Nextorch Saint Torch 30C Flashlight Review
The Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight offers three emitters, USB-C charging, and powerbank capability. There’s a proximity sensor too, but it can be disabled!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight product page.
Versions
There are at least three versions of this “Saint Torch 30” type light. I know that because I’ve reviewed one previous version, too! There’s the Nextorch Saint Torch 30 V2.0 as well as a prior version. Of the Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight specifically, there’s just one version.
Price
The MSRP for the Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight is $369.
I also have a referral coupon for Nextorch.com that’ll give you 10% off! The code is “ZEROAIR“.
What’s Included
- Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight
- Battery (built-in)
- Wall wart
- Charging cable
- Shoulder strap
- Carrying bag (pictured below)
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
I have said this about the other Nextorch lights I’ve reviewed, and it’s true about this light too – Nextorch lights are well-built! This is a solid flashlight. Beefy. Solid and beefy.
The Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight has a massive set of features, too. Couple all that with the interesting head design, and you have my attention.
I love how the head looks like a hand with too many fingers gripping the cooling fins. There are a bunch of cooling fins, too! (You can see later that they seem quite effective.)
The light doesn’t really come apart too much though – just the cell tube comes off the head. I wasn’t able to unscrew that tailcap but I have a feeling it’ll unscrew with an appropriate amount of motivation.
The contact points are a bit unusual here, too. The head has the normal contacts, but the center is a brass button that goes into the positive contact on the battery. Not a big deal – it all works the same way, but this probably provides a very positive contact.
Unlike the 30 V2, the 30C does not include any caps for covering the head or tail. And that makes sense… I didn’t see the point in them in the previous review, and it’s good that cost isn’t wasted on this version.
Size and Comps
Officially 202mm x 84mm x 50mm, and 787g with battery. (This is ever so slightly larger than the 30 V2.0).
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 you see below is a custom Convoy S2+ host that’s been laser engraved 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
Nextorch also includes as part of the package, this nylon carrying case. This is an interesting case. It’s built to carry more than just the Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight specifically, so if you want to use it as a bit of a bug-out or EDC bag, it should be just perfect.
The light does take up most of the space, but you could easily fit a comic book or Log+Jotter notebook, and your Nokia cell phone.
For those parts that are accessories to the light, there’s a “hidden” compartment. Much like many photography bags, this compartment is separated by a velcro closure.
Another means of carrying the Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight is the included shoulder strap. That strap attaches here on the head through this screw-in ring. The ring comes attached but could be removed easily.
The other end of the shoulder strap connects through the tailcap.
Power and Runtime
Nextorch uses a built-in battery for the Saint Torch 30C. This battery is built into the handle, and as far as I can tell, can’t really be modified by the user. Nextorch states this battery as a 3x4800mAh Li-ion battery pack, which probably means there are three 21700 cells in there.
One big improvement on this version is that LED/off switch you see there. This is a quality switch. The previous one was a big how ya’ doin’.
Since the battery is also a powerbank, there’s a switch to select between options. I am not sure why this is necessary, but I suspect it’s a safety feature – this means the battery contacts aren’t active when the powerbank feature is enacted. So no shorts. It also of course means that you can’t use any of the features concurrently.
Below are a few runtime graphs. Turbo does step down quite dramatically but notably is only for momentary output! High holds a very high output of over 10,000 lumens (the claim) for more than a minute.
Turbo is momentary only! In this test, I just reset turbo numerous times until it seemed clear that the output didn’t reach the initial high state.
When the light is on, the four indicating LEDs (which you will see below) light briefly to indicate the charge level. I don’t think the manual covers what they mean but I’d describe it as very obvious. The more blue circles, the higher the charge.
Charging
Charging is by way of a USB-C charging port. The port is no longer on the side mixed into the threads – it’s now on the top. This is much more sensible…
Below you can see the USB-C charging port. You’ll see that again.
Nextorch includes a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging.
Nextorch also provides a wall wart suitable for use in the USA.
