Yo Max review this flashlight ASAP! I love watching your videos and gotten a lot of items from bc of your reviews, would love to see your thoughts on the Nitecore
The Nitecore EDC27 I had high hopes for. Had mine for 2 weeks and under normal use the lens is starting to melt. I always use lockout mode so it’s never come on accidentally in my pocket.
Jon -- Never used strobe mode against a would-be attacker but it may have saved my life and the lives of others in a different application: I got off the train coming home from work after dark and had to cross the adjacent street with several other commuters. I was carrying a SOG DE-06 in those days specifically for this purpose; I wanted the brightest compact light (at the time) to be more visible to drivers whilst crossing. I'd keep it on high or strobe mode, depending on the traffic, but lowered from the drivers' eyeline if they were slowing or stopping for us pedestrians. One evening, one old guy didn't -- he kept right on coming at a crosswalk full of people. I brought the light right up into his windshield and he slammed on the breaks with a great Hollywood screech and puff of smoke. My fellow commuters and I, meanwhile, hopped out of that crosswalk like jackrabbits. What would have happened if I hadn't had that light in that situation? Who knows -- but I did and several riders and I walked home safely from it. So the strobe capability is legit
The battery of the X2 can be replaced, you just have to unscrew the bottom cap. But you have to be extra careful when you unscrew the bottom cap because the compressed spring tension inside is very strong. It may strip your screw. You need to keep exerting pressure to keep the bottom cap while you take out each screw.
I personally like a small key-chain flashlight, a head lamp, and a small traditional that fits into a mount on my bicycle handlebars. Between the three of those, all my flashlight needs are satisfied.
As an owner of the edc27. I love it, as wranglerstar would say, it gives me the fizz...... first light ive owned that I can edc comfortably. USE THE LOCKOUT though it will burn a hole in your pocket. yes its that powerful
Your question about the strobe, I use a Fenix TK20R v2.0, I mainly use it whilst taking my dog out. I have use the strobe towards an aggressive dog that was off a lead, making its way to my dog. It work the dog just stoped. (a good outcome) Enjoy your videos, look forward to your next one.
@@henryjtodd The “short” is excerpted from the longer video on his channel. The value shorts have for creators is bringing more eyes to his channel for potential subscribers.
The EDC27 has been my constant companion since acquired three weeks ago. It is everything I'd want in an EDC for my particular use. Of course always in my pocket is also the Rovyvon A8 the best "always there" light ever made (thus far) 👍🔦👍 Great review and comparison, as always, Jon!
EDC27 is a great step for flashlights, but feels to me a bit unrefined. I really look forward to seeing future iterations with better executed switches. I currently think the SureFire Stiletto lights are the closest to hitting the right balance with their combo of face button for EDC nodes and turbo tail switch, but even then that light has some evolving to do also. Regardless, really excited at the direction these lights are going.
I like the direction that they are going with the rectangular form factor. A round cylinder in the pocket is very uncomfortable if you’ve ever had one in your pocket and were lying on the floor with your weight pressing on it, like if you were working under a sink or on your car.
I agree. My first flat flashlight is the Boruit V3 and I love it. They should make something like the x2 with smoother edges but with cylinders to take 1-2 18650s so we can have best of both worlds. Rovyvon Angel Eye series already does it for AA battery.
I've carried a cylindrical object in my pants all my life. True, it can get slightly uncomfortable in certain situations on occasion but I couldn't live without it.
I have never used the strobe function in defense, but I have used it many times to flag someone down. For example, someone is leaving at night from my home but has forgotten something. I can turn on the strobe function to get their attention and get them to stop. I’ve also used it to wave down an Uber driver or taxi at night.
Thanks again Jon. If I were choosing it would be the Nitecore for me but honestly the thought of chucking a $/£100 item in the bin is a bit off putting.
