REVIEW – I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for a good flashlight. I’m always looking for a bright light, a compact body, and extra features that make a light stand out from the competition. IMALENT has been making flashlights for over a decade and even claims to make the world’s brightest flashlight. Today I’m reviewing a different model, however, the BL50 Dual Source EDC Flashlight.
What is it?
IMALENT’s BL50 is a handheld, aluminum bodied flashlight, with a dual-output, consisting of a bright white LED and a UV LED.
What’s included?
- IMALENT BL50 Flashlight
- USB-C to USB-C Charging Cable
- Lanyard
- User Manual
Tech specs
Click to expand
- LED Type: CREE XHP50.3 HI LED and one 698mW 365 nm LED
- Battery: Rechargeable 3,000 mAh Li-ion
- Luminous Flux: Up To 3,600 Lumens
- Run Time: Up To 280 hours
- Intensity: 45,780 cd (Max.)
- Distance: 1,404 ft (428 m) (Max.)
- Operating Modes Output and Runtime
- Turbo: 3,600~1,200 Lumens: Run-time: 70s + 68 min
- High: 2,000~1,200 Lumens: Run-time: 3 min 30s + 70min
- Mid-High: 1,200 Lumens: Run-time: 1h16 min
- Mid-Low: 600 Lumens: Run-time: 3h10 min
- Low: 200 Lumens: Run-time: 6h28 min
- Moonlight: 5 Lumens: Run-time: 280 hours
- Measurements: 3.68 in (head diameter) x 1.36 in (body diameter) x 1.1 in (length) (93.5 mm x 34.5 mm x 28 mm)
- Weight: 5.57 oz (158 g) (battery included)
- Impact Resistance: 4 ft 11 in (1.5 m)
- Water Resistance: IPX8 standard waterproof (2 meters submersible)
Design and features
IMALENT’s BL50 is a tube-style flashlight with one side tapered off to a flat section, which allows the flashlight to sit on a table or other flat surface. The flat side is also the location of an OLED screen which shows battery level and the selected brightness level, as well as lock/unlock status. Also located on the flat side is one of the two buttons and the USB-C charging port, covered by a thick rubber gasket. The second switch is located on the back. It’s a flat button, not a rubber-covered mechanical switch like on some other flashlights. Both switches are the same kind of flat button, with the back one being round to match the overall shape of the flashlight, and the side button is square to match the flat side.
On the front of the flashlight are the dual LED emitters. The main one is a CREE XHP50.3 HI LED. The UV light is 365 nm. The color temperature is listed as 5700K – 6700K. I’m not sure if it’s variable depending on brightness level selected, or if it changes as the light heats up or what. This would be considered “bright white.” The product information does not include a beam angle but the center of the beam is pretty tight, which helps it throw up to 428 meters, and the field around the center beam is pretty wide, so it’s a good combination of a spot and flood light.
There are 6 brightness levels – Moonlight at 5 lumens, Low at 200 lumens, Mid-Low at 600 lumens, Mid-High at 1,200 lumens, High at 2,000 lumens, and Turbo at 3,600 lumens. Turbo and High modes don’t stay at 3,600 or 2,000 lumens very long. Turbo drops down to 1,200 lumens after 70 seconds, and High drops down to 1,200 lumens after 3 1/2 minutes. This helps prevent overheating and preserve battery life.
The flashlight comes in four color options: Royal Blue, Black, Grey, and Military Green. My review unit is the black version.
In Use
The BL50 feels solid in the hand. It’s an unusual shape that takes some getting used to vs the traditional barrel shaped flashlight, but that doesn’t mean it’s hard to hold, it’s just a new style to get familiar with.
Because it didn’t come with a holster I decided to use one from an older flashlight. This light is a little smaller than that one so there’s extra space in the holster but it was never in danger of falling out. The only included accessory is a lanyard, which I decided to use. Something I’ve never seen before in a lanyard is an included piece of wire which helps pull the lanyard string through the opening in the body of the flashlight. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit with other flashlights and devices, trying to get the lanyard string through the sometimes tiny opening, but this solves that problem and helped me install the lanyard in a few seconds.
