Short Description:

The Fliklite is a handheld LED torch made by Fliklite in the UK. [UPDATE!: The Fliklite is now available in the US from PocketLights.com.] The Fliklite can be used in a variety of situations as a general purpose light, dive light, outdoor camping light, etc. The Fliklite comes packed in custom cut foam in a very nice metal presentation box, with batteries included.

The body of the Fliklite is cut from a solid bar of aluminum. The construction is very, very substantial with 7 mm thick walls in the sides of the body tube. The entire body of the light is covered with very fine grooves that facilitate grip. The Fliklite logo is etched into the side. A bit unorthodox is shape, looking like a tiny dumbbell, the oversized ends are necessary for the action required to switch the light on and off. Unscrewing the head of the light reveals the extremely thick body walls and a very large, well lubricated O-ring to give the light a 30 meter (~ 100 foot) depth rating for water resistance.

The light employs 4 white LEDs that are well recessed in the all-metal bezel for protection. The inside of the bezel is brightly polished aluminum which serves as a reflector for the LEDs to direct the spill light forward. The beam produced is the characteristic bluish-white beam of white LEDs. Good color rendition is evident when illuminating the user's general environment.

The switch is where the Fliklite gets its name. To turn the light on the user holds the Fliklite in the hand and snaps the wrist away from the body, using the tail of the light as the pivot point for this action. Think of it as though you were drying your hand by snapping it down to "flik" water off of your fingers. An internal inertia activated switch then turns on the light. To turn the light off, you simply tap the base of the light on the palm of your hand or any other semi-rigid or rigid surface. This reverses the direction of the internal switch.

For batteries, the Fliklite uses 3-N cells, inserted + side up. N cells are about the diameter of AAA batteries but shorter. This allows the Fliklite to drive the LEDs at 4.5 Volts with a life of about 50 hours of illumination which starts bright and diminishes throughout the life of the batteries. Although not mentioned in the literature, this reviewer found that the Fliklite can be run with 2 AAA batteries. This will drive the LEDs below specifications at 3 Volts, producing 1/10 the brightness of the N cells with about the same runtime.

No other accessories are included.

Reviewer's Impressions:

The folks at Fliklite have produced one very interesting and captivating light. Its shape, design and construction almost seems to place the Fliklite in the genre of "modern art" with the "added advantage" that it serves as a very tough torch.

Fit and finish are excellent. The head attaches to the body so well that at first glance the user is almost deluded into thinking that the unit is entirely one piece. The seam is noticeable, but not glaring. There were no scratches, marring, or nicks on the unit. There are no sharp edges or burrs on the outside of the unit either. Inside, I did notice that there were metal shavings on the threads. Being a perfectionist, I removed the O-ring, wiped off the threads inside and out, and re-lubricated the threads and O-ring. The threads are a little rough in spots, but this has no impact on the usability or durability of the light, since the head need only be removed to replace the batteries and the threads are not part of the switching mechanism in any way.

Overall quality is very good and I would go so far as to say that this is another light which (and this is not a bad thing in any way) is over-engineered The entire light is very tough with very thick body walls. It should be able to handle just about any durability issue that comes its way.

Output is very good with 3 "N" cells, weighing in at about 100 lux. The beam produced is a smooth, directional flood of light which is good for close to medium-range tasks.

Beam quality is also very good, with only slightly noticeable "hot-spots" which is typical of using multiple LEDs for lighting. These artifacts are only noticeable when aiming the torch on a white wall and actively looking. None of this is noticeable in practical use.

Water resistance is excellent. Waterproof to 30 meters (~ 100 feet).

Important things to note: The fliking action needed to turn on the light takes a few tries to master. Don't be surprised if it doesn't come on with the first try. Make a couple of attempts until you get the hang of it. Also, "N" cells are not terribly common. With a 50 hour runtime it may not be necessary to change the batteries very often, but I would carry spares on any extended trip just in case they aren't available where you are going. Fliklite realizes this and includes a phone number in the literature that comes with the light that you can call if you have difficulty finding the batteries. I don't know if they can supply you with batteries, or if they simply direct you to locations near you that sell them.

Improvements: There is only one thing that I would like to see change in this light. Use of a step-up circuit to allow the light to run at full brightness on commonly available AAA batteries. The body tube would not even need to change at all as it already accommodates 2 AAA batteries perfectly as-is. The regulation circuit could go into the head of the light just behind the LEDs. Of course this would result in lower runtimes as some of the mA of the AAA batteries would be "converted" into Voltage in order to run the LEDs brighter. Another disadvantage would be the fact that the circuit would become another potential point of failure, while the torch appears to be extremely reliable as-is..

Last night I ran the torch for several hours, fliking it on-off-on-off-on-off many times with no failures. I took it out in the rain and dunked it in a pail of water. It withstood all of this without any issues whatsoever. Of course, over this time the light did dim a little, as would be expected with alkalines.

It's almost more of a work of art than a simple torch.

+ + + Pluses: Waterproof, Extremely tough/impact resistant, Long battery life, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up

- - - Minuses: Not regulated, Fliking action takes a little practice, "N" cell batteries can be difficult to find.

Quick Facts Table: