular use.
Outdoors, the flashlight’s full potential becomes clear: it offers impressive throw without any blinding spill. It’s only somewhat suitable for scanning large areas – you really need to know where you want to point it. At these distances, using binoculars can be helpful.
Here’s a comparison showing how the surroundings normally appear in the photo, same position, same day.
Driver and runtime
A maximum brightness of 280 lumens might seem modest at first – but what really matters here is the range. According to the manufacturer, the flashlight achieves a distance of 750 meters based on the ANSI FL1 standard, which is quite impressive for a finger-sized flashlight.
| Mode | Brightness¹ | Runtime¹ | Intensity¹ (Throw²) | Current³ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 280 lm | 70 s + 70 min | 140 650 cd (750 m) | 2.85 A |
| Low | 50 lm | 75 min | 24 030 cd (310 m) | 0.70 A |
| Off | 0 µA |
¹ According to manufacturer ² ANSI FL1 ³ Measured
Due to significant heat on High, the brightness is reduced to Low within the first minute. It then remains mostly steady at that level for the rest of the runtime. Even on Low, the temperature still rises to nearly 45°C after a while.
Both brightness levels are regulated by a constant current driver without PWM. When the voltage drops below 2.60 V, the flashlight automatically shuts off to protect the battery from deep discharge.
Conclusion
The focused beam of white light cuts through the darkness, dances across the fields, follows a line of trees, pauses briefly – was there something? LEP flashlights are an experience; their practical use comes second. Exploring your surroundings with a “pencil beam” is simply a lot of fun.
The finger-sized Vastlite Minima Bow is likely the smallest LEP flashlight currently on the market. You won’t find a flashlight this small – just 71 × 20 mm – with a range of up to 750 meters anywhere else. It’s operated by twisting the head for on and off (“twisty”), allowing you to switch between two brightness levels and a strobe mode.
Got curious? Check out the Vastlite Minima Bow at flashlightgo.
