IMALENT MR90 50000 lumen flashlight review – The sun in your hand

REVIEW – For a good while, LEDs for flashlights were quite underpowered. They used batteries quickly and did not have much throw when it came to piercing through the darkness. Well, I’m here to tell you that those days are long gone! I’ve reviewed a few lights on this site that had high lumens and good reflectors, but the IMALENT MR90 50000 lumen flashlight that I have been evaluating has stunned me from the very beginning. It is so bright that I have no way to show you how bright it is! Your monitor can’t handle the light. Let’s give it a try, though, shall we?

What is it?

The IMALENT MR90 is a large handheld flashlight with both flood and spotlight reflectors.

What’s in the box?

• Reflector head
• Battery/handle assembly
• Charger
• Belt case
• Lanyard
• O-ring replacements
• Instruction sheet

Hardware specs

from product website

• The lifespan is up to 50,000 hours with a maximum output of 50,000lumens.
• Utilizes 8 pieces of American CREE XHP70 2nd LEDs and 1 piece of American LUMINUS SBT 90 2nd LED.
• High-efficiency constant current circuit will maintain constant brightness.
• Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy body, wear-resistant Type III hard-anodized surface treatment.
• Built-in thermal control module will automatically adjust the brightness output, keep using comfortably.

Design and features

The IMALENT MR90 flashlight is, for all intents and purposes, a black battery pack with a reflector head attached. The face of the reflector has a large (2.25” diameter) area that has a spotlight, and an 8-LED array (each LED has a .625” diameter reflector) arched across the top that acts as a floodlight. The two systems (spotlight and floodlight) can be turned on individually or together.

The battery pack is 3,375″ in length by 2″ in diameter. The tail end of the battery pack has an aluminum cover that unscrews to reveal a charging plug in the center. The included 19V 2A charger has a center pin and outer sleeve connection. When plugged in, there is a light around the plug that indicates charge status: red when not charged completely, green when the battery is full.

Weight – overall 1 pound, 15 ounces
Battery pack – 15.7 ounces
Reflectors and LED assembly – 15.95 ounces

The handle has rings molded into it, giving it a very easy-to-hold feel. The weight of the battery, being equal to the reflector, makes it very balanced. It’s very hefty in your hand, although it’s fairly small. There is a button right where the reflector head starts to flare out. There is nothing to tell you where on the circumference of the handle that button is, however, so it’s a matter of twisting it around. With gloves on, the four flat places around the base of the reflector (two fans and the blank space opposite the actual switch) feel identical.

There is a nicely stitched nylon fabric belt case included, along with extra O-rings and a wrist lanyard. I tried several places on the screw-off tail cap but was not able to attach the lanyard to anything. The case covers the whole light, yet folds down flat when empty.

Performance

The IMALENT MR90 flashlight lights with a single press of the button to the last level it was on. Holding the button down will cycle through all 4 levels from dimmest to brightest. Triple-clicking will change from spot-light (the large single LED and reflector), flood-light (the 8 smaller LEDs around the top part of the head), or a combined mode, with the flood-light superimposed over the spotlight. When it is lit, double-clicking will take it to the highest solid level. A second double-click will activate the strobe mode. A single click at any time shuts the light off.

What I like

• Really compact feel, even though it’s heavy
• Flexible lighting between spot, flood, and combined
• Well-ventilated, fans autostart at certain levels

What I’d change

• No way to find the switch by feel, especially with gloves
• A no clear indication of how/where the leash connects.
• Needs a better lockout system

Final thoughts

In my youth, I enjoyed having two flashlights – one that took two D cells (an official Boy Scout model with a 90° angled head!) and a small penlight that took two AA cells. Neither, of course, used LEDs, which at the time had the brightness of a firefly at 20 paces. But I loved them because they gave me access to unseen places: the crawl space of my house, the hollows of tree roots, and the glow of animal eyes beyond the ring of a campfire. (Probably deer or raccoons, but we always imagined bears or mountain lions!) Some of this feeling comes back when I sit on my deck and shine this light into the trees at night. Sure, they are the same old trees from a few hours ago, when the sun was still up – but now they are hidden!

The difference in the flood- versus spot-lighting in the IMALENT MR90 flashlight is stunning. I rarely use it beyond the lowest or next-lowest setting, yet I can see into the foliage clearly. It’s nice to have this in my car, should I ever need to see far into the distance in an emergency, or want to explore that deep cavern.

Price: $395.95
Where to buy: Imalent store
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Imalent.