Nitecore MH23 Flashlight Review

Here’s the Nitecore MH23, a flashlight using a Cree XHP35 HD emitter, an indicating switch, and offering built-in charging! Read on!

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Nitecore MH23 Flashlight product page.

Versions

There’s just one version of the MH23.  As I mentioned above this is the next in that line.

Price

Base price is $99.95, but at NitecoreStore.com there are a bunch of options (cell, adapters, etc) that bump the price a little.

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Short Review

I just like this format.  It has a great feel in-hand.  The steps down from turbo are quick and noticeable, but the output and beam are good.

Long Review

The Big Table

Nitecore MH23
Emitter:	Cree XHP35 HD
Price in USD at publication time:	$99.95 Amazon referral link.
Cell:	1×18650
Turbo Runtime
LVP?	No
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (A):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Chargetime
Power off Charge Port with no Cell?	?
Claimed Lumens (lm)	1800
Claimed Throw (m)	294
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	1250lux @ 3.802m = 18069cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	268.8 (91.4% of claim)^
All my Nitecore 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

• Nitecore MH23
• Nylon Pouch
• Lanyard
• Cable
• Spare boot for charge port
• Spare o-rings (2)
• Manual and paperwork

Package and Manual

Absolutely standard Nitecore package here.  Photo on the front, description/specs on the back.  It’s a good package.

 

And the manual is standard fare for Nitecore too.  Here’s a pdf, which I’ll say yet again I’m thankful to Nitecore for providing!

Build Quality and Disassembly

The Nitecore MH23 has a nice build quality.  It feels like a Nitecore.  The anodizing is good, and the threads are quite buttery.

I’ve carried this light a good bit, and wear can be seen on the anodizing.  To be honest this doesn’t bother me.

Make no mistake, the head of this light is large.  It’ll head and tailstand, of course.

The MH23 has a brass button on the head, and a thick, long brass spring on the tailcap.  The light comes apart into three sections.  I wasn’t able to get the bezel off, so I can’t speak to emitter swap potential.  The threads on both ends are anodized (and again, very smooth.)

Size

Officially the light is 4.38″ long, and has an unspecified head diameter. The head is big (diameter), and long.

One thing I like about the MH23 is one of the things I like about many flashlights.  It looks ‘flashlighty.’  Below, the MH23 can be seen with two other flashlighty lights, and also the TorchLAB BOSS.

Retention

The MH23 ships with a nylon pouch, which has a large plastic D-ring and, really is a very standard nylon pouch.

There’s also a pocket clip, which will attach for bezel up or bezel down carry.  The head is specially designed so that the clip will work in either orientation, but really most comfortably carries with bezel down orientation.

Power

The MH23 is a 18650 light.  The head end has a brass button and there’s a large spring on the tailcap.  As a result, the MH23 works with any type 18650 (flat/ button; protected/ unprotected).  Seen below is a rather long Nitecore cell, which naturally sticks up this far.  The tailcap has long threads, and a cell sticking out this much isn’t a problem at all.  Nitecore does recommend a cell capable of 8A discharge.

Here’s a runtime on Turbo.  As you can see, the stepdown from the claimed 1800 lumens is very, very fast.  The light will reset to Turbo, but it’s not “100%” Turbo.  All in all this makes the 1800 lumen claim not all that useful, even if true.

Charging

The MH23 also has onboard charging, via a micro-USB port on the head.  This is covered with a rubber boot, which presses in.  As far as I can tell in the product description doesn’t say at what speed the light charges, but my experience is charging settles at about half an amp.  The manual does say charging should take 6 hours.  My charging took over 8 hours.  This is slower than I would have expected, but I don’t mind charging my cells slowly.

The light also has a battery check feature.  When a cell is installed, the indicating side switch will blink the voltage.  For example: four blinks pause two blinks, = 4.2V.

It’s also possible to use two CR123/RCR123 cells in the MH23.

User Interface and Operation

There’s a single e-switch on the head of this light.  It’s a big, textured, indicating switch.  The indicator has two blue LEDs.  I quite like this switch.  It’s a double-action, responsive clicky switch.

The blue is quite bright.

Here’s a user interface table!  It’s a very thorough UI, so stay with me.

State	Action	Result
Off	Click	Mode Memory
Off	Half Click	Turn beacon on or off
Off	Half Hold	Ultra-low
On	Half Click	Mode advance (L>H)
Off	Full Hold	Momentary Turbo
On	Half Hold	Momentary Turbo
On	Full Click	Off
On	Full Hold	Strobe
Strobe	Half Click	Strobe advance (Strobe>SOS>Beacon)
Strobe	Full Click	Off
Strobe Group	Half Hold	Strobe

As far as I can tell, there is unfortunately no electronic lockout! The most minimal of turns on the tailcap will disconnect the cell, however.

Modes

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Mode Measured Lux	Tailcap Amps
Turbo	1800	30m	34200	3.62
High	760	1h45m	16520	2.22
Mid	260	4h45m	5640	0.59
Low	55	19h	1019	0.15
Ultra-low	1	300h	36	0.016

LED and Beam

In the MH23 is a Cree XHP35 HD, and it’s under a smooth and deep reflector.  As you’d guess, this setup makes a beam with a fairly hot hotspot, but with a good bit of spill.

Low is low, but not terribly low.

I am not sure why this light wouldn’t get the Cree XHP35 HI.  It’s clearly intended as a pocket thrower, and the beam profile of the HI emitter would have suited this light much more.

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.

 

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.  There are a few direct competitors to the MH23. I’ve reviewed at least two of them, the Skilhunt S3 Pro (larger), and the Nitecore Concept 1 (smaller). I really liked the S3 Pro, and the Concept 1 is fairly good too. The S3 Pro outthrows the MH23 by a large margin, but it would – it has a much larger reflector. It’s also not pocketable at all, but charges at 1A. Either of these two would be good choices.

Conclusion

What I like

• Size and shape is great
• Throw good for a small light like this
• Immediate output is great
• Charging is extremely stable.

What I don’t like

• Stepdown from turbo is very fast
• Didn’t quite meet throw claims.

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Notes

• This light was provided by NitecoreStore for review. I was not paid to write this review.
• This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
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