A black NEXTORCH TA30D flashlight with a textured grip and clip lies on a wooden surface. A “ZEROAIR” logo appears in the lower left corner of the image.

Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe Flashlight Review

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Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe Flashlight Review

The Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight has a proud, indicating tail switch and high output. The rotary output selector is great! Read on!

Official Specs and Features

Here’s a referral link to the Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight product page.

Versions

There’s just one version of the Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight. However, a TA30 V2.0 also exists, among other (separate flashlight) versions of this product, such as the TA30C MAX. There’s a bigger TA30D MAX, too!

Price

The Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight comes in at $99.99, and that includes the cell you’ll need for running the light.

What’s Included

A Nextorch TA30D flashlight is placed on a wooden surface with its box, instruction manual, rechargeable battery, charging cable, lanyard, mounting bracket, and a ZeroAir sticker.

  • Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight
  • Nextorch 3400mAh 18650 cell
  • Adapter for CR123x2
  • Charging cable (USB to USB-C)
  • Lanyard
  • Tactical grip ring
  • Manual etc

Package and Manual

Black-and-white instruction sheet for the NEXTORCH TA30D flashlight, featuring technical specifications, diagrams showing operation modes, battery installation, maintenance tips, and QR codes for more information.

Build Quality and Disassembly

A black NEXTORCH TA30D flashlight with a textured grip and clip lies on a wooden surface. A “ZEROAIR” logo appears in the lower left corner of the image.

The Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight is a very nicely built light. It has a nice heft in hand and overall just feels like a good quality light. It’s essentially the same light as the TA30D MAX, except this one uses a single 18650 instead of the bigger 21700 of the MAX version.

The anodizing is great, notably. While it’s not “matte” (like Armytek), it’s also not glossy. There’s a nice grippiness to it, in fact.

A close-up of a black NEXTORCH TA30D flashlight with its tail cap removed, placed on a wooden surface. The flashlight’s texture and branding are visible, as well as a Zeroair logo in the corner.

The tailcap has a nice beefy spring, and the threads are fairly short. Inside the cell tube, you can see that the head also has a spring.

A close-up of a flashlight with its tail cap removed, showing the exposed battery compartment and spring contacts. A green 18650 lithium-ion battery is lying on a wooden surface next to the flashlight parts.

The head or cell tube does not come off, though. I bet with properly persuasive tools, one could remove the bezel, though.

Size and Comps

Dimensions: 137 mm x 30 mm x 23 mm
Weight: 102g / 3.6oz (excluding battery)

Here’s the light in hand:

A hand holds a black NEXTORCH TA30 flashlight with textured grip and attached clip. The ZEROAIR logo is visible in the lower left corner of the image. Wooden planks form the background.

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 Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight has a nice friction-fit pocket clip that attaches only to the tail end. This clip isn’t designed as a “deep-carry” clip, but due to the length of the light, it does function that way.

A black tactical flashlight with a textured grip and belt clip rests on a wooden surface. The flashlight is labeled “Nextorch.” The background is blurred, and a ZeroAir logo is visible in the lower left corner.

The clip has a nice design, including a stamped logo near the shoulder. And an update for this version of the pocket clip – there’s now a dedicated lanyard hole on the clip’s shoulder! The clip is keyed, which is another reason to like the Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight. Because of how the tailcap covers part of this area, the clip is captured. So yes, it’s a friction fit, but it’s also so much better than just a friction fit! I really love the attention that Nextorch pays to this detail!

With this model, a tactical collar grip is included. It’s all plastic, and it’s good – I don’t operate, but it feels like it will do what it’s supposed to do. Previously, this grip was a $10 accessory and was a friction-fit clip-on attachment. This is a stepped – up version compared to what shipped with the TA30D MAX.

A black tactical flashlight with a textured grip and a unique metal ring attachment is lying on a wooden surface. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the lower left corner of the image.

A close-up of a black NEXTORCH flashlight equipped with a tactical ring attachment, standing upright outdoors. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the lower left corner of the image.

A hand grips a black NEXTORCH flashlight with a thumb pressing the button on top; the background is blurred wood. A ZeroAir logo appears in the lower left corner.

A lanyard is also included. You can attach that only through the pocket clip!

