Nitecore LR50 Lantern Review

The Nitecore LR50 Lantern offers a few output types, onboard charging with replaceable 18650 cells, and an e-switch interface. Read on!

Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Nitecore LR50 Lantern product page.

Versions

Only one version!

Price

This lantern goes for $44.95 currently, without cells.

Short Review

I’m tempted to call this one less of a lantern that can be a powerbank and more of a powerbank that can be used as a lantern. The powerbank feature is very good, and the onboard charging works well too. As a lantern, it’s great too, but the powerbank is the real standout!

Long Review

The Big Table

Nitecore LR50
Emitter:	side light
Price in USD at publication time:	$44.95
Cell:	2×18650
Runtime (Highest mode, all emitters going)
LVP?	Yes
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (A):	?
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Chargetime
Power off Charge Port with no Cell?	Yes, High Only. (All Modes with charging and cells in)
Claimed Lumens (lm)	250
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	234 (93.6% of claim)^
Claimed Throw (m)	24
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	69lux @ 0.815m = 46cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	13.5 (56.3% of claim)^
All my Nitecore reviews!

Nitecore LR50
Emitter:	front light
Claimed Throw (m)	24
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	39lux @ 0.965m = 36cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	12.1 (50.4% 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 LR50 Lantern
Charge cable (USB to micro-USB)
Manual and paperwork
(in my review sample) Nitecore 18650 x 2, NL1834 – 3400mAh

Package and Manual

A Nitecore LR50 Campbank box on a wooden surface, showing it is a camping lantern and power bank with 250 lumens, 9 LEDs, USB input/output, magnetic base, and a 5-year warranty label on the top right.

The back of a yellow and black Nitecore LR50 product box is shown on a wooden surface, with features and specifications of the device printed in white text and a barcode at the bottom.

Typical Nitecore package and manual.

Build Quality

Having had a few other lanterns, I can say that this one’s quite nice. The diffuser material is thick and while it might scratch, I don’t imagine it’ll be easy to break.

A small, portable LED lantern with a white frosted dome and a black base featuring a single yellow button sits on a weathered wooden surface.

A small, cylindrical LED lamp with a white diffusing top and a black base is standing upright on a wooden surface, with a blurred wooden background.

A portable LED lantern with a frosted dome-shaped cover and a black base featuring a yellow power button sits on a weathered wooden surface.

A small, cylindrical, battery-powered LED lantern with a white top and black base is standing upright on a weathered wooden surface outdoors.

The body of the light is also of nice quality.

This charge port cover fits in very snugly.

These little latches that allow removal of the diffuser are a bit hard to push in – it requires some dexterity to get it right. Both must be squeezed in and held while the diffuser is being pulled. Not a big deal, but still – the seal of the o-ring around the base must be overcome, and the required grip makes it a cumbersome motion.

The cells are easy to access, and not hard to remove. When the cover is off, the emitters are just there, bare.

The thinnest part of these tabs that keep the cover on is over 1mm thick, and the tabs themselves are very short. I don’t worry too much about these breaking, but if they did break, there’s going to be no way to fix them. The diffuser might stay in place just by virtue of the good seal of the o-ring, but …. just don’t break the tabs.

A close-up of the base of a portable LED lantern with a black and yellow control unit, standing on a wooden surface. The translucent body of the lantern is partially visible.

A close-up of the base of a portable LED lantern with a black and yellow button, resting on a weathered wooden surface. The lantern has a cylindrical white body.

A close-up of the base of a cylindrical light or lantern with a black bottom, a yellow button, a small port, and a semi-transparent white top, placed on a weathered wooden surface.

Size and Comps

Officially 119.8mm x 57mm x 30mm, and 110g. My measurements corroborate this.

A rectangular LED camping lantern with a yellow power button is placed on top of a two-dollar bill on a weathered wooden surface.

A U.S. two-dollar bill lies flat on a wooden surface, partially covered on the left side by a cylindrical, translucent white object, creating a blurred effect over that area.

A small lantern with a lit power button is placed on a weathered wooden surface next to a two-dollar bill for size comparison.

A person’s hand holding a small, portable lantern with a white frosted dome and a yellow power button. The person is wearing a black watch. The background is grassy.

A person with a black wristwatch holds a small, cylindrical, white and black object outdoors over grass. The object appears to be a portable light or flashlight.

A person holds a small, cylindrical LED lantern with a yellow power button, black base, and frosted white top. The person wears a black watch with a gold buckle. The background is grassy and outdoors.

A decorative silver flashlight stands next to a black and white lantern with a yellow power button, both placed on a wooden surface.

A small, ornate metal flashlight stands next to a taller, pill-shaped LED light with a black base on a weathered wooden surface.

An orange flashlight with a black clip stands upright next to a white, rounded diffuser attachment on a wooden surface with a blurred background.

An orange flashlight stands upright next to a small, dome-shaped LED lantern with a frosted white top and a black base featuring a yellow power button. Both objects are on a wooden surface.

Retention and Carry

There are a number of options here. The first example is the magnet in the base. The magnet holds the light sideways or vertically, with two cells in place.

