review – Flashlights have come a long way over the past decade. There are many options in different form factors from the old AA Maglite to today’s high brightness LED lights. What factors do you need to consider when looking for a flashlight to carry on a daily basis, and which ones will meet your needs? ThruNite is a manufacturer with many options, including their new T2 flashlight.
What is it?
ThruNite T2 is a bright, compact everyday carry flashlightwith high brightness, long battery life and a solid aluminum alloy construction.
What’s in the box?
- ThruNite T2 Flashlight
- leather case
- 2 spare o-rings
- 2 spare rubber USB covers
- 21700 battery
- lanyard
- USB-A to USB-C charging cable
- two-way clip
- User Manual
Hardware Specifications
- light source: Cree XHP70 LED
- output
- turbine: 3,757 lumens for 2 minutes, then 725 lumens for 216 minutes
- High: 1,712 lumens for 3 minutes, then 732 lumens for 223 minutes
- Moderate: 366 lumens for up to 7.5 hours
- low: 30 lumens for up to 77 hours
- firefly: 0.3 lumen for up to 69 days
- Strobe: 1,450 lumens for up to 5 hours
- distance: 518 feet (158 meters)
- strength: up to 6,300 cd
- Impact resistance: 4 feet 11 inches (1.5 m)
- Water resistance: IPX8 (6 ft, 6 in; 2 m)
- Battery: ThruNite 5,000mAh 21700
- put up: T6061-T6 aluminum alloy
- aspect: 4.41″ x 1.2″ x 1.02″ (112mm x 30.5mm x 26mm)
Design and Features
ThruNite T2 is a compact Electronic data center The flashlight is made of T6061-T6 aluminum alloy with a raised textured finish. Except for the silver ring around the head and the side switches, which are silver aluminum, the rest of the lights are black. There is a one-sided switch for all functions, and an additional two-way clip for clipping the light to a trouser pocket, to clothing, or to a hat for the headlight. On the other side of the side switch’s head is an embedded rubber-covered USB-C charging port.
installation and setup
In the box, ThruNite includes a note that says make sure to twist the head and tail caps before use. This is presumably to prevent the lights from coming on and draining the battery or burning the packaging in transit (more on that later). Another thing you should do before use is to charge the battery. With the 5,000 mAh battery, it might take a little while to fully charge, but at charging speeds up to 2A, it shouldn’t take long to fully charge before first use.
Turning on the lights is as easy as pressing a side switch. There is a lock/unlock mode, and for a flashlight that can be as bright as this one, this should probably be the default mode you use. The flashlight has five brightness levels; long-press the side switch to access low, medium, and high modes when the light is on. When the lights are off, long press the side switch to turn on Firefly mode. In any mode, even off, double-tap the side switch to enable Turbo mode. Triple-tap the side switch in any mode (including off) to enable strobe mode.
The side switch also has a built-in LED battery indicator. When the flashlight is on, the LED glows blue. The LED is red when charging and turns blue when charging is complete. When charging is abnormal, the LED lights up in purple. If you press the side switch while Lockdown Mode is enabled, it turns red for a second and then turns off again.
is using
When testing flashlights, I like to use them as my daily carry for a few weeks to really get a feel for how it works, features, benefits, and any downsides that might come up. The first thing I noticed was that I’m very used to flashlights with tailcap switches. Almost every time I reach for the flashlight, I instinctively reach for the end of the flashlight with my thumb and remember that there is no switch there. I don’t think it’s negative, it’s just what I’m used to. I’ve been using a flashlight with a tail cap switch since I stopped using the Maglite, so I have to overcome years of muscle memory.
However, once I turned on the flashlight, it was a pleasure to use. The available brightness levels always provided the amount of lighting I could use, and the Turbo mode was insanely bright for a light of this size. Using the side switch makes it easy to change modes, although I think I’d prefer a short press on the side switch to change the brightness level of the light, and maybe a long press to turn it off, but that’s finicky.
There is a memory function to turn the light back on to the last brightness level used, as long as it was low, medium or high. It doesn’t return to Firefly, Turbo or Strobe mode, which is an acceptable compromise.
In their marketing materials, ThruNite shows the lamp clipping to the brim of a baseball cap for use as a headlamp. While this is possible and convenient, it felt a little too heavy to use in my testing. I’m glad to know that the light can be used this way, but I feel like either my hat will sag due to the weight, or I’ll start to feel pain in the back of my neck after using it like this for a while.
One negative for me is that enabling Lockdown Mode is a bit tricky. With the flashlight off, you have to long-press the side switch to turn on firefly mode, then long-press the side switch again to lock the flashlight, which also turns it off. Unlocking is just another long press, and then you have to press the side switch again to turn it on. When I want to use the flashlight, I don’t want to go through all this to lock or unlock it. I know it’s a safety feature, and with a bright flashlight like this, it actually prevents fires, but I wish there was an easier way to enable it.
Speaking of safety and fire protection, take the high temperature warnings you see on this and other flashlights seriously. I know of two people who burned holes in their holster flaps (not with a ThruNite T2, but with other, darker flashlights) when they accidentally opened on their belts. I found my T2 accidentally opened several times, but when I reached for it, it was hot. Thank goodness I didn’t burn anything, but given enough time it’s definitely possible. When I took the photo for this review, I turned on the lights in Turbo mode, lay on the soundproof blanket, and after a few seconds I started seeing smoke.
Another downside is that charging is a little tricky. If you use the included USB-A to USB-C cable or similar and a standard charger that supports up to 2A output, it should work, and it worked in my testing. What didn’t work for me was the USB-C PD charger and the USB-C to USB-C cable, which I know will work with my iPad and MacBook Pro. I haven’t seen any notices about this, but it’s a little disappointing to find that I can’t use the few chargers I already own and use for higher wattage devices. There are also some USB-C cables that don’t fit the charging connector, so either use the included cable or make sure you find one with a USB-C connector whose connector isn’t bigger, or it won’t fit.
One last positive is that you can still use the flashlight while charging, albeit only in Firefly or Low mode, probably due to the heat generated when charging and using the flashlight at the same time. This makes a great night light or camping light if you plug it into a portable battery to charge.
Finally, I would like to point out that this light is more of a floodlight than a spotlight. The beam coming out of the front of the lamp is wide.this Five C3 flashlights I reviewed a few months ago that there are actually longer beam distances, albeit about 1/3 of the total lumens. Neither right nor wrong. In some cases you may need a light that can shoot further away, for some cases you may want to illuminate more of the area around you. For any situation that may arise, it makes sense to have both. Of course, you’ll probably only be able to carry one with you all the time, so you’ll have to choose the one that’s more helpful to your unique situation.
what do I like
- very bright
- sturdy construction
- 5,000 mAh rechargeable battery
- Charge current up to 2A
- Ability to use flashlight while charging
what would i change
- I want a magnetic tail cap as there is no switch there
- More USB-C charging options
- Make the lock function easier to use
final thoughts
The everyday carry torch is the one you’ve always wanted to carry with you and can easily meet your everyday needs. I really haven’t decided if the ThruNite T2 is the one I’ll be carrying around every day, but if I don’t I’ll keep it in my backpack all the time and be ready to use when I need super bright and extended use The battery life it offers.
price: ThruNite $69.95; $65.95 from Amazon
Where to buy: thrunite.com or Amazon
source: The samples for this review were provided by ThruNite.For more information visit their Place.
