Haikelite AK01 Flashlight Review
The Haikelite AK01 flashlight offers ramping output from a Cree XHP high-intensity emitter and one 21700. A red body and stainless bezel set the light off!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the NealsGadgets.com Haikelite AK01 flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of the Haikelite AK01 flashlight but it’s available in three colors (black, red, green) and with or without the 21700 cell.
Price
All body colors sell for $55.95 and the cell adds another $10. That seems a bit steep for a 21700 cell, and this light uses a standard one. So you might find a better 21700 price elsewhere.
What’s Included
- Haikelite AK01 flashlight
- Spare o-ring
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
I do find this manual to be a bit lacking in information.
Build Quality and Disassembly
I (maybe) weirdly usually love just standard black flashlights. But I have to say, this red Haikelite AK01 flashlight absolutely pops. (Seems good for photos, too!). It’s great to see the head and body matching exactly too. That seems surprisingly hard to manage for anodizing in other-than-black colors.
Build quality is fine. There are no issues to speak of. I love that the Haikelite AK01 flashlight offers a stainless bezel by default.
The head has a big brass button for contact with the positive end of the cell. Something I’ve never seen before, I think – there’s a hole right in the center of this button. I don’t know what that’s for. Only the head comes off, and the threads here are anodized and fairly fine.
The tail has a spring. There’s a magnet in there, too!
Size and Comps
Product size: 125mm (total length) x 43mm (head Part) x 28mm (tail part)
Product weight: 165g (without 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+. 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 just 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
A friction-fit pocket clip is included with the Haikelite AK01 flashlight. It attaches only on the tail end, and the attachment point is very near the tail. That allows for very deep carry!
The clip is very simple. It’s fairly easy to remove too, so I wouldn’t attach a lanyard through the holes on the clip. (A lanyard isn’t included anyway.)
The tail has a magnet. It’s strong enough to hold the light even when a cell is in place.
Power and Runtime
The Haikelite AK01 flashlight uses one 21700 cell. I didn’t get the package that includes a cell, so I’ve used a Vapcell T50, 5000mAh flat top 21700. A flat top cell works fine in this light, even though the positive contact (brass button) is quite large.
The cell goes into the light positive end toward head.
Output is claimed at 6000 lumens and I don’t see that (not even close). Regardless, the light holds around 3500 lumens for over a minute. So that’s respectable output, even if well below the claim.
I tested only in stepped output, so “High” is the fourth-highest mode. That holds even longer, at around 7-8 minutes at around 1500 lumens.
Haikelite does say that this is a temperature-based stepdown but that the output should also recover once the temperature drops.
Low voltage protection was observed in every test.
Charging
The Haikelite AK01 flashlight offers USB-C charging. There’s a press-in cover for the charging port.
Charging is fine and also quick. The total duration with either A to C or C to C on this 5000mAh 21700 was around 2 hours. It’s also consistent, with both C to C being so similar it’s hard to see that there are two sets of lines for C to C!
While charging, the switch is solid red. When charging is complete, the switch turns blue(ish). I don’t believe the manual covers this exactly.
Powerbank
The Haikelite AK01 flashlight should (per the manual) function as a powerbank. I was sure I tested this and didn’t have luck, but I’ve had bad luck testing powerbank lately. So I’m going to try again asap and will update this if the powerbank feature works!
Update! Here are a couple of powerbank (or “reverse charging”) graphs. The first graph is the “stress test” portion and the second is the “duration” portion.
The powerbank feature looks good!
Modes and Currents
It seems that the Haikelite AK01 flashlight is really set up to be a ramping light. As such, the stepped modes aren’t described in the manual.
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 6000 | – | 3971 (0s) 3602 (30s) |
10.8 |
| – | – | – | 1588 (0s) 1529 (30s) |
1.25 |
| – | – | – | 842 | 0.67 |
| – | – | – | 316 | 0.42 |
| – | – | – | 19 | 0.04 |
Pulse Width Modulation
In the stepped output, all but Turbo use PWM. It’s very fast though, and you’re unlikely to notice or have a problem with it.
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 Haikelite AK01 flashlight uses a single e-switch for operation. It has indicator functionality, too.
It’s a little proud, but not at all in the way. Also because of the texture, it’s easy to distinguish from the charging port cover (which is on the opposite side of the head.)
Here’s a user interface table! The light can be ramped or stepped. They’re quite the same except for ramping (or stepping) when the light is on. Otherwise, I think all aspects of the user interface are the same.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | Mode memory (switch also indicates approximate battery life) |
| Any | Double click | Turbo |
| On | Click 3x | Iterate between Ramping and Stepped |
| Off | Hold | Nothing until released, then mode memory |
| On | Hold | Ramping: Ramp up (technically iterates ramp direction too – the next release/click action will ramp the other direction.) Stepped: Mode advance lowest 4 modes |
| Turbo | Double Click | Strobe |
| Strobe | Double Click | SOS |
| SOS | Double Click | “Tactical Flashing” |
| Any blinky mode | Click | Off |
| On | Click | Off |
One thing that I did not like about this user interface is that sometimes or in some circumstances, the light seems to switch back to ramping output. If that’s what you prefer, then no problem! But if you’re like me and like discrete modes, it’s annoying for the light to switch without your input.
LED and Beam
Haikelite says the AK01 flashlight has a “Cree XHP70” emitter. It’s probably an XHP70.3 HI emitter, but we’ll go with what they said. The reflector is broad and orange peel.
The o-ring used between the glass lens and bezel is a glow-in-the-dark ring. That’s nice!
Below you can see the switch indicating in blue.
If this emitter doesn’t suit your needs, do note that the bezel unscrews easily!
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
The claimed CCT is 6000K-6500K and the Haikelite AK01 flashlight is definitely cooler than that. CRI is low, at around 71.
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. These photos are taken around 18 inches from the door.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
First of all, I have to say that I love the red body color of the Haikelite AK01 flashlight. That’s a minor thing but if you’re into more than just performance, it’s certainly worth considering! I am pleased that charging works so well on this light. I like that the Haikelite AK01 flashlight offers both stepped and ramping and it’s easy to switch between the two. The ‘quite cool’ output is good, if below the claim (and low CRI). I appreciate that the magnet is sufficient for holding such a robust light. The price is also reasonable, at around $55.
The Big Table
| Haikelite AK01 flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XHP70 (Cool White) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $55.95 at Neals Gadgets (referral link) |
| Cell: | 1×21700 |
| 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 and or body: all modes except Turbo |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 6000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 3602 (60% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 13.01 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 750 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 1452lux @ 5.886m = 50305cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 448.6 (59.8% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 6000-6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 6600-7700 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | NealsGadgets |
| All my Haikelite 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
- Charging works great
- Good user interface
- Very nice red body color!
- Strong magnet
- Sufficient build quality
- Respectable throw
- C to C charging works well
What I don’t like
- Very cool white
- Doesn’t meet output specifications
- Low CRI
- Switches back to ramping mode sometimes (unintentionally)
Notes
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