JETBeam T6 Flashlight Review

What beast of a flashlight the JETBeam T6 is! Quad Cree XP-L HD emitters with 18650×4 cells. The e-switch rounds out this thrower. Read on!

Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the JETBeam T6 flashlight product page.

Versions

There seems to be just one version of this light.

Price

I believe this light was well North of $240 when it was released, but now it’s available for around $100.

Short Review

I’m very pleased with this light. Over 700m of throw is pretty ridiculous, and on a light with a nice indicating side switch, even better!

Long Review

The Big Table

JETBeam T6
Emitter:	Cree XP-L HD
Price in USD at publication time:	$100
Cell:	4×18650
Runtimes
LVP?	Flash, Side Switch Warning
Switch Type:	E-Switch
On-Board Charging?	No
Claimed Lumens (lm)	4350
Claimed Throw (m)	750
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	4100lux @ 5.751m = 135603cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	736.5 (98.2% of claim)^
All my JETBeam reviews!

^ Measurement disclaimer: Testing flashlights is my hobby. I use hobbyist-level equipment for testing, including some I made myself. Try not to get buried in the details of manufacturer specifications versus measurements recorded here; A certain amount of difference (say, 10 or 15%) is perfectly reasonable.

What’s Included

JETBeam T6
Lanyard
Spare o-ring
Manual and paperwork

Package and Manual

The coloration is usual for JETBeam (red and blue) but the package itself is a bit unusual. There’s a printed outer sleeve, and a rope pull.

A product box for the Jetbeam T6 flashlight placed on a wooden surface. The box features an image of the flashlight and displays Max 4350 lumen in white text at the bottom.

A product box shows specifications for a flashlight above an image of a red toy Jeep. Specs include LED type, max output, beam distance, runtime, and waterproof rating. The background is a wooden surface.

A blue and red product box with a white outline illustration of a flashlight on the front, various certification icons, barcodes, and a recycling symbol are visible at the bottom. The box is placed on a wooden surface.

A product box sits on wooden boards. The box shows a nighttime scene with people near an excavator. Text at the bottom lists uses: hunting, home use, camping, outdoor search, and emergency. A barcode label is on the box.

A rectangular foam insert with a small packet labeled “SILICA GEL DO NOT EAT” sits inside an open box. The box is placed on a weathered wooden surface. The side reads “ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM.”

The light is held in a foam cutout, which keeps things nice and secure.

The manual is quite good. A long paper, printed on two sides; one English one Chinese. Lots of feature info, lots of specs, etc. A very full featured manual!

Build Quality and Disassembly

The build on this light is very good. The outside looks fine of course (as all lights should) but the story is told by the threads, which are square-cut, thick, and perfectly lubed.

A black JETBeam flashlight with a textured grip stands upright on a wooden surface. The power button and branding are visible on the flashlight’s body. Background is out of focus.

A black flashlight with a textured grip stands upright on a light-colored surface. The label on the handle reads T6 High-End Series. The background is out of focus.

A large, black, cylindrical flashlight with a textured grip stands upright on a wooden surface. The background is blurred. The text ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is faintly visible along the left side.

A large, cylindrical flashlight with a textured grip stands upright on a wooden surface. The background is blurred. The flashlight is mostly gray and black. The words “ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM” appear along the left side.

The body has some nice appointments, which include a tripod mount, and big cooling fins around much of the head.

A black handheld flashlight labeled TE High-End Series lies on a weathered wooden surface, with its lens facing left. The handle has a textured grip and reflective elements are visible inside the head.

A large black flashlight with a textured grip and three reflectors, resting on a weathered wooden surface. The side of the handle displays a round button. Text reads ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM.

A black JETBeam flashlight with a textured grip and three reflectors is lying on its side on a weathered wooden surface. The flashlight is positioned at an angle, with branding and website visible.

The tailcap has three lanyard attachment points. The bezel has ‘crenelations’ but just barely – fortunately not an “attack” bezel or anything.

A close-up of a black flashlight head with the label HOT and the number 174201094 printed on it. The background is blurred, and a vertical watermark reads ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM.

As for disassembly…. yes the emitters are accessible (just ask u/zak) but generally, the tailcap unscrews for changing the cells. The tailcap is directional and has two posts that keep the proper contact points aligned with the proper cell terminals.

A close-up view of a Jetbeam T6 High-End Series flashlight body, showing the textured grip, black finish, external threading at the top, and two rectangular labels with text.

A close-up of two cylindrical electronic device components and a purple AA battery on a wooden surface. The components show exposed metal contacts. The background is blurred.

A close-up of the base of an electronic device showing a blue circular circuit board with metal contacts and springs, resting on a weathered wooden surface with colored marks.

A close-up of a hand holding a cylindrical electronic device with a rounded, black three-slot opening at the top, showing two visible metal contacts inside. The background is blurred.

I would imagine removing the bezel requires a strap wrench or something, but it can be done.

Size

Officially it’s 163mm long by 88 mm wide (head). This is a large light, but really, for 4 x 18650, and 700+ meters of throw, it’s not all that big.

A black camera lens cap sits on a wooden surface, partially covering a two-dollar bill placed horizontally underneath it.