A black NEXTORCH flashlight with a matching wrist strap rests on a wooden surface with a blurred wood background. The ZeroAir logo appears in the lower left corner.

Power and Runtime

Nextorch includes a single 18650 cell with the TA30D. It’s a 3400mAh cell and has a button top.

A close-up of a 3400mAh 18650 Li-ion battery labeled NEXTORCH on a wooden surface, with a black flashlight blurred in the background and a ZEROAIR logo in the lower left corner.

A big change from the TA30D MAX here. The cell for this Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight should be installed in the standard direction (positive end toward the head.)

A black NEXTORCH TA30 flashlight with a pocket clip lies on a wooden surface, with its battery compartment cap removed and placed beside it. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the lower left corner.

The cell tube also has little icons that show this information.

A black NEXTORCH TA30D flashlight with a textured grip and clip lies on a wooden surface. A “ZEROAIR” logo appears in the lower left corner of the image.

Nextorch includes an adapter that will allow you to use two CR123 cells, and keep them from rattling.

A black tube labeled NEXTORCH CR123 Flashlight Magazine sits on a wooden surface, with a blurred flashlight and battery in the background. A ZEROAIR logo is visible in the lower left corner.

Below are a couple of runtime tests. What we see is a fairly quick (but not “abusive”) stepdown. By “not abusive,” I mean it doesn’t seem like Nextorch is gaming the claim system. Around 1 minute at the very bright output is respectable.

A runtime graph for the Nextorch TA30D flashlight using a Luminus SFT42R LED and Nextorch 3400mAh 18650 battery, showing brightness (lumens) over time in minutes with high and medium modes indicated.

A runtime graph for the Nextorch TA30D flashlight using a Luminus SFT42R LED and Nextorch 3400mAh 18650 battery, showing brightness (lumens) over time in minutes with high and medium modes indicated.

At the end of one of the tests, the light began strobing to alert about low voltage. I imagine this happens for all modes (but happened to just observe it for one.)

A runtime graph for the Nextorch TA30D flashlight using a Luminus SFT42R LED and Nextorch 3400mAh 18650 battery, showing brightness (lumens) over time in minutes with high and medium modes indicated.

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 TA30D itself does not have built-in charging, the included 18650 cell does. There’s a USB-C charging port right there on the positive terminal.

A close-up of the top of a green rechargeable battery with a USB-C charging port. The battery displays some text and symbols, and a ZeroAir logo is visible in the lower left corner.

Also not shown, but there’s a tiny indicating LED near the button, too. Red when charging and blue when charging has completed.

A USB to USB-C charging cable is included. Note the touch of “Nextorch green” there on both ends of the cable. I really like that! Small touch, but it (again) points out that Nextorch does things right!

A black USB-A to USB-C cable is coiled and placed on a wooden surface, with a blurred flashlight and a ZeroAir logo in the background.

The charging is good and finishes in under 3 hours. USB to C and C to C both work fine.

Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight  charging chart

Modes and Currents

Mode Mode Claimed Output (lm) Claimed Runtime Measured Lumens
High 2200 2h15m 1902 (0s)
1875 (30s)
Medium 350 6h15m 274 (0s)
273 (30s)
Low 20 50h 20

Pulse Width Modulation

The Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight does use PWM for every steady mode. On the highest level (at right, below), the PWM can only be observed at a different timescale than usual, and that can be seen in the second row.

Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight PWM charts

 

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

Aside from the actual switch (which we’ll talk about more later), there’s a rotary control. This rotary control can be put in five positions. “TAC” is the “most off” position – in this setting, strobe is the response when the switch is pressed. This is “one-step strobe.” Next is LOCK.

The other three positions are steady states. Rotate the dial to “I”, “II”, “III”, or “Strobe” and you get Low, Medium, High, or Strobe, respectively. Those all work without switch presses too – in fact, in any of those modes, pressing the switch causes the light to function as if it’s in TAC mode.

A close-up of a black tactical flashlight focusing on its mode switch, labeled TAC and LOCK. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner. The background is softly blurred.

There’s one switch on the Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight. It’s a tail e-switch and functions much like a forward mechanical clicky. The switch, however, doesn’t click. That plays into how “one-step” strobe the light is! Below, you can see the switch indicator ring lit in blue.

