Thrunite TC15 Flashlight Review

The Thrunite TC15 Flashlight is a 18650 flashlight, which has onboard charging (micro-USB) and a Cree XHP35 HD emitter. Read on!

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Thrunite TC15 Flashlight product page.

Versions

There are two versions – NW and CW (though the NW version doesn’t seem to be in stock – maybe not even made yet?) I have the CW version. The package includes a cell, too, and there doesn’t seem to be a package without the cell.

Price and Coupon

The current price is $59.99. Often, there’s a coupon floating around for Thrunite, but all the ones I have just expired.

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Short Review

This light really churns out the lumens. It hits its claimed output and throw easily. Charging is good, too. It’s a very good light!

Long Review

The Big Table

Thrunite TC15
Emitter:	Cree XHP35 HD
Price in USD at publication time:	$59.99
Cell:	18650
Turbo Runtime	High Runtime
LVP?	Yes
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (A):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Chargetime
Power off Charge Port with no Cell?	Yes, Moon + 1 mode
Claimed Lumens (lm)	2300
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	2400 (104.3% of claim)^
Claimed Throw (m)	246
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	778lux @ 5.345m = 22227cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	298.2 (121.2% of claim)^
All my Thrunite 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

• Thrunite TC15 Flashlight
• Thrunite protected 18650 (not shown)
• Charge cable
• Lanyard
• Spare o-rings (2)
• Spare switch rubber
• Spare charge port covers (2)
• Pocket clip
• Nylon pouch
• Manual and paperwork

Package and Manual

The light ships in the Thrunite standard slip-fit box, with foam inside.

Build Quality and Disassembly

This light feels very good in the hand, with quality anodizing, and an interesting grip pattern on the cell tube.

It’s maybe not an extremely interesting light, but the grip is sufficient, and it doesn’t try to pull off any ‘tactical’ etc branding. It’s just a good, solid performer.

The cell tube separates fully from the head and tail. It’s also reversible.

The tailcap doesn’t have a magnet and has a spring that is fairly soft. The head doesn’t have a spring at all; it just has brass contact points.

The threads on the cell tube are square-cut and thick, and anodized. This allows for easy mechanical lockout.

Size and Comps

• Dimensions: 122.5mm (length) x 27mm (body diameter) x 24mm (head diameter).
• Weight: 71g (excluding battery)

This is not a short light. Diameter is normal for a tube light (maybe even a little thick), but then, the TC15 does add charging and a side switch. That said, I’d like to see this light be a little shorter.

Retention and Carry

Thrunite includes a nylon pouch with a plastic D-ring. The pouch has stretchy sides and accepts the light bezel up or down.

There’s also a lanyard included, which will primarily attach to the tailcap. There’s a (small but unusually generously sized) hole on the end for attachment. The pocket clip also has the appropriate holes, but I don’t like to trust friction clips for this task.

The pocket clip fits only one end of the cell tube, but the cell tube is reversible.

The clip just barely carries deep enough for me with the bezel down, and not even close to deep enough in the bezel-up orientation. The clip attaches quite snugly, though.

Power and Runtime

A single 18650 powers the TC15. Fortunately, Thrunite includes a very high-quality protected button top cell. The light will work with unprotected flat tops, but the cell tube is so long, and there ends up being so much extra space, that the cell can bounce around a little in there. Couple that with the soft spring and no spring on the head; I’d just stick with the included cell generally.

In any case, the included cell is quite capable of powering this Cree XHP35 HD. The peak output (initial turn on) on Turbo is around 2700 lumens (!!!) and begins to drift downward for around a minute. I measure the 30-second output at around 2400 lumens, which is above the claim. The light then begins a quick descent to just below the High output, where it stays in a very regulated state until an abrupt shutoff due to LVP. It’s a 12V emitter, so the boost circuit probably can’t boost the cell to the required Vf much below 3V anyway.

A runtime on High looks equally stable but also lasts much longer because there’s not a massive hit from the 6.5A turbo. Shutoff is similar, though, stopping abruptly at 2.95V.

Here’s the included cell. It’s a protected button top, with a Thrunite branded wrapper.

But the Thrunite wrapper is a little transparent. In the photo below, it’s possible to make out the “30Q” text on the original (flat top, unprotected) cell’s wrapper. That’s a good choice – 30Q’s are great cells!

Charging

The TC15 also has built-in charging. This is possible using micro-USB (and a USB to micro-USB cable is included). The charge port is in the head of the light, opposite the switch.

Charging is respectable, at around 1A (on average?) during the CC phase (measured at the USB). The charge process takes around 200 minutes.

The indicating switch displays charge information, too.

During charging, the indicator is RED
After being fully charged, the indicator will be BLUE
When the indicator flashes purple, it means abnormal charging
Only firefly and low mode are available during charging.

The light has LVP, and the indicating switch has some indicating functions, as follows:

• Battery capacity: >20%, Blue light will be ON.
• Battery capacity: 10%-20%, Red light will be ON.
• Battery capacity: <10%, Red light will flash and remind to charge the battery immediately.
• After being fully charged, Blue light will be ON.
• Note: the battery capacity indicator will not work at Firefly mode, or when the battery capacity is 0%.

User Interface and Operation

Thrunite’s standard metal side e-switch graces the TC15. It’s well documented that I really like this switch, and fortunately for me, Thrunite uses it often.

Here’s a user interface table! The user interface is exactly the same as on many other Thrunites with this switch, including the TN42!

State	Action	Result
Off	Hold	Firefly
Off	Click	On (Mode Memory except Turbo/Firefly/Strobe)
Any	Double click	Turbo
Turbo	Double click	Strobe
On	Hold	Mode cycle (LMH)^
On	Click	Off

^ There’s a mode cycle that’s hard to explain in table form. When the light is on, the only way to get to High is to cycle from Low. If you turn the light on to Medium and hold the switch to advance, the advance is to Low first, then Medium, then High. In fact, any time you’re in medium, and you release the switch, the next advance upon holding the switch will be low, whereby you need to cycle through low and medium to get to high. I found this to be quite cumbersome.

I like that the user interface is reused from light to light. If you’re a brand loyal type person, it’s nice to know that you can get the same user interface on different types of lights, and always know exactly how to do what you want to do, without memorizing a bunch of different UIs!!

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
Turbo	2300/820	2m/83m	2338	6.50
High	1050	90m	1147	1.68
Medium	250	6.5h	272	0.29
Low	25	68h	33	0.02
Firefly	1	41.5d	–	–

LED and Beam

The emitter of choice here is a Cree XHP35 HD, in CW. (A NW version may be available at some point, or now, even, but is currently listed as out of stock.) The reflector is very smooth and deep.

XHP35 HD is probably an excellent choice for a light intended to produce 2300 lumens. Typically, CW lights put out a little bit more lumens, too, so again, probably a good choice.

I personally would love to see the NW version.

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.

Conclusion

What I like

• Output hits specification
• Throw hits specification
• Built quality is good
• Complete package light (literally everything you need, including cell and charging!)
• Side switch only (separating itself from the tactical crowd of lights)

What I don’t like

• CW (NW maybe available, or maybe not?)
• Light is overall too long. I’d trade some reflector depth for a shorter light. And such a long battery compartment, too.
• Pocket clip isn’t deep enough for me.

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Notes

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