A black cylindrical object is centered in the foreground, viewed from above, with a blurred U.S. one-dollar bill placed on a wooden surface in the background.

Retention

There are one main means to carry this light, and it’s a very well executed adjustable lanyard. This lanyard connects at the head and tail – three points on the tail and 5 points on the head are options. The lanyard has a swivel bolt snap on both ends.

A black JETBeam flashlight with a shoulder strap lies on a weathered wooden surface. The flashlight has a textured grip and a small digital display. The website ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is faintly visible on the left side.

A black JETBeam flashlight with a textured grip and a side button is standing upright on a wooden surface. A black strap is attached to the flashlight. The base is larger than the main body.

A close-up of a black, textured cylindrical object with a JetBeam label and website, featuring a strap attached to a metal clasp on the lid. The background is blurred, and ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is written on the left side.

A large, black JETBeam flashlight with a textured grip and wrist strap rests upright on a weathered wooden surface. The product branding and control buttons are visible.

That’s all for carrying this light. No pouch is included.

Power

The T6 runs on four 18650 cells. The photo below shows flat button top 30q cells, but these were too short to make consistent contact, so I added a magnet to all 4 (two cells below have the magnets), and connection was good. The light will not work in any configuration of 2 cells. (That begs the question of why it worked a little when contact wasn’t great, but not at all when there was only two cells – the take home is to be sure you have good contact with all your cells. I’d probably just recommend protected 18650s.

The springs used are tall but if the cells aren’t long enough, bumps will still cause a disconnect. Also, see the posts that fit into the holes on the body.

I performed two runtimes, the first one with cells making poor contact. The voltage at the end was 4.14 on two cells and 2.95 on the other. This isn’t a fault of the light, but a fault of the cells not connecting. The second runtime, with magnets, displays longer output and also cells that discharged to the same voltage.

The manual doesn’t state it directly, but there seems to be no reverse polarity protection. Note how the light will reset to turbo (at almost full turbo).

Also note that this runtime is in stark contrast to the prototype review by Zak. in that review Turbo never stepped down, and the output was a gradual decline probably approximately tracking battery voltage. It then seems as if JETBeam has added a timed stepdown, which starts at around 3.5 minutes (95%), and by 4 minutes is down to 35%. That’s quite a heavy stepdown, but provided the temperature doesn’t get out of hand, the light should be able to be reset immediately back to near-turbo.

User Interface and Operation

The T6 operates from a side switch, which is actually two e-switches. The manual describes these as the “lighting switch” (LS) (nearer the head) and the “warning switch” (WS) (nearer the logo).

The user interface here is fine. I love that there’s one-button access to Turbo and Low.

State	Action	Result
Off	Click LS (or WS)	No action
Off	Hold LS	Mode memory
Off	Hold WS	Strobe
On	Click LS	Mode cycle (H>L direction)
Any	Double click LS	Turbo
Any	Double click WS	Low
Strobe group	Click WS	Strobe cycle (Strobe>SOS>Beacon)^

^ Manual is wrong here, it’s Strobe SOS Beacon not SOS Strobe Beacon

The switch is also an indicating switch. Here’s what the manual says for power indication:

Over 20%: No indicator.
Between 10-20%: Slow blink.
Less than 10%: Quick blink.

Modes

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Mode Measured Lux	Tailcap Amps
Turbo	4350	1.8h	30900	3.07
High	1500	4.5h	10180	0.66
Middle	350	21h	2090	0.10
Low	30	300h	78	–

(Remember this is at nominal 7.2V, so really 21W on Turbo.)

LED and Beam

Cree XP-L emitters are in this light, times four. These are the HD variety, and though the HI version might be better for throw, this light throws quite well. The reflectors for each of the four emitters are smooth, and very well executed.

I’m not entirely sure why XP-L HI wasn’t chosen. That’s one of my favorite emitters if I’m quite honest, and this light would be fantastic with those emitters.

The beam at close range does exhibit a beam pattern showing four emitters. At range this pattern can be seen in the opposite way – the beam converges well but there’s a distinctive spill pattern of four emitters. Some users might be bothered by this. I am not one of those users.

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.

A bright white spotlight shines on a pale surface, creating a circular beam with a diffused outer edge. ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is faintly visible along the left side.

A bright white circular light is projected onto a plain surface, creating a clear central spot with a larger, dimmer halo. The background is gray. The text ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM appears vertically on the left side.

A circular white light beam with a bright center fades into a dark background. The text ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM is vertically aligned on the left side of the image.

A dim, circular white light appears in the center of a dark background. The words ZEROAIR.WORDPRESS.COM are vertically aligned on the left side of the image.

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

Here’s a relevantly filtered page on parametrek.com. Thrunite has the TN40S, which is comparable but with XP-L HI emitters, and similar throw. There are many other single emitter lights in a similar format and with similar throw.

Conclusion

What I like

Size and build
Easy access to bookend modes
Lanyard is cool, and easy to attach and detach
It’s just a cool light!

What I don’t like

Strobe is too easy to get to
Would rather XP-L HI emitters

Notes

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