Using the flashlight is easy. To turn it on, simply press the rear button once and it will turn on at the last-used brightness level, except for Turbo mode; if that was the last used setting, the flashlight will turn on to 2,000 lumens. I’ve settled on keeping it at either 600 or 1,200 lumens for everyday use. If you need a low brightness mode, it’s easy to turn on Moonlight mode by simply pressing the side button once. This will override the setting you had selected with the rear switch so be careful while you’re holding it. Thankfully if you do accidentally switch to Moonlight mode with the side switch, the flashlight will remember the brighter setting you previously used, although you have to turn it off and back on again to restore it.
I don’t often have the need to use a UV light but I’ve always been interested in trying one. With the UV light I’ve been able to light up everything in a room that’s white or light colored just for fun. A more useful way I found to use the UV light was to find some marks we use in the auditorium where I work which help us remember where to put the seats back after an event that requires a different setup than usual. I was also able to see several places where drinks have been spilled on the carpet. I also found some frightening things in my kitchen at home that I don’t even think I want to know are there. I won’t use this feature every day but I’m glad to have it as an option for when the need comes up. It is possible to have both LEDs on at the same time, although I’m not sure which scenario would require that feature.
To use the flashlight there are several different combinations of button presses involved. The simplest use of the rear button is a single press to turn on the light, and another press to turn it off. While the light is on, a long press (about 2 seconds) will select the next highest brightness level. When it’s on the 2,000 lumen mode, long pressing the button will cycle back to 5 lumens. To enable Turbo mode, double press the rear button, whether the flashlight is on or off. A single press of the side button turns on Moonlight mode, whether the flashlight is on or off. Double pressing the side button turns on the UV light. Another single press turns it off. Triple pressing the side button toggles lock/unlock mode.
This flashlight gets very hot in Turbo mode. I ran the light for the full 70 seconds it allows in that mode and I was unable to hold it by the time it switched down to 1,200 lumens. I let it run in Turbo mode while sitting on a table and I wasn’t able to pick it up and hold it more than a few seconds until it had cooled down again. I can’t imagine running it at this level for more than a few seconds without wearing gloves on or the light resting on a table or another flat surface.
I did not test the water resistance, although since there are no openings other than the charging port, which has a thick rubber cover, I can’t imagine it wouldn’t handle getting wet. The cover on the charging port is a pretty thick piece of rubber, which requires some force to hold out of the way to get the USB-C cable plugged in. I’m hoping this rubber piece stays connected to the flashlight body and doesn’t tear from being pried open so hard. There’s not enough time during the review process to really put a piece like this through its paces. Only time will tell how long it will last.
If I had a complaint about this flashlight it would be how easy it is to press the buttons. I can barely use it sometimes without accidentally switching to Moonlight mode because it’s too easy to press. I also found the flashlight turned on several times in the holster when I know I put it away turned off. Just moving around was enough to trigger either the side or rear button and turn the flashlight on. I decided to leave it in lock mode, which I don’t prefer to do because it’s more steps every time I want to use the light or put it away, but thankfully it’s easy to enable and disable.
Another slightly negative thing to say would be that the online information states that there are O-rings, a holster, and a 3,000 mAh 18650 battery included in the package. That may be the type of battery inside the flashlight, but when I read that I assume that it’s removable, and because of that it would be replaceable. That is not the case; there is no way to open up the flashlight that I was able to find. This also means there is no need for O-rings, and my review unit didn’t come with any. The manual also states that there are some screw threads that need to be cleaned and lubricated periodically if the flashlight will be in storage for a while. Again, there are no screw threads because there’s nothing to unscrew on the flashlight. The manual does state later on that the 3,000 mAh battery is built in, but this is all just a little bit confusing.
What I like about the IMALENT BL50 flashlight
- Very bright for its size
- 6 brightness options
- UV light mode
What needs to be improved?
- Buttons are too easy to press
- Misleading information on the website and in the manual
Final thoughts
The IMALENT BL50 is a solid choice in everyday carry flashlights. Its unusual shape adds character but doesn’t take away from the functionality and helps it stand out from the rest. The choices of brightness levels, the extra bright Turbo mode, and UV LED ensure that this light will be a useful tool no matter what the job is. It has become my everyday carry light and I look forward to using it for many different tasks.
Price: $69.95
Where to buy: imalentstore.com or amazon.com
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.