To answer the question, I'm a barman and alot of us myself included carry flashlights and lighters - lighters to diffuse a situation and flashlights for self defense if needed. I've never had to use it as of yet but I know people who have especially walking home after a shift in the city centre. It's a nice alternative to carrying something like a SAK for self defense in the UK
Fenix LD12 125 LM version !!! Best edc flashlight ever!! I got it, thanks to a comment like this, I had read on 2015. It still runs like new, after 7 years of use and abuse 24/7 on me everyday, all day. I live in the country like our ancestors did. That means I use it a LOT. The Japanese version of Energizer 2000 mAh, that are actually 2300mAh in reality, are the best batteries I've used on it. If you find one, get it, nothing comes close to it!!
I wish people would stop calling the non-replaceable battery a con in these new style lights. If manufacturers listen to that feedback, we’re going to get even less water resistance and shorter battery life in order to manufacture methods of making the battery compartment easily accessible. Either that, or the lights will simply be bulkier to make up for the drawback of having to design a swappable battery system - and one that will still be proprietary to fit this type of form factor, costing additional money to boot. The non-replaceable battery is not a con, you’re just used to lights that run on primaries and you can own and enjoy both for their separate benefits. If you want something that you can replace the batteries in, the rest of the flashlight market is already flooded with them. This is a new category that you can charge in your car, at the office, and overnight along with your phone, while maintaining a much more flat and minimal profile. It doesn’t need an extra complication to make it more like the lights we already have been using for years.
A small (CR123a) light with several hundred L is a great edc light and easily fits in me pocket, along with one extra battery. No worries about battery failure from leakage. I personally have never experienced a leaking cr123 a battery...
i do like the shape of the Nitecore .. looks much more pocket & hip-bone friendly .. only time i have ever used strobe is for an impromptu woodland rave .. lol
The only thing missing from the nitecore for it to be my absolute ultimate is a red LED -- love having that for camping when I want a touch of illumination without losing my night vision.
I have never used the strobe mode as a defence method. On a couple of occasions I have been approached at night by people with nefarious motives, and it turns out that even 600 lumens shining directly into someone's eyes at a distance of 10ft is enough to make them functionally blind for a few seconds, and that is enough for me to back away pretty safely, while still retaining my own vision. It does not do the recipient any lasting harm, they just lose their night vision completely for a few minutes, and this has been enough for them to realise they are at a disadvantage. This does rely on having the flashlight ready, and shining it at someone before they get too close, which is not always possible, Luckily the people announced their intentions before they got too close, there are definitely scenarios where this would not work.
@@JonGadget Too heavy for EDC but my non headlamp Nitecore of choice for a camping sack is the LR12. Having to pop the battery for charging is a pain but I do have a couple of their portable chargers though from vaping days.
I hope in a few years there's a bluetooth version that would be programmable from an app. One of the features would be a "Personal Emergency" mode. Turns on the mic on the phone, sends a text with GPS coordinates from the phone. Something like that. Free idea. I'll buy one. Wireless charging would be cool too.
@@JonGadget Yeah, I would like to see some knife makers incorporate this idea, Or to use the 'back spacer' lanyard point. instead of putting ugly holes in the knife.
Neither of these do it for me. They're pretty beefy, so carrying them around is not all that easy. If I want portability, I'll just stick with the Rovyvon A8. Still bright enough for most things, and has the addition of those LEDs and magnetic mounting. The only downside of the A8 is that you can't sit it up on its end to light up a room, but the magnetic clips make up for that. If I want something in a bigger format, I'll stick with the Olight Seeker 3 Pro. Way more versatile with that dimmable output, much brighter, and can be stood up on its end to light a room (this is pretty important to me). It's only downside is that it is completely cylindrical and so can easily roll off surfaces if placed on its side. If only they had a flat side to it so it would stay in place, it would have been perfect...
Newcomer and subscriber here. Great video on these modular designs I never knew existed along with certain features. I like that wuban but I’m a fan of replaceable batteries. Thank you.
Thanks Jon, always enjoy your reviews 😊. Think I’d go with the first one as much sleeker looking and easy to carry. But for my current needs for use I’m in love with my Rovyvon A24 titanium. And no, never really use strobe or SOS…..but ya never know! Thanks again.
