Klarus XT11GT Pro Tactical Flashlight Review
Klarus has released the XT11GT Pro Tactical Flashlight. This light has USB-C charging and a paddle switch, and other nice features. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
This one’s new enough that I can’t find it on the official page!
Versions
As far as I can tell, there’s just one version of the XT11GT Pro. No other temperature emitters, for example. As far as previous versions, there are a few (one I’ll mention later). This version is considered a direct upgrade from the XT11GT.
Price
I’m unsure of the price. The XT11GT was around $80, so I’d expect the Pro version to be at or around that as well.
Short Review
This is a nice quality light, with good output and switches. The UI offers something interesting, too.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Klarus XT11GT Pro Tactical Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XHP35 HD (6500K) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | ? |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| Turbo Runtime | High Runtime |
| LVP? | ? |
| Switch Type: | Both |
| Quiescent Current (A): | – |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Chargetime | |
| Power off Charge Port with no cell? | With cell: Medium Without Cell: No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 2000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1723 (86.2% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 13.7 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 300 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 863lux @ 5.803m = 29061cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 340.9 (113.6% of claim)^ |
| All my Klarus 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
My package was just what you see above. No box. But this is probably pretty nearly the full retail package except for box and manual. My kit included:
- Klarus XT11GT Pro Flashlight
- Klarus 3100mAh 18650
- Klarus nylon belt pouch
- Charge cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
Package and Manual
Again, I got no box, but Klarus did send me this copy of the manual.
Build Quality and Disassembly
Build quality seems good.
The grip shown here is almost like the Olight Warrior Mini I just reviewed, but a wider band.
There’s minimal, and maybe subtle branding, but that brand does include a serial number.
The bezel unscrews readily, and the lens also comes out readily thereafter.
The threads on the tailcap are square-cut and anodized, and not too long. The light does have the “inner sleeve.”
There are springs on the head and tail, as there should be on a tactical light. The extra on the tailcap has to do with the dual switches.
The bezel is somewhat aggressive, and as such allows light to shine out when headstanding.
Size and Comps
35mm x 25.4mm x 139.7mm in size.
Weight: 122.8g (claimed). 168g with cell (measured).
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll show that here, too (usually the fourth photo).
Here’s the test light with the venerable Convoy S2+. Mine’s a custom “baked” edition Nichia 219b triple. A very nice 18650 light.
And here’s the light beside my custom engraved TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats.
Here’s the other XT11GT I have. This isn’t the standard edition – it’s one that was made and then canceled. This version smartly has the HI emitter, which provides better throw.
Retention and Carry
A nylon pouch is included. The carry is bezel-up only, and there aren’t any holes for in-holster use.
There’s also a pocket clip included and attached. It’s a friction fit clip and lives on the tail end only. For belt carry it’s sufficient.
The included lanyard could attach to the clip in the holes seen above, or in this hole on the tailcap. The tailcap will be much more secure.
Power and Runtime
The XT11GT Pro has a working voltage of up to 6.4V. This allows a single 18650 lithium-ion cell or two cr123a cells. The Klarus package includes this 3100mAh 18650.
This cell is a button top and based on length, seems to be protected. It’s also (notably) a standard 18650 cell. Any size or type 18650 should power and charge in the XT11GT Pro just fine. I tested with an unprotected flat top too, with no issues (charging or in usage).
Here are a couple of runtimes. Turbo has an initial burst of output well over 2000 lumens but then levels off after a few seconds to around 1700 lumens, which falls off in a couple of minutes. The claim is 2000 lumens – seems like it should really have been a claim of 1700, which would be accurate (easily).
After the stepdowns, the light is very well regulated.
I wasn’t able to test for LVP on my bench power due to the tailcap configuration. In these runtimes, it looks like the stepdowns are so dramatic, you’ll have to notice that voltage is low. Alternatively, power the light on and note the power indicator hiding very inconspicuously beside the charge port. For 5 seconds after turning the light on, it indicates as follows:
Green: 70-100% remaining
Orange: 30-70%remaining
Red: <30% remaining
Red Flashing: <10% remaining
The Klarus XT11GT Pro also has built-in charging. An appropriate cable is included. It’s USB to USB-C.
The charge port is in the head and has a very snug fitting press-in cover. If you look carefully in both of the photos below, you can see the charge indicator to the right of the charge port.
Charging proceeds reliably at over 1.1A, and completes in under 3 hours.
The light does not seem to utilize PD charging (by that I mean it charges only at 5V) and also does not support USB-C output (ie it is not a powerbank).
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 2000/750 | 2m/2h | 1723 | – |
| High | 400 | 4h | 422 | – |
| Medium | 100 | 11h | 115 | – |
| Low | 10 | 120h | 7 | – |
Pulse Width Modulation
No PWM on any mode here. Great!
Here you can see a “baseline” – a chart with almost no light hitting the sensor.
Then there’s the Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight, which has some of the worst PWM I’ve seen. It’s so bad that I used a post about it to explain PWM! Here are multiple timescales (10ms, 5ms, 2ms, 1ms, 0.5ms, 0.2ms) to make comparing this “worst” PWM light to the test light easier. That post also explains why I didn’t test the WF-602C at the usual 50us scale.
User Interface and Operation
The XT11GT Pro utilizes two switches. They’re both on the tailcap, and it’s a very tactical setup. One is a proud forward clicky. The other is an e-switch paddle switch.
This configuration does prevent tailstanding.
There are two user groups on the XT11GT Pro. The manual states that the default is Tactical. The other is Outdoor. Mine actually shipped in Outdoor. Switch between the two as follows:
From off, hold the paddle switch (“Mode”) until the indicator switch goes from green to red/green flashing. Then tap the Primary switch. You can release or leave the light on; the group is changed.
Here’s a UI table for Tactical mode.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Primary Switch (PS) | Turbo |
| Off | Tap PS | Momentary Turbo |
| Off | Hold Paddle Switch (Mode Switch, MS) | Strobe |
| Off | Tap MS | Momentary Strobe |
| On | Click MS | Mode advance (THML) |
| On | Click PS | Off |
Here’s a UI table for Outdoor mode.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Any | Click Primary Switch (PS) | Turbo |
| Any | Tap PS | Momentary Turbo |
| Off | Hold Paddle Switch (Mode Switch, MS) | Low |
| Off | Tap MS | Momentary Low |
| On from MS | Click MS | Mode advance (LMHT) |
| On from PS | Click MS | Mode advance (THML) |
| On | Click PS | Off |
| On | Hold MS | Off |
LED and Beam
The emitter of choice for this light is a 6500K Cree XHP35 HD. The emitter benefits from a smooth deep reflector.
These beamshots are always with 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.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Conclusion
What I like
- Complete package
- USB-C Charging
- Interface which allows many choices (specifically the Turbo to Low direction option in the Outdoor group, which is unusual)
- No PWM
What I don’t like
- USB-C Charging is slow at 1.1A. The cell could handle much more, and USB-C could too.
- Cool white emitter
Notes
- This light was provided by Klarus for review. I was not paid to write this review.
- This content originally appeared at zeroair.org. Please visit there for the best experience!
- For flashlight-related patches, stickers, and gear, head over to PhotonPhreaks.com!
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