All of them are simple and capable lights superior to what would have been available on the market 10-15 years ago. Enough bang for the buck and no obvious rip-offs. It is good to see that reasonably good equipment is becoming more common as this means that more people are better prepared for many types of emergency situations.
I've bought multiple Anker Bolder flashlights over the past few years. Not the big zoomable one but the smaller 400 lumen one. I carry one every day AND have one attached to a 12 gauge shotgun. Have put many rounds through it and the recoil/shock hasn't damaged the light at all. Not the most intuitive controls but very well built especially for the price. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a lightweight, rechargable relatively-high lumen flashlight
This was one of the best reviews I have seen. You gave tons of information that is was useful and not just trivial stuff that most do. Plus, as an Amazon shopper, I liked that you gave hands on meaning to the "star" reviews that get confusing as you go from item to item. Thanks.
I bought a J5 and liked it so much that I now have one in every car and a few in the home. It puts out a good amount of light on one AA battery. There may be brighter or less expensive lights, but this one works for me.
im shocked u have good luck with the j5. i have 2 of them and the swithches re no good on both of them. it rrely goes full bright cuse of poor swith contacts
Great, very informative reviews!! Three members of my family deer hunt so we need a good source for searching downed deer in the dark. I personally like Coleman flashlights. They are a little bit more expensive ($18-$24 / 350-400 lumens) but provide one thing I want for use in the field, a SIMPLE switch with ONLY on and off! If I were an emergency responder or hiked the Rockies on a regular basis I might want the flashing feature and 48 intensity modes but I hate clicking the switch 5x to turn off the light.
I have the Bolder 90 2-Cell version and I love it so much. It has excellent power. and about double the battery life of the single cell version. It's slightly different; the batteries aren't removable, but the charging port is on the bottom of the flashlight alongside the button, which clicks once to cycle through the modes, rather than on and off and on and off. You have to hold it to turn it off and save the last state.
Matt, I absolutely LOVE your channel. You are so funny and entertaining! I am a hopeless flashlight junkie like you and at the present moment I own about 50 various LED flashlights. Some small, some coke can style, some large. Throwers, flooders, the works. 18650 LED lights are my flashlight of choice due to their power. Now get this: I recently ordered an Imalant M16 for $60.00 bucks from this company online with a big fancy website. They sent me information that they have received my order, a tracking # the works. It’s being shipped from Australia so I have no idea how long it’s going to take to get to NJ! We shall see! A $650.00 100K lumen light for $60.00 bucks. I took a flyer...I could not resist. If they don’t come thru with the product then I contest the charge on my card. Keep up the great reviews! I love the idea of reviewing all the LED lights on Amazon. There are so many fugazi brands to choose from.
@Castle Bravo: You are correct. It was a total scam. They sent me a two 18650 cell LED flashlight that is about 1000 lumens. It’s actually a nice thrower. Is it a $60.00 LED flashlight? Probably. BUT its not what I ordered.
Probably, but these are going to be more general consumer oriented lights anyway. Something like that Nicron could be an AWESOME single light for most non-flashaholic users. Small, 1 easy battery solution, multi-function/direction head, low/high without BS, etc.
Yes, in my rating the BYB F18 would just fail so hard, as it claims more than double of it's real brightness. The Anker Bolder is the most honest one but with the most ugly beam I have seen in a while. And I'm not even a flashaholic ^^
Thanks for the reviews sir - we live in the UK and just bought the Anker Bolder from Amazon this evening. We've got a horse to bring in from a huge field in the pitch black of winter - and this light looks like it'll help us find the little bugger when he's hiding in a corner of the field - lol. Thanks again :)
Best flashlight review I've seen! In my opinion any flashlight that cannot go down to 15 lumens or less cannot double as a "survival lamp." So I wish they would not pretend. Almost by definition "survival" means "unexpected," which means you'll only have the light you have on you unexpectedly. So expect that you will run out of power completely. Why not have a lamp that is also capable of 120 hours or more? Especially in the winter. In my mind, 120+ hours is far more useful than 120+ lumens when it comes to survival. When it comes to survival two things are critically important: maximum output and maximum hours. So in my mind; any lamp that does not have survival-LOW mode but does have blinking "survival" modes is hype, a freaking joke, tinsel for wannabees. Non-traveling, social, and close-up work require even less light. Very few reviews show the lumens or hours of lowest-mode. --Doug Bashford in Fresno
The reviews on Amazon are bad, most people have no idea about the products, competitors to the product/good value, and what's just a rebranded Chinese Aliexpress item slapped with a random brand name that you could purchase for 1/4th of the cost directly from Aliexpress, example is that Outlite one, random brand name, I bought the same light for 3.50 glad you touched on that. Good video though Matt, the most honest man on RUclips.
I've had the Anker 900 and 1300 for a couple years now. They definitely feel solid and have held up well especially for the price tag. They are kind of bulky though so good to keep in the house or a bag
That's really nice when the strobe and SOS flash are separate with the long press. I get frustrated by so many that cycle though or accidentally starts in that strobe mode.
I have a ThruNite TC15. It's as small as the ones you tested and is really bright. It has 3 basic light levels, plus a very dim "candlelight" mode and a super-bright mode. It's rechargeable through a USB port built into it or the 18650 battery can be removed for external charging. It is not zoomable. UI after turning on is to hold the power button for the 3 standard modes.
