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Introduction
A reliable, top-quality torch is an essential part of a security operative’s toolkit. In this promotional review, we’ll be shining a light on one of the best torches we’ve ever seen, the 120,000-lumen rechargeable flashlight from Glarylight.
Why Glarylight?
We feel that the Glarylight rechargeable flashlight is perfect for security work because it’s extremely bright, portable, and tough. Alongside its rugged design, the torch boasts an incredible brightness output of 120,000 lumens. This high level of performance and functionality also makes it an excellent choice for emergency services and search teams alike.
Torches are vital for those security operatives who work at night. Whether working the doors (where a torch may be needed to check a person’s I.D), guarding a building or outdoor area, or working at festivals, concerts and other events that finish late, a good torch is a necessity, not a luxury.
A reliable torch can help operatives to catch criminals in the act, offer police better descriptions of troublemakers, and (due to the increased visibility they offer) keep themselves safer in the process.
Table of Contents
The Glarylight rechargeable flashlight is also distinctly well suited to other outdoor activities such as fishing, hiking, and camping.
This bright, versatile, high-performance torch is not only a great addition to any security operative’s equipment, but also great to have around the home, particularly during power outages.
Not only is the Glarylight rechargeable flashlight full of useful features (it’s lightweight, waterproof, offers a choice of rechargeable or store-bought batteries, to name but a few), it’s also sturdy, reliable, and very well-designed and built.
Over the course of this review, we’ll show you why we think the Glarylight rechargeable flashlight represents the last word in portable illumination for security purposes.
Product Overview
One of the most powerful hand-held LED torches ever made, the Glarylight rechargeable flashlight’s main selling point is the 120,000 lumens of light it is capable of emitting. For comparison, the brightest car headlights on a British road will be about 8000 lumens, with an average lumen count of between 700 and 4000.
The light can also travel a great distance as well (a fact that’s hardly surprising given how bright the torch is). Light emitted by this torch can travel over 1,520 metres (around 5,000 feet). This incredible reach allows operatives to see situations, individuals, and potential threats from a greater distance away than most torches, giving them much-needed time to react.
To reach such incredible distances, the flashlight features an innovative ‘telescopic zoom’ function. By stretching or contracting the head, the user can quickly and accurately switch between ‘throw’ and ‘flood’ modes, lighting up an entire area, or sending a beam of light far into the distance.
The torch also features multiple modes of use. In addition to the expected ‘High’, ‘Medium’, and ‘Low’ settings, the torch also operates as a strobe light, as well as offering an ‘S.O.S’ mode.
The battery life is good as well. A 5000mAh rechargeable battery can last for between 8 and 24 hours (depending on usage and power levels), meaning that it should easily ‘go the distance’, even if regularly used, to survive a 10 – 12-hour night shift.
Even better, this torch has power to spare, and can be used as an emergency power bank, allowing users to charge their phones or other devices from its excess energy.
The Glarylight flashlight is also very resistant to damage. In addition to a tough, yet lightweight aluminium casing that can withstand being dropped, trodden on, or smacked against a hard surface, this torch is also among the most waterproof on the market today. With an IP rating of IPX7, this torch can be temporarily submerged to a depth of up to 1m and still work fine. This makes it ideal for use in inclement weather such as rain or snow, conditions that many security operatives are regularly exposed to.
It’s rare to review such a stellar product without encountering a ‘trade-off’ at some point (tactical boots that are highly protective, but at the cost of comfort, for example, or vice versa). In this case, we’re pleased to say that the flashlight caters for seemingly any eventually and does so extremely ably.
Lightweight (it only weighs 560g, about the same as 4 oranges), yet hard wearing, bright, yet adjustable, fantastic, yet functional, the flashlight is truly an exceptional consumer product. However, we will single it out for further praise because we feel that it is particularly well suited to the security profession.
Special Features
Brighter Than Full-Beam Car Headlights
The Glarylight rechargeable flashlight puts out a brightness of 120,000 lumens – that’s the equivalent of around 9546 candles. Put simply, there are few, if any, commercially available torches that can achieve this kind of brightness.