I’ve never used strobe or sos in anger, and through the winter I am using torches daily. Whilst these are nice torches I would consider them bag friendly rather than pocket friendly. Right now I use the rovyvon a8 on the key chain and a baton 3 in the pocket. For dog walking I have the prerun 2 and the baton 2. I do like the look of the wuben xo though. Thanks for the video.
I've used the strobe before. But not in anger but fear. This dude was trying to piss me off. Got in my face and tried to bully me into a confrontation. I told him I won't stoop to his level. He got so close in my face I could feel his breath. I felt he was about to go hands on with me. So I stepped back and strobed him at very close range. And walked away.
For now this seems to be the only form of self defence you can carry in the UK legally, mostly cause no one thought about it when they made the laws. But if this gets more common, all it takes is one violent attacker either getting disorientated and banging his head, or getting a seizure, and I'm pretty sure they'll at the very least consider banning these high power strobes, or maybe banning them outright. Don't want people going around with devices that can injure violent attackers, do we?
Hello Jon, thank you for your interesting and insightful gear reviews. Seeing you are testing a Wuben product, I wish to give a personal testimonial about the extremely poor support I am getting from that company in obtaining an order I placed Dec 1st 2022. Of course, your milleage may vary, but as far as I am concerned I have never seen a serious firm not trying to get their product out to their customers when there is a major snafu with a shipment.
On the Wuben the text stating, "Do not disassemble" is framed by four hex head fasteners, so obviously it can be disassembled. Why not open it up and replace what's most likely a cell phone battery? Any concern about warranty voidance will be a non-issue unless the light can be sent back the company for a free replacement.
I don't like either one of those flashlights because they are rechargeable. If you're in the middle of doing something that requires the use of a flashlight and the battery goes dead, then you have to stop what you're doing and wait for the flashlight to recharge. I carry a small Olight flashlight that take a single AAA battery, and I always have 2 to 3 spare batteries with me at all times. If my flashlight dies while using it, I can just pop out the dead battery and put a fresh one in and continue what I was doing. Nice review on the flashlights, it was interesting.
For all those folks whining about built-in batteries, anyone with a soldering iron can replace them when the time comes. Regular batteries are fine, IF you are carrying spares. Even then, swapping batteries in the dark is no fun. For an EDC light, just keeping it charged up and knowing how long it'll run for are more useful IMHO. The Wuben X2 battery pack will not be difficult to replace. I have the larger X1 (which uses standard 21700 cells) and it is a fantastic light. I love the wide form factor - fills the hand and sits in a pocket better, twice as much capacity, and won't roll off a surface. I had the EDC27 but returned it. The OLED display is great but it is TINY, if you are over about 45 you'll need reading glasses to read it. The Lumintop Moonbox is not much thicker, but it is shorter, has a better display, perfect 1.5 lumen moonlight mode, longer runtimes, a powerbank function and a 12000 lumen turbo. It's my current EDC for all those reasons. I have a Rovyvon E3 on my keyring for backup, and the X1 is my serious flashlight for emergency response work. All 3 lights have built in cells, USB-C charging and the square form factor. I love it.
Hi Jon and thanks a lot for the useful insights, as usual. I was pretty sure you mentioned in one of your videos the Boruit v3 flashlight but wasn’t able to find it in your feed. Did you or did I just imagined it :D ?
Great video John! I do not think either flash light. I would buy a regular flashlight with the ability to change batteries. I’ve never used SOS mode. And strobe mode is just something fun to play a game with! A simple on and off flash light is all I would need. With moonlight mode. Gotta have moonlight mode for those midnight trips to and from the bathroom!
Maybe i am old fashioned but i still prefer to carry a torch that takes aaa or aa batteries since i can keep so many of these stored away just in case.
Great detailed video, but neither really stands out for me. Other options are brighter/last longer and cheaper at roughly same weight. For reference I EDC a tiny Olite i1R 2 eos (13g) on my keyring and add a Fenix E35R (which you covered in an earlier video) and/or Petzl Actik Headtorch when I think I am more likely to use a torch.