My EDC is a tiny ThruNite Ti (60 lm) which I've kept on my keychain for years. It use one AAA (alkaline or NiMH). (Really AAA, not AA.) Since it is tiny enough to fit nicely on my key-ring, I always have it with me. It has only two settings: bright and dim. None of that blinky nonsense. I love it. The twist-switch mechanism seems to be reliable year after year, unlike click-switches. The tail-click lights I've had have all become flakey after a while. One idiosyncrasy of the ThruNite Ti is that it would only do dim mode with an Eneloop battery. I wrote to ThruNite and they told me it's because the Enelook AAA is very slightly shorter than Alkaline AAAs. So I dropped a tiny aluminum washer into the tube beneath the battery, and that solved the problem.
I have the nicron n7 and carry it with me daily. It's incredibly bright and versatile for its size. I've been thoroughly impressed with it for the past 3 months I've had it. I mainly got it for work. I work at a hose supplier and some of the machines can be kinda dark to use. I also use a nickel metal hydride battery as its power. Highly recommend it! It also has sos mode and a strobe but not in the main switch use which I love. Most flashlights incorporate that feature towards the end at which point you have to cycle through it to turn it off. With this light you just hold down the power button a few seconds to enter that mode. Normal modes are high and low then off
I brought a Gearlight S1200 but be careful don't unscrew on front of the lenses, it will falls out with 3 components, plastic lenses, rubber rings supposedly seated on lenses and as well as expose the leds. 3 "AA" batteries barrier is okay with alkaline but also accepted with Ni-MH rechargeable (however degrading lumens slightly). 26650 and 18650 LI-ion battery are the best but not great still. It looks pretty good. Great summary reviews, Matt.
I have the Anker Bolder for my birthday this year. That thing is amazing!!! I can see Coyotes trying to kill my livestock 100+yards out. Super powerful. Fantastic flashlight.
The nice thing about the J5 is that the focus adjustment can be easily handled with your pinky when holding it for single handed operation. When walking the doggo at night I only have the one free hand, and it's with a quick movement of my pinky I can throw enough light at something 200ft away to know if it's a threat then readjust back to short range. This way I don't need some monster light that will blind all the neighbors.
I picked up a handful of the J5 Tactical lights for $5 each from a Woot sale. They're solid lights, especially at that price point. Just wanted something reliable to toss in drawers and glove boxes. Wouldn't pay more than $15 for sure. But if you can get them on sale I highly recommend that light.
Thank you for doing this comparison! It's funny how awkward is the beam on most of them except Nicron N7. There are so much better lights for this ~$20 USD mark. Convoy S21A for example. But it's cool that many of them come with battery and USB charger - makes it self-sufficient if this is a the only light you have.
Thanks for the great video Matt. Today I bought a Diall GZT001 (sold by B&Q a hardware store in UK) but could not figure out how to install the battery. Turns out it is a re-badged J5 Tactical (but only 60lm). My answer was at 09:41 :)
The Wanker Bolders are nice if you just want a decent light without the frills. I have the LC40 and it's pretty awesome for $10. Takes 3xAAA, 1x18650 or 1x20650. High, Low, and Strobe, no frills. Pretty good balance of throw and spill too.
Just wanna say thanks for these I've bought way more expensive lights with results not always this good . It means a lot to get to see some of these amazon products before buying.
You are a legend!! I hope one of these flashlight companies hires you as a consultant. Next time I buy a flashlight I promise I will use one of your affiliate links. Thanks for all the hard work.
If you are looking for a real flashlight check out the /r/flashlight subreddit. The people there can direct you to the light you need for what you want to use it with. not the crap mentioned in this video. Especially if you are willing to use 18650 batteries there is so much better out there.
IMHO I would switch the top two Putting the Anker at the top for multiple reasons. ~Anker pros: its the brightest light here, its closest to its rated output, its a (more) recognizable reputable name, it comes with an 18650 battery, its USB rechargeable (USB charging is a major point). ~Anker cons: its rather large and heavy for an 18650 light. ~Nicron pros: small, lightweight, swivel head, magnetic base, bright with a 14650. ~Nicron cons: 14650 Li-ion battery not included, 14650's aren't common, its not very bright with an AA battery, and most importantly I would venture to say most people shopping for a light in this price range do not have a 14650 battery or charger. The added cost of a battery and charger will put total cost well above the Anker. I mean even if you buy the cheapest garbage no name battery and charger you could find, you will still be at + or - $30. BTW I do like the zoomy lights but not for the zoom, I like the nice even edge to edge light beam for close range use. I have three 6-7 year old Outlite type flashlights. One came with a 26650 and I got 2 ultrafires for $8.99. I can tell you I've never used them much because I don't like having to constantly click through all 5 modes (L, M, H, stobe, sos)(they don't have last mode memory) So, I ended up mostly using my Costco 2 for $20 C-cell Cree zoomy's that I only had to click 3 times vs 5. Those were finally retired for an Anker Bolder for the last three years. It has last mode memory (woohoo) and its still working flawlessly. The Anker was my go to light for around the basement and garage however it has recently been replaced by a Lumintop_Zoom_1 ($35). The lumintop has a few nice improvements over the Anker. Its smaller and lighter, and the USB charge port is under a rubber cap on the outside vs removing the Anker's tailcap. It also has last level memory when turned on, the drawback it that it will not memorize turbo, you need to double for turbo. So now the LuminTop Zoom 1 is my #1 recommendation but I say that with reservation in that the discontinued Olight R20 was and still is my all time favorite flashlight. (I have 2)
Really appreciate this video, just started working night shifts as a door supervisor, was looking for a torch to use both inside and outside of work but to no avail
I'd like to think that if someone tries to break into this guy's house, so many lights turn on that the would-be thief is instantly and permanently blinded.
6:06 light snobs unite ! All kidding aside, thanks for the honesty. After years of buying, using, selling or loosing various flashlights - yours is the honest experienced view and video that is very appreciated. And the false lumen claims! - the opposite of honest from many manufacturers. You're not a mere snob you are an experienced light guy. Good Video Matt.
