Portable Pocketable EDC Flashlight
I suspect many GenX, Xennials, and Millenials grew up in Maglight households. Even though we had several lights within our home, they seemed to be optimized more as bludgeoning weapons than portable light torches. My dad had one in his truck, we had one in each bathroom and under the sink. Despite their near indestructible design, they often suffered from underwhelming light output. Some provided a bit more throw than others, while some provided a flood-like pattern. Either way, they were bulky and unwieldy. Luckily, modern LED flashlights improve upon the concept and provide plenty of light, recharging capabilities, and all within the palm of your hand.
Packaging:
The ACEABEAM Pokelit 2AA EDC Flashlight arrived in a clean white 2 5/8 inches by 6 1/8 inches tall by 1-inch thick retail package. The ACEBEAM company name was displayed at the top of the cover panel in an attractive orange/black font, while the orange-colored product name was listed at the bottom. The orange highlights provided a refreshing contrast against the white background but paled compared to the central clear plastic window. As a display technique, the transparent window provides the user with a direct understanding of the product. I have yet to find a more exciting product presentation method. The left side panel provided the orange-black company name, while the right panel provided an SKU barcode sticker and a 5-year product warranty label. The rear panel listed the contact information (address/phone number/webpage), QR codes for their webpage/FaceBook, and product manufacturing labels.
Unboxing:
I removed the clear inner tray from the outer packaging and then separated the 1.5-ounce blue-green flashlight, 1.5-ounce 1600 mAh 3.7V 5.92Wh battery, small zipper-style bag with two o-rings, the 8 3/16 inches long USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and the user manual. I plugged a DROK USB-A Multimeter into a standard 5V/2A wall charger and then the USB-A to USB-C cable between the multimeter and the ACEBEAM 1600 mAH Li-Ion, 3 7/8 inches long by 9/16 inches diameter battery. I aligned the USB-C prong with the USB-C port at the battery’s positive terminal and observed the RED charging Led. I allowed the battery to charge for two hours before the LED changed to green. During that time, I reviewed the features of the flashlight.
The 5 11/16 inches long flashlight could be broken down into several segments. First, the 15/16 inches long by 11/16 inches diameter head segment had a 519A CRI>90 5000K LED emitter. The white-font ACEBEAM name and Pokelit 2AA were printed on the side panels in an appealing white font. The second segment contained five grip-style ridges, measuring 3/4 inches long by 11/16 inches in diameter. The third segment measured 1 inch long and was 5/8 inches in diameter. The fourth segment contained 40 narrow-spaced ridges/grooves and measured 11/16 inches in diameter. The fifth segment measured 5/16 inches long by 5/8 inches in diameter and held the black metal two-way pocket clip. The penultimate segment measured 7/8 inches long by 11/16 inches in diameter and contained a 1/4 inches long region with narrow-spaced vertically oriented ridges. Lastly, the 3/16 inches tall by 3/8 inches diameter black tail cap button had a rubberized grippy texture at the top. I loved the machined appearance, the textured grip, and the overall design of the light.
Testing:
To test the power output, I installed the 1600mAh battery. For the first test, I pressed the button to activate the low 20-lumen beam. Starting at 07:00 am, I allowed the light to remain powered on and rechecked it the following morning. I was pleased that the Pokelit 2AA light had sufficient power to stay activated at 07:05 the next day. The instruction manual stated the lower power mode should last ~23 hours on a charge. I removed the battery, recharged it over ~2 hours, and then tested the light with 2 Energizer Max Alkaline AA batteries. The low mode, at 0.5 lumens, was not very bright and could be compared to moonlight mode on other lights. The benefit of the low mode was the ~12-13 days of available light. At 0.5 lumens, you can see into a bag, can add some light to a trail, can navigate a tent, can illuminate a urinal/outhouse, and should not blind someone with light.
