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When I was offered the chance to try out a couple of Cyansky flashlights, I accepted immediately. Camping season is about to start, and more flashlights would be a welcome addition, especially as there are three of us in the family, and this would mean that we would not need to share.
I was sent the Cyansky H3 and the Cyansky M3 Ultra Compact Titanium. This review deals with the H3, but you can check out my M3 review, too.
Read on to find out why I liked the H3, especially the innovative way it switches out the red and green filters.
Unboxing and Unwrapping
The box that the Cyansky H3 came in was a little dented when it arrived, but with so many deliveries moving across the world at the moment, that is understandable, and it didn’t bother me. Once the flashlight is unwrapped, the box will be recycled anyway.
Inside, there was a plastic insert that holds the flashlight on one side, and the extras on the other. As far as I am aware, the flashlight only comes in one color: black with silver accents. The immediate look is clean and solid.
So, what do you get in the box?
There is the flashlight itself, a charging cable (USB to USB-C), a removable and rechargeable battery (inside the flashlight), a lanyard, a belt holster, a spare O-ring (sits between the two body pieces for a watertight join), a spare rubber boot (covers the button on the base of the flashlight), and an instruction manual.
You get much what you would expect, except for the replacement parts, which are a nice addition. The flashlight looks solid, and it is nice to have spares for the weaker points of the flashlight.
First Impressions
The Cyansky H3 was a little larger than I expected (going by the picture on the box), but that is definitely not a bad thing. It also has a nice weight to it (5.85 oz / 166 g). It is not light, but it is not heavy either, and it sits nicely in your hand when holding it. The head is much larger than the body, and this makes it stand out, offering a more striking look than flashlights that are the same diameter all the way along.
When holding the flashlight, it does feel extremely solid, and I have no doubt that it is built to last. The steel bezel on the end can be used in survival situations, and the flashlight is strong enough to smash through glass.
The packaging also states that the body is rugged aluminum with a hard-anodized anti-abrasive finish.
There is good grip on the handle, and some extra grip near the button on the side of the device, right where your thumb will sit. When I am putting it down, I find that I place it head first, and it stands really well. Tail first is pretty unbalanced, and on its side, it has a tendency to roll.
I like that there is a belt holster and lanyard, giving options on how to carry the flashlight, but it does seem tricky to attach the lanyard through the two small holes, but it can be done with a little bit of work.
The charging cable is as I expected, so no surprises there.
Function
Regular Output
A flashlight is all about lumens, so let’s get down to business.
There are four main modes on this flashlight:
Low: 20 lumens (beam distance 164 feet / 50 meters)
Medium: 200 lumens (beam distance 515 feet / 157 meters)
High: 450 lumens (beam distance 770 feet / 235 meters)
Turbo: 1300 lumens (beam distance 1312 feet / 400 meters)
Keep the flashlight on low, and it will last for 60 hours on a full charge. With medium, you have 10 hours, high lasts for 4 hours, and turbo gives you 3 hours of runtime.
I was surprised at just how far the beam distance was on this device, and also the runtime at maximum lumens.
Red & Green Filters
This is a great flashlight, but the distinct selling feature has to be the red and green filters. I know that many flashlights have filters, but it is the way that the filters are applied that makes the flashlight so easy to use.
The filters are self-contained within the flashlight, and you can switch between white, red, and green light by twisting the ring just above the grey button on the side. As you twist it, you can feel each filter click into place, and you can see the filters moving if you look at the head (with the light off, please).
Here are the details for red light:
Low: 2 lumens (beam distance 49 feet / 15 meters)
Medium: 15 lumens (beam distance 154 feet / 47 meters)
High: 35 lumens (beam distance 232 feet / 71 meters)
Turbo: 100 lumens (beam distance 393 feet / 120 meters)
And green light:
Low: 5 lumens (beam distance 85 feet / 26 meters)
Medium: 46 lumens (beam distance 269 feet / 82 meters)
High: 104 lumens (beam distance 400 feet / 122 meters)
Turbo: 300 lumens (beam distance 682 feet / 208 meters)
Here is the flashlight in action, scrolling through low, medium, high, and turbo modes.
