Zanflare T1 lantern: Style over Substance?

Markus · 2019-04-06T13:42:54.000Z

The T1 is a lantern featuring great product quality but also a few questionable design choices. Please see my video for details:

RobertB · 2019-04-06T14:35:15.000Z

It’s quite easy to remove the battery as you demonstrated, although it’s never turned on in my backpack. Also, it doesn’t heat up enough to damage the battery. Been using mine for over a year now. I’d say, for a budget lantern, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one.

AlexGT · 2019-04-06T14:55:48.000Z

My complaints with this light is no lockout and no way to turn off the light from the top, other than that I like it.

Beautiful town BTW!

Markus · 2019-04-06T15:47:28.000Z

RobertB:

It’s quite easy to remove the battery as you demonstrated, although it’s never turned on in my backpack. Also, it doesn’t heat up enough to damage the battery. Been using mine for over a year now. I’d say, for a budget lantern, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one.

For the price it is really great. However, mine turned one a few times when I had it in a bag.

deleted-200707 · 2019-04-06T16:01:27.000Z

AlexGT:

My complaints with this light is no lockout and no way to turn off the light from the top, other than that I like it.

Beautiful town BTW!

The latest one does turn off from the top.
CW, NW, off.

Markus · 2019-04-06T16:03:30.000Z

AlexGT:

My complaints with this light is no lockout and no way to turn off the light from the top, other than that I like it.

Beautiful town BTW!

THX, was a nice trip!

RobertB · 2019-04-06T16:05:58.000Z

Markus:

RobertB:

It’s quite easy to remove the battery as you demonstrated, although it’s never turned on in my backpack. Also, it doesn’t heat up enough to damage the battery. Been using mine for over a year now. I’d say, for a budget lantern, you’d be hard pressed to find a better one.

For the price it is really great. However, mine turned one a few times when I had it in a bag.

I have one of the early versions when they first came out where you could only shut it off by the bottom button. I can’t get mine to turn on just being in a backpack, but maybe the newer versions where you can turn them off from the top sensor are different. Either way, the battery is easily removed for transport and these little silicone protector sleeves are dirt cheap

Lightbringer · 2019-04-06T19:50:49.000Z

Or get one of those insulating discs that come with Sofirn lights when the cell’s inside the light. I always keep ’em for just-in-case situations.

DBSAR · 2019-04-29T19:32:58.000Z

I Have the BlitzWolf BLT5 and prefer that far over the Zanflare for lanterns in the 20 dollar range. I had 3 of the T1s, one failed after it fell off a table, (no longer turned on) the other for some reason drained the battery to below 2 volts, and the third i modified it with a lock out switch. several of my biggest peeves with the T1 was the battery getting heated up, (LithiumIon & heat = bad, Tesla’s test videos showed the long term degradation of running lithium’s at high temps, ( their reasons why they liquid cool control their battery packs) I did some testing on that myself.
no lock-out ability, and had mine turn on testing in a backpack with other items. (touching a metal cola can or other heavier metal object on the touch top will turn it on by accident) Lack of run time on maximum, ( i got roughly 2.5 to 3 hours then it was out. but either way for a cheaper basic lantern its ok, the only real positive is the tint ramp option. the blinking red & over-sensitive touch control are unneeded gimmicks.

will34 · 2019-04-29T20:03:24.000Z

Speaking of Blitzwolf LT5, I removed the interior satin plastic piece that is used to diffuse the light and stuck a piece of DC fix on the exterior half. Now there is noticeably less light loss and the diffusion isn’t bad either.

I very rarely use the T1 because of the overly complex UI and no rapid way to turn it off. It looks very functional, but in real use it falls short. The thick plastic housing also causes light loss. Not a well engineered lantern overall.

DBSAR · 2019-04-29T20:06:59.000Z

will34:

Speaking of Blitzwolf LT5, I removed the interior satin plastic piece that is used to diffuse the light and stuck a piece of DC fix on the exterior half. Now there is noticeably less light loss and the diffusion isn’t bad either.

I very rarely use the T1 because of the overly complex UI and no rapid way to turn it off. It looks very functional, but in real use it falls short. The thick plastic housing also causes light loss. Not a well engineered lantern overall.

I did the same with my LT5, and also swapped out the SMD LEDs for high CRI 4000K versions. (like most factory lanterns on the market, they all come with low CRI cool white 6500K+ LEDs & horrible tint.

sleasys14 · 2019-04-29T20:07:03.000Z

I leave mine in out chill room. I keep it on warm at about 15% power. I don’t even use the overhead light anymore. Its almost a year old and I bet I’ve changed the batteries at least 200 times.

Markus · 2019-04-30T15:51:02.000Z

In fact I really like my BW-LT5:

My Zanflare T1 is great too but for indoors.

sac02 · 2019-04-30T18:53:40.000Z

I was in the mood to pick up another ~~one of these~~ Blitzwolf BW-LT5, but can’t find them anywhere! Can anyone point me to somewhere that still sells them?

derfyled · 2019-04-30T17:36:37.000Z

sac02:

I was in the mood to pick up another one of these, but can’t find them anywhere! Can anyone point me to somewhere that still sells them?

I suspect Blitzwolf just rebrand them. You can get identical no-name on Ebay. They even have a longer and brighter version.

Search for ‘’Waterproof Camping Lantern’’

Lightbringer · 2019-04-30T18:31:36.000Z

On the GB daily-deals thread, they have a B-something brand lookalike that someone even commented looks just like the Zanflare.

sac02 · 2019-04-30T18:54:55.000Z

OOOPS!

Sorry to derfy and LB. I forgot what thread I was in, I meant I was trying to find a Blitzwolf BW-LT5, not a Zanflare T1. Sorry!

derfyled · 2019-04-30T19:09:33.000Z

sac02:

OOOPS!

Sorry to derfy and LB. I forgot what thread I was in, I meant I was trying to find a Blitzwolf BW-LT5, not a Zanflare T1. Sorry!

I was talking about the blitzwolf

Look here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Waterproof-Portable-Camping-Lantern-LED-Light-Outdoor-Emergency-Rechargeable/323640038438?hash=item4b5a731426:m:mrFiWskWhD_yLN0oLFY-dTg

sac02 · 2019-04-30T20:02:31.000Z

cool, thanks