I have both as I backed them on kickstarter. The Wuben X0 and X2 are cool looking but it just sits in my light collection! Lol I have been using the Olight Arkfeld due to its very slim pocket fit. I also like the green laser which I used in meetings and to point out trouble areas of overhead equipment. But the Arkfeld lacks the sustained brightness that the EDC27 can sustain of 1000 lumens at 1 hour and 45 minutes. That's turbo mode for the Arkfeld and it only last for a few minutes! So I've been carrying around the EDC27 and have not changed out yet! The only issue I came across was that I find myself only using lockout #1 and not the #2 full lockout. The purpose of having a turbo and strobe on a second button available is for immediate response purposes, so I don't lock that button out. Thing is is that I use it on my Columbia hiking shorts which has netted pockets for moisture release and to keep temperatures cool. Well when I was squating down looking at something, my bunched up shirt must have folded in a way that it depressed the turbo button, what I thought was a pinching on my thigh grew painful very quickly! Before I knew it burned myself from the turbo mode being turned on accidentally! My fault and the slight scar on my thigh is a reminder to myself to not let that happen again! Lol
Excellent video and reviews. 👍 The technology in illumination devices continue to move forward at a rapid pace. Thank you for being on top of these things, and reporting your observations. Both devices appear to be well constructed and possess many sound features. However, with the battery life limits, combined with zero replacement of same, it's difficult to invest in a rather expensive device only to throw it away when the battery fails.
I told by several self defense instructors like Clint Smith and the late James Yeager that strobe is more disorienting than a constant stream of light.
With a background in electronics I am always mystified as to why these manufacturers omit the 1L mode given that it would be so easy to program into the micro controller.
Nitecore EDC27 only has a 1700mah battery that is non replaceable and is a long and large flashlight compared to many EDC flashlights. That's half the output of a typical 18650 battery flashlight that is 3400mah and is user replaceable. Otherwise it's an interesting design.
Ive had 2 Wuben lights, they are very cool but they both stopped working very quickly. I think the QC is questionable whereas with Nitecore its always good
People might bitch about these non-replaceable batteries, but, how long have the current crop of 16340, 18350, 18650, 21700, 26650 batteries been around? Only 5-10 years. Will theses current "standard" batteries still be standard in another decade or two? Hard to say. Will emitter and electronics technology render even LEDs obsolete? Maybe we'll all be rocking Laser Excited Phosphor lights. I wouldn't stress too too much replaceability. Also, I don't hear any complaints about cell phones not having a swappable battery.
Wouldn't ve interested in either flashlight. Firstly ut needs to take the most commonly available 18650 2100mah unprotected flat top and a 10+ year guarantee but ideally lifetime guarantee as old maglite offered in the past. I don't need lots of setting or a desirable design.
some love it some find it a drawback (adds weight, can corrupt mag stripes, can be annoying when it grabs your keys all the time in your pocket) - each to their own!
@@JonGadget I do have rechargeable flashlights and replaceable batteries flashlights. Can you recommend a waterproof flashlight and if possible that uses 2aa batteries. I really appreciate any advice from you and thank you for all the great videos
@@rainsnowflake4664 Here's one to check out. Fenix E20 V2.0 is a 2AA and has some of the best run time you'll see and size, its the most compact 2AA out there because they uses a automotive reflector optical technology coating that is different than TIR optics and it saves space. Its dimensions are Length: 5.0” (127mm) Body: 0.7” (16.8mm) Head: 0.8” (21mm) and about half the weight of the older version. So it disappears in the pocket well. It's not the brightest at 350 lumens but that is plenty for EDC use and it wont step down very fast like other harder driven flashlights. Its also got no mode memory and starts in low mode each time you turn it on which is great to not blind yourself but some people like memory.