Got Bolder. Good purchase. Not perfect but quite capable. Recently an intruder Sat 3am tried to enter my bedroom. Sliding glass door locked. Activated, quickly for a spot, aimed for face of the whatever, they panicked and left. I deterred some wt assailing me. Recommend "Boulder."
The J5 Tactical is also sold under the RCA Brand, they have the small and the large one, AA or 3 AAA powered, the same die can be displayed with the RCA.
I appreciate your work and detail and down to earth flashlight buy list with a savvy review over every one of them at the introduction . Very helpful to watch and figure stuff out a little better. Thanks again. Thumbs up. Subscribed 👍⭐
I love this dudes reviews. Aside the fact that he reminds me of a genetic conglomerate of Eddie Arcadian (The last Dragon) and Dave Mirra (of late X-games fame) you couldn't ask for a more thorough breakdown of current flashlight technology. Thanks man.
I've had a couple of lights of other brands that I think were nearly the same thing as that J5 with an 18650 battery. I only replaced it when it got lost and am still using the second one. Works quite well.
thanks Matt i just purchased the nicron n7 i loved your presentation and i apreciate your video keep up the good work i will only by my flashlights thru you from now on peace j
I was #500 for the 'thumbs up' plus you got a new sub here. Also, I've owned the J5 Tactile V1 Pro for 3 years and it's been through hell- dropped numerous times from ladders, dropped while running and used regularly for EDC purposes. The anodized finish is worn and beat up looking but the light still works as good as new!
Wow great video, I was expecting $50-$150 flashlights the you wouldn’t buy unless you worked on a ranch or were some type of light enthusiast. But that’s awesome price points and output number, with trustworthy 3rd party testing from you, appreciate the effort.
Bought the Nicron N7 on your recommendation. Thing was dead out the box. I even went out my way to get the rechargable you mentioned and a battery charger for it ($30 flashlight, not cheap in Australia even though we're all getting the same item from China - $100+ more on two batteries and recharger). Tried to contact the seller, no reply. Tried troubleshooting it - even soldered a bypass on the dodgy spring. The head is loose I think therein lies the issue. Returning it through Amazon, sadly I can't return everything else with it so I'm stuck with that. But since this issue I began reading ONLY the 1 star reviews and it appears a good 25% of ALL N7's are DEAD on arrival, and a good 50% fail within a few weeks to months. This is a TERRIBLE product, you just got lucky!
Amazon is a review Scammer in itself as most customers won't return... They crack down on the scammers now in 2021 a little more just to sell their own China made contracted products, do a little research which "brands" belong to Amazon
I've had that very same Boulder light for a couple of years. It's good quality and makes for a good house light. I find the button difficult to press though. It's output put my old incandescent Maglite to shame.
. I think the viewers would have been interested in knowing that the Outlite did not use a parabolic reflector. There were markings for a zoom range, but when the head is pulled forward, the angle of the light is simply restricted to whatever clears the front opening. The Outlite would provide fairly even illumination over a large diameter, but not a spot. Also, I suggest you include some of the extremely compact flashlights that use a single AAA battery, like the RISEMART Small Mini Pocket Led Pen light, four for less than $20 on Amazon. These lights don’t have a blinky mode or take faxes. The switch has my preferred function of being either ON or OFF.
I can't find any flashlight that beat the Wowtac A1s on Amazon. 1150 lumens and comes with a 3400mAh rechargeable battery! A fantastic light. Definitely my favorite. Check it out! $25.99
I got the Nicron N7. Perfect for my use case. Even with the standard Duracell 1.5v AA battery. The rim of the lights head is Glow in the Dark. For a car flash light its perfect. Thanks for the recommendation.
When it comes to flashlights it's best to choose one that will accept both rechargeable and alkaline batteries. If you are in a position where you cannot recharge the light, then you can use alkaline batteries which are quite plentiful. Good reviews though.
Any flashlight that can take 16650 up through 18650 batteries will also take CR123A batteries. Something else that the lithium powered lights have over alkaline or Ni-MH batteries is that they will still run in *much* colder weather.
Well done Matt ,but there are things you didn't cover that people would like to know . Which ones (e)s have the most run time and stay cool to touch after being on for an extended time ? Which one charges the fastest ? Flashlights with lumen ratings in the thousands get hot enough to start a fire and burn skin. For the person looking for the perfect lumen, function, durability to cost ratios, which flashlight of the thousands available checks all boxes . Thanks for the test .
Hi Matt. Happy to say I bought an N7 on your recommendation and I'm very pleased with it. I'd say the build quality was on a par with a Convoy of the same price - e.g. pretty good. Mine came with a spare o-ring even! One thing that I noticed was a pretty harsh PWM effect on LOW mode. HIGH mode appears to have no PWM visible. I can't say this bothers me in the least, but I know some people really can't stand it. Bought a "Li-SOCL2" primary cell (first time I've ever used them) and they work a treat in this light. I've tried a side-by-side comparison with a gold-top AA and I can't tell the difference in performance, they seem equally bright, which is a bonus if all you can get is alkalines. Very nice light though, thanks for the recommendation. :)
The light is so strong it give you crips view of where the light hits. The light test in the dark giving me the feeling your in a live horror game lol But thank you for the test. It gives me better ideal on witch one I want to purchase better.👍
I recognize that OUTLITE one. There's a BS company trying to call it the FlashX5, and they're selling it for 99 dollars. Almost bought one because they linked to a YT ad showing the flashtorch mini (which can actually set things on fire). So BEWARE.
