Klarus NT1O Flashlight
I read somewhere recently that the UK population in general will carry an umbrella when there is just a 30% chance of rain, but very few people carry a flashlight with them every single day as part of an EDC system, even though there is a 100% chance of darkness! Why this is baffles me as I dont just use my flashlight when its dark and I am walking home from the pub at gone midnight through the local fields. I use mine to look in dark corners at work, under tables and other furniture, and in many other situations throughout the entirety of the day.
The Klarus NT10 is just about the perfect light for my outdoors requirements, and along with the Fenix E11, which you will also find a review of on this site, covers pretty much all my lighting requirements. I say it is 'just about' the perfect light as it falls just short in one or two areas, but we will go into those and I think you will see that they are small minor details rather than deal breakers. Lets go through some detail and specifications up front.
Klarus is a brand that many people will recognize for producing premium lighting tools, and I believe, bearling in mind that I am not a complete 'flashaholic', that they have rapidly gained a good reputation for their equipment. This is of no surprise when they used to (I dont know if they still do) produce lights for other brands in the past. They are a Chinese brand, and while I personally do not have any issue at all witn this, I know many a Patriotic soul who will, preferring to spend their hard earned cash supporting brands that are based in their respective country. I say based in the country rather than brands who build in their country as from what I can gather, the components of many flashlights, if not the subcontracting of the manufacture of the different models of flashlights themselves, are from the Far East. I stand to be corrected if I am crossing a line here, and will gladly hold my hands up if I am wrong. Anyway, this review is about the light, not where it comes from, so...specifications:
The Klarus NT10 has a Cree-XPG R5 LED and runs on 1xCR123 cell, which is the first point that lets it down for me, not on performance or the ability of the cell to cope with cold weather environments, but simply because they are not cheap to buy and are not the most readily available cell to find when compared with AA or AAA cells, which can be purchased from practically anywhere, not to mention taken from things like remote control devices etc if needs be. There is an argument to say that regardless of what cells are used, its nigh on impossible to find a retail outlet selling batteries anywhere in the woods, and finding a TV remote control in the outdoors is pretty rare in my experience, let alone with a fresh set of cells within it. Anyone going outdoors with this kind of equipment should be carrying spare batteries, and if you dont, well...'fail to prepare and you prepare to fail!' So that then validates my other point about these cells in that they are not cheap to buy and carry around. I am not familiar enough with the cells performance to be able to say that one £5 CR123 cell will oulast four AA cells at £1.50 a piece, so I will have to leave that point here.
The flashlight's build quality is right up there compared to other brands and similar models as far as I can see, especially at this price point, made from durable hard anodised type III aircraft grade aluminium, and specified as IPX-8 standard. This essentially means it should be able to withstand continual immersion in water up to the manufacturers specified times. This information was found on candlepowerforums and is freely available, so dont blame me if its wrong. Anyways...in a nutshell it should be pretty waterproof and suitable for using in all conditions outdoors. The NT10 comes with a toughened glass lense and the reflector that sits behind it is nicely textured.
The machining on the threads all looks pretty good from what I can tell, the quality 'feels' superb in my inexperienced hands and everything 'clicks' the way it should when you spend this kind of money.
In the box you get some peripherals, which is good to see, in the form of a spare set of 'o' rings, a replacemet tail cap and a lanyard, the unit comes with a very good quality sheath with hook and loop closing mechanism, a belt loop for vertical carry, and a plastic 'D' ring if you want to attach a karabiner and carry it from a belt loop for example.
So, what about lighting levels. Well this is where the Klarus NT10 really comes into its own for me. It has three main lighting levels. Low at 27 lumens, Medium at 104 lumens & High at 240 lumens. The head of the flashlight twists a 1/4 turn to allow access to the 'hidden' modes which include an ultra Low Mode at 8 lumens, an SOS function and a beacon function. When in any of the normal modes, holding down the head-located function button on the side of the flashlight will operate the strobe, which is very bright and disorienting in low light levels.
