Niwalker MM25MB Flashlight Review
The Niwalker MM25MB is a three-emitter flashlight using 18650 cells. It has an indicating e-switch for control. Read on for testing!
Official Specs
- Utilizes 3 U.S. made Cree X HP70 LED chip.
- Maximum output up to 7600 lumens.
- Working voltage 12.1-16.8V.
- Light orange peel reflector creates great throw distance and beam pattern.
- Aircraft grade aluminum, mil-spec hard anodized for maximum wear.
- Toughened ultra-clear tempered glass lens with anti-re?ective coating.
- Large cooper heat sink pad for superior thermal conductivity.
- Uses four 18650 batteries for extended period runtime.
- Low voltage warning to alert user to recharge batteries in time.
- 300 Meters throw
- 22500 cd
- IPX-8 and 1.5m drop resist.
| Mode | Output (lm) | Runtime (h) |
|---|---|---|
| L1 | 36 | 350 |
| L2 | 148 | 50 |
| L3 | 1127 | 7 |
| L4 | 2700 | 2.5 |
| L5 | 7600 | 2 |
Versions
Just this one version! I believe there is an older similar light by Niwalker, possibly with MT-G2 emitters.
Short Review
This is a great, simple can light, that works great, and has a ton of output! The green indicator switch is a particular favorite of mine.
Long Review
What’s Included
- Niwalker MM25MB
- Nylon holster
- Manual
Package and Manual
This great can light comes in a cardboard box with no tape or any other business to keep you out.
I love it. My favorite kind of package. 🙂 Once inside, you’ll find just a few things: the light inside a sturdy holster, and the manual.
The manual is concise and good at conveying the necessary information.
Build Quality and Disassembly
The MM25MB feels great in hand and the build quality is good. The anodizing feels adequately thick and the knurling is plenty grippy (without being sharp).
The tailcap of course unscrews because that’s how the battery is changed.
The bezel is a bit “recessed” such that it can’t be gripped with a hand or strap wrench to unscrew. But it looks to be threaded, so a spanner (or whatever this tool is called) would unscrew it easily. The threads for the body are nicely lubed, anodized, and square-cut.
There’s a clear o-ring between the body and the head (of course) and I found that the o-ring liked to wander a bit, and will occasionally get a little into the threads, where it gets macerated. Note that there’s no replacement included. I will say that after many uses, it hasn’t gotten worse, so maybe it was just one bad threading event that caused this issue.
The spring on the head side of the light is thick, and a very nice double spring, too.
The cage for the cells that fits in the tail side of the light is very nice – it’s non-directional, which makes installing it very easy.
Size
This “can” light is 129.56 mm long and 52 mm in body diameter, with the head wider at 64 mm. The weight is quoted as 390g (without battery). For reference, a soda can is appx 122mm tall and 54mm around. Interestingly the weight of this light without cells is about the same as a full can of soda. The size is great – in hand, the side switch falls right to where one’s thumb is.
Maybe you’d like to see how it stacks up in size to the Olight X7 I recently reviewed? I can do that with a few shots.
Here are the emitters and reflectors.
They stack up nicely!
Retention
As stated in the “what this light comes with” you’d know – the only included option for carrying this light is the holster.
It has a nice belt mount but it doesn’t protect the head or tail of the light. It also doesn’t have any closure or cover. But it’s a nice snug fit, and I find it very unlikely that the light will accidentally eject from this holster. The holster is formed, and not collapsible (or particularly soft).
Power
The MM25MB requires four 18650 cells. It likes high drain cells, too. I am using four purple Efest 3500mAh “20A” married cells. I always charge these together and only use them in lights together. The cells live in a nice little battery holder that is non-directional.
That’s super convenient because it’s one less thing to think about. The ends aren’t exactly the same but it just looks – the ends are electrically the same.
You can see that the cells fit in this holder opposite each other. Working voltage of 12-16V means these cells are in a 4S pattern.
Here’s the runtime:
Upon termination, the cells were at the following voltages: 3.11, 3.14, 3.13, 3.12V. I didn’t see in the manual or any of my other reading that this light has low voltage protection, but it does seem to. The cells I used aren’t protected (and the protection would have cut off much lower than 3.1V anyway), so this is a nice bonus (or downside if you’re one of the people who doesn’t like LVP, I suppose. There are tens of you out there. Tens!!).
User Interface and Operation
When the light is on, so is the green button.
Honestly, that green emitter button
is quite bright, particularly on the low modes. I really like it though, and it’s only kind of “too” bright on the lowest mode.
user interface Table
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | L1^ |
| Off | Hold | Momentary L5 |
| Off | Double Click | Fast Strobe |
| On | Click (<1 second from last click) | Cycle modes L1-L5 |
| On | Click (>1 second from last click) | Off |
| On | Double click | Hidden Modes 1 (SOS) |
| Hidden Mode | Double Click | Hidden mode cycle (SOS/Beacon**) |
| Hidden Mode | Click | Off |
^ L1 (lowest), L5 (highest)
** I could not get Beacon to work on my sample
LED and Beam
This MiniMax Monster Bright Niwalker
utilizes three Cree XHP70 emitters.
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.
The orange peel reflector for each of the three emitters is there to break up the artifacts caused by the pattern in the emitter – the cross pattern. Overall the beam is very smooth and the MM25MB is quite bright. Just like the many other similar lights in this category, it’s completely flood – that’s important.
Tint vs BLF-348 (KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b version) (affiliate link)
Compared to my BLF-348, the MM25MB might look a little green but it’s not terribly so.
The tints here are much closer in person than the photo shows.
Random Comparisons and Competitive Options
If you’ve read this far I’m sure you came into this post with a grasp of the competition. The recently reviewed Olight X7 Marauder stacks up very nicely as seen in the pics. The outputs are similar too. Overall it’d probably come down to which light you prefer the user interface of. Unfortunately for me I like a mix of these two UI’s so it might come down to build quality. In that case the X7 gets the edge, though both lights are good. Then there’s the new Manker MK34 (which is more like the Meteor than it is like the X7). The point is, that there are options. The Meteor is a special category light, with the 219b option, but the MM25MB, like the X7, should be visibly brighter.
Conclusion
What I like
- Size
- Green Button
- Cell holder being non-directional
- High is really bright!
- Holster is nice
What I don’t like
- It’s very floody. I just really rarely have a need for such flood.
- Holster is open
Final Thoughts
I thank Going Gear for sending this light to me for review! Pick it up here.
Parting Shot
Strangely this light is about the same size as a little Tupperware pitcher
we have around the house. It also fits inside.
Notes
- This light was provided by Marshall at Going Gear for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
- Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!