Finished watching the video and I wanted to say something based on my own experience. Well rated doesn’t necessarily means truly good. You already kinda said that reviewing some of them but I really wanted to add something, a little story that happened to me. I remember once my mother bought me a little flashlight on aliexpress, it had like 1400 reviews and 4.5 stars, yet it nearly spontaneously combusted while I was keeping it on my belt because the battery was shitty and began to overheat for no reasons. All the positive reviews were from people who bought a flashlight just to play a bit with it but not for an active use like me. Wasn’t that much of a loss, just scared me a lot and produced a bad smell in my class -yes I was at school when it nearly combusted- and made my mothe wants 20 bucks, but since then I bought myself a real good flashlight (a Warrior X3 from Olight if anyone wonders) which fit my usage better.
I like your ranking of these lights, especially the N7. I've been telling folks how great it is & the "gear light", I actually got a few of these for friends when I lived @ the Grand Canyon where it needed because there isn't much lighting @ all. Gearlight throws a flood lighting which is perfect for seeing what's around, mainly wildlife,so it's a great tool to have. It is bigger then I would like but I cannot misplace that thing, & all mine came with a 26650 battery & a sleeve for it & the other battery(maybe that's why you gave it a bad ranking?). No wasted words straight to the point, outstanding video presentation 👏. I will subscribe & like. 1. N7 2. J5 3. Gear Light 4. ByBlight 5. Anker Boulder 6. The BS military light - Outlite
Why did you put the Anker Boulder at #5? I own one. I've had mine for 4 years and it still works perfectly. This video ranked it #2 so I'm curious what your reasoning was.
I've read a lot about that Bolder. I use the Anker Bolder LC30 as my pocket carry. Quite sufficient for my line of work (I.T.). It's always there when I need a basic light, and if more is needed, I break out the bigger boys. They all have merit for the price. The J5 looks like the old UltraFire, which, for the price, is a useful light. And indeed, the Outlite has many faces! I have one of the "versions", and it also is a decent light. My daughter bought it for me; she thought it really was what is was advertised as! But a plastic case, 18650 battery, and a charger - I keep it on a table in the LR, so it gets used a lot. Enjoyed hanging out with you Matt, as always!
Hi Matt great video love what you do! What battery did you use in the Nicron N7 i would like to pick up the light and battery. Please let me know if you can. Thanks
8:33 I owned two, 1:1 the same looking flashlight and it costed me 13$ on Amazon, it came in a case and inside were two of those flashlights but without battery or 18650 cells. I have to say this flashlight isn't that bad and it helped me to survive the daily 3 months road trip to my workplace without my car. The only thing that I don't like, is that it can unscrew it's head really easily and it's hard to tighten it completely :P Overall, I would give it a 7/10 points
These lights would have been great if we was in the 80s or 90s but nowadays with companies like Olight, jetbeam, surefire or Klarus, NAHHHH! But they are better than hitting your toes on the bed frame in a blackout during a storming night. Trust me those toes will be grateful lmao. Great review bro! Oh you should check out the Craftsman 500 lumen spot light, it's at Lowe's for $30, its a monster for the price
Didn't hear a wasted word. Thanks for respecting your users time.
Scot Turner Relax.
Users? WHF?
Scot Turner ... Thank God he didn't just talk all day like most! ... Lol 😆
@El Matadores what in the fuck did you just say?
@El Matadores "you heard"? I read your comment, not "heard". You Third World Country illiterate .
All of them are simple and capable lights superior to what would have been available on the market 10-15 years ago. Enough bang for the buck and no obvious rip-offs. It is good to see that reasonably good equipment is becoming more common as this means that more people are better prepared for many types of emergency situations.
Agreed. I like to keep a flashlight handy in all areas. Can never have too many. Bedroom, garage, car, shed, work etc.
I've bought multiple Anker Bolder flashlights over the past few years. Not the big zoomable one but the smaller 400 lumen one. I carry one every day AND have one attached to a 12 gauge shotgun. Have put many rounds through it and the recoil/shock hasn't damaged the light at all. Not the most intuitive controls but very well built especially for the price. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a lightweight, rechargable relatively-high lumen flashlight
This is timeless. Still extremely relevant insight years later. Thanks
This was one of the best reviews I have seen. You gave tons of information that is was useful and not just trivial stuff that most do. Plus, as an Amazon shopper, I liked that you gave hands on meaning to the "star" reviews that get confusing as you go from item to item. Thanks.
I bought a J5 and liked it so much that I now have one in every car and a few in the home. It puts out a good amount of light on one AA battery. There may be brighter or less expensive lights, but this one works for me.
I had a J5 and they are quite bright but the switch seems to fail after about 8-9 months.
im shocked u have good luck with the j5. i have 2 of them and the swithches re no good on both of them. it rrely goes full bright cuse of poor swith contacts
So far, so good. But I don’t think I’m using them a lot. Maybe I was just lucky.
Great, very informative reviews!! Three members of my family deer hunt so we need a good source for searching downed deer in the dark. I personally like Coleman flashlights. They are a little bit more expensive ($18-$24 / 350-400 lumens) but provide one thing I want for use in the field, a SIMPLE switch with ONLY on and off! If I were an emergency responder or hiked the Rockies on a regular basis I might want the flashing feature and 48 intensity modes but I hate clicking the switch 5x to turn off the light.
I agree
My N7 is still kicking strong 4 years later! Great recommendation.
I have the Bolder 90 2-Cell version and I love it so much. It has excellent power. and about double the battery life of the single cell version. It's slightly different; the batteries aren't removable, but the charging port is on the bottom of the flashlight alongside the button, which clicks once to cycle through the modes, rather than on and off and on and off. You have to hold it to turn it off and save the last state.
