REVIEW – I believe that you can never have enough flashlights. We currently own what I consider two top-end, heavy-duty flashlights. They are the Imalent DM35 and a Thrunite TN12 Pro that I have previously reviewed on The Gadgeteer. Both are great flashlights and do an awesome job of lighting up the night. However, when I saw the chance to review the new Imalent SR16 55000 lumen flashlight, I thought, ‘Now I bet I can really annoy the neighbors with this one!’ Did I manage to piss off my neighbors with this new flashlight? Read on to find out.
What is it?
The Imalent SR16 is a larger than normal heavy-duty 55000-lumen flashlight. It has an aluminum alloy body and a rechargeable battery.
What’s in the box?
- Charging cord and power adapter
- Imalent SR16 flashlight
- Two extra o-rings
- Extra bolt and washer for the handle attachment
- Allen wrench to remove the bolt from the handle
- User manual
Hardware specs
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Utilizes 16 pieces of American CREE XHP50.3 HI LEDs.
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The lifespan is up to 50,000 hours with a maximum output of 55,000 lumens.
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Built-in Li-ion battery pack, which includes 4pcs 21700 batteries.
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Size: 109mm (head diameter) *56mm (body diameter) *158mm (length)
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Net weight：1130g(battery included)
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The high-efficiency constant current circuit will maintain constant brightness.
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Built-in thermal control module will automatically adjust the brightness output, keep using comfortably.
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Combination of toughened ultra-clear mineral and anti-reflective coating glass
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Aluminum SMO reflector.
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Aerospace-grade aluminum alloy body, wear-resistant Type III hard-anodized surface treatment.
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IP56 standard waterproof.
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Moonlight mode at 50 lumens for 98 hrs.
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Removable metal flashlight handle.
Design and features
This is a close-up shot of the handle and how it is connected to the Imalent SR16 flashlight. It uses a single bolt, but it is well-connected and very sturdy. There was no wiggle in it at all. Right below the bolt, you can see a black hole. This hole contains an LED that will shine green when at a full charge and turn red when it is time to recharge the battery.
The Imalent SR16 flashlight can be turned on with one of two switches. The first and main switch is on the flashlight body, as seen in the picture above. A secondary switch is also built into the handle’s front left side. If you keep the handle on the flashlight, this is the button you will use most often.
Here you can see the 16 LEDs that are on the front of this flashlight. Trust me, you do not want to look straight into the front of this flashlight when it is on!
The Imalent SR16 flashlight shipped with a protective plastic insert between the battery and the camera body. I unscrewed the battery from the body and took the picture above. I did not yet see a replacement battery for this flashlight on the Imalent site, but I think you could order one soon or get one from somewhere else.
This picture shows you how lubricated the threads are for the battery. You can also see the silicone ring that gives the flashlight its IP56 water rating.
Setup
The first thing I did was to make sure the Imalent SR16’s battery was fully charged. It did come with some charge, but I wanted to top it off first. The charging port is accessed by unscrewing the silver metal cap at the bottom of the flashlight.
That reveals the charging port. You plug in the charging cable to charge it. The LEDs around the port glow red to indicate that it is charging.
When the charging is complete, the LEDs will glow green. In my case, it took less than an hour to top off the battery.
Performance
The Imalent SR16 flashlight really shines (pun intended!) I set up the flashlight in front of my garage to show its light’s reach and depth. Yes, I ensured the neighbors directly across the street were gone for the evening. The flashlight has several modes and options. When you press the power button (the main one or the one on the handle) quickly, it will power on the flashlight in the last mode you had it on, except for the turbo and strobe modes. It has 5 light level modes starting with moonlight mode and then four levels of increasing brightness.
Pressing the power button quickly will turn it on to one of the five brightness modes you had on last time. Then you can hold the power button down, and it will cycle through the brightness modes. You can hear a fan kick on when it hits level three to keep the light cool. It is noticeable, so if you are trying to be quiet, this is not the time to use level three and above. Plus, you will be blinding anyone in the immediate area anyway.
This is moonlight mode.
Power level 2
Power level 3
Power level 4
Power level 5
Once the light is off, double-clicking the power button will put the light into turbo mode.
Double-clicking the power button again while in turbo mode will set the flashlight to strobe mode. In this video, you can also hear the sound of the fan running.
You can also triple-click the power button to go into moonlight mode immediately. I want to note that from level 4 on up to the strobe, the light near the front of the flashlight can get very hot. You want to be sure you do not have anything sitting in front of that light. I think it would be pretty easy to melt things if you kept them in front of that flashlight within six inches. You can also press and hold the power button down from the off position to turn the fan on if you feel the flashlight is too hot to sit without cooling some more.
What I like
- Well built and heavy duty. You could really hurt someone with this flashlight!
- Lights up the night like no one’s business
- Five different levels of light plus turbo and strobe
- Easy access to the lowest level of light with three clicks
- Removable handle
- The battery pack charges up quickly in less than 2 hours
What I’d change
- It would be nice if the fan was a bit quieter.
- Pretty pricey for a flashlight.
Final thoughts
If you are looking for a wide beam super, bright flashlight that lasts a long time, I don’t think you could go wrong with the Imalent SR16 55000 lumen flashlight. It is not cheaply made and offers many different modes to get you to the level of light you desire. It can be a bit pricey at $369.95, but it seems to be in the proper price range for flashlights at that level.
Price: $369.95
Where to buy: Imalent
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Imalent.