To test the high mode, press the button to deactivate the light and then press it again to reactivate it. The manual stated that the high mode would start at 300 lumens and then step down to 100 lumens and then 50 lumens over 35s/3H 13 min/28 minutes. It is important to note that the step-downs are not like stairs, but rather like a throttling decrease or dimming; I did not appreciate an abrupt change in brightness. Once the 1600mAh battery was charged, I replaced it into the aluminum housing and tested the high mode. The manual promised 600 lumens for 35 seconds and a step down to 300 lumens with up to 1 hour 44 minutes at 300 lumens. I loved the dual mode High/low, but missed an intermediate level. I would have loved a 100-200 lumen medium mode, which could last ~6-8 hours. The bright light provided a nice throw with minimal floodlight characteristics and did a great job illuminating objects at a distance. Unfortunately, there was a massive difference between the high and low levels for illumination.
I repeated the 2x Alkaline and 14100P Li-Ion battery tests three times each for the high and low modes of the Li-Ion battery. I allowed the light to run continuously for 72 hours with the alkaline batteries and found that it was a sufficient test. Once the light was extinguished, I could still power the device for a bit longer as the batteries were not fully depleted. I loved the option to utilize the included 1600 mAh rechargeable battery or 2 AA batteries (Ni-MH or Alkaline). I have read several users who utilized Eneloop batteries, Amazon rechargeable AA batteries and did quite well. The instruction manual clearly stated to avoid using 14500 Li-Ion batteries due to the excess voltage/output
As a fan of the Pokelit AA light, I missed having a third mode on the Pokelit 2AA, which was most notable with the alkaline battery test. The 0.5 lumens was below the threshold of use for most people, outside of late-night tent needs/backpack needs; it may be too low to read comfortably and too low for a night trek. However, it may be okay to navigate an enclosed room/campsite. The high beam was sufficiently strong, provided an excellent round throw up to ~100 meters away, and had a smaller high spot, lower secondary spill/spot, and minimal leak/overspill. I found this to be true for the AA alkaline and rechargeable battery tests. I preferred the 20/600-300 modes of the rechargeable over the 0.5/300-100-50 modes of the AA alkaline battery. I liked the round spot and the beam projection while on high mode, but noted the flashlight head became hot to the touch (115.1 F [46.2C] Nubee Infrared Thermometer). The raised ridges acted a bit like a heat sink, keeping the body cooler at ~80.1F [26.7C], while the head of the light emitted more heat.
The tail clip design allowed for secure pocket mounting and attachment to the brim of my hat. Even though I liked the strength of the Pokelit 2AA light, the three-ounce weight was a little too heavy for my hat. For that use, the smaller Pokelit AA may be ideal. I liked that the clip securely affixed the light to my pocket, without grinding the pocket/destroying the fabric. Additionally, the hat clip provided a secure attachment point without damaging the surface
Summary/Final:
Overall, you cannot go wrong with the aluminum Pokelit 2AA device. You can utilize the include rechargeable battery or add 2AA batteries in a pinch. The head of the light was easy to remove, the company provided a few extra o-rings, and the aluminum frame should survive daily use/localized drops. During testing, I did have a single drop from my kitchen table after my 4-year-old daughter accidentally knocked it onto the hardwood floor. Even after bouncing a few times, the Pokelit 2AA light continued to function. The only thing keeping this light from 5/5 stars is the lack of a medium illumination mode.
Pros:
- Sleek Aluminum machined body
- Grippy surface and attractive design
- Inexpensive
- Included rechargeable battery
- Utilize 2AA batteries if needed
- Quality High CRI>90 with 5000K neutral color
- USB-C charging Battery
Cons:
- Must remove the battery to charge with USB-C
- May get hot to the touch
- Absent medium mode.
- Low mode 0.5 lumens with Alkaline/Ni-MH is too low
- No Memory Function (returns to low mode)
Learn more about the Pokelit 2AA Flashlight and follow Acebeam on Facebook