A black, textured flashlight with a side button stands upright on a weathered wooden surface with vertical slats. Sunlight casts subtle shadows. The words zeroxair // r/flashlight appear along the left edge.

Skilhunt DS21 HI Flashlight Review

Leave a Comment / Cree XP-L HI, EDC, Flashlights, Skilhunt

Skilhunt DS21 HI Flashlight Review

The Skilhunt DS21 HI flashlight uses a Cree XP-L HI emitter and has an e-switch on the side of the head. It operates on a single 18650.

Skilhunt DS21 XPL-HI Official Specs

● Latest CREE XP-L HI LED, high performance, and energy conservation
● Max 900Lm output, 4 modes: Turbo – high – mid – low, double click to enter strobe mode
● Integrated construction of high thermal conductivity
● Low-voltage warning: the light will flash when the battery is low
● Wide input range provides more choices of batteries: 1 x 18650 / 2 x CR123A / RCR123 (not included)
● Memory function provides direct access to the last used mode
● Other features: Anti-scratched rugged aluminum body/aluminum vacuum plating reflector / toughened ultra-clear glass lens / engineered anti-slip knurling / magnetic tail cap/tail stand capacity/reserve polarity protection

Skilhunt DS21 Hi
Lamp Beads Cree XP-L HI
Lumens Range 500-1000 Lumens
Luminous Flux 800 LM
Luminous Intensity 12000cd
CCT 6000K
Switch Type Clicky
Switch Location Tail Cap
Feature Integrated Heat Dissipation Design, Lanyard, Lightweight, Pocket Clip, Power Indicator, Reverse Polarity Protection, Tail Stand
Function Camping, EDC, Hiking, Household Use, Night Riding, Walking
Battery Type 18650,CR123A,RCR123
Battery Quantity 1 x 18650 / 2 x CR123A / RCR123 battery (not included)
Mode 5(Turbo; Strobe; High; Mid; Low)
Mode Memory Yes
Waterproof Standard IPX-8 Standard Waterproof
Power Source Battery
Working Voltage 3-9V
Reflector Aluminum Smooth Reflector
Lens Toughened Ultra-clear Glass Lens with Anti-reflective Coating
Impact Resistance 1M
Beam Distance 200-300m
Flashlight Processing Technology Aerospace Grade Aluminum Body with Anti-Scratching Type III Hard Anodization

The above section contains the manufacturer’s descriptions and claims, not my impressions or results.

Short Review

Another Skilhunt that I really like! I love XPL-HI lights, and this one is no exception. An easily recommended purchase!

Long Review

What’s Included

A Skilhunt DS21 flashlight kit is displayed on wooden planks, including the flashlight, user manual, head strap, clip, two O-rings, and a Skilhunt warranty card.

  • Skilhunt DS21 HI
  • Lanyard
  • Manual
  • Pocket clip
  • Two spare o-rings
  • Rubber ring to use in place of the magnet

Package and Manual

The package is just like the H03 was – cardboard with a window.

A Skilhunt D321 Hi flashlight in black packaging with yellow labels displaying FLASHLIGHT and CREE LED. The box shows key features like 800 lumens, lightweight, and other details. The flashlight is visible through a clear window.

Back of the box has some warranty info, etc.

The back of a yellow and black Skilhunt product box displays warranty information, images illustrating maintenance, and company contact details. The box is placed on a wooden surface.

The side has a QR code. I don’t get much into clicking QR codes, though.

A yellow and black Skilhunt product box stands upright on a wooden surface. The box displays the Skilhunt logo, website URL, and a QR code on the side panel.

The manual has been fleshed out nicely and is useful and informative.

An unfolded Skilhunt DS21/DS16 user manual on a wooden surface, showing flashlight features, specifications, operation instructions, usage and maintenance tips, and warranty information.

Build Quality, Durability, and Disassembly

Much like the H03, the DS21 HI is very well built.

A black, textured flashlight with a side button stands upright on a weathered wooden surface with vertical slats. Sunlight casts subtle shadows. The words zeroxair // r/flashlight appear along the left edge.

The anodizing is nice and apparently thick – after carrying this light for weeks, there’s been no sign of wear whatsoever.

A black flashlight with a textured grip lies diagonally on a weathered wooden surface. The handle has multiple grooves and the head is wider, with branding visible on the side.

I like the knurling. It adds the right amount of grip without being too aggressive.

A black Skilhunt flashlight stands upright on a wooden surface in bright, natural light. The flashlight has a textured grip and a round button below the head.

There’s a minimal possibility to disassemble the light. The head does have a retaining ring that can be unscrewed, but as this is a side switch light, you’ll need to remove the rubber boot in order to pull the electronics.

A close-up, top-down view of three disassembled parts of a flashlight lying on a wooden surface, showing the internal battery contacts and threads.

A close-up view of a black Skilhunt flashlight standing vertically against weathered wooden boards. The flashlight features a textured grip and a visible LED under a transparent cover.

If you do that, you get this, and you can slide the driver out this far.

A black flashlight with its head removed is placed on a wooden surface, showing the inner components. The flashlight cap, a metal ring, and a small plastic piece are lying nearby.

A disassembled flashlight with its parts, including the light head, reflector, battery, and retaining rings, laid out on a wooden surface. Text reading zeroair @ r/flashlight is visible on the left side.

Noteworthy from that picture, too, is that the bezel is a screw-down type. So the emitter is accessible.

A black flashlight with the lens removed is shown upright on a wooden table. Various small components and tools are scattered around, including a blue cylindrical battery and a white round piece.

One word of caution. Getting that rubber boot back into the switch is a nightmare. Probably the easiest way would be to just desolder the leads to the mcpcb, but that’s also a nightmare. There’s a little plastic guide that resides between the switch and the boot. Getting that thing aligned and in the right spot…. wow. You can see just the top corner of it here by the white wire.