Matt, I absolutely LOVE your channel. You are so funny and entertaining! I am a hopeless flashlight junkie like you and at the present moment I own about 50 various LED flashlights. Some small, some coke can style, some large. Throwers, flooders, the works. 18650 LED lights are my flashlight of choice due to their power. Now get this: I recently ordered an Imalant M16 for $60.00 bucks from this company online with a big fancy website. They sent me information that they have received my order, a tracking # the works. It’s being shipped from Australia so I have no idea how long it’s going to take to get to NJ! We shall see! A $650.00 100K lumen light for $60.00 bucks. I took a flyer...I could not resist. If they don’t come thru with the product then I contest the charge on my card. Keep up the great reviews! I love the idea of reviewing all the LED lights on Amazon. There are so many fugazi brands to choose from.
As always, if it's too good to be true... I admire your optimism though :)
@Castle Bravo: You are correct. It was a total scam. They sent me a two 18650 cell LED flashlight that is about 1000 lumens. It’s actually a nice thrower. Is it a $60.00 LED flashlight? Probably. BUT its not what I ordered.
I see overstated lumens across the board, some moderately, some absurdly.
Probably, but these are going to be more general consumer oriented lights anyway. Something like that Nicron could be an AWESOME single light for most non-flashaholic users. Small, 1 easy battery solution, multi-function/direction head, low/high without BS, etc.
@@martinaee Agree. I just ordered one. Hope it makes it through the Black Friday craziness.
Chinese watts is American watts divided by 3. Let's hope that Chinese lumens don't suffer the same fate.
Wish be like 99999999999999999999999 lumens that’ll be $1.99
Yes, in my rating the BYB F18 would just fail so hard, as it claims more than double of it's real brightness. The Anker Bolder is the most honest one but with the most ugly beam I have seen in a while. And I'm not even a flashaholic ^^
Thanks for the reviews sir - we live in the UK and just bought the Anker Bolder from Amazon this evening. We've got a horse to bring in from a huge field in the pitch black of winter - and this light looks like it'll help us find the little bugger when he's hiding in a corner of the field - lol. Thanks again :)
Best flashlight review I've seen!
In my opinion any flashlight that cannot go down to 15 lumens or less cannot double as a "survival lamp." So I wish they would not pretend. Almost by definition "survival" means "unexpected," which means you'll only have the light you have on you unexpectedly. So expect that you will run out of power completely. Why not have a lamp that is also capable of 120 hours or more? Especially in the winter. In my mind, 120+ hours is far more useful than 120+ lumens when it comes to survival.
When it comes to survival two things are critically important: maximum output and maximum hours.
So in my mind; any lamp that does not have survival-LOW mode but does have blinking "survival" modes is hype, a freaking joke, tinsel for wannabees.
Non-traveling, social, and close-up work require even less light.
Very few reviews show the lumens or hours of lowest-mode.
--Doug Bashford in Fresno
The reviews on Amazon are bad, most people have no idea about the products, competitors to the product/good value, and what's just a rebranded Chinese Aliexpress item slapped with a random brand name that you could purchase for 1/4th of the cost directly from Aliexpress, example is that Outlite one, random brand name, I bought the same light for 3.50 glad you touched on that. Good video though Matt, the most honest man on RUclips.
I have an LC90 from 2016. No wobble at all. I have used it regularly, but never really abused it, and it is still virtually brand new.
I've had the Anker 900 and 1300 for a couple years now. They definitely feel solid and have held up well especially for the price tag. They are kind of bulky though so good to keep in the house or a bag
That's really nice when the strobe and SOS flash are separate with the long press. I get frustrated by so many that cycle though or accidentally starts in that strobe mode.
I have a ThruNite TC15. It's as small as the ones you tested and is really bright. It has 3 basic light levels, plus a very dim "candlelight" mode and a super-bright mode. It's rechargeable through a USB port built into it or the 18650 battery can be removed for external charging.
It is not zoomable.
UI after turning on is to hold the power button for the 3 standard modes.
My EDC is a tiny ThruNite Ti (60 lm) which I've kept on my keychain for years. It use one AAA (alkaline or NiMH). (Really AAA, not AA.)
Since it is tiny enough to fit nicely on my key-ring, I always have it with me.
It has only two settings: bright and dim. None of that blinky nonsense.
I love it. The twist-switch mechanism seems to be reliable year after year, unlike click-switches. The tail-click lights I've had have all become flakey after a while.
One idiosyncrasy of the ThruNite Ti is that it would only do dim mode with an Eneloop battery. I wrote to ThruNite and they told me it's because the Enelook AAA is very slightly shorter than Alkaline AAAs. So I dropped a tiny aluminum washer into the tube beneath the battery, and that solved the problem.
Bolder I've been using for 4 years now as a full time mechanic and its like the same quality as the 180 dollars streamlight.
I'm about to go buy a Nicron N7 and a few 14500s. Thanks for the video and your time you put into them. Hope your doing well and having a good one!
Prompt, thorough and who doesn't love "blinky stuff?"
Yes what is that
Plenty hate the soppy flashing modes you never need but have to cycle through
From one flashaholic to another you do a great job here with your reviews and I really appreciate your natural straight to the point approach. 👍
Do u flashoholics flash yourself in public
@@thiccboi6938 I believe those are the Fleshaholics you are speaking of
@@thiccboi6938 🤣🤣🤣
I have the nicron n7 and carry it with me daily. It's incredibly bright and versatile for its size. I've been thoroughly impressed with it for the past 3 months I've had it. I mainly got it for work. I work at a hose supplier and some of the machines can be kinda dark to use. I also use a nickel metal hydride battery as its power. Highly recommend it! It also has sos mode and a strobe but not in the main switch use which I love. Most flashlights incorporate that feature towards the end at which point you have to cycle through it to turn it off. With this light you just hold down the power button a few seconds to enter that mode. Normal modes are high and low then off
Can the nicron n7 fit protected 14500 cells? Or only unprotected cells?
