Nitecore EDC23 Review
I review the newly released Nitecore EDC23 – the smallest tactical flