Skilhunt EK1 High CRI Keychain Flashlight Review
Skilhunt has released the EK1 High CRI, a keychain flashlight that offers two modes and USB-C charging. Read on for testing of this light!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Skilhunt EK1 High CRI keychain flashlight product page. (That’s a ShareASale link.)
Versions
Two emitters are available: Luminus SST-20 and Nichia 219F-V2 (seen here), which is high CRI and 5000K. Four body colors are available: Carbon Black, Royal Blue (seen here), Olive Green, and Vibrant Orange.
Price
The Skilhunt EK1 High CRI keychain flashlight goes for $19.90 and can be purchased through my ShareASale link. This High CRI version commands a one-dollar premium over the Luminus SST-20 version.
Short Review
The Skilhunt EK1 is a nice little keychain flashlight, especially in High CRI. The twisty operation works fine, USB-C charging works fine, and most importantly it’s available in orange! So it’s a clear winner. Even the price is completely acceptable.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Skilhunt EK1 High CRI Keychain Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Nichia 219f (High CRI, 5000K) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $19.90 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | |
| Switch Type: | Twisty |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 180 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 125 (69.4% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 4.5 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 54lux @ 3.242m = 568cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 47.6 |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4700-4800 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Skilhunt |
| All my Skilhunt 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
- Skilhunt EK1 High CRI keychain flashlight
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Split rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality here is perfectly acceptable, without even bearing in mind that this light is under $20! It’s nicely built. (But then Skilhunt lights are nicely built lights!!)
I didn’t disassemble the Skilhunt EK1 High CRI keychain flashlight at all. The head is captured and doesn’t unscrew from the body.
Size and Comps
Length 50.5 mm
Head diameter 14.6 mm, Body: 13.6mm
Weight: 14.8 g / 0.52 oz (Included battery)
If the flashlight will headstand, I’ll show it here (usually the third photo). If the flashlight will tailstand, I’ll also show that (usually in 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 on the left is a new feature light!! Laulima Metal Craft sent this Todai in tumbled aluminum for some size comparison photos like the ones above. Laulima has a bunch of incredible items. I’ve tested one (the Laulima Metal Craft Hoku) (the official site for Hoku is here) that was a Friend Fund Friday review. I was impressed enough by that Hoku that I bought a Laulima Metal Craft Diamond Slim (also in tumbled aluminum) (review is upcoming!) These lights by Laulima have impeccable build quality and not only that, they’re quite configurable. There are some (great, actually) default configurations, but Joshua Dawson (of Laulima Metal Craft) is open to ideas and emitter options and the like. I haven’t reviewed this Todai, but I have to say, it feels absolutely fantastic and I love it thus far. (Notably, I love how warm and eggy those emitters look through the TIR.)
Retention and Carry
I think I missed the photos that include the two split rings. Here’s the same info from the orange version.
The only means to carry the Skilhunt EK1 keychain flashlight is loose or with either (or both?) of these split rings. Two sizes are included, so you have options!
Power and Runtime
A built-in 130mAh “10220” lithium-ion battery is included in the EK1. Below you can find runtimes for both of the two modes.
Charging
Built into the EK1 is USB-C charging. The port is accessed by unscrewing the head from the body.
While the Skilhunt EK1 High CRI keychain flashlight is charging, this little charge indicator (seen below) is lit in red, and when charging is complete, this indicator switches to blue.
A short USB to USB-C cable is included.
Charging takes around 1.25 hours with USB and USB-C both. It’s nice to note that USB-C does work!
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 180 | 25m | 125 |
| Low | 10 | 450m | 14 |
Pulse Width Modulation
Neither mode uses PWM.
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 EK1 is a twisty keychain flashlight. There are markings on the side to help a user know what to do, but of course, it’s very simple.
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Tighten head | Low |
| Low | Tighten head | High |
| High | Loosen head | Low |
| Low | Loosen head | Off |
LED and Beam
Skilhunt uses a Nichia 219f emitter in the EK1. This emitter offers high CRI as well as being 5000K. It’s a very good emitter.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The claim of 5000K is met fairly nicely, provided you’re ok with the output being warmer than 5000K. I am ok with that, and prefer it. CRI is also high, at over 90.
Beamshots
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
- USB-C charging works
- Very simple user interface
- CCT is really warmer than the rated 5000K
- It’s available in orange!
What I don’t like
- I don’t just love twisties, but it works fine.
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!
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