Eagle Eye X2R Flashlight Review

The Eagle Eye X2R flashlight uses a Cree XM-L2 emitter and has an indicator on the side. It also has built-in charging! Read on!

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Eagle Eye X2R LED Flashlight – 3C Official Specs

Eagle Eye	X2R
Lamp Beads	Cree XM-L2 U2
Beads Number	1
Lumens Range	500-1000Lumens
Luminous Flux	550LM
Power	10W
Color Temperature	1A 6000-6500K / 3C 5000-5500K
Switch Type	Clicky
Switch Location	Tail Cap
Feature	Integrated Heat Dissipation Design, Lanyard, Lightweight
Function	Camping, EDC, Hiking, Household Use, Night Riding, Walking
Battery Type	18650
Battery Quantity	1 x 18650 battery (not included)
Mode	3 (High > Mid > Low)
Mode Memory	Yes
Rechargeable	Yes
Waterproof Standard	IPX-65 Waterproof Standard
Working Voltage	3.7-4.2V
Reflector	Aluminum Textured Orange Peel Reflector
Lens	Toughened Ultra-clear Glass Lens with Anti-reflective Coating
Beam Distance	50-100m
Body Material	Aluminium Alloy
Available Light Color	Neutral White, White
Available color	Black, Titanium Grey

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

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Eagle Eye X2R LED Flashlight – 3C Short Review

On-board charging makes this a great package for the price. Pick one up just as a backup to your backup, or even as a great gift light.

Long Review

What’s Included

• Eagle Eye X2R
• Two spare o-rings
• Spare GITD tail cap
• Lanyard

Package and Manual

Super simple package.

I appreciate that on a budget light. Let’s spend money on what I’ll be using (the flashlight) and not on stuff I will never touch again. Here’s a closer look at that handwritten note. As there are 4 versions of this light, I’m sure it relates to that.

There is no manual included. For operating the light, that’s fine – simple 3-mode clicky. But the charging might benefit from some more prominent instructions, which I’ll go over later.

Build Quality, Durability, and Disassembly

This light basically feels like a Convoy S2+, but slightly thicker. It’s also very slightly longer – I’m surprised that it’s only slightly longer, because it has built-in charging. This could be something we can hope for from the S2+, maybe, or some other Convoy light in a similar vein; that it’ll have built-in charging. Especially since the X2R is already very inexpensive – maybe it won’t add too much to the cost. Or, just buy the Eagle Eye, it’s already a budget light!

The build quality of the Eagle Eye X2R is good.

Anodizing isn’t very thick but has held up. Mine has some variation in the anodizing, but it’s something I wasn’t able to capture in photos. The threads are square-cut and very smooth, even with little lube. Everything about it feels like it’d be quite durable and last nicely – it has a great feel in hand! The knurling is also fantastic. Just the right amount of grip – not soft but not something that’ll tear your hands up.

It’s also quite disassemblable. The very first thing I did when I got the light was trade out the [already installed] black tail switch cover for the glow-in-the-dark cover.

Of course, the head and tail come off, leaving a battery tube fit for an 18650.

Sidenote here: The Convoy S2+ tube does work in the light, but it doesn’t “fit“. A completely strange combo. So it works, but when screwed together, the o-rings aren’t tightened over, so it wouldn’t be waterproof. Just an interesting note. The mechanical switch is held down by a brass ring, and the spring is nice!

The Eagle Eye-branded driver is also held down by a brass ring and has a similar spring.

Neither spring is bypassed. Here’s a blowup of the tail switch mechanism.

The flat bezel unscrews to reveal the emitter.

Note that the GITD o-ring is between the lens and reflector.

This light has a micro-USB charge port with a rubber cover.

The port seems very snug, unlike some other lights I’ve reviewed before. It also seems to charge to 4.2V. Is that good or bad? I’m not really sure. Fine by me.

Size

Product size (L x W x H): 12.20 x 2.40 x 2.40 cm / 4.8 x 0.94 x 0.94 inches. It’s about the size of a Convoy S2+, but bigger enough that you’ll probably notice. But not notice in the “wow this feels big” but “wow this feels like an S2+… but is it?” way.

Retention

The X2R comes with a lanyard but does not come with a pocket clip. I never use a lanyard and always use a clip. It’s a ‘standard’ size body, though, and many of the now-common clips will fit it. I think the Convoy S2+ clip (at least the one I have) is thinner around the connecting part, so it’ll have to be one more like what comes with Nitecores, I believe. Also, no pouch and no magnet.

Power

Power is provided by a single (protected or unprotected) 18650. Working voltage is only up to 4.2V, so the light will decidedly not work with 2xCR123A cells.

The X2R also features onboard micro-USB charging. It’s a nice addition and works well. The light charges at 0.9A.

Placing a low voltage cell in the light, the light will still work on [very] low, but will not switch through the modes.

Unfortunately, my runtime apparatus is not operational right now!  So no runtimes.  Sorry!

User Interface and Operation

Simple reverse clicky with three modes. It remembers the last mode used, and cycles L>M>H. There’s no turbo, or strobes, or any other shenanigans. No groups to pick from, etc.

The onboard charging is nice, and also works. It charged to 4.22 V, which is good. Making the onboard charging work might require some trial and error. But let me just tell you. Plugging the light in to micro-USB causes the light to come on for a few seconds. The red “charging indicator” will come on. Then the light will switch to green “not charging” mode. But plugging the cable in does not automatically cause charging to start. I’m not sure what the logic is here, but it seems a little strange to me. In order for charging to start, the tailcap switch must be actuated. When that is done, the indicator switch turns to red, and charging begins. As I stated, charging happens at 0.9A, which seems to be a reasonable rate.

LED and Beam

The emitter is a single Cree XM-L2, and the beam has a nice amount of spill.

Beamshots

These beamshots always have 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.

I like this beam, and the tint is great.

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.

Random Comparisons and Competitive Options

The only thing I have to compare this to is the Convoy S2+. The size of the S2+ is better, but otherwise, I probably slightly favor the X2R just because of user interface simplicity. That could be my fault, though, as I’ve switched the driver on the S2+ I have, and don’t have the stock one. Either way, the user interface on the X2R is great!

Conclusion

What I like

• On-board Charging
• UI
• GITD Tailcap
• Silly but I like that it’s gray and not black (black is available!)

What I don’t like

• No pocket clip
• It’s a little thick

Final Thoughts

I like this light, and I think you will too. I don’t know Eagle Eye brand too much, but I think it’s a good contender to replace some of the less expensive Convoy lights, particularly with the onboard charging. For this price, it’s very hard to beat!

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Parting Shot

Thought of this every time I worked on this review. Every. Time.

Notes

• This light was provided by GearBest for review. I was not paid to write this review.
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