In our mobile lifestyle in our RV we often find ourselves in the dark. I’ve written in the past about how Mark is a flashlight junkie, and I’m so glad he is, because no matter where we go or what we do he always has one in his pocket!
Two nifty pocket flashlights that are lighting up the dark for us!
A few months ago I reviewed the truly incredible Lumintop SD75 4,000 lumen flashlight, which is the brightest flashlight either of us has ever seen, by a long shot. It is truly like carrying around a car headlight.
When we started planning our trip to Thailand and Cambodia, Mark decided to upgrade his pocket flashlight to the Lumintop EDC25 1000 lumen flashlight to take with him on the trip. I secretly wondered where he thought we would be going in the dark once we got to Thailand, but he felt this flashlight was a very important piece of gear that he just had to take with him.
Sure enough, we visited quite a few caves in Thailand, we snuck into the darkest corners of many jaw-dropping ancient Khmer ruins in Angkor, Cambodia, and we took several nighttime boating excursions on Cheow Lan Lake.
Oh my. He was a man in love…with his flashlight! Sigh.
The big Lumintop SD75 searchlight with its suitcase and the two Lumintop pocket flashlights: SD26 (left) and EDC25 (right).
When we returned home, he absolutely had to replace yet another of his small pocket flashlights with the Lumintop SD26 flashlight, another 1,000 lumen total “must have” for a true flashlight junkie!
Lumintop SD26 (left) and Lumintop EDC25 (right): 1000 lumen pocket flashlights with belt holsters.
I wondered why a man would ever need TWO pocket flashlights, but of course he has had a flashlight in almost every drawer and cabinet and pocket since I’ve known him, so I’ve learned not to ask. But when the Amazon boxes arrived, I couldn’t help myself from asking him a little bit more.
What makes these flashlights so special?
First, they are extremely bright for their size. Both the Lumintop EDC25 flashlight and the Lumintop SD26 flashlight use the latest Cree LED technology, and the beam they cast is astonishing.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight, with its Cree XPL-V5 LED technology, has a narrower beam than the Lumintop SD26 flashlight, which has Cree XP-L HD LED technology, and that is why Mark just had to have BOTH flashlights. Each has its purpose.
He uses the Lumintop EDC25 flashlight to peer into dark corners around the rig. From searching for that small bag of almonds he knows is at the back of the snack cabinet, to crawling under the trailer and looking at the backside of our trailer’s leaf springs where a locking nut recently decided to unscrew itself, to searching the back of the Man Cave (our fifth wheel basement) for his plumber’s wrench or PVC cutters, which he rarely needs so they’re stashed in the depths somewhere, this little narrow-beam flashlight is ideal.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight has a slightly wider beam and is best for short trips in the dark around the rig where he doesn’t want to carry the whopping Lumintop SD75 flashlight” . He keeps it in a cupboard near the door to shine outside when he hears a strange noise, and it’s the one he grabs for quickie nighttime jaunts in the dark where he doesn’t need to light up the whole world.
Lumintop EDC25 flashlight (left) and Lumintop SD26 flashlight (right)
We took both of these pocket flashlights and the big Lumintop SD75 searchlight out with us on our nighttime hike in New Mexico’s Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness recently so we could see the difference in the light cast by each one.
Setting ourselves up near a short cliff, we shined each flashlight directly at the cliff at max power.
The characteristics of each flashlight were very clear to see:
- The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight had a bright, narrow and more focused beam.
- The Lumintop SD26 flashlight had a slightly less intense but broader beam.
- The Lumintop SD75 flashlight had a very bright beam across a very broad width.
Narrower and more focused beam of the Lumintop EDC25 flashlight (1000 lumens).
Slightly broader beam of the Lumintop SD26 flashlight (1000 lumens).
The “car headlight” effect of the Lumintop SD75 searchlight (4000 lumens).
Changing our angle slightly, we repeated the test with the flashlights shining at the cliff from off to the right. The same characteristics of each flashlight were very clear to see.
Narrower and more focused beam of the Lumintop EDC25 1000 lumen flashlight.
Slightly broader beam of the Lumintop SD26 1000 lumen flashlight.
Huge light from the Lumintop SD75 4000 lumen searchlight.
LUMINTOP EDC25 1000 LUMEN FLASHLIGHT DETAILS
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight — the smaller one with the narrower beam — is a true pocket flashlight, complete with a spring clip to clip onto a shirt pocket or the back pocket of a pair of pants.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight has a spring clip for pockets.
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The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight comes with a belt holster which is a more secure alternative if going on a longer hike with it.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight also has a belt holster.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight is powered by a 3,400 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery (the battery is supplied with the flashlight). Simply unscrew the back end of the flashlight and slip the battery into it.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight is powered by a 3,400 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery.
To charge the Lumintop EDC25 flashlight, just unscrew it in the middle.
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The battery is charged by connecting to a laptop or other USB connector. The flashlight’s charging port for the cable is located in the threads of the male half (the back half) of the flashlight.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight charging port is located in the threads of the back half of the flashlight.
Plug the charging cable into the flashlight.
Ready for charging.
Then plug the USB end of the charging cable into the laptop. Initially, the flashlight will light up green.
Initially, the charging light turns green, but the battery is not charging yet.
In order to initiate the charging process, press the on/off button on the back end of the flashlight.
Press the button on the end of the flashlight to initiate battery charging.
