Acebeam K1 EDC Flashlight Review
The Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight features three output options (white LED, Laser, UV), has a mechanical clicky, and runs one 14500 cell (included). Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a referral link to the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight product page at killzoneflashlights.com.
Versions
There’s just one type of Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight, but it’s available in three body colors: black (seen here), teal, and orange.
Price
Each version of the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight costs $54.90. I recommend KillzoneFlashlights.com!
What’s Included
- Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight
- Acebeam 1000mAh 14500 (standard)
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Manual and paperwork
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
Build quality of the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight is just fine. Great, even! This is a small light but has unusual knurling (or “ridges”) along almost the full length of the cell tube. So it’s quite grippy!
The head has the male threads, which is a bit uncommon. Still, that works just fine! The head has two little contact points. I’m not sure why there are two, but this might prevent flat top cells from working.
Inside the cell tube (and not pictured) is a spring. It’s not a super heavy spring, but it’s suitable for this small light.
Size and Comps
Length: 110mm/4.33″
Head Dia.: 25.5mm/1″
Tube Dia.: 16mm/0.63in
Weight: 77.4g/2.73oz (including battery)
Here’s the light in hand:
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
The Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight features a screw-in pocket clip. Two sides of the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight are flat, and the pocket clip lives on one of those flat sides. The clip is long, and there’s a nice bit of flex, but it’s very suitable for pocket carry.
A lanyard is included (pictured below), and the only great place to attach it is through the pocket clip.
Power and Runtime
The Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight includes a single lithium-ion cell. It’s a 1000mAh 14500, and is a standard button top.
The cell goes into the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight in the usual orientation – positive end toward the head.
In case you forget that, you can look at this notification on the cell tube.
The Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight will also capably run a single AA cell (NiMH or alkaline). That’s a huge feature!
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. A temperature sensor is not always attached to the bezel (or even the hottest spot, assuming that could be defined). Even with ideal placement, too many variables affect temperature to definitively state a specific max value.
Charging
While the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight itself does not have charging, the included 14500 cell does. There’s a USB-C charging port on the positive end.
A short USB to USB-C cable is included.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 1000-650-110 | 1m+30m+4.5h | 831 (0s) 776 (30s) |
2.61 |
| Medium | 200 | 2h40m | 174 | 0.29 |
| Low | 9 | 60 | 9 | [low] |
| Laser | – | – | – | 0.03 |
| UV – High | – | 3m+120m | – | 0.84 |
| UV – Low | – | 180m | – | 0.21 |
Pulse Width Modulation
The lowest LED mode has a bit of sawtooth, but not PWM. The other two modes are very steady.
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 K1 EDC flashlight is controlled by a single mechanical tail switch.
The switch is proud but flat and probably metal, so it can tailstand (mostly).
Action is very deep and positive.
The output selection is made with a rotating ring around the head. It selects LED, Laser, and UV (in that order).
Here’s a user interface table! Generally, I’d say have the rotary in the position you want before turning on the light, but that’s not really required. You can rotate while the light is on, and it’ll still work fine.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (low, generally) |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off | Repeated taps | LED output advance (LMH) or UV advance (Low > High) |
| LED on | Rotate to the laser, then back to the LED quickly | LED Strobe |
LED and Beam
Acebeam calls this a Cree XP-LR emitter and states it is 6500K. The emitter has a smooth reflector.
UV has a tiny reflector, too.
The white LED is fairly throwy, or at least has a nice tight beam profile.
The laser on this Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight doesn’t have any modes, but it’s quite powerful, as a “3R” laser.
I like the bezel, too!
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
Acebeam claims 6500K for the white LED output, and I measure it as “a bit better” than that – if you consider less cool white better. The CCT ranges from around 6000K to around 6500K with a low CRI across the board.
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
The Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight is a neat little light and has a bunch of fun features. I don’t love UV (as usual), but it’s easy enough to avoid on the K1 (just never rotate the rotary to that position). The user interface is simple for the white LED, and strobe is appropriately tucked out of the way. I love that the Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight can use both the included 14500 and an AA cell
The Big Table
| Acebeam K1 EDC flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Cree XP-LR |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $54.90 |
| Cell: | 1×14500 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes |
| Switch Type: | Mechanical |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C (on cell) |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | – |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1000 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 776 (77.6% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 17.5 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 223 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 467lux @ 5.303m = 13133cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 229.2 (102.8% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 5900-6600 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
- Uses both 14500 and AA cells
- Standard 14500 included
- Simple user interface
- Useful laser
What I don’t like
- Would love a 4th white LED mode
- Cool white and low CRI
Notes
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