The wall wart has just one USB-C charging port and can output all the range of voltages common for power delivery systems – from 5V up to 20V.
Below are some charge cycles. There are 4, with 2 at 20V and 2 at 5V. The duration is of course much longer at 5V, but still capable.
Powerbank
Both of these ports you see below can be used to output power. USB-C or USB-A work just fine. I am unsure if the USB-C can output multiple voltages (but based on the text under the port, it seems to.)
The powerbank works extremely well, outputting over 3A at 5V. At some output level (around 3.3A), the voltage drops out of USB specification. However, the powerbank will output over 2A for the duration of its ability to do so – there’s no sag in voltage or current until the cells are depleted. First, here’s USB output.
Next is the USB-C port used for output. Both are great.
When testing both output methods, the powerbank shut off with a battery voltage of around 9.4V.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 15000 | – | 16551 (0s) 16142 (30s) |
11.80 @12.4V |
| High | 10000 | 2h45m | 10658 (0s) 10464 (30s) |
6.48 @12.4V |
| Medium | 5000 | 3h45m | 5338 | 2.86 @12.4V |
| Low | 1000 | 6h30m | 1083 | 0.61 @12.4V |
| Eco | 90 | 52h | 100 | 0.11 @12.4V |
Pulse Width Modulation
The Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight doesn’t use PWM for any of the four steady modes.
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 Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight gets a switch update, too. This switch update is consistent with some other recent Nextorch models. There’s also one more mode, too, which is appreciated.
These feel very much like mechanical clicky switches.
For the record, I like these two switches much more than the 30 V2.0 switch.
Here’s a user interface table! The two switches can be identified this way. The smaller switch is only for accessing Turbo and lock features. Everything else is done with the larger switch.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Tap Turbo switch | Momentary Turbo |
| Off | Double click turbo switch | Lock |
| Locked | Double click turbo switch | Unlock |
| Locked | Click either switch | Battery indicator blinks one red to show lockout status |
| Off | Tap bigger switch | Momentary high |
| Off | Click bigger switch | On high |
| On | Click bigger switch | Off |
| On | Tap bigger switch | Mode advance (High> Meidum> Low> Eco> Strobe) |
| On | Hold bigger switch | SOS |
| Eco | Hold switch >10s | Disable proximity sensor. The first and last battery indicators are lit. |
| Proximity sensor disabled | Turn light off | Proximity sensor enabled |
LED and Beam
Nextorch doesn’t tell what these three emitters are. I wasn’t able to find information on them, either. Anyway, there are three, and they each have a smooth reflector.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
As far as I can see, Nextorch doesn’t give a claim for the CCT or CRI of these three emitters. They are consistent at around 6600K-6700K. Sure, that’s cool white, but it’s nice at least that they don’t drift cooler on the high outputs. CRI is low, at around 70.
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!
Summary and Conclusion
I am a Nextorch fan! I like the other Saint Torch 30, and this is a nice update. This light is worth considering for the powerbank features, as well as the very high output and just general usability!
The Big Table
| Nextorch Saint Torch 30C flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Unstated |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $369.00 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Maybe |
| Switch Type: | E-Switch |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | ? |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | – |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 15000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 16142 (107.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 4.59 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | *** |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 2950lux @ 5.441m = 87333cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 591.0 |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6600-6700 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Nextorch |
| All my Nextorch 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 I like
- Powerbank feature works well
- Charging from QC3 is very quick
- C to C charging works great
- Output is very great!
- The high output level is very stable for the duration
- Nice package including a carry bag
- Very flashlighty! Has a great ‘wieldability’
- Battery contacts are not active when the light is in powerbank mode
- High-capacity battery; good for powerbank use.
What I don’t like
- Mode order is highest to lowest
- Strobe is in the main group
- Unclear if replacement batteries can be purchased
- Batteries are built-in and not user-serviceable
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!
- Please use my amazon.com referral link to help support zeroair.org!
- Please support me on Patreon! I deeply appreciate your support!