The switch battery indication is as follows:

Blue: 75-100%
Blue flashing: 50-75%
Red: 25-50%
Red flashing: 0-25%

A black flashlight lies on a wooden surface, with its power button and adjustable settings ring in focus. The background is blurred. The ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

This switch is great. It’s pleasantly springy and very responsive.

A close-up of a hand pressing the black button on top of a cylindrical device, possibly a flashlight, with a blurred wooden background and a ZeroAir logo in the lower left corner.

A close-up of a hand pressing the black button on the end of a flashlight, with a blurred background. A ZeroAir logo is visible near the bottom left corner.

Here’s a user interface table!

State Action Result
Any Tap Switch High
Any Hold switch (deeply) Strobe
Rotary in “TAC” Rotate Rotary counter clockwise Increase output through LOCK, I, II, III
Rotary in “III” Rotate Rotary clockwise Decrease output from III, II, I
On Turn light off (various ways) Battery indicator^
LOCK Tap switch Battery indicator^

^ Battery indicator described above.

LED and Beam

I don’t believe Nextorch has stated what emitter this is, but I believe it is probably a Luminus SFT42R. Regardless of that fact, we can see the characteristics of it in the next section.

That emitter is coupled with a deep and smooth reflector. That is a nother change from the MAX version – smooth reflector and different emitter.

A hand holding a flashlight pointed directly at the camera, showing the light’s LED bulb. The flashlight brand logo ZeroAir appears in the bottom left corner.

Below, you can also see the glass-breaking ball bearings in the bezel. I think that the bezel is probably stainless steel, too, which is a good choice.

A black flashlight with a metallic front bezel is lying on a wooden surface. The flashlight is angled with its lens facing forward. A ZEROAIR logo is visible in the lower left corner.

A black flashlight stands upright on a wooden surface, emitting light from its base. The word HOT and a warning symbol are visible on the flashlight. A ZEROAIR logo appears in the lower left corner.

A flashlight laying on a wooden surface pointed toward a wall, casting a bright beam of light. The background is blurred, and a ZeroAir logo is visible in the bottom left corner.

LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)

CCT ranges from around 5900K (cool white) all the way up to around 6700K (still just “cool white”), and the CRI is low, at around 68. None of those should really be surprises – it’s very usual for a tactical light to be cool white and low CRI, namely because they’re usually as bright as possible, and low CRI high CCT lights output the most light (comparatively).

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 Nextorch TA30D Tactical One-Step-Strobe flashlight follows in the line of high-quality lights by Nextorch. I appreciate the user interface – rotary dials are neat, for sure! Output is great, even if not quite 2200 lumens. I really like the switch, and the indicator on that switch is great, too. Again, the Nextorch build quality is among the best! I am pleased the cell orientation has been “fixed” on this version (the non-MAX), and I could use four steady modes instead of just three. The price isn’t even all that bad – it comes in under $100, and includes a cell and the tactical grip ring.

The Big Table

Nextorch TA30D
Emitter: Luminus SFT42R ((probably))
Price in USD at publication time: $99.99
Cell: 1×18650
Runtime Graphs
LVP? No
Switch Type: E-switch
Quiescent Current (mA): ?
On-Board Charging? Yes
Charge Port Type: USB-C (on cell)
Charge Graph
Power off Charge Port No
Claimed Lumens (lm) 2200
Measured Lumens (at 30s) 1875 (85.2% of claim)^
Candela per Lumen 25.3
Claimed Throw (m) 410
Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) 1508lux @ 5.608m = 47426cd
Throw (Calculated) (m) 435.6 (106.2% of claim)^
Claimed CCT (probably) –
Measured CCT Range (K) (probably) 5900-6700 Kelvin
Item provided for review by: Nextorch
All my Nextorch 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 user interface
  • High output
  • My preferred beam profile (very throwy)
  • Excellent build quality
  • Circle battery indicator is much more fun than just a dot!
  • Captured pocket clip
  • Seems to have added low voltage protection (improvement from the MAX version)

What I don’t like

  • High CCT and low CRI
  • Just three steady modes (probably fine for tactical users; I’d like 4 modes.)

Notes

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