Mateminco TK06 Flashlight with Laser Review
The Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser has warm and cool white and uses a novel 32700 cell. Output is great, and the red laser is fun! It’s a powerbank, too!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser product page.
Versions
As far as I can tell, the Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser has just one emitter array option (which is one way to say it, but there’s nearly certainly a better way). Variation exists though, in body color. You can buy brown or green (seen here.)
Price
As seen in this post, the Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser sells for $99.95. That includes the unusual-size cell, too!
Short Review
I’m exceptionally prepared to love the Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser. The red laser is a fantastic addition, and I love the novel approach to adding it. In fact, I think this should be The Way™ and I hope other brands adopt this. But I don’t limit that to lasers in the center – I prefer my secondary emitters to be in the center, too!
With all there is to love on paper about this light, in practice there are some things that could definitely be better. For example, the ramp is much too fast, making it hard to land in the output range where you want. There doesn’t even seem to be a selection of stepped outputs… I know that’s a personal preference that I have, but this light really needs it.
Long Review
The Big Table
| Mateminco TK06 Flashlight with Laser | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | P50 6500K+3000K (both) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $99.95 |
| Cell: | 1×32700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | With cell: all modes Without cell: not really any modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 13000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 7192 (55.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.67 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 899lux @ 5.832m = 30577cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 349.7 |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 3800-4200 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | NealsGadgets |
| All my Mateminco reviews! | |
| Mateminco TK06 Flashlight with Laser | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | P50 6500K (cool white) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $99.95 |
| Cell: | 1×32700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | With cell: all modes Without cell: not really any modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 6800 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 5253 (77.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.51 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 276lux @ 5.921m = 9676cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 196.7 |
| Claimed CCT | 6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5700-6900 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | NealsGadgets |
| All my Mateminco reviews! | |
| Mateminco TK06 Flashlight with Laser | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | P50 3000K (warm white) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $99.95 |
| Cell: | 1×32700 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | With cell: all modes Without cell: not really any modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 6500 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 5106 (78.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 3.13 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | – |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 547lux @ 5.491m = 16493cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 256.8 |
| Claimed CCT | 3000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 2800-3100 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | NealsGadgets |
| All my Mateminco 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
- Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser
- Mateminco 7000mAh 32700 cell
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
This chunky little light is very well-built and seems quite robust. I won’t say that’s a lot different from other Mateminco lights I’ve had, but I’ll summarize by saying “This one feels like the best from the brand.” The build quality is on par with the MT35 Mini, which you’ve probably owned.
The tailcap has a very thick spring. I mean, this is a beefy spring! It’s great though, and works very well. Hidden under that spring (etc) is a very strong magnet, which does not appear to be removable.
Note that the tailcap threads are anodized, but the head threads (below) are not. The cell tube is not reversible (and for more reasons than just this anodizing.) The head doesn’t have a spring, but the contact point is a big brass button.
Size and Comps
Size: 58 mm Ø head x 117 mm length
Weight: Approximately 212 g without cell
Occasionally I like to see the backside of this two-dollar bill. I assure you that the bill stays the same size no matter which side is showing.
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+. The version below is a custom laser-engraved Convoy S2+ host by GadgetConnections.com. I did a full post on an engraved orange host right here! Or go straight to GadgetConnections.com to buy your Convoy S2+ now!
Also above is the light beside a TorchLAB BOSS 35, an 18350 light. I reviewed the aluminum version of that light in both 35 and 70 formats. I also reviewed that specific edition, the “Oveready BOSS FT Collector Vintage Brass” 35. I love it!
Retention and Carry
Two methods for retaining the Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser are included. That’s a lanyard, which attaches through this hole on the tailcap.
I will say that when unscrewing the tailcap, this little lanyard node really did get in the way. It’s quite sharp! But if you aren’t careless, this won’t be a problem.
As stated above, the tailcap has a very strong magnet.
This magnet holds the Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser firmly!
Power and Runtime
The Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser runs one lithium-ion cell. This is an unusual cell, despite being standard lithium-ion chemistry. It’s s 32700, which means it’s (nominally) 32mm in diameter (big) and 70mm in length (long but still a standard length).
The cell fits into the light in the usual direction: positive end toward the head.