Going back to the side mounted operation button for a minute, this is a feature that I have seen incorporated into a few flashlights recently, and I like it. I like the tail forward clicky switch for momentary operation, but the side button allows for changing between the normal brightness modes as well as operationg the strobe, both functions that I could see myself using more often than the others, and particularly where any kind of latency or is required. The other features can be accessed at a leisurely pace without any problem at all. There is also a memory function so that I know the last used output level will be the one I come back to should I need to turn off for a while.
On to the dimensions of the light. Its 93mm long and 25mm at its widest point, so not a huge light by any stretch of the imagination. but this is where it loses a point or two for my mind. its just a fraction too thick. Many will disagree with me, and I told you I was going to be picky, but my previous EDC light measured just 10mm at its widest point and for this reason was slightly more pocket friendly than the Klarus. I am getting used to it, so again its not a deal breaker, just a minor observation.
So, if any of you reading this have forgotten, I mentioned the Fenix E11 at the top of this thread as well. So why do I have the Klarus AND the Fenix as my dynamic duo? well, the Klarus is missing just one more thing that I would have loved to have seen included in the design...a pocket clip! I have a few things in my trouser pockets at any given point in the day, and a pocket clip to make it more easily accessible, in a vertical position would have topped it off. The only other reason I have the Fenix E11 as well, is that I purchased it before the Klarus NT10 after seeing a great deal online for it, and sometimes all I need/want is a light that switches on and off, with a single high and low mode. Thats it.
In summary, the Klarus NT10 is a superb light, not cheap, but not the most expensive either. the power cell it takes is not my favourite and has some downpoints for me, but it also has some positives too. It has a great feel in the hand, its size means that its not the kind of flashlight you will leave in the glove box in your car because its too big, heavy and cumbersome to carry around, it throws a great amount of light, but is also able to power right down to a user friendly level of illumination when you are in the woods, and blinding yourself for a few minutes with tree roots sticking out, sharps of all shapes and sizes around you, and corner guy lines from your tarp just waiting to trip you up, is not the most ideal of situations to be in.
My verdict across all factors for the Klarus NT10 - 95/100
The Klarus NT10 is just about the perfect light for my outdoors requirements, and along with the Fenix E11, which you will also find a review of on this site, covers pretty much all my lighting requirements. I say it is 'just about' the perfect light as it falls just short in one or two areas, but we will go into those and I think you will see that they are small minor details rather than deal breakers. Lets go through some detail and specifications up front.
Klarus is a brand that many people will recognize for producing premium lighting tools, and I believe, bearling in mind that I am not a complete 'flashaholic', that they have rapidly gained a good reputation for their equipment. This is of no surprise when they used to (I dont know if they still do) produce lights for other brands in the past. They are a Chinese brand, and while I personally do not have any issue at all witn this, I know many a Patriotic soul who will, preferring to spend their hard earned cash supporting brands that are based in their respective country. I say based in the country rather than brands who build in their country as from what I can gather, the components of many flashlights, if not the subcontracting of the manufacture of the different models of flashlights themselves, are from the Far East. I stand to be corrected if I am crossing a line here, and will gladly hold my hands up if I am wrong. Anyway, this review is about the light, not where it comes from, so...specifications:
The Klarus NT10 has a Cree-XPG R5 LED and runs on 1xCR123 cell, which is the first point that lets it down for me, not on performance or the ability of the cell to cope with cold weather environments, but simply because they are not cheap to buy and are not the most readily available cell to find when compared with AA or AAA cells, which can be purchased from practically anywhere, not to mention taken from things like remote control devices etc if needs be. There is an argument to say that regardless of what cells are used, its nigh on impossible to find a retail outlet selling batteries anywhere in the woods, and finding a TV remote control in the outdoors is pretty rare in my experience, let alone with a fresh set of cells within it. Anyone going outdoors with this kind of equipment should be carrying spare batteries, and if you dont, well...'fail to prepare and you prepare to fail!' So that then validates my other point about these cells in that they are not cheap to buy and carry around. I am not familiar enough with the cells performance to be able to say that one £5 CR123 cell will oulast four AA cells at £1.50 a piece, so I will have to leave that point here.
