Acebeam T35 Compact Tactical Flashlight Review
The Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight offers a high-intensity Luminus SFT-40 emitter and dual switches, with a user interface great for EDC. Read on!
Official Specs and Features
Versions
Two versions exist. There’s this coyote brown with a 5000K emitter and a black version with a 6500K emitter. Otherwise, they’re the same!
Price
The Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight comes in at an MSRP of $59.90, a reasonable price for this tactical light!
What’s Included
- Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight
- 2600mAh 18650
- Charging cable
- Lanyard
- Nylon pouch
- Spare o-rings (2)
- Spare charge port cover
- Manual etc
Package and Manual
Build Quality and Disassembly
The Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight build quality is very good. My copy is the coyote color, which as you can see, is very brown.
This Acebeam is much like some others (the EC35 II comes to mind) but the tailcap here seems thinner and more refined.
The tailcap unscrews easily and has fairly short threads and a beefy spring.
The head has a beefy spring too, but the head does not unscrew.
I haven’t shown it here, but the bezel can be unscrewed easily, too.
Size and Comps
137.59mm x 26.9mm x 23mm and 138g (with cell).
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 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
Acebeam includes this friction-fit pocket clip.
The clip attaches only on the tail end and is not a two-way clip. Bezel-down carry is the only option.
Acebeam also includes a nylon pouch. It’s a very simple pouch.
The Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight should not be turned on when in the pouch.
A lanyard is also included. It attaches through a hole in the pocket clip – there are no other attachment points. Unlike many other Acebeam EDC-style lights, there’s no lanyard attachment point in the tailcap.
Power and Runtime
The Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight runs one 18650 cell. A 2600mAh Acebeam-branded cell is included. It’s a standard button top cell.
The cell goes into the light in the usual way – positive end toward the head.
Below are runtimes for the highest three levels. On the Acebeam page, Acebeam provides runtime charts. Their scaling is a little different than I’ve used here, but I’m pleased to report that their charts match these nicely.
When cell voltage is low, the Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight first indicates with a red blinking e-switch and finally shuts off.
Charging
Acebeam has given us a USB-C port on the head end of the T35. There’s a press-in cover, which feels fairly secure. A spare is included.
A USB to USB-C charging cable is included.
Charging is… unusual. I can’t say “bad” but it seems to drop in and out frequently no matter if you use A to C or C to C charging (both are shown below). Charging is finished in around 3 hours or so, which is not quick.
While the light is charging, the e-switch is solid red. When charging is complete, the switch turns green.
Modes and Currents
| Mode | Mode Claimed Output (lm) | Claimed Runtime | Measured Lumens | Tailcap Amps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo | 1600-700 | 60s+1h30m | 1565 (0s) 1374 (30s) |
5.90 |
| High | 700 | 1h35m | 674 (0s) 671 (30s) |
1.57 |
| Med | 350 | 3h50m | 308 | 0.57 |
| Low | 90 | 16h | 80 | 0.12 |
| Ultra-Low | 3 | 400h | 6.2 | [low] |
Pulse Width Modulation
None of the modes use PWM. The lowest two (leftmost) have a bit of sawtooth ripple.
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
Acebeam has used a dual-switch interface on the T35 compact tactical flashlight. The tail switch is a mechanical clicky.
As you can see below, it’s proud, which promotes the tactical identity of the T35.
The action is easy and deep.
A second switch is this indicating e-switch, below. It’s important since the mechanical switch is on/off only.
It can indicate in red or green and blinking. You can see the green indicator below.
Here’s a user interface table!
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Click tail switch | On (Mode memory, excluding strobe) |
| On | Click tail switch | Off |
| On | Click e-switch | Mode advance (increasing) |
| On | Hold e-switch | Strobe |
| Off | Any e-switch action | No result |
LED and Beam
There are two emitter CCT options. I have the 5000K version of the Luminus SFT-40 emitter. The emitter is coupled with a smooth reflector.
The beam shape is great, with a circular hotspot.
LED Color Report (CRI and CCT)
On the low levels, the emitter does maintain that claimed 5000K ish CCT. Turbo, and high a little, ventures into the cool range, though. CRI is low and the Duv is positive.
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.
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 Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight – it’s a fairly straightforward tube light. I am not sure I’d call it “tactical” exactly. It’s great for EDC, and I’m very pleased there’s a 5000K option. I’d prefer some direct access to extreme levels (Turbo, ultra-low) and the charging weirdness should be considered.
The Big Table
| Acebeam T35 compact tactical flashlight | |
|---|---|
| Emitter: | Luminus SFT-40 |
| Price in USD at publication time: | $59.90 |
| Cell: | 1×18650 |
| Runtime Graphs | |
| LVP? | Yes, with warning |
| Switch Type: | Both |
| Quiescent Current (mA): | – |
| On-Board Charging? | Yes |
| Charge Port Type: | USB-C |
| Charge Graph | |
| Power off Charge Port | With or without cell and/or tailcap: one mode |
| Claimed Lumens (lm) | 1600 |
| Measured Lumens (at 30s) | 1374 (85.9% of claim)^ |
| Candela per Lumen | 6.5 |
| Claimed Throw (m) | 352 |
| Candela (Calculated) in cd (at 30s) | 977lux @ 5.453m = 29051cd |
| Throw (Calculated) (m) | 340.9 (96.8% of claim)^ |
| Claimed CCT | 5000 |
| Measured CCT Range (K) | 4800-6200 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
- 5000K output
- Dual switch suitable for EDC
- Good price for a complete package
- Good build quality
- Great beam profile
What I don’t like
- Not great for tactical use
- CCT ventures cool at high levels
- No direct access to lowest or highest modes
Notes
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