Traditional, old flashlights are usually large, bulky and heavy, with batteries that have to be replaced often, limited brightness, no extra features, and susceptibility to water. The development of the LED technology used in modern flashlights and new materials, allows for much better devices. Meet the DM21T, made by popular Chinese IMALENT flashlight brand. This is professional, military grade torch, made for more every task.
DM21T Imalent – Unboxing
We bought it at our favorite Chinese online store – GearBest, and as usual, it has been shipped fairly quickly, within just over two weeks, and no additional duty fees have been charged. The order was shipped from warehouse in the Netherlands as a registered shipment. Typically for GearBest, the box was professionally packed and the the contents were secured with a thick layer of bubble film.
Inside we find an elegant box with DM21T flashlight from the “multi-functional tactical series”.
Back of the box. In addition to description of the capabilities of the flashlight and the manufacturer’s data, there is label which indicates what variant is inside. There are several models available that differ in light color and battery. The variant that we chose has a standard cell with warm light LED.
All the accessories that you need to use your flashlight are included in the box: manual (in Chinese and English), a USB charging cable, 2 o-rings and a suitable holster, that can be clipped to a belt clip or jacket.
Here’s how DM21T looks close up: elegant powder-coated aluminum casing looks great and minimalistic design resembles police or military torches.
Inside, you will find the original IMALENT lithium-ion battery that can be replaced. However, because you can recharge it with a standard mobile phone charger, you don’t need to replace it, unlike regular batteries.
DM21T – Main Features
IMALENT DM21T uses a single LED lamp with a lifetime of 50,000 hour and can achieve brightness of up to 1000 lumens. This is one of the best results that you can find in single LED torches and shows great capabilities of this device. It is very easy to use and handle, and you can operate it with just one hand. Powerful 2800 mAh battery allows operation time from 1 hour and 45 minutes up to 80 hours on a single charge, depending on the power setting.
Specs
[wpsm_tabgroup]
[wpsm_tab title=”Specification”] [wpsm_colortable color=”grey”]
| Feature | Parameters |
| Brightness | 30-1000 lumens |
| Emitters Quantity | 1 |
| Color Temperature | 4000 – 4500K |
| Battery Type | Li-Ion, 2,8V – 9V |
| Battery Capacity | 2800 mAh |
| Charger input | USB |
| Runtime | 1 h 45 min – 80 h |
| Max throw distance | 268 m |
| Resistance to impact | 1,5 m |
| Waterproofing | IPX-8, up to 2 m |
| Weight | 89 g |
| Size | 13.80 x 2.54 x 2.75 cm |
| Box contents | 1 x IMALENT LED Flashlight, 1 x Holster, 1 x USB Cable, 2 x O-Ring, 1 x English and Chinese Manual |
[/wpsm_colortable][/wpsm_tab]
[/wpsm_tabgroup]
Design and Build Quality
This is a military grade torch and its casing is made of aluminum, coated with thick rubber and with high quality plastic switches. Material durability is confirmed by fall resistance of up to 1.5 meters. In addition, the buttons have a rubber cover to prevent water and moisture from getting inside, so the flashlight is IPX-8 certified and waterproof up to 2 meters. Glass protecting LED light is resistant to cracks and scratches and it seems to be made from material similar to one used in smartphones.
A very useful add-on that comes in the box is a holster that can be attached to or backpack or belt with a snap hook. All this makes it an perfect outdoor companion that you can take on a trip out of town, or as the manufacturer suggests – to use as a personal defense tool.
Lighting Performance and Capabilities
Unlike other flashlights in this segment, there is only one very strong LED light emitter. The CREE LED has adjustable illumination of 30 to 1000 lumens and casts a strong, focused light. Thanks to this, the luminous flux can be thrown even up to 268 meters, in a clear air and a moonless night. An additional useful feature is the stroboscope, which is activated by long press on the switch. It emits intermittent light, blinking at a frequency of about several times per second. The strobe can be switched off by pressing and holding the switch again for about 2 seconds. Strobe lights are used as an SOS signal, for example, when you get lost in the wilderness and want to call for help, but your smartphone has no reception. We hope that this is won’t be a frequently used feature, but if you have to use it, it may save your life.
The flashlight feels very comfortable and solid, though it’s quite heavy, mainly due to the high capacity battery. It’s very easy to – turn it on and off with push of a button, and turn the knob to change the intensity of light from 30 to 1000 lumens. To recharge it, plug it into standard USB charger or even laptop, using provided cable.
Battery
DM21T is powered by a 2800 mAh Li-ion IMALENT 18650 lithium-ion battery and comes with a USB cable to charge it from the standard smartphone charger. This makes it easy to recharge your flashlight, without replacing the battery. Battery is not built-in, so if necessary, you can replace it in case of damage or loss of performance due with another cell of the same type. The manufacturer has applied reverse polarity protection, so if you insert the battery incorrectly, the flashlight simply won’t turn on.
This powerful battery lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes (for maximum brightness of 1000 lumens) or 80 hours for 30 lumens. With such efficient power supply, you can take your flashlight on a trip outdoors, even if you don’t have access to electricity.
Pros and cons
[wpsm_column size=”one-half”][wpsm_pros title=”PROS:”]
- Powerful light, one of the strongest flashlights in its size and price segment
- Up to 80 hours of light on a single charge, and when the battery runs out, you can recharge it via USB charger.
- Very robust, impact resistant up to 1.5 meters height
- Waterproof up to 2 meters, resistant to rain and snow
- Easy operation with one hand
- Holster included
[/wpsm_pros][/wpsm_column][wpsm_column size=”one-half” position=”last”][wpsm_cons title=”CONS:”]
- Quite heavy for its size
[/wpsm_cons][/wpsm_column]