Here are a few runtime graphs. One of my issues with this light probably comes down to testing: it’s hard to test lights that aren’t specific. The ramping confounds testing here. Turbo is easy – double-clicking when on always gets Turbo, and that’s both emitters. But double-clicking when in either emitter set still gets (both emitter) Turbo. To get to the highest level for respective emitter sets (3000K or 6500K), you need to ramp all the way up. Fortunately, this light isn’t one of the “ramp up then ramp down during one hold” lights, so if you ramp up, you can be sure that when the light seems like it’s done, you’re at the top. This is interestingly problematic, though, because the individual sets each draw more current than both sets together.
None of this is necessarily bad, it’s just… unusual. There seems like a better way to manage dual channel output, and a good first step would certainly be stepped output.
Each mode seems to have low voltage protection, so that’s good!
Charging
The Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser offers onboard charging by way of a USB-C port on the head. The press-in cover seems very secure, and in fact, might even require a longer fingernail to lift up.
Mateminco includes a USB to USB-C charging cable.
Charging works great. In fact, C to C charging proceeds at 12V, so is very quick. This is a 7000mAh cell, after all!
Powerbank
The Mateminco TK06 Flashlight with Laser also boasts a USB-C powerbank feature. The MT06 really pumps out the amps at 5V! I didn’t test other power delivery options, but I think the claim is a bunch of PD options, including PD3.0. So it’s a great powerbank flashlight, too!
When the output shut off at around 70 minutes, the voltage was around 3.36V. After this point, the powerbank was done and didn’t restart.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Both Emitters Turbo | 13,000 | 15m | 7979 (0s) 7192 (30s) |
>18.12 |
| Both Emitters Highest | – | – | 3895 | 8.45 |
| Both Emitters Lowest | 30 | 5h | 6.3 | 0.01 |
| Cool White Highest | 6,800 | 30m | 5625 (0s) 5253 (30s) |
13.5 |
| Cool White Lowest | 25 | 8h | 3.6 | 0.01 |
| Warm White Highest | 6,500 | 30m | 5443 (0s) 5106 (30s) |
14.18 |
| Warm White Lowest | 20 | 8h | 4 | 0.01 |
| Red Laser | – | – | – | 0.03 |
Pulse Width Modulation
In the PWM photos below, there are three levels for each output. Three warm white, three cool white, and three “both,” then one for Turbo. The middle mode (that is, not the lowest and not the highest) isn’t a specific output; it’s just somewhere along the range. I included it just to show how PWM is used along the way. All but the highest mode in any emitter option uses PWM. It’s fast, though, so unlikely to be a problem unless you’re looking at drone blades, or whatever.
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 Mateminco TK06 flashlight with laser uses one switch for controlling all of the many options. Two emitter options, including a third that mixes those two, and a red laser – it’s a lot. The switch itself is fantastic! It’s a metal-covered e-switch and has four holes that allow indicating information through.
Clicking the switch is great, too – the action is great.
I would say that the user interface here is a bit underdeveloped. Maybe all the features are there, but (again) offering only ramping really holds the light back! Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (LED Mode memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off | Hold | Lowest LED output (LED memory) |
| Off | Click 2x | Strobe |
| On | Click 2x | Turbo (both emitters) |
| Any | Click 3x | Mode change (CW-WW-CW/WW mix) |
| Off | Click 4x | Red laser on |
| On | Click 4x | No response |
| Any | Click 5x | Lock (indicated by 5 (bright) blinks) |
| Lockout | Click 5x | Unlock (stays off) (indicated by 5 (bright) blinks) |
| Any | Click 6x | Voltage Check (switch indicates voltage number by blinking in blue) (Manual doesn’t state but it seems to blink the ones then pause then blink the tenths.) |
LED and Beam
Mateminco says these emitters are “P50” and there are two CCTs: 6500K and 3000K. That’s a pretty good mix, really, and each might be useful in various situations.
Each emitter has a reflector, and as you can see in the center, there’s a hole through all the reflectors to allow the red laser to shine through. (Very clever!)
The emitters can be used by color separately or together. Below you can see just the three warm white emitters lit. The laser can’t be used while the emitters are on.
The bezel has a bit of shape, and light can escape when headstanding.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The emitters generally hit their claimed range. 3000K and 6500K. And the mix option is quite nice, too, at around 4000K. In fact, I’d say just go ahead and plan to use the light in the “both” option, with the opportunity to get really warm white when you need it. CRI is middle-of-the-road, at around 80.
Beamshots
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 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
- Nice build quality
- Reasonable cost
- Red laser implementation is fantastic
- Charging works very well (12V on C to C, too!)
What I don’t like
- Uses an unusual size cell (but it’s included! and also not proprietary)
- The user interface really needs some development
Notes
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