Then the flashlight will light up red to indicate that it is charging. Once the battery is fully charged, the flashlight will turn green again.
The battery is charging while the light is red.
Once it turns green again, the battery is fully charged.
The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight has six modes. It can be set to five different light intensities and it also has a strobe mode where it flashes on and off very quickly.
LUMINTOP SD26 1000 LUMEN FLASHLIGHT DETAILS
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight is also 1000 lumens but it is a little thicker and slightly shorter and casts a wider beam.
Lumintop SD26 flashlight, 1000 lumens.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight doesn’t have a spring clip on it but it comes with a belt holster to make it easy to take on hikes.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight does not have a spring clip but it does have a belt holster for easy carrying.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight is powered by a 5,000 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery (supplied with the flashlight). This slightly beefier battery allows the Lumintop SD26 flashlight to run for slightly longer than that The Lumintop EDC25 flashlight before needing to be recharged.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight is powered by a 5,000 mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight is also charged with a USB cable. The charging port is hidden beneath a rubber cover.
The charging port is located under a rubber cover.
Simply plug the charging cable into the charging port on the flashlight.
And then plug the USB connector into your laptop.
The battery charging process begins as soon as the flashlight is plugged into the laptop (or other) USB port.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight battery will begin charging immediately, and you’ll see a green light flashing on and off to indicate that the battery is charging. Once the battery is fully charged, the light will stop flashing and will stay green.
The battery is charging as long as the light flashes green.
Once it stays lit solid green, the battery is fully charged.
The Lumintop SD26 flashlight has seven modes. It can be set to five different light intensities and it also has a strobe mode where it flashes on and off very quickly. In addition, it has an SOS mode where it flashes Morse code for the letters “SOS.”
POCKET FLASHLIGHT SUMMARY
Both the Lumintop EDC25 flashlight and the Lumintop SD26 flashlight are 1,000 lumen pocket flashlights that are o-ring sealed and water resistent and built with aerospace grade aluminum construction.
The thinner Lumintop EDC25 flashlight is 137 mm long, has a spring clip and bulges a little less in a back pocket, but its 3,400 mAh battery doesn’t last as long. It’s beam is narrower and more focused.
The thicker (and slightly shorter at 123 mm long) Lumintop SD26 flashlight does not need to be unscrewed into two pieces in order to be charged and has a longer lasting battery. It’s beam is slightly broader. It also has a cool “SOS” Morse code mode just in case you need to flash a call for help!
If you are a flashlight junkie like Mark — and I was really surprised after writing our Lumintop SD75 review that there are so many like-minded flashlight junkies out there! — then one of these two pocket flashlights might be something to consider for your life in the dark around your RV.
You can buy the flashlights at these links:
- Lumintop EDC25 flashlight
- Optional: Extra rechargeable 3400 mAh batteries for the EDC25 and a charger
- Lumintop SD26 flashlight
- Lumintop SD75 flashlight
Our review of the Lumintop SD75 flashlight is at this link.
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Thanks for the great article! Vall is also a flashlight junkie and always carry at least 2 flashlights in his person; over the last 8 years or so, they had been:
* ITP A3 Eos: very small (not much larger than the AAA battery that feeds it), with 3 light modes (the brightest, at 150lm, is almost blinding unless pointed to things far away, but lasts less than a hour; the other two (medium & lo) lasts many hours and are usually bright enough for moving around in the dark outside and inside, respectively). He carries it on his belt pouch with a spare AAA battery, and it can be used either on hand or clipped to the side of this glasses like an improvised headlamp.
* Finware Mini LED Keychain: very small (smaller than most keys), Vall carries it on his keychain (and insists Mo carries one on hers too). Good for quick fumblings in the dark, like fitting a key to a keyhole, a quick look into dark corners, etc. Runs on 2 coin-sized CR2016 batteries. Used to be LRI Photon microlights, but with one costing more than 5 of the Finware, it really became a no-brainer.
* 1 Watt Superbright Luxeon Led Headlamp: runs on 3 AAA batteries; bright (~100lm), and one set of batteries last for many hours. As it’s a true headlamp, it’s useful for keeping the hands free while working on stuff outside.
That said, the ones you just reviewed look very interesting (if somewhat expensive), perhaps it’s time to upgrade ours… Will have a look.
Cheers,
—
Vall & Mo.
I’ve always loved flashlights too, so Mark’s collection is really fun. I do think you get what you pay for, though, and now he’s lobbying for the very sexy Lumintop “Elfin” 520 lumen keychain flashlight to replace the one he has, lol…
…—… I wonder how many people even know the Morse Code today? Except for ham radio licensees, not many. Do they still require it in Boy Scouts? The world is a changin’
I wonder if Morse code it taught in any of the military academies. I suspect it has gone the way of celestial navigation. All I know is “SOS” — as you showed it — from the story of the Titanic and that valiant radio operator who kept punching it out over and over as the ship sank…
Emily,
Great review, but that model used to show how the flashlights can be pocketed or carried in their cases?
Bob
I’m not sure exactly what you’re asking, Bob, but the EDC25 model can be clipped on a pocket OR carried in a belt holster while the SD26 is holster only. The beautiful little silver suitcase for the huge SD75 is about the size of a lunch box. These flashlights are very well packaged from the factory…
Nice review. These are some fine flashlights but I am not quite sold on the idea of charging the battery inside the flashlight.
As noted at the end of the article, there are battery chargers available for these flashlights that plug into a wall rather than the flashlight.