The flashlight's build quality is right up there compared to other brands and similar models as far as I can see, especially at this price point, made from durable hard anodised type III aircraft grade aluminium, and specified as IPX-8 standard. This essentially means it should be able to withstand continual immersion in water up to the manufacturers specified times. This information was found on candlepowerforums and is freely available, so dont blame me if its wrong. Anyways...in a nutshell it should be pretty waterproof and suitable for using in all conditions outdoors. The NT10 comes with a toughened glass lense and the reflector that sits behind it is nicely textured.
The machining on the threads all looks pretty good from what I can tell, the quality 'feels' superb in my inexperienced hands and everything 'clicks' the way it should when you spend this kind of money.
In the box you get some peripherals, which is good to see, in the form of a spare set of 'o' rings, a replacemet tail cap and a lanyard, the unit comes with a very good quality sheath with hook and loop closing mechanism, a belt loop for vertical carry, and a plastic 'D' ring if you want to attach a karabiner and carry it from a belt loop for example.
So, what about lighting levels. Well this is where the Klarus NT10 really comes into its own for me. It has three main lighting levels. Low at 27 lumens, Medium at 104 lumens & High at 240 lumens. The head of the flashlight twists a 1/4 turn to allow access to the 'hidden' modes which include an ultra Low Mode at 8 lumens, an SOS function and a beacon function. When in any of the normal modes, holding down the head-located function button on the side of the flashlight will operate the strobe, which is very bright and disorienting in low light levels.
Going back to the side mounted operation button for a minute, this is a feature that I have seen incorporated into a few flashlights recently, and I like it. I like the tail forward clicky switch for momentary operation, but the side button allows for changing between the normal brightness modes as well as operationg the strobe, both functions that I could see myself using more often than the others, and particularly where any kind of latency or is required. The other features can be accessed at a leisurely pace without any problem at all. There is also a memory function so that I know the last used output level will be the one I come back to should I need to turn off for a while.
On to the dimensions of the light. Its 93mm long and 25mm at its widest point, so not a huge light by any stretch of the imagination. but this is where it loses a point or two for my mind. its just a fraction too thick. Many will disagree with me, and I told you I was going to be picky, but my previous EDC light measured just 10mm at its widest point and for this reason was slightly more pocket friendly than the Klarus. I am getting used to it, so again its not a deal breaker, just a minor observation.
So, if any of you reading this have forgotten, I mentioned the Fenix E11 at the top of this thread as well. So why do I have the Klarus AND the Fenix as my dynamic duo? well, the Klarus is missing just one more thing that I would have loved to have seen included in the design...a pocket clip! I have a few things in my trouser pockets at any given point in the day, and a pocket clip to make it more easily accessible, in a vertical position would have topped it off. The only other reason I have the Fenix E11 as well, is that I purchased it before the Klarus NT10 after seeing a great deal online for it, and sometimes all I need/want is a light that switches on and off, with a single high and low mode. Thats it.
In summary, the Klarus NT10 is a superb light, not cheap, but not the most expensive either. the power cell it takes is not my favourite and has some downpoints for me, but it also has some positives too. It has a great feel in the hand, its size means that its not the kind of flashlight you will leave in the glove box in your car because its too big, heavy and cumbersome to carry around, it throws a great amount of light, but is also able to power right down to a user friendly level of illumination when you are in the woods, and blinding yourself for a few minutes with tree roots sticking out, sharps of all shapes and sizes around you, and corner guy lines from your tarp just waiting to trip you up, is not the most ideal of situations to be in.
My verdict across all factors for the Klarus NT10 - 95/100