The red filter protects your night vision better and does not blind people as white light will. If you use this filter at night when you are camping, you will not disturb your neighbors, and you will find it easier for your eyes to transition to darkness when you switch the light off.
Green light does not affect animals as much as other colors of light, so you can use this filter at night if you want to try and spot animals such as deer or owls, or use it if you do not want to disturb animals as you explore.
Strobe
There is a strobe light too, and the strobe will work with white, green, and red light. It works on maximum lumens for each type of light, though no beam distance is given (not that distance will be your primary concern).
Ease of Use
This flashlight has two buttons, one on the base and one on the side, and you control most functionality with these two buttons, along with the twist-ring on the body for the filters.
The button on the bottom switches the flashlight on and off, and the button on the side controls the output.
On/Off
The button on the base is simple. Press the button to turn the flashlight on; the flashlight will be set to the last used output (other than strobe), or low if this is the first use. Press the button again to turn the flashlight off.
Low/Medium/High/Turbo Output
When you turn the flashlight on for the first time, it will be set to low. To cycle through the four options, press the button on the side and release it. Each time you do this, it will cycle to the next output.
Strobe
The strobe can only be activated when the flashlight is on. Press and hold the button on the side until the strobe activates (~1 second). To turn off the strobe, use the off button to turn the flashlight off or press the button on the side to switch back to the last used output.
Filters
Twist the ring above the grey button and you can cycle between white, green, and red light.
Charging
Charging is very easy.
You unscrew the bottom of the body, and the rechargeable battery (a single 5200mAh 21700 cell) will slide out from the main part of the flashlight.
You will notice the small port near the top of the battery. Once you connect this to a power source with the charging cable, the battery will start to charge. As it is charging, there will be a red light visible on the top of the battery, and that will turn to green when the battery is fully charged.
I am not sure how long the battery took to fully charge as I left it and went out, but it was less than 2 hours, and that was connected to the USB port on my Mac.
What Else?
The flashlight does come with an IP68 rating. The 6 means that it is dustproof, and the 8 means that the flashlight is waterproof, and can be submerged up to 1 meter. Of course, I recommend always protecting your flashlight where you can.
The flashlight is crafted from highly durable aluminum and has been impact tested to 2 meters.
There is overheating protection, and the head of the flashlight can get hot when used continuously on the highest setting. After 5 minutes at 1,300 lumens, the flashlight will automatically switch to 800 lumens. There is also a low-voltage downshift when the battery is low, and the flashlight will switch to a lower output while flashing three times every five minutes to alert you of a low battery.
The flashlight comes with a 15-day replacement warranty and a 5-year free repair warranty. You also have lifetime maintenance, and will only need to pay for parts after 5 years.
Who Is This For?
The fact that you have red and green filters makes this a perfect flashlight for anyone who is tracking animals. Moving quietly in the dark is one thing, but doing so without being visible is quite another. You can use the red light to ensure that you do not disturb people, and the green light to not disturb animals.
With that in mind, it would be a perfect addition to an emergency bag, and also for the great outdoors. This is a great flashlight for anyone who is camping, hiking, or doing anything else in the wilderness. The red light is also handy for emergencies, signaling that you are in danger.
Conclusion
The Cyansky H3 is a great flashlight. I like the feel and weight of it, and it has a really nice heft when you hold it. There are standard functions, and you can cycle through those functions with the two buttons, making it intuitive without even needing to read the instruction manual. In fact, there were no instructions on how to turn on the strobe light, but I found it quickly while experimenting.
I have not used a red or green flashlight before, but I have seen some used, and they all come with external filters that are clipped on. The integrated filters make switching back and forth easy, and I really like the addition. If you are looking specifically for a red or green flashlight, then I would definitely recommend this one.
I am looking forward to my first camping trip with the Cyansky H3.
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