Imalent BL50 EDC Flashlight Review
The Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight offers dual output – high output white and UV and also has dual switches (two e-switches). It’s quite a performer! Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight product page.
Versions
There looks to be only one version of the Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight, but it’s available in four body colors! There’s blue, green, grey, and black (seen here.)
Price
The going price (and MSRP) for the Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight is $69.95.
What’s Included
- Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight
- Lanyard
- Charging cable
- Manual
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight is classified (obviously, it’s there in the name) as an EDC flashlight. That’s a striking characterization for a light with no pocket clip, but at least the size is right for that moniker. The build quality seems very good but without being able to access the internals, that designation is made solely on how the light feels in hand.
Both the head and tail end have two TORX screws for accessing parts, but this does not make these parts “user serviceable.” (That’s disappointing.)
Size and Comps
93.5mm (head diameter) x 34.5mm (body diameter) x28mm(length)
158g (battery included)
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
As stated above, there’s no pocket clip here on this EDC flashlight. There is a lanyard and that’s all.
Power and Runtime
Imalent provides the cell information – it’s a 3000mAh lithium-ion cell. That makes it almost certainly an 18650. The battery is unable to be serviced. Below are the runtime tests. Output is quite high initially, and even holds over 2300 lumens for nearly 2 minutes. That is fairly impressive, and nice job Imalent for not gaming the 30-second standard. Past that, you shouldn’t really even expect the light to output that high because of heat concerns. High steps down too, but stays over 1800 lumens for a few minutes. The other modes are nearly flat!
According to the OLED display, the light shuts off when the cell voltage is around 3V.
Charging
Of course with a built-in battery there has to be charging, too! The Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight charges by way of a USB-C port on the tail end.
This charging port is interesting in that it’s really just a flap that lays over the USB-C port. It doesn’t press into the port or really press in to anything – it’s just a flap, attached on the attached end and sort of “flat due to thickness and rigidity” to cover the port. I do not like this.
After minimal use with my review copy, this flap is already flared away from the light, leaving the port partially exposed.
Imalent provides a C to C cable.
Charging works great and will use high current if you provide it – up to around 2.5A. A to C and C to C both work fine. C charging proceeds at 9V, and is much quicker than 5V charging. Still, either is respectably quick.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 3600 – 1200 | 70s+68m | 2969 (0s) 2775 (30s) |
| High | 2000 – 1200 | 3m30s+70m | 1846 (0s) 1819 (30s) |
| Middle II | 1200 | 1h16m | 870 |
| Middle I | 600 | 3h10m | 461 |
| Middle Low | 200 | 6h28m | 138 |
| Moonlight | 5 | 280h | 1.1 |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the modes use PWM. There’s a bit of ripple, but it’s fast.
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 Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight uses two e-switches. One is on the flat side and one is on the tail. They seem to be idential switches.
Identical, except the tail switch is labeled “MODE.”
I mentioned the OLED above – here’s a run through of some screens. The different output levels are indicated, as is UV and lockout. There’s a screen for the battery voltage, too.
Here’s a user interface table! There are two switches – the tail switch (Button 1) and the side switch (Button 2).
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Button 2 | On Moonlight |
| Off | Double click Button 2 | UV |
| On | Click either switch | Off |
| Off | Click either switch 3x | Lock (displayed on OLED screen) |
| Locked | Click either switch | OLED displays “LOCK” |
| Locked | Click either switch 3x | Unlock |
| On | Hold Button 1 | Mode advance through 5> 200> 600> 1200> 2000 starting at the current level |
| Any | Double click Button 1 | Turbo |
| Turbo | Double click Button 1 | Strobe |
| Off | Hold either button | No change in state |
LED and Beam
Imalent went with a Cree XHP50.3 HI emitter in the BL50. This is a domeless, “high intensity” emitter, capable of very high output. On the left in the photo below you can also see the UV emitter
The white emitter has a smooth reflector.
I am very fond of this beam profile. It has a big circle with sharp edges and just a bit of spill.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Output is cool to very cool white and low CRI.
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’m surprised by the characterization of the Imalent BL50 as an EDC flashlight. I feel that it’s closer to being a bike light (honestly on first impulse that’s what I thought the “BL” in the name meant.) But there are no bike attachments (at least that I observed). It would be great as a bike light, though! In the category of “a little bit weird EDC flashlight,” it’s good. I do not like that the cell can not be accessed and/or replaced. Also, I have no need for a UV emitter, but I understand the draw (so I appreciate it in the BL50.) I love that there are 6 modes, and I also really appreciate the duration the high modes (2) stay before the (inevitable) stepdown.
The Big Table
| Imalent BL50 EDC flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XHP50.3 HI |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $69.95 |
| Cell: | Internal |
| 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 | No |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 3600 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 2775 (77.1% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 8.05 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 428 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 778lux @ 5.735m = 25589cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 319.9 (74.7% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5800-6900 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Imalent |
| All my Imalent 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
- High output
- Output stable for 2 minutes even on the highest output
- Very flat output on the lower modes
- Good switches
- Charging works well
- Charging can go at 9V if you have the power
What I don’t like
- Cell is not accessible
- Output doesn’t seem to meet claim (but it’s really pretty close)
- There is no pocket clip (!!)
Notes
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