@@mattcousins1707 I'm not sure actually but what are the differences in size?
Justin Helms usually 50 or so mm longer because of the protective chip
I have the Anker Bolder for my on duty job. It really is a good flashlight.
I brought a Gearlight S1200 but be careful don't unscrew on front of the lenses, it will falls out with 3 components, plastic lenses, rubber rings supposedly seated on lenses and as well as expose the leds. 3 "AA" batteries barrier is okay with alkaline but also accepted with Ni-MH rechargeable (however degrading lumens slightly). 26650 and 18650 LI-ion battery are the best but not great still. It looks pretty good. Great summary reviews, Matt.
I have the Anker Bolder for my birthday this year. That thing is amazing!!! I can see Coyotes trying to kill my livestock 100+yards out. Super powerful. Fantastic flashlight.
I disagree. It's an okay light that isn't close to the advertised 900 lumens.
The nice thing about the J5 is that the focus adjustment can be easily handled with your pinky when holding it for single handed operation.
When walking the doggo at night I only have the one free hand, and it's with a quick movement of my pinky I can throw enough light at something 200ft away to know if it's a threat then readjust back to short range. This way I don't need some monster light that will blind all the neighbors.
I picked up a handful of the J5 Tactical lights for $5 each from a Woot sale. They're solid lights, especially at that price point. Just wanted something reliable to toss in drawers and glove boxes. Wouldn't pay more than $15 for sure. But if you can get them on sale I highly recommend that light.
I was buying my bf a new flashlight for Christmas because he asked for one and this video helped me a lot thanks I went with the Nicron 😁👍🏻
It is really amazing how many good flashlights are out there for cheap prices.
The quality is cheap too. You get what you pay for.
Thank you for doing this comparison! It's funny how awkward is the beam on most of them except Nicron N7. There are so much better lights for this ~$20 USD mark. Convoy S21A for example. But it's cool that many of them come with battery and USB charger - makes it self-sufficient if this is a the only light you have.
Thanks for the great video Matt. Today I bought a Diall GZT001 (sold by B&Q a hardware store in UK) but could not figure out how to install the battery. Turns out it is a re-badged J5 Tactical (but only 60lm).
My answer was at 09:41 :)
I love the Nicron N7. I’ve gifted many of them too. I did a video on it several months ago on how I thought it was the ultimate car/truck light
I have the Boulder and it is one of the best I have ever purchased. Had it for over a year and it is so nice. I highly recommend this one.
The Wanker Bolders are nice if you just want a decent light without the frills. I have the LC40 and it's pretty awesome for $10. Takes 3xAAA, 1x18650 or 1x20650. High, Low, and Strobe, no frills. Pretty good balance of throw and spill too.
Just wanna say thanks for these I've bought way more expensive lights with results not always this good . It means a lot to get to see some of these amazon products before buying.
I bought the N7 based on your review. I'm very pleased! Great little flashlight.
You are a legend!! I hope one of these flashlight companies hires you as a consultant. Next time I buy a flashlight I promise I will use one of your affiliate links. Thanks for all the hard work.
If you are looking for a real flashlight check out the /r/flashlight subreddit. The people there can direct you to the light you need for what you want to use it with. not the crap mentioned in this video. Especially if you are willing to use 18650 batteries there is so much better out there.
IMHO I would switch the top two Putting the Anker at the top for multiple reasons.
~Anker pros: its the brightest light here, its closest to its rated output, its a (more) recognizable reputable name, it comes with an 18650 battery, its USB rechargeable (USB charging is a major point).
~Anker cons: its rather large and heavy for an 18650 light.
~Nicron pros: small, lightweight, swivel head, magnetic base, bright with a 14650.
~Nicron cons: 14650 Li-ion battery not included, 14650's aren't common, its not very bright with an AA battery, and most importantly I would venture to say most people shopping for a light in this price range do not have a 14650 battery or charger. The added cost of a battery and charger will put total cost well above the Anker. I mean even if you buy the cheapest garbage no name battery and charger you could find, you will still be at + or - $30.
BTW I do like the zoomy lights but not for the zoom, I like the nice even edge to edge light beam for close range use. I have three 6-7 year old Outlite type flashlights. One came with a 26650 and I got 2 ultrafires for $8.99. I can tell you I've never used them much because I don't like having to constantly click through all 5 modes (L, M, H, stobe, sos)(they don't have last mode memory) So, I ended up mostly using my Costco 2 for $20 C-cell Cree zoomy's that I only had to click 3 times vs 5.
Those were finally retired for an Anker Bolder for the last three years. It has last mode memory (woohoo) and its still working flawlessly. The Anker was my go to light for around the basement and garage however it has recently been replaced by a Lumintop_Zoom_1 ($35). The lumintop has a few nice improvements over the Anker. Its smaller and lighter, and the USB charge port is under a rubber cap on the outside vs removing the Anker's tailcap. It also has last level memory when turned on, the drawback it that it will not memorize turbo, you need to double for turbo.
So now the LuminTop Zoom 1 is my #1 recommendation but I say that with reservation in that the discontinued Olight R20 was and still is my all time favorite flashlight. (I have 2)
Good up front info, but I think we're all hungry for the brightest light comparison, they go up to 100,000 lumens & these are 300-1200...
Real lumens vs BS is a thing. 100k lumens? Which one is your favorite?
@@joeray5394
Haven’t got any yet, but your
comment was a helpful reminder to restart searching for one, a great tool👍
Really appreciate this video, just started working night shifts as a door supervisor, was looking for a torch to use both inside and outside of work but to no avail
I'd like to think that if someone tries to break into this guy's house, so many lights turn on that the would-be thief is instantly and permanently blinded.
fried to a crisp as well
That’s what you get for being stupid enough to spend $20 on a light that supposedly has more output than a high quality $100 light.
