Fenix CL26R Lantern Review
The Fenix CL26R Lantern is a 18650 lantern that runs on a single 18650! There’s onboard charging too, and multi-emitters. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Fenix CL26R Lantern product page.
Versions
There is only one version of the CL26R, but it’s available in 3 colors. Red (seen here), Black, and Green. The green is very mustard green, and the red is an orange-y red. Both are good choices, I think.
Price
This light goes for $60 right now.
Short Review
This is a neat little light, and useful in the tent or for camping. The downlight option is a bit of a gimmick, I’d say, but it would be good for reading. That the light has a cell included and onboard charging makes it a fairly good deal.
Long Review
The Big Table
Lantern:
| Fenix CL26R | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | |
| Cell: | 18650 |
| Runtime | Chargetime |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Power off Charge Port with no Cell? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 400 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | ~ |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 25 |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 17.7 (70.8% of claim)^ |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 59lux @ 1.15m = 78cd |
| All my Fenix reviews! | |
Down Light:
| Fenix CL26R | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | |
| Cell: | 18650 |
| Runtime | Chargetime |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Power off Charge Port with no Cell? | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 25 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | ~ |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 4.6 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 10lux @ 0.73m = 5cd^ |
| All my Fenix 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
- Fenix CL26R Lantern
- Fenix 18650
- Charge cable (USB to micro-USB)
- Split ring and hook
- Spare o-ring
- Manual and paperwork
Package and Manual
The CL26R ships in a complicated box with a window for viewing the product. The manual is stuffed in the bottom, and the cell is already in the light.
Remember to remove the isolation protection from the top of the cell before use! Otherwise, it won’t work. Or do as I did and try to charge the light first…. Nothing bad happened, but just don’t do that at home, kids.
Here is the manual.
Build Quality and Disassembly
The CL26R has a nice solid feel. The lantern light is diffused very well from what looks to be around 6 columns of COB emitters. The emitters are unspecified.
Here’s the top and bottom (right). The bottom has a secondary light instead of a magnet, and the top has a threaded tripod mount and a magnet.
The top unscrews in this way, and the ring that’s attached there is practically required for the right grip.
Both the head and tail have springs.
The threads are square-cut and, of course, plastic. They don’t seem to be lubed, but are very smooth anyway.
The top has a magnet!
I didn’t attempt to break the body down. The parts do not seem to screw together; typically, in this style of light, they’re ultrasonically welded.
Size and Comps
Width: 1.93″
Height: 3.8″
Weight: 116 grams (excluding battery and accessories)
It could probably be smaller, sure, but this is a nice and surprisingly small lantern. Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
Retention and Carry
This isn’t really a light that will be carried daily. Much more like a “leave with the camping gear” light. So retention will cater to that.
On the head, there are three options. The first and maybe most useful is the hanger that is permanently attached – remember, you sort of need this loop to remove the cell.
Next is the threaded tripod mount. It’s plenty useful.
The final option on the head is the magnet, which is plenty strong to hold the light in any position.
Power and Runtime
Power for the CL26R comes from an included 18650 cell. Though the light offers onboard charging, the cell is not proprietary. Any 18650 will work since the light has two springs. The light will also work with 2xCR123 cells.
Whatever cell you use, Fenix demonstrates the orientation it should be installed. The positive end of the cell goes into the cavity first.
I performed a runtime on the highest mode. This is an uncalibrated test (the output is only relative), and I didn’t log temperature.
The included cell is a 2600mAh button top.
As evidenced by the writing on the label and the length of the cell, it’s a protected cell.
Charging
The charge port is on the opposite side of the switch. The feel is practically the same, but the charge port cover isn’t concave like the switch. The cover fits into its place nicely but is easy to remove when it’s time.
Charge is a speedy 1.2A, and the cell tests well over the rated 2600mAh capacity (the chart is 2.6Ah from the 5V source).
User Interface and Operation
There’s a single switch on this lantern. It’s an e-switch, and it has a clicky, kind of dead click to it. It’s plenty big, and a bit concave, so fingers fit nicely.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Battery Check |
| Off | Hold | Lantern Low |
| On | Hold | Off |
| On | Click | Mode Advance (LMHL>Down L>Down H) |
| On | Double Click | Steady Red Mode |
| Red | Click | Red cycle (Steady > Blinky) |
The user interface is surprisingly simple.
LED and Beam
The emitters used in this light are unspecified. All of them on both the body and down light are nice and warm (or at least neutral). The lantern is completely diffused, but the down light really is too – just a bit more directional.
The light doesn’t show up in my normal headshots, but I’ll include them anyway as a metric.
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 compare everything to the Killzone 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Complete package light
- Very diffuse, as a lantern should be
- Relatively small
- Built-in charging is nice
What I don’t like
- The downlight could use more power and focus
- No possibility to use as a powerbank
Notes
- This light was provided by Fenix 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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