Throw a Spotlight Across a Distance of 12 Football Fields
The Glarylight rechargeable flashlight can send light across astonishing distances. A spotlight from this torch can be seen over 1500 metres from its point of origin. This equates to about 75% of a mile, over 3 Empire State Buildings, more than 12 Big Bens, and 12 regulation-size football fields. The ‘zoom’ feature is also highly accurate and consistent, considering the brightness and distance it can achieve.
Excellent Battery Life
This torch boasts great battery life. The 5000mAh rechargeable battery (included with purchase) will last for several hours of continuous use, even on the highest settings. In security terms, yes, it will last a full shift. On the lower settings, the battery can last for as much as 24 hours. Users who prefer to go ‘full beam’ should still get 6 – 8 hours’ usage from the battery. The battery also only takes around 5 hours to achieve a full charge.
Additionally, if the battery has not been recharged, it can be replaced by store-bought ‘AAA’ alternatives. This is always a welcome feature, as it only adds to the device’s usability and preparedness for any scenario. Thanks to its USB compatibility, this torch can be recharged in any number of outlets (provided an adapter is available).
Charge Other Devices
The Glarylight rechargeable flashlight features a USB port that allows users to charge their other devices from the torch’s power reserves. Thanks to this innovation, phones, cameras, or other devices that may run out of power during a shift can be charged by this torch.
Sturdy and Hard Wearing
This tough, durable flashlight is fashioned from high-strength aluminium alloy, which is lightweight and easily portable, yet still tough enough to shrug off all-but the most egregious impact damage. It could easily be used to break glass in the event of an emergency.
Wonderfully Waterproof
An IP rating of X7 means that this rubber-sealed torch can be fully submerged in water (at a depth of up to 1 metre) for up to 30 minutes without incurring any damage or loss of function. This makes the flashlight excellent for use in rain, sleet, snow, or other inclement weather conditions.
Alternative options
In this section, we’ll examine 2 other flashlights from leading brands, comparing, and contrasting them with the flashlight. Our aim is to give the reader a more comprehensive view of the market (as well as their options) at the time of writing.
Alternatives
Gissae LED Torch
Looking suitably rugged and high-tech, the Gissae LED torch is a viable alternative to the Glarylight, thanks mainly to its high standards of brightness, usability, and functionality.
At maximum capacity, this torch will manage an impressive 10,000 lumens of light output. This is a respectable amount that will suit most circumstances. However, a 10,000-lumen output is a far cry from 120,000.
Nevertheless, the Gissae’s 10,000 lumen output is enough to illuminate a football field. The light can also be adjusted to reach 500m in front of the user. The spot beam, for its part, will travel some 300m.
This torch is also highly resilient. It is easily able to withstand being dropped from a height of 5m or higher. The lens is also very well protected in case of damage.
The Gissae LED torch is basically water resistant, boasting an IP rating of 64. This means that the torch will withstand moderate-to-heavy rainfall but is nowhere near as waterproof as the Glarylight. One area it improves on the Glarylight, however, is that of dust and dirt ingress. While the Glarylight is unrated in this category, the Gissae gets a formal rating of 6, meaning that it will withstand a good amount of dust, dirt, or sand particles.
Like the Glarylight, the Gissae torch has a very good 5000mAh rechargeable battery, as well as the option to replace this battery with 3 ‘AAA’ batteries if desired/necessary. The battery usage is not quite as efficient, however, offering 10 hours’ continuous use on low battery mode (as opposed to the Glarylight’s 12). Sadly, it cannot be used as a power bank.
In summary, the Gissae LED torch is a very good product. However, it simply isn’t as advanced as the Glarylight. The former’s 10,000 lumen output is dwarfed by the latter’s 120,000. The Glarylight’s ability to project a focussed beam of light over more than 1,520m is far superior to the Gissae’s 500m range.
The battery power is roughly the same, though the power consumption is more economical on the Glarylight. Both can switch between 3 AAA batteries and 1 rechargeable battery, but the Gissae can’t be used to charge other devices.
The Gissae is better at resisting dust, dirt, and sand than the Glarylight, but is not nearly as waterproof as the Glarylight, which can be fully submerged in water for around half an hour.