Thank you for taking the time to review these items. This was very helpful.
6:06 light snobs unite ! All kidding aside, thanks for the honesty. After years of buying, using, selling or loosing various flashlights - yours is the honest experienced view and video that is very appreciated. And the false lumen claims! - the opposite of honest from many manufacturers. You're not a mere snob you are an experienced light guy. Good Video Matt.
Finally good reviews on Lights. Thank you.
I bought the J5 Tactical and it was an ABSOLUTE P.O.S! Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Great video!
Why
Edgar Sanchez the thing basically feel apart!
Got Bolder. Good purchase. Not perfect but quite capable. Recently an intruder Sat 3am tried to enter my bedroom. Sliding glass door locked. Activated, quickly for a spot, aimed for face of the whatever, they panicked and left. I deterred some wt assailing me.
Recommend "Boulder."
You do comparisons well. Thank you.
Good room acoustic, your voice is so clear and natural.
I appreciate you doing the review because I don't trust Amazon's ratings...
The J5 Tactical is also sold under the RCA Brand, they have the small and the large one, AA or 3 AAA powered, the same die can be displayed with the RCA.
I love how positive, informative and high energy your videos always are
Brilliant video. Straight into it, no messing about. 10/10
I appreciate your work and detail and down to earth flashlight buy list with a savvy review over every one of them at the introduction . Very helpful to watch and figure stuff out a little better. Thanks again. Thumbs up. Subscribed 👍⭐
I love this dudes reviews. Aside the fact that he reminds me of a genetic conglomerate of Eddie Arcadian (The last Dragon) and Dave Mirra (of late X-games fame) you couldn't ask for a more thorough breakdown of current flashlight technology. Thanks man.
Sho'nuff!!!
@@fordsrule35 LOL!!
I've had a couple of lights of other brands that I think were nearly the same thing as that J5 with an 18650 battery. I only replaced it when it got lost and am still using the second one. Works quite well.
Echoing what others have said every word from start to finish was good not a lot of wasted time thank you for the knowledge and time.
👍🏻
This channel is actually severely underrated. Good content and no wasting our time. Instant sub!
Could you repeat this but with UV flashlights?
thanks Matt i just purchased the nicron n7 i loved your presentation and i apreciate your video keep up the good work i will only by my flashlights thru you from now on
peace j
I was #500 for the 'thumbs up' plus you got a new sub here. Also, I've owned the J5 Tactile V1 Pro for 3 years and it's been through hell- dropped numerous times from ladders, dropped while running and used regularly for EDC purposes. The anodized finish is worn and beat up looking but the light still works as good as new!
Wow great video, I was expecting $50-$150 flashlights the you wouldn’t buy unless you worked on a ranch or were some type of light enthusiast. But that’s awesome price points and output number, with trustworthy 3rd party testing from you, appreciate the effort.
Bought the Nicron N7 on your recommendation. Thing was dead out the box. I even went out my way to get the rechargable you mentioned and a battery charger for it ($30 flashlight, not cheap in Australia even though we're all getting the same item from China - $100+ more on two batteries and recharger). Tried to contact the seller, no reply. Tried troubleshooting it - even soldered a bypass on the dodgy spring. The head is loose I think therein lies the issue. Returning it through Amazon, sadly I can't return everything else with it so I'm stuck with that. But since this issue I began reading ONLY the 1 star reviews and it appears a good 25% of ALL N7's are DEAD on arrival, and a good 50% fail within a few weeks to months. This is a TERRIBLE product, you just got lucky!
Amazon is a review Scammer in itself as most customers won't return... They crack down on the scammers now in 2021 a little more just to sell their own China made contracted products, do a little research which "brands" belong to Amazon
I've had that very same Boulder light for a couple of years. It's good quality and makes for a good house light. I find the button difficult to press though. It's output put my old incandescent Maglite to shame.
. I think the viewers would have been interested in knowing that the Outlite did not use a parabolic reflector. There were markings for a zoom range, but when the head is pulled forward, the angle of the light is simply restricted to whatever clears the front opening. The Outlite would provide fairly even illumination over a large diameter, but not a spot.
Also, I suggest you include some of the extremely compact flashlights that use a single AAA battery, like the RISEMART Small Mini Pocket Led Pen light, four for less than $20 on Amazon. These lights don’t have a blinky mode or take faxes. The switch has my preferred function of being either ON or OFF.
I can't find any flashlight that beat the Wowtac A1s on Amazon. 1150 lumens and comes with a 3400mAh rechargeable battery! A fantastic light. Definitely my favorite. Check it out! $25.99
I got the Nicron N7. Perfect for my use case. Even with the standard Duracell 1.5v AA battery. The rim of the lights head is Glow in the Dark. For a car flash light its perfect.
Thanks for the recommendation.
Caught that at the end.... Good lux. First time viewer
The Nicron N7 looks pretty awesome. Thanks for the great video Matt :)
Matt that was a well executed video presentation was spot on . you really put them through a good test .many thanks gerald UK
When it comes to flashlights it's best to choose one that will accept both rechargeable and alkaline batteries. If you are in a position where you cannot recharge the light, then you can use alkaline batteries which are quite plentiful. Good reviews though.
Any flashlight that can take 16650 up through 18650 batteries will also take CR123A batteries.
Something else that the lithium powered lights have over alkaline or Ni-MH batteries is that they will still run in *much* colder weather.
