REVIEW – I guess I’ve boarded the train for flat, rectangular flashlights. I reviewed the Olight Arkfeld UV back in 2023 and liked it a lot. Between then and now, someone decided they liked it more than I did along with several of my tools while on a business trip. It was great. I could place it on a surface and not have to worry about it rolling away. The UI was intuitive and had several different lighting modes. Since I had other flashlights to use, I never bought a replacement for it. Then Imalent offered their new GR35 for a review and I was hoping this would fill the hole in my heart, I mean tool bag that the Arkfeld flashlight had filled. Let’s see how the Imalent GR35 measures up.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $43.96 and up, $58.96 for the kit
Where to buy: Indiegogo
What is it?
The Imalent GR35 is a 2800-lumen flashlight that also includes a UV light, a laser pointer, and flashing red and blue for emergency uses. It comes with a charging that allows the flashlight to be used while charging or as a power bank to recharge your phone.
What’s included?
- Imalent GR35 flashlight
- GR35 charging case
- USB C to USB C cable
- Lanyard
- User Guide
Tech specs
Aluminum alloy body
7000 mAh or 6700 mAh battery, Indiegogo site vs User guide
4 light sources: White light, UV light, Red laser, Flashing blue and red
6 brightness modes
Slide lock
Size: 16.6 mm x 30 mm x 127 mm
Built-in thermal control module
High-efficiency constant control circuit
Toughened ultra-clear mineral glass
Aluminum OP reflector
IPX7 standard waterproof to 1 m
1 m impact resistanat
Design and features
The Imalent GR35 is primarily a flashlight. It has a maximum output of 2800 lumens and has 6 different brightness levels plus strobe. The UI is very simple. With the unit unlocked and the flashlight function selected, a single press of the button turns the unit on. Press and hold that button and the GR35 will start to increase the brightness level and will continue to cycle through the modes until you release it. The levels are moonlight, low, medium-low, medium, and high.
To get Turbo mode, with the GR35 off, double-press the button. From there, double-press the button again and you get strobe. Regardless of the mode, a single press will turn it off. The only caveat is the selector has to be on the flashlight mode. You can’t have the laser pointer selected and double press to activate turbo mode. Makes sense though, right? In case you were wondering, here are the brightness levels you get with the different modes.
The GR35 also has a UV light mode. This could come in handy for using UV resins, checking to make sure you’re not getting counterfeit bills, or checking your hotel for mysterious, um, stains.
Imalent has also included a red laser pointer for all your EDC PowerPoint presentations. I’m not sure why anyone needs a laser pointer in this day and age. Most presentations I have to watch are online now but I guess I could see it being useful if you work in a live classroom environment daily. The only other use I see is to watch your cat or dog go crazy chasing it.
The last light mode is for emergencies and if only first responders used it, I could see the usefulness. It flashes red and blue LEDs alternately. I’m pretty sure if anyone here in the States went around flashing this at night, especially when driving, they could get into a lot of trouble. My opinion is just red or amber lights would be better.
To keep from accidentally turning the GR35 on, there’s a slide lock on the side. Simply side it to the lock position.
The flashlight can be recharged with the included USB C to C cable by connecting it to the connector protected by a silicone flap on the tail of the flashlight.
Better than using the cable is the included charger/battery pack.
Not only does the pack recharge the GR35 when it’s inserted, you can also charge your devices using it as a power bank.
The 6700 or 7000 mAh battery isn’t going to recharge a phone from dead flat to full but it’ll at least get you some charge if you’re in need. The case uses a magnet to secure the flashlight and charges through these contacts.
Actually the flashlight itself has a magnet that attaches to the round cut-out in the case. It also allows you to attach the flashlight to metal surfaces, freeing up your hands should you need to.
The attached clip is not what I would call the deepest of pocket carry but it works. You can also attach it to the bill of your cap to work hands-free. I found it to be a little heavy when I used it that way. I wear my caps loosely so it always pulled my hat down and if I bent too far over, my hat wanted to fall off.
A great feature to have is that you can actually use the flashlight while charging if you need it.
I’m not sure how often I would need it but it’s nice to know I can if I need to. The LEDs on the GR35 and charging case are nice to be able to see charge levels at a glance as well.
Performance
The runtimes for the Imalent GR35 are as follows:
- Turbo – 1 hour 2 min
- High – 1 hour 5 min
- Medium – 1 hour 8 min
- Medium-low – 2 hour 16 min
- Low – 7 hours 15 min
- Moonlight – 33 hours and 43 min
I can’t say I tested all these for accuracy but being this is a brand new flashlight with a fresh battery, the runtimes seem pretty accurate. Although, the GR35 has a built-in thermal control that will automatically dim the brightness if the unit gets too hot. With that said, I can’t imagine you could run the thing for an hour without it automatically dimming, especially living where I do where we wear shorts and T-shirts at Christmas.
I do have a few niggles with the Imalent GR35. I’ve already mentioned the weight when trying to use it on the brim of my cap, but another one is the control dial.
In my opinion, it turns a little too freely. It does click between selections, but it’s not as positive a response as I would like. I would prefer a little more resistance when turning it. The third issue I have is the lock. It works fine but in my review unit, again it’s a prototype, it rattles when the flashlight is shaken. It’s a small thing but I noticed it. Next are the flashing blue and red lights. I just think someone here would get into trouble with these should they pretend to be someone they aren’t. Finally, the batteries aren’t replaceable that I know of. The only place that looked like I could get into the unit was on the tail end where the USB C port is located. When I removed the screws, I saw they were there to hold on the lanyard loop and silicone cover for the port.
Final thoughts
In its current state, the Imalent GR35 is a pretty good flashlight. I don’t think it’s as well made as the Olight Arkfeld, but once Imalent releases these, the kit I received will be about the same price. So you’ll get the charging case/power bank which is a pretty dang good trade-off. And who knows? This is a prototype, remember? These issues may be fixed in the final version and if so, its an even better bargain. If you want to know more about the Imalent GR35, go check their Indiegogo page.
What I like about Imalent GR35 flashlight
- Form factor
- Charging case
- Several modes
- More than bright enough for an EDC flashlight
What needs to be improved?
- Control dial needs to be dialed in
- The slide locks rattles
- They might want to rethink the flashing blue and red LEDs
Price: $43.96 and up, $58.96 for the kit
Where to buy: Currently only on Indiegogo
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Imalent. Imalent did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
Check out these other reviews!
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