One area wherein the Gissae torch emerges triumphant is in lightness. The Gissae is much lighter than the Glarylight, only weighing 370g to the Glarylight’s 560g. Even taking portability into account, the Glarylight is the superior model in almost every other regard.
Utry Torch, Super Bright LED Rechargeable
Another good option for the modern security operative is this super-bright rechargeable LED torch from Utry.
This torch is more of a portable floodlight than a handheld model, even coming with an attachable tripod that makes it an excellent choice for camping and other outdoor activities. Portability and storage may be an issue, as it is unlikely to fit comfortably on an operative’s uniform. Nevertheless, the Utry super-bright torch is a great option to have in case of a blackout.
The light from this torch can reach an incredible brightness of 100,000 lumens and can be projected over a distance of 1000 metres. Although this isn’t as good as the Glarylight’s 120,000 lumens projected over 1520+ metres, it is still one of the brightest torches on the market right now.
Like the Glarylight, the Utry super-bright torch features 4 lighting modes (high, medium, low and strobe). It lacks the Glarylight’s ‘S.O.S/emergency’ function, however.
The Utry’s battery, however, beats the Glarylight’s by dint of being an 8000mAh rechargeable model, instead of the 5000mAh version. This battery will easily hold a charge for 8 – 10 hours’ continuous usage in ‘low’ power mode and may even last a little longer than the Glarylight’s overall. The batteries cannot be replaced by store-bought equivalents, however.
Like the Glarylight, the Utry torch can be used as a powerbank to charge other devices and may even be more efficient in this regard due to the increased battery capacity.
An IP rating of 65 means that the Utry torch is not as waterproof as the Glarylight, but it does (on paper, at least) have more resistance to dust, dirt, and sand ingress than the Glarylight, as it does at least have a rating in this area. This torch will be waterproof enough for use outdoors, even in heavy rain/snowfall/storms etc.
Although not overly cumbersome, it is also about 100g heavier than the Glarylight, meaning that, between this and its overall design, the Utry is far less portable. The inclusion of a tripod (which the Glarylight lacks) is a nice touch, however.
In summary, this torch is an excellent choice. It performs very well, boasts great battery life, and is superb at instantly illuminating large areas. The light output is excellent but is still 20,000 lumens weaker than the Glarylight’s. The range, too, is outstanding, but is more than 500 metres shorter in this case.
The Utry’s battery is objectively better, at least in terms of capacity, but possibly not in terms of efficiency. More tests would be needed to prove this one way or the other. Users also lack the ability to replace rechargeable batteries with store-bought replacements, meaning that it would be sensible to purchase an extra set of rechargeable batteries, adding to the expense. The option to use the torch as a power bank is great, however.
Ultimately, although this product represents an excellent choice, we find that it falls slightly short of the Glarylight in several key areas.
Our View
All told, we’re happy to say that, from a security perspective, the Glarylight rechargeable flashlight is one of the best handheld torches on the market today. The brightness and distance are incredible, the battery life (considering the light output of which this torch is capable) is very good, and the little extra options (the ‘power bank’ function especially) are excellent. It’s also relatively lightweight (though it could be lighter), sturdy, durable, and supremely well designed.
One minor downside comes from the stiffness the user can experience when switching the telescopic parts between ‘throwy’ and ‘floody’ modes. In fact, it often requires a bit of ‘elbow grease’ from the user to achieve this. This may loosen up over time, but it still negatively affects the device’s usability, in our opinion.
Another problem is the lack of data on dust or dirt ingress. While the torch’s superb waterproofing means that dirt, dust, or other small particles entering the housing is highly unlikely, without formal data to show this, we must assume that it isn’t going to be very resistant to sand, mud, or grime. The lack of formal ‘drop test’ data is also a shame, as although the torch feels like it could survive at least a 2m drop without sustaining serious damage, we don’t know for sure. It’s always a shame when manufacturers don’t provide sufficient data in these areas.
Nevertheless, the fact that these small points are the only downsides we could find suggests that this product presents the consumer with very high quality indeed.
Whether you’re patrolling the streets, surveying a building’s perimeter, or just working the doors, the flashlight makes for a near-perfect choice. Let there be light!