Thrunite T3 Thrower Flashlight Review

Thrunite has released the T3, a handheld/EDC flashlight made to be a thrower! This 21700-cell light has USB-C charging and a ramping UI!

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Official Specs and Features

Here’s a link to the Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight product page.

Versions

While the product page hints at two emitter options, right now only Cool White is available. There are no other body options, so what you see in this review is the only version!

Price

As pictured in the photos here, the MSRP for the Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight is $65.95. That includes the cell, too!

But if you head over to amazon.com with my referral link, you can pick up the Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight for $55.95 and clip a 25% off coupon!

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Short Review

Thrunite usually makes solid lights, and the T3 Thrower is no exception. While I don’t love the implementation of ramping that Thrunite has used here, I know that many will. All in all, this seems like a robust light, and with the 25% off coupon putting the light around $40, it seems like a great deal!

Long Review

The Big Table

Thrunite T3 Thrower Flashlight
Emitter:	Luminus SST-40 (Cool White)
Price in USD at publication time:	$65.95 or $55.95 on amazon.com
Cell:	1×21700 (included)
Runtime Graph
LVP?	Questionable
Switch Type:	E-Switch
Quiescent Current (mA):	0.06
On-Board Charging?	Yes
Charge Port Type:	USB-C
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port	with cell: 3 low modes without cell or body: no modes
Claimed Lumens (lm)	2250
Measured Lumens (at 30s)	793 (35.2% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen	13.3
Claimed Throw (m)	301
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s)	291lux @ 6.043m = 10627cd
Throw (Calculated) (m)	206.2 (68.5% of claim)^
Claimed CCT	Cool White
Measured CCT Range (K)	5500-6200 Kelvin
Item provided for review by:	Thrunite
All my Thrunite reviews!

^ Measurement disclaimer:  I am an amateur flashlight reviewer.  I don’t have $10,000 or even $1,000 worth of testing equipment.  I test output and such in PVC tubes!!  Please consider claims within 10% of what I measure to be perfectly reasonable (accurate, even).

What’s Included

• Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight
• Thrunite 4000mAh 21700
• Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
• Lanyard
• Spare o-rings (2)
• Spare charging port cover
• Manual etc

Package and Manual

Build Quality and Disassembly

Thrunite’s build quality is great.  Also, this light is a bit of a chunk in hand – remember it’s a 21700 light (not 18650!). The T3 is very much like the Thrunite T2. There are definitely some changes and the lights aren’t really in the same category, but the build is similar.

The size and shape (and of course the overall build quality) of this light somehow appeals to me.  It lacks the “flashlightyness” of a larger head, but it still fits that niche for me.

The head has minimal depth cooling fins.

The body doesn’t have knurling but has ridges that provide grip.  I believe this also adds to the overall higher build quality feel of the Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight.

The threads on the head end are square-cut, very smooth, and not too long. 

The tail has a nice big spring.  The head has only a brass button contact.

Size and Comps

Officially: 115.5mm x 27.5mm x 26mm
Weight: 77g (excluding battery)

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.

Also above is 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.

Retention and Carry

Included (and installed) is a two-way deep carry friction fit pocket clip.  The clip is not reversible and can only go on the tail, but again, it’s a two-way clip.  Bezel down the light is flush with the pocket.  Bezel up, there’s around 1.5″ out of the pocket.  (To wit, there’s no good reason to bother with a two-way clip here, since so much will stick out of the pocket in a bezel-up carry.)

Also included is a standard lanyard, which attaches through a hole in the tailcap.

Thrunite provides a nice nylon pouch.  The T3 will fit in either orientation, and there are no holes in the top or bottom for use while in the pouch.

Power and Runtime

The Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight is powered by a single lithium-ion cell.  One is provided, as seen below.  It’s a standard button-top 4000mAh 21700. This is actually a big upgrade from the T2, which used some kind of proprietary 21700 cell (which did have a much higher capacity, though.)

The cell fits with the positive end toward the head (which is the normal configuration).

Runtimes can be seen below.  Turbo was claimed at 50 seconds for the high output with a stepdown to around 600 lumens.  I see the stepdown starting practically immediately, though.

“Infinite High” and Turbo have the same profile, but Turbo has that initial bump of very high output. Even the Infinite High output has a stepdown.

The light does exhibit low voltage protection, around. 2.8-2.9V.  Even before that the indicating switch will turn red, then blink red to alert the user.