A black cylindrical electronic component with visible internal circuitry rests on a wooden surface. The side of the component is labeled E-LHUNT, and part of the metal surface shows a lens or clear cover.

Had I not still needed to get more pics for this review, I might have just thrown the light against a wall instead of fixing this. But I did finally get it right. It took at least 1 hour. 😐

The threads are nicely square-cut and lubed (?). I am not sure what the lube is or what happened to it, but it appears to have degraded in my sample light.

A close-up of the tail end of a black, textured flashlight with a turquoise button, shown resting vertically against weathered wooden boards. The text zeroair @1flashlight is visible on the left side.

The threads were still sufficiently lubed even like this, though, so I didn’t worry about it.

Size

Length 110mm/4.33inch
Head diameter 24mm/0.94inch
Body diameter 22.5mm/0.89inch
Weight: 52g (without battery)

My measurements bear their claims out. I don’t have a list of every current light like this, like u/parametrek, but the size is right for this style of light. Tail switch 18650 lights are longer, and the OTR M6 is a little shorter. Overall, a great light for pocket carry.

Retention

The DS21 HI comes with a lanyard and a pocket clip. The lanyard attaches through this hole in the tailcap.

A close-up of the textured handle and vented head of a metal flashlight, positioned vertically against a wooden surface.

A black cylindrical object, likely the end cap of a flashlight, is shown from above on a wooden surface with visible planks. The text zeroair @ flashlight is faintly visible on the left side of the image.

There’s also a strong magnet in the tailcap, which is a feature I’ve come to love!

A close-up, top-down view of three disassembled parts of a flashlight lying on a wooden surface, showing the internal battery contacts and threads.

In case you think the magnet is too strong to have around your credit cards (or other reasons? Are you Magneto?), you can replace the easily magnet with this thick black o-ring.

A small transparent plastic bag containing three rubber O-rings of different sizes rests on a weathered wooden surface.

Power

A single 18650 (protected or unprotected) works in this light. The working voltage is only listed as “3-9V”, so two cr123a’s should work well in this light. The light does not have any recharge ports. In fact, the GearBest listing does mention 2xCR123A, but the runtime is similar (and of course drops off much faster). So there seems to be absolutely no benefit at all to running CR123A’s in this light.

Skilhunt claims output as follows:

Mode Lumens Duration
Mode 1 800 2.5h
Mode 2 300 5.5h
Mode 3 110 16h
Mode 4 7 120h

Sorry for no runtime on this one; my runtime apparatus is still not operational.

User Interface and Operation

There’s a single switch on this light, and it’s a side switch. It’s very responsive and nicely grippy, and also translucent. There’s a red LED contained within, which provides low voltage warning.

Click to turn the light on. It’ll remember the last mode you used. Then click to cycle the modes in the direction of L>M>H. I say “in the direction of” because if you’re on “M” for example, the next click gets you high (of course). (Just saying it specifically because I find Skilhunt’s graphic to lack specificity.

When the light is on, press and hold for low. It’s not very low, but it’s low.

From off, double-click to get to Turbo.
From on, double click to Strobe. There’s just one strobe mode.

It’s a simple user interface with not a lot of extra business. I liked the H03 UI so much, I’d hoped this would be similar. But it isn’t – this is a much simpler UI. Works great, just simpler.

LED and Beam

The emitter is one of my favorites, the CREE XPL-HI.

A close-up, top-down view of a flashlight head with a yellow LED center, placed on a wooden surface. The words zeroair @ r/flashlight appear on the left side of the image.

There’s a smooth but not very deep reflector. And the DS21 HI does what XPL-HI lights with SMO reflectors do: Throws rather well. There is spill, but mostly it’s throw.

A black Skillhunt flashlight shines a beam of light upward onto weathered wooden planks, casting a triangular pattern. The handle appears textured, and the light is centered on the boards. Text on the left reads “zeroair @1lflashlight.”

Beamshots

These beamshots are always with the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure. These photos are taken at floor level and the beam hits the ceiling around 9 feet away.

Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)

I keep the test flashlight on the left, and the BLF-348 reference flashlight on the right.

Three flashlights are positioned in front of a door, each projecting a distinct beam of light onto the door. The beams vary in intensity and color temperature. The text zeroair @ r/flashlight is visible on the left side.

Random Comparisons and Competitive Options….

There are a bunch of XPL-HI lights in this format, but I have absolutely ZERO of them! The Eagtac DX30LC2, for example, which is nearly three times the cost of this DS21 HI. Or the Fenix PD32, which is over twice the cost. No matter how you slice it, the coupon price of $31 for this light is a ridiculous value.

Conclusion

What I like

  • Quality
  • Indicating side switch
  • Love XPL-HI!
  • Throw is good, and tight
  • Tailcap magnet

What I don’t like

  • Underutilized indicating side switch
  • Wish it carried just a little deeper

Final Thoughts

At $31, it’s very hard to go wrong with this light. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I had some initial trepidations because of how awesome the Skilhunt H03 was but after using the DS21 HI, I really have come to love it. Particularly in comparison to the On The Road M6 I just reviewed – I’d recommend this DS21 HI any day over that one!

Parting Shot

Makes a nice match with one of my GWM-5610B-1!

A black flashlight labeled D52 stands vertically on a wooden surface, with a black digital G-SHOCK wristwatch wrapped around its base. The watch displays the time and date.

Sunset shot:

A close-up of a black Skilhunt flashlight standing upright on a wooden surface, showing a textured grip and a round button near the light head. The Skilhunt logo is clearly visible on the body.

Notes

  • This light was provided by GearBest for review. I was not paid to write this review.
  • This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
  • Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
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