That Outlite has sold under a zillion different names
next video: Testing the Best Rated Fleshlights on Amazon
What is it with flesh light saw it in crazy Russian hacker
Well done Matt ,but there are things you didn't cover that people would like to know . Which ones (e)s have the most run time and stay cool to touch after being on for an extended time ? Which one charges the fastest ? Flashlights with lumen ratings in the thousands get hot enough to start a fire and burn skin. For the person looking for the perfect lumen, function, durability to cost ratios, which flashlight of the thousands available checks all boxes . Thanks for the test .
Super thanks for testing!
Very good info. Thanks, Matt.
Hi Matt. Happy to say I bought an N7 on your recommendation and I'm very pleased with it. I'd say the build quality was on a par with a Convoy of the same price - e.g. pretty good. Mine came with a spare o-ring even! One thing that I noticed was a pretty harsh PWM effect on LOW mode. HIGH mode appears to have no PWM visible. I can't say this bothers me in the least, but I know some people really can't stand it. Bought a "Li-SOCL2" primary cell (first time I've ever used them) and they work a treat in this light. I've tried a side-by-side comparison with a gold-top AA and I can't tell the difference in performance, they seem equally bright, which is a bonus if all you can get is alkalines. Very nice light though, thanks for the recommendation. :)
Awesome Matt..... Thx for sharing
Excellent video. Smart. Will buy one
Professional comparison.
Thank you
Great video. Very detailed and I love the real measurement test you did. Gave details of each flashlight and tested each one indoors and outdoors.
Just bought an Anker Bolder based off your review on this video. I am NOT disappointed. Love the content
The light is so strong it give you crips view of where the light hits. The light test in the dark giving me the feeling your in a live horror game lol
But thank you for the test. It gives me better ideal on witch one I want to purchase better.👍
I bought 2 tactical lights that use 18650 batteries for $20.00 dollars on line and they work very very well and are super bright
I have similar flashlights as you. You should do a 4 foot drop test and see how many survive. Most of mine failed to turn on.
So which one did you all get? The J5 tactical or the Nicron N7? I’m ready to purchase one now on Amazon. Thanks
I recognize that OUTLITE one. There's a BS company trying to call it the FlashX5, and they're selling it for 99 dollars. Almost bought one because they linked to a YT ad showing the flashtorch mini (which can actually set things on fire). So BEWARE.
Great review sir!how well are batteries holding for high load applications?
Finished watching the video and I wanted to say something based on my own experience. Well rated doesn’t necessarily means truly good. You already kinda said that reviewing some of them but I really wanted to add something, a little story that happened to me. I remember once my mother bought me a little flashlight on aliexpress, it had like 1400 reviews and 4.5 stars, yet it nearly spontaneously combusted while I was keeping it on my belt because the battery was shitty and began to overheat for no reasons. All the positive reviews were from people who bought a flashlight just to play a bit with it but not for an active use like me. Wasn’t that much of a loss, just scared me a lot and produced a bad smell in my class -yes I was at school when it nearly combusted- and made my mothe wants 20 bucks, but since then I bought myself a real good flashlight (a Warrior X3 from Olight if anyone wonders) which fit my usage better.
I like your ranking of these lights, especially the N7. I've been telling folks how great it is & the "gear light", I actually got a few of these for friends when I lived @ the Grand Canyon where it needed because there isn't much lighting @ all. Gearlight throws a flood lighting which is perfect for seeing what's around, mainly wildlife,so it's a great tool to have. It is bigger then I would like but I cannot misplace that thing, & all mine came with a 26650 battery & a sleeve for it & the other battery(maybe that's why you gave it a bad ranking?).
No wasted words straight to the point, outstanding video presentation 👏. I will subscribe & like.
1. N7
2. J5
3. Gear Light
4. ByBlight
5. Anker Boulder
6. The BS military light - Outlite
Why did you put the Anker Boulder at #5? I own one. I've had mine for 4 years and it still works perfectly. This video ranked it #2 so I'm curious what your reasoning was.
I've read a lot about that Bolder. I use the Anker Bolder LC30 as my pocket carry. Quite sufficient for my line of work (I.T.). It's always there when I need a basic light, and if more is needed, I break out the bigger boys.
They all have merit for the price. The J5 looks like the old UltraFire, which, for the price, is a useful light. And indeed, the Outlite has many faces! I have one of the "versions", and it also is a decent light. My daughter bought it for me; she thought it really was what is was advertised as! But a plastic case, 18650 battery, and a charger - I keep it on a table in the LR, so it gets used a lot.
Enjoyed hanging out with you Matt, as always!
😊
You just had to show that Nikron....I NEED IT
Hi Matt great video love what you do! What battery did you use in the Nicron N7 i would like to pick up the light and battery. Please let me know if you can. Thanks
You are pretty straightforward. Thank you!
Thanks Matt, another great video.
I have the Nicron N7 only gripe is the plastic lense.
Straight into the video love it
You always do such good reviews, thanks!
I really like the idea of the Amazon Basics Nmh batteries too.
8:33 I owned two, 1:1 the same looking flashlight and it costed me 13$ on Amazon, it came in a case and inside were two of those flashlights but without battery or 18650 cells.
I have to say this flashlight isn't that bad and it helped me to survive the daily 3 months road trip to my workplace without my car.
The only thing that I don't like, is that it can unscrew it's head really easily and it's hard to tighten it completely :P
Overall, I would give it a 7/10 points
I concur! Micron and Anker rock! Have both.
These lights would have been great if we was in the 80s or 90s but nowadays with companies like Olight, jetbeam, surefire or Klarus, NAHHHH!
But they are better than hitting your toes on the bed frame in a blackout during a storming night. Trust me those toes will be grateful lmao. Great review bro!
Oh you should check out the Craftsman 500 lumen spot light, it's at Lowe's for $30, its a monster for the price
I only trust my life to Surefire