@@practicalguy973 thank you for your advice I will check it out. I do have a couple of 2aa batteries flashlights cheap brands they do take a good beating tho. I make an investment in buying a nitecore mh12s love it. Good lights are very expensive were I live so buying a good light is a investment
@@rainsnowflake4664 Agreed. I have some older 2AA cheap ones maybe 10 years old by brands Coast LED and Defiant, they are simple and they seem to last for that reason. They have cheap internals with noticeable flicker in the light quality though I used them for many years before getting something better! Good luck with what you buy.
Yes this disposable throwaway mentality is just not working for me .sorry. great review non the less. I thought we were living in the 21st century . Maybe in a 20 quid light you can live with. Couple of years then throw away but I need reliability knowing I can throw in a fresh battery and not living with only 50 percent capacity after 12 months then trashing a mechanically perfectly good flashlight. Maybe if they offered battery exchange service on any product over 20 quid they would be more takers. I still have early nitecore products going strong but these would be paper wieghts in a similar time . Come on nitecore do better. Just liked and subscribed by the way
it might not be easy but hopefully there will be a way to open/replace the battery, like most cell phones can do. the manufacturer can help by making the replacement batteries available. $100 is way too much for a light that gets thrown away when the battery loses capacity.
This newer design dont have great carrying profile....for edc,keychain size flashlight is more then enough for daily basis..you dont need this weird boxy shape..
how are these better than say an Olight warrior mini? replaceable battery, better candela and better run times. 15 lumens will most definitely disturb people around you as my seeker pro has 5 lumens and it to bright. I do love Nitecore and have many of there products but I stay away from there gimmick high lumen lights. 7 seconds of turbo on most there models.
I don't replace my battery on my most used gadget my phone, so I am happy not to for this too in order to get the other benefits on offer here. I have a different view for a tactical outdoor light.
I already hate the fact that most modern laptops and phones are basically unserviceable by 95% of people. Why would I want a flashlight to go down that same idiotic route? Next thing you know, flashlight makers get on board with the war on user serviceability and try to come up with some proprietary bullshit like DRM protected “tamperproof” batteries or some crap like that. Sorry, but that is a hard pass from me. I will happily accept some minor inconvenience if I can still OWN what I have. I don’t want to have to toss a device that is still perfectly good, except a consumable (eg the battery), is giving out. It does not make sense from a technical standpoint, and it is unsustainable. It is only good for marketing people who want to hype this up to become „the next big thing“. Those „traditional“ lights habe been around for decades and have proven to be perfectly good and reliable more often than anyone can count. I feel very strongly about this, as you probably can tell. Just use standard batteries and work around those. This approach is an answer to a question that nobody asked. Not everything becomes better because you slap an OLED display on it.
Just wait till they start charging a subscription to be able to use turbo mode!! I’m with you about non-replaceable batteries, especially at £100 and if you’re going to put them in a sealed unit it should be 100% waterproof. Personally, even though it is a fixed battery device, I’m quite intrigued by the new Rovyvon e7.
Not a fan of all the distracting movie clips popped in. Perhaps it's for the younger generation that has no attention span. Please go back to the well-thought-out and to-the-point information combined with your witty personality.
These type of lights do not interest me at all. I like a replaceable battery for two reasons. First, I like to be able to swap out a battery if out on the road, camping, or working on something if the battery dies out -- instead of waiting for it to charge. Second, there's enough things in the land-fill. I want something that lasts...
Agreed. Its amazing that the electronics industry has gone in reverse with non user replaceable batteries in cell phones, flashlights and many other things when there is a need for sustainability and reducing electronic waste. I own a bunch of Eneloops in AA and AAA, many 18650 and 21700 batteries to swap between flashlights which is awesome for power outages and continuous use without having to charge. The other thing is plugs wear out so nice to be able to charge externally with a dedicated battery charger. The industry has confusion though so you really need to know specs well as a couple 18650 button top batteries I have wont fit in some of my flashlights. I actually crushed one unknowingly screwing the tail cap down and damaged the battery. This happened in my car and I was smelling smoke and thought the car was burning. When I did sniff test it lead me to the center console and the flashlight! Opened it up to see the button on the cell crushed in and it was hot.
