Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim Flashlight Review
The Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight uses two NiteLab UHi 20 emitters for 3100-lumen output. It has USB-C charging and dual switches – great for EDC!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a link to the Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight product page.
Versions
There’s just one version of the Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight.
Price
What’s Included
- Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight
- Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
- Lanyard
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
You may be surprised to know (or not, if you read the product literature) that the Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight has a metal body. In fact, it’s stainless steel, and the steel is coated with “titanium-colored PVD.” It’s a nice look. Also, it feels great to use!
The design (and a lot of this text!) is exactly like the previous version (same name, just with the “UHi”) Nitecore EDC27 Ultra Slim flashlight.
I didn’t do any disassembly on the Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight at all. It does look to be held together with a number of TORX screws, though!
Size and Comps
Dimensions L-5.33″ x W-1.24″ x H-0.87″
Weight 4.3 oz
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
This pocket clip that ships attached is extraordinarily beefy! It’s so peculiar, in fact, that I feel like it probably fits some role I just don’t even know about – like it’s utility-built and fits some specific [whatever] [wherever].
Regardless of whether that’s fact or imagination, it’s a great clip and very secure.
The clip has a number of holes, too, including this loop, which seems ideal for attaching the included lanyard.
That’s it for included carry options.
Power and Runtime
Nitecore says the EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight runs a 1700mAh 6.29Wh battery but doesn’t say much else. It’s certainly a built-in LiPO and is not intended for exchange by the user. It’s not field serviceable!
I tested the top three modes, including Turbo, which resets (or steps down) in relation to heat build up. So Turbo can last a second or less, or whatever, but let me tell you: it can get hot. Very hot.
Here’s a better view of Turbo. Each of those blips to Turbo is me manually clicking and holding the switch. I purposefully didn’t click Turbo again until after 30 seconds so that we can observe an actual 30-second reading.
Nitecore doesn’t even state a runtime duration for Turbo, so I guess this sort of gets a pass – except they do claim 3100 lumens. It’s unclear if this is aimed at being the “FL1” claim (but probably). I think anyone should be able to observe from the light size that it would be unreasonable to expect 3000 lumens for very long – even if it was capable, there’s nowhere for all that heat to go.
The Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight has a proximity sensor, too. Normally I’d fuss about it until checking the manual to see how to turn it off. In this case, I wasn’t bothered by it, and then I checked the manual to see how to turn it off, and I couldn’t find a way. It does seem possible to disable the proximity sensor (I just tested again, and my proximity sensor is definitely off!) The display doesn’t seem to indicate it, either.
I think this is all covered by a (maybe weirdly worded) section of the manual. The sensor seems to only work if the light from an “off state.” This is quite clever on Nitecore’s part – if you’ve entered high/turbo/strobe (clearly purposefully) then the sensor is inactive. But if the light is in your corduroys or whatever, and is off then the sensor is active.
I don’t necessarily like having the sensor on/off taken out of my hands but I haven’t found a use case where this is a bad implementation. So nice job, Nitecore!
Charging
The Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight has built-in charging by way of a USB-C charging port in the tail near the switches. A press-in cover protects this charging port.
An appropriate cable is included: USB to USB-C. While charging, the OLED displays battery voltage.
Charging is quick! The rate is around 2A and in total takes only around 1.25 hours. That’s great! USB-C and USB charge about the same.
When charging is complete, the OLED displays 4.2V.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 3100 | – | 2622 (0s) 939 (30s) |
| High | 1100 | 1h35m | 1060 |
| Mid | 200 | 4h20m | 180 |
| Low | 65 | 14h | 52 |
| Ultralow | 15 | 55h | 19 |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the five steady levels seem to use 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
Two switches control the EDC27 UHi. There’s a power switch – you can see it below on the top. The other bigger and flatter switch is a mode switch. Both are e-switches.
Here’s a UI table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click Power Switch | On (Mode memory) |
| Off | Hold power switch (half press) | Momentary Ultralow |
| On | Click power switch | Off |
| On | Half press power switch (if OLED is active) | Mode advance (lower to higher, excluding Turb0) |
| Off | Half press power switch (if OLED is not active) | Activate OLED display – Continued half presses advance the modes without the light being on |
| Off | Full press power switch | On in mode memory or purposefully selected mode (see steps in previous row) |
| Unlocked | Half press mode switch | Momentary Turbo |
| Unlocked | Full press mode switch | Momentary Strobe |
| On | Hold power switch | Lockout 1 (“Semi lock” mode) and voltage display |
| Semi Lockout | Half press mode switch | Momentary Turbo |
| Half Lockout | Full press mode switch | Momentary Strobe |
| Either Lockout | Short press then long press the power button | Unlock |
| Off | Hold power switch through Lockout 1 | Lockout 2 (“Full lockout” mode) |
| Full Lockout | Any | No change |
I think this user interface has a pretty big shakeup from the previous iteration of this EDC27. That’s fine – these seem to be good changes. Notably, you can change the mode that is memorized while the light is “off” (meaning the emitters are not on).
LED and Beam
The Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight uses two Nitelab UHi 20 emitters. They’re cool white but do provide nice high output.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
CCT and CRI are as expected (probably) for such light. It’s high output! That often (and also here) comes with higher CCT (cool white, in this case) and a low CRI of around 67.
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
The Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim flashlight is pretty neat, just like the previous iteration and many of the other rectangular lights. I like the slim nature of the light, much in the same way that I liked the Olight Arkfeld. Output is staggering from this (ultimately) tiny light, but the stepdowns on Turbo are unsurprisingly quick. The user interface is pretty good, and the OLED display is fairly well utilized, too. It’s a solid light!
The Big Table
| Nitecore EDC27 UHi Ultra Slim Flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | NiteLab UHi 20 (2) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $89.95 |
| 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 | Lowest 4 modes |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 3100 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 939 (30.3% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 9.03 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 185 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 408lux @ 4.967m = 10066cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 200.7 (108.5% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5600-6600 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | NitecoreStore.com |
| All my Nitecore 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
- Robust build – it’s stainless steel!
- Not just stainless but also coated which probably makes it more durable
- Slips so smoothly into the pocket
- Dual switch interface is pretty good
- OLED display seems adequately taken advantage of
- USB-C Charging works great and is quick
- Smart proximity sensor implementation
What I don’t like
- Gets hot! So hot!
- Battery is not replaceable
- Positive Duv output (green)
- Low CRI
- Does not hit output claims
Notes
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