On bench power, the switch warning starts at about 2.6V, and then the light switches off.

Charging

Also built into the Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight is USB-C charging.  The port is in the head (opposite the switch) and has a press-in rubber cover (there is a spare).  This is a high-quality port – something I don’t say all that often because it’s not always so evident.  The port lines up perfectly with the opening.

There’s also a cable included for charging – USB to USB-C.

Charging proceeds at around 2A. Charging is very good, requiring only around 2.5 hours.

C to C charging also works great!

Modes and Currents

Mode	Mode Claimed Output (lm)	Claimed Runtime	Measured Lumens	Tailcap Amps
Turbo	2250+621	50s+170m	2139 (0s) 793 (30s)	7.09
Infinity High	1077+605	40s+180m	1076 (0s) 605 (30s)	2.55
Infinity Low	37	58h	33	0.06
Firefly	0.44	133d	0.50	1.4mA

Pulse Width Modulation

There’s no PWM on any mode. The middle mode below is not a specific mode but just “somewhere along the ramp.” The mode order below is lowest to highest (at right).

For reference, here’s a baseline shot, with all the room lights off and almost nothing hitting the sensor.  Also, here’s the light with the worst PWM I could find.  I’m adding multiple timescales, so it’ll be easier to compare to the test light.  Unfortunately, the PWM on this light is so bad that it doesn’t even work with my normal scale, with is 50 microseconds (50us).  10ms.  5ms.  2ms.  1ms.  0.5ms.  0.2ms.  In a display faster than 0.2ms or so, the on/off cycle is more than one screen, so it’d just (very incorrectly) look like a flat line.  I wrote more about this Ultrafire WF-602C flashlight and explained a little about PWM too.

User Interface and Operation

The Thrunite T3 thrower flashlight uses an e-switch on the head. This is an indicating switch. Thrunite has the capacity to use great e-switches (the T2 has one, for example). Hard buttons with a translucent dot in the center for indication. This switch is not that.

Thrunite is reusing their “ramping” user interface for the T3. This has discrete Firefly and Turbo modes, as well as discrete “Infinite Low” and “Infinite High.” Between those last two, though, you can ramp “infinitely.” If you like ramping, this will be ok. If you’re used to Anduril, this might not be the ramping you want. If you prefer discrete modes (as I do), then you’ll probably just be very “eh” about this user interface (as I am). It’s ok.

Here’s the switch indicating in blue.

Here’s a UI table!

State	Action	Result
Off	Hold	Firefly
Off	Click	On (Mode Memory)
On	Click	Off
Firefly	Hold	Lockout to Off
Lockout	Hold	Unlock to Firefly
Any	Double Click	Turbo
On (Except Firefly)	Hold	Ramp up or down^
Any	Click 3x	Strobe

^The ramp here is fairly logical except for one thing – the direction is remembered, and the next iteration of ramp is opposite to what it was before. So if you ramped up then turned the light off and turn it back on again later, the ramp will be down this time. Seems like a reset to “ramp up” after 15 seconds or whatever would be more logical (and not essentially emulate “ramping mode memory”.) As it is, if you hold the switch with the light on, it’ll ramp up and down over and over. That part of the ramping is great. The light blinks at both ends to let you know it’s reached maximum or minimum.

LED and Beam

Thrunite has gone with the efficient Luminus SST-40 emitter here. It’s a cool white version, but the site hints at a neutral version. Thrunite has gotten away from offering both, nearly always offering cool white first (and often “only”). I might not hold my breath for a neutral version.

That SST-40 is coupled with a smooth a fairly large (for a tube light) reflector, and together they provide a reasonable throw number to match the moniker of the T3 Thrower flashlight.

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

The CCCT as measured starts (in low) in the neutral area, but as the emitter is driven harder, the CCT gets into the cool white realm. CRI is low.

Beamshots

These beamshots are always with the following settings:  f8, ISO100, 0.3s shutter, and manual 5000K exposure.

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

• Reasonably low cost for a great complete package.
• User interface offers ramping
• While offering ramping, there’s still four discrete output levels
• USB-C to USB-C charging works great
• Great throw from a tube light

What I don’t like

• The ramping Thrunite uses just needs some work
• Output begins to drop visibly on the higher levels 

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Notes

• 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!
• Use my amazon.com referral link if you’re willing to help support making more reviews like this one!
• Please support me on Patreon!  Feeding flashlights is expensive!  And funding Fun Fund Friday even more so.  I deeply appreciate your support!