JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical Flashlight Review
The JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight has spot and throw as well as laser, side RGB, and runs standard cells. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Here’s a tracking link to the official product page.
Versions
Just one version of the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight is available, but it
Price
Four body colors of the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight are available: Green, Gray, Orange, and White. In every instance, the spot emitter is 6500K, but you can pick a body color that has a flood of 5000K or 6000K. So you have options!
What’s Included
- JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight
- JETBeam 3500mAh 18650 cells (2)
- Pocket clip
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Manual etc.
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight has a fine build quality. It has a build design much like some other recent models. One example is the LoopGear SK-05 Pro – the layout is a bit different, but they’re very similar lights.
One great feature is that the cell can be swapped. The tail end opens and there’s a locking mechanism too (so it won’t accidentally open.)
The tailcap has dual springs.
The head has just buttons for contact with the positive ends of each cell.
Size and Comps
Length: 107.6mm
Head Diameter: 48mm
Body Diameter: 26.6mm
Weight: 251g
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
There’s a pocket clip included here, but it’s not attached by default. It just requires two screws, and an extra is included. A TORX driver is also included!
The included lanyard can be attached through this hole on the hinge side of the tailcap.
It’s a very simple lanyard.
The tailcap also has magnets that are strong enough to hold the light in place.
Power and Runtime
The JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight uses two 18650 cells. The two that are included are 3500mAh standard 18650 cells.
Both cells go into the light with the button (positive end) toward the head. They are parallel, too, so they both go in the same direction. This does mean that the light can run with just one cell!
Runtime tests are below. I tested the higher two modes with both types of output (spot and flood). I didn’t test the output with both emitters, though. I don’t believe the manual makes any claim about that output level. (This is exactly the same scenario as the LoopGear SK-05 Pro, actually!)
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.
The light shuts off with low voltage protection. There’s a prominent side RGB COB that alerts the user to the approximate cell voltage at startup. The colors indicate as follows:
Green: 100-35%
Orange: 34-10%
Red: <10%
Red flashing: <5%
Charging
UBS-C charging is used for the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight. The port is near the head and has a press-in silicone cover.
A C to C charging cable is included.
Charging works just fine from both C to C and A to C. There’s a little blip in the red graph line – that’s just where I knocked the light off my desk. (oops). But charging works just fine! (Here’s one difference in this light and the SK-05 Pro, though – this one seems to always charge at 5V!)
Powerbank
The manual states that the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight can be used for discharging at 5V/3A. I didn’t test that, but likely will.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo – Flood | 3300-1500-1000 | 40s+5m+4.6h | 2820 (0s) 2666 (30s) |
7.63 |
| High – Flood | 1500-1000 | 5m+5.3h | 1204 (0s) 1194 (30s) |
2.33 |
| Med – Flood | 500 | 8.3h | 443 | 0.78 |
| Low – Flood | 200 | 18h | 188 | 0.31 |
| Moonlight – Flood | 10 | 350h | 10 | 0.03 |
| Turbo – Spot | 2480-1100-900 | 40s+5m+4.6h | 2162 (0s) 1927 (30s) |
7.01 |
| High – Spot | 1100-900 | 5m+7.2h | 875 (0s) 867 (30s) |
1.72 |
| Med – Spot | 300 | 13.2h | 283 | 0.45 |
| Low – Spot | 100 | 37h | 95 | 0.16 |
| Moon – Spot | 25 | 240h | 19 | 0.16 |
| Both | ~ | – | 2672 (0s) | 6.82 |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the steady modes utilize PWM.
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
There are two ways to interact with the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight. First, there’s a rotary dial. It has four positions. Locked, flood, spot, and side (or “other” option, really, because this covers RGB, UV, and Laser functions).
Next is the e-switch, which is on the side of the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight.
The setup is different than that of the LoopGear SK-05 Pro, but the functions are very much similar.
As stated above, there’s a rotary dial with four positions. You’ll want to rotate this dial to your output of choice, then follow the actions in the user interface table below! Note that the user interface for Spot and Flood seems to be the same.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click | On (Mode memory) |
| On | Click | Off |
| Off | Hold | Momentary Turbo (both emitters) |
| Rotary set to Floodlight or Spotlight Off |
Double click | Turbo (selected emitter) |
| Rotary set to Floodlight or Spotlight On |
Hold | Mode advance (LMH only) |
| Rotary set to Floodlight or Spotlight Any |
Click 3x | Strobe (both emitters) |
| RGB on | Hold | RGB mode advance for that output style |
| Rotary set to Special Mode Off |
Click | Side On (Mode memory) |
| Rotary set to Special Mode Any |
Click 3x | Red-blue flash warning light mode |
| RGB in Special ModeOn | Double click | Advance through side RGB Lighting options |
| Rotary set to Special Mode On |
Hold | Advance through side options: UV, Laser, Side RGB |
LED and Beam
There are two options here for output. In the photo below, the left emitter is the flood output. This is an unidentified 5000K emitter. The other emitter is a Luminus SFT42R and has a smooth reflector.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
I don’t see the information anywhere on my package, but this flood emitter appears to be the 5000K version (surprisingly!). And it measures very much in that range, too, which is great! The spot emitter is cool white, but doesn’t get over 6100K (another pleasant surprise). Both emitters are low to very low CRI.
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.
That third row photo is both emitters.
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.
The third row here is the laser output.
I compare everything to the KillzoneFlashlights.com 219b BLF-348 because it’s inexpensive and has the best tint!
Summary and Conclusion
I like the JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight nearly as much as I’ve liked any of these flat side-by-side 18650 lights. This one has so many features. Laser is a nice bonus here. I’d like an adjustable CCT side white output, but that’s not actually the biggest deal. I’m very pleased that this first iteration from JETBeam does have (easily!) removable and standard 18650 cells. In fact, it could be stated better – these cells are field-swappable, which is a very nice feature. (And it can even run on just one in a pinch!) The price of $136 is definitely an issue, but at least JETBeam is a reputable brand.
The Big Table
| JETBeam E28 EDC Multi-mode Flat Tactical flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Unstated white LED (Flood) |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $135.99 |
| Cell: | 2×18650 |
| 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) | Flood: 3300 Throw: 2480 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | Flood: 2666 (80.8% of claim)^ Throw: 1927 (77.7% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | Flood: 3 Throw: 17.1 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | Flood: 187 Throw: 365 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | Flood: 341lux @ 4.74m = 7661cd Throw: 848lux @ 5.674m = 27301cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | Flood: 175.1 (93.6% of claim)^ Throw: 330.5 (90.5% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | Flood 5000 Throw: 6500 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | Flood 4800-5000 Kelvin Throw: 5800-6000 Kelvin |
| Item provided for review by: | flashlightgo.com |
| All my JETBeam 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
- Solid build quality
- Cells are easily accessible (aka “intended for access”)
- Uses standard 18650 cells
- Intuitive user interface
- RGB side options are fun!
- C to C charging works well
- Can run off just one cell
- Offers 5000K in the flood channel
What I don’t like
- Low CRI
- Price
Notes
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