There’s also a loop, which could make this a great porch light or tent light. The loop is removable.

Power and Runtime

There are a number of options for powering the LR50. I tested with the two Nitecore 18650 cells provided to me – 3400mAh NL1834’s. These worked quite well, and also have a high capacity for great runtimes. Any type 18650 will work, from the shortest unprotected cell to longer button tops. The light can also be powered by CR123A cells – two per bay (4 total). The light will operate if only one bay is filled, too (either bay).

A yellow Nitecore rechargeable 4000mAh lithium-ion battery stands upright on top of a black cylindrical base, placed on a wooden surface with a blurred background.

A small black Nitecore lantern with a yellow 3400mAh rechargeable battery inside stands on a wooden surface. The lantern has a round power button on the front.

The bays are labeled for cell orientation.

(The spring end almost always gets the negative side of the cells; just something to remember.)

A close-up of a portable flashlight lying on a wooden surface, showing its clear body, three small LED lights, a label with symbols, and a metallic contact point.

A close-up of a small flashlight lying on a wooden surface. The flashlight has a transparent body, a yellow button on the black cap, and a visible battery orientation label.

I performed an uncalibrated runtime (since output was really too low for my meter, in my calibrated setup). So “250 lumens” is based on what Nitecore claims, and goes from there. Also this is with all the emitters burning – top and both sides. I tested only the highest output, and the runtime is quite long! The light has LVP, too.

On-board charging happens via the micro-USB port under the yellow boot.

Nitecore provides a very nice cable, too.

When charging is happening, the blue emitter on the top of the light blinks. When complete, the blue emitter is solid. The blue user interface may be used for a battery check – click either button, and the blue emitter will blink as follows:

Three blinks for >50% power
Two blinks for <50% power
One blink for <10% power

A hand holds a flashlight with three visible LED lights at the end, and a yellow AA battery is partly visible in the flashlight. Another yellow AA battery lies on the wooden surface nearby.

A hand holds a cylindrical battery with three small yellow LED lights on one end. Another battery lies on a wooden surface in the background.

Charging

Charging for both NL1834’s is as follows:

Very respectable charging!

Also, the LR50 has USB-out…. Haven’t had a light with that in a while, but I dusted off my USB-out testing equipment, and here’s the result. Very good USB-out! I was able to pull almost 4 Amps before the voltage broke USB spec…. Of course, the unit is rated to 2.1A – it does that very easily and for quite some time too. I did not test til empty, but the voltage is steady >5V for the duration.

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
High	250	10h	234^	–
Mid	65	22h	–	–
Low	6	100h	–	–
Beacon	250	–	–	–
SOS	250	–	–	–

239-lumen rating is only from a startup of 250 lumens, presuming Nitecore’s claim is 250 from startup. That is, after 30 seconds, the output dips a little. The point here is less that the output drops by “11 lumens” and more that the output fades slightly (even dramatically?) on the highest mode.

User Interface and Operation

There are two buttons on the LR50. They are e-switches and on opposing sides of the base. They don’t have any indicator function and have yellow covers. They’re moderately clicky, and not terribly hard to find on the device. Nitecore calls these “Dual Power Buttons.”

Here’s a user interface table!

State	Action	Result
Off	Click Either	Battery Check
Off	Click Both	No action
Off	Hold Either	No action
Off	Hold Both	On Low, but “Mode memory” in that the same emitters will be powered^
On	Hold Both^^	Off
Off	Keep Holding Both	Low, Beacon, SOS
On	Click Either	Mode advance (LMH)
On	Hold Either	Switch Combination of active Emitters (All > Top only > One Side only > One side + Top > All)
On	Hold Both (past “off”)	Locator Beacon (very low Blue light)

^ This means it’s possible to turn the light on with mode memory of any combination of emitters, not just specifically “low.”
^^ The manual says “short press both” to turn off the light but I found it requires a long press. Short press both from on does nothing.

LED and Beam

I don’t believe the emitter is named specifically, but Nitecore does give some specs: High CRI (CRI>90), 4000-4500K temperature. The light is very pleasant, and a good temp for a lantern. The diffuser makes the light very diffuse… does its job well.

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. There’s really nothing to see here, with the way this lantern works.

A completely black image with the text ZEROAIR.ORG vertically aligned on the left side. No other objects or details are visible.

A completely black image with the text “ZEROAIR.ORG” in light gray, vertically aligned on the left side. No other objects or details are visible.

A nearly black image with very minimal illumination and the text ZEROAIR.ORG faintly visible on the left side. No discernible objects or details are present.

A completely dark image with no discernible objects or details visible. The text ZEROAIR.ORG appears vertically on the left side.

A completely dark image with the text ZEROAIR.ORG written vertically on the left side. No other objects or details are visible.

A nearly black image with very low visibility; only the faint text ZEROAIR.ORG is visible on the left side of the image.

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

Very lanterny!
Extremely good powerbank features
Ease of access to cells make this as much a charger as powerbank as lantern. It’s very multi-functional.

What I don’t like

Removing the diffuser requires strong hand
Tabs on diffuser could break and aren’t replaceable.

Notes

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