Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC Flashlight Review
The Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight has a Luminus SFT-90X and smooth reflector for high throw and output! Bonus: USB-C charging and an indicating switch!
Official Specs and Features
Versions
There’s just one version of the Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight.
Price
MSRP for the Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight is $109.90, and that’s the going rate, too. It’s already available at KillzoneFlashlights.com, and I recommend buying it there!
What’s Included
- Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight
- Acebeam 5000mAh 21700
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Nylon pouch
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Spare charge port cover
- Manual, etc.
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The build quality is obviously excellent, because Acebeam’s build quality is always excellent!
The body twist design may mark a new design for Acebeam, and that’s just fine. It’s nice! The tailcap has a big beefy spring, and the threads are unanodized.
The head doesn’t come off, but inside the cell tube, there’s a beefy spring, too.
Size and Comps
Length: 137.5mm/ 5.41 in
Head Dia.: 40mm/ 1.57 in
Tube Dia.: 27.8mm/ 1.09 in
Weight: 231g/8.15 oz (including battery)
If the flashlight can headstand, I’ll show it here. If it can tailstand, I’ll also show that here!
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 in the photo above, my Standard Reference Material (SRM) flashlight is the Hanko Machine Works Trident, an 18350 light. While I have not reviewed or tested the Gunner Grip version seen here, I have tested a Hanko Machine Works Trident Total Tesseract in brass. I love the Trident, and it’s a striking contrast to the inexpensive Convoy S2+, another great SRM.
Retention and Carry
A pocket clip is included (and installed by default) with the Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight. This clip is a two-way collar-style clip. Very secure!
In the clip, there are a couple of holes where a lanyard could be attached. Better yet, there’s a hole in the tailcap for attaching the included lanyard.
The tailcap magnet is strong enough to hold this big light.
Acebeam includes a formed nylon pouch.
Power and Runtime
Power to the Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight is from a single lithium-ion cell. The package includes a cell. The cell is a 5000mAh 21700.
The cell is installed into the EC90 in the usual way – positive terminal toward the head.
Below are a few runtime tests.
The temperature lines in these charts are included as general context, not precise measurements. The values represent the range (min to max) during testing, but should not be taken as exact readings. Temperature sensors are attached however feasible and not always on the bezel or hottest spot (assuming that can even be clearly defined). Even with ideal placement, too many variables affect temperature to definitively state a specific max value.
Charging
The Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight offers charging by way of a USB-C port on the head. There’s a press-in cover (and a spare is included.)
A short cable is included – USB to USB-C.
While charging, the switch is red. When charging is complete, the switch turns green.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 4300-750-400 | 40s-2h-1h | 3340 (0s) 3126 (30s) |
11.74 |
| High | 1000-650-100 | 20m-170m-100m | 822 (0s) 816 (30s) |
1.81 |
| Med2 | 400 | 6h | 325 | 0.58 |
| Med1 | 100 | 35h | 81 | 0.12 |
| Low | 20 | 50h | 17 | 47mA |
| Ultra-Low | 5 | 260h | 4.8 | 27mA |
Pulse Width Modulation
The EC90 does not have PWM in any mode! There’s a bit of SMS ripple on the fourth mode, but nothing to worry about..
Click here to 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 Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight uses a single e-switch on the head for operation. It’s an indicating switch.
It’s a fairly small switch and low to the body. The action is also very low! (But pleasant, and I like it.)
Here’s a user interface table! This light locks automatically after 5 seconds of being off. That’s quite unusual!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off – Locked | Click | Indicator on the switch will flash 3x |
| Off – Locked | Double click | Unlock and on in Mode Memory level |
| Off – Unlocked | Click | On in Mode Memory level |
| On | Hold | Mode advance (LMMH) |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off – Unlocked | Hold | Ultra-Low |
| Unlocked | Double click | Turbo |
| Unlocked | Click 3x | Strobe |
LED and Beam
Acebeam has used a Luminus SFT-90X in the EC90. I can’t remember seeing this emitter before, but it’s interesting. The emitter has a smooth reflector, which aids in throw.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
This emitter offers high output (briefly, at least), and the CRI is low. CCT is cool white. Mainly, this new emitter seems to be important for offering high output in a small footprint.
CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) refers to the measurement of the color appearance of light, expressed in Kelvins (K), which indicates whether the light is warm (yellowish) or cool (bluish). A lower CCT (below 3000K) is considered warm light, while a higher CCT (above 5000K) gives cooler, bluish light.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) is a measure of how accurately a light source renders colors in comparison to natural sunlight. Scored on a scale from 0 to 100, higher CRI values indicate that colors appear more true to life and vibrant, similar to how they would look under the sun.
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. 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
Acebeam makes high quality lights, and the Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight is no exception. This Luminus SFT-90X seems like a good choice for high output and throw, but the high output doesn’t last all that long. Still, the beam profile is great (tight) thanks to the smooth reflector. Charging works great, and the new body style is nice, too.
The Big Table
| Acebeam EC90 Long Range EDC flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SFT-90X |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $109.90 |
| 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 | |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 4300 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 3126 (72.7% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 17.5 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 573 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 2050lux @ 6.012m = 74095cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 544.4 (95% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | – |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5900-6700 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | Acebeam |
| All my Acebeam 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
- Great build quality
- Nice beam profile
- Charging works nicely
- The switch cover and the indication feature
What I don’t like
- Low CRI
- High CCT
- Cost
Notes
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