Convoy L8 Flashlight Review in 2022: The ULTIMATE Thrower? 1.5km beam + 26800 cell + USB-C charging
In this video, I review the Convoy L8 flashlight. I’ve included various high-quality beam shots. If you’re looking for the perfect long-distance flashlight that won’t break the bank, this is the one to get! What do you think of this light? Let me know in the comments.
Beamshots: 12:09
Buy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PJ2xve (Paid link)
AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003778939470.html
Official Convoy Store: https://convoy.aliexpress.com/store/330416
This light was provided by Convoy for review. I was not paid for this review. All opinions are my own.
The L8 is a monster 6400-lumen thrower featuring an SBT90.2 emitter. The construction and anodising are among the best I’ve seen in any high-quality flashlight.
Convoy L8
Length: 191mm
Head diameter: 81mm
Body diameter: 35.5mm
Weight with 26800 battery: 583 grams
The L8 throws up to 1.5km on turbo and does so with ZERO noise – due to the intricately cut cooling fins that maximise surface area. The light features temperature regulation which lowers the output over time to protect the electronics from damage. I took this light around to the outskirts of the city and it was lighting up the apartment blocks over 1km away.
Impressively, the L8 is budget-friendly and is priced between $80-90 in Convoy’s AliExpress store. Simon Mao from Convoy has been running his company for over 10 years and has a legendary status in the flashlight community.
One thing I found amazing is that the Convoy L8 throws further than my Imalent MR90 (also contains the SBT90.2 LED). The MR90 is noisy on turbo due to its active cooling fans. It’s also twice as heavy! I paid over $500 for the MR90 (5x the price of the L8).
My flashlight kit came with an included 26800 cell and USB-C charging cable. You can purchase this light with or without the battery, but I suggest you get it with the battery as there are shortages of the 26800 battery in the market currently.
The L8 comes with a few interesting functions including a mode that measures battery voltage, as well as a turbo tactical mode (unusual for a side switch flashlight). You have the option to switch from smooth to stepped ramping. Thankfully, the L8 also comes with a lockout mode – important for high-powered flashlights. You can also mechanically lock out the light by unscrewing the tail cap a 1/8th turn.
I’m glad that this light came with a ‘low’ mode of 30 lumens. Normally, these high-powered flashlights are too bright to use even in low mode. So it’s nice to know you won’t blind yourself if you need to use this light around the house or in the backyard.
This is the best value SBT90.2 thrower out there and you’ll won’t be able to find anything around this price range with the same features and build quality.
If you have any questions about this light or feedback, let me know in the comments below and I’ll get back to you.
Convoy L8
My observations after using this light for a week.
• The Convoy L8 has a large head (81mm). Surprisingly, is well balanced due to the cell and position of the button which is placed at the balancing point. It feels comfortable and sturdy in the hand. The finish and anodizing is amongst the best I’ve seen in a light. It has a smooth, almost chalky, matt finish. I added a lanyard at the end (not included) as I feel nervous holding such a large light.
• This light is adaptable for a range of scenarios. I mentioned in another video that larger lights like this one and the MR90 are too bright for indoor or general use, but the L8 has a 30 lumen mode (L1) that is great for those low light situations. Ramping is responsive with good spacing
• It comes with a 26980 battery extension tube – basically a longer, higher capacity version of the QB26800. But I can’t find this battery anywhere. Let me know if you can find one?
Pros
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• This light has replaced my Imalent MR90 now my go-to POWER THROWER! Throws for 1.5km – incredibly bright hotspot that’s off the charts. It throws significantly further than my Imalent MR90 – which switches on its noisy fans in turbo mode. It also throws further than the Convoy 4x21A and 4x18A.
• Which leads to my next point – cooling. The L8 has effective passive cooling, and that’s likely due to the unique and complex fin design which maximizes surface area. Simon and his team certainly put in the effort to make sure this light was CNC’d and fabricated to ensure effective cooling. The temperature regulation works well while giving the SBT 90.2 ample time to throw at its maximum specs.
• Value for money – most other SBT 90.2 lights of this size and range are significantly more expensive and on some occasions don’t even match the output specs of this one. The emitter itself is about half the price of this light when purchased separately! You can’t beat that. It even comes with a 26800 battery. At the moment, these batteries are not so common but you can find them online in a few places, and I bought a spare QB26800 from a store in Australia for $15. I really like this cell, and I predict it will become more popular in time.
• This brings me to my next point – even with my larger lights, I don’t like them to be too long – it’s annoying and awkward to carry them around, and many companies create those ‘soda-can’ style lights. With the high capacity and output of the 26800 cell, you can have a shorter light that also has good runtimes.
• Low mode of 30 lumens – usable for indoor and general use. No moonlight mode – common with larger lights.
• 5-clicks allows you to check the battery voltage. Ramp switching from smooth to stepped. Tactical mode.
• Trusted seller – Simon has been running Convoy for 10+ years to my knowledge and has a legendary reputation in the flashlight community. If you have any issues, you can contact him directly and he’ll work with you quickly to resolve things.
Cons
• No shortcut to low mode. This bugged me a lot at first. But now I remember to ramp the light down to L1 before switching it off. Be careful with this or you might end up blinding yourself temporarily.
• The switch – I wish there was stronger tactile response from the switch, i.e. a solid click. It’s very quiet and works well but you need to press it right in the center to activate.
• Delay on tactical mode – 0.5 second delay before the light activates on tactical – slightly annoying. But I do realize that most larger lights like this don’t even come with tactical mode.
Why should you buy this light?
You know that feeling when you turn on a light and it shocks with the sheer amount of power it has? This is what you get with the Convoy L8 – this light is exciting to use, and a great light to show off to your friends. If you live out in the country, I think you’ll really be able to experience the incredible throw and output of the L8. The value for money on this light is off the charts. Whey spend $500 on a similar SBT90.2 light, when you can get the quality and performance of the L8 for 1/5 of the price! If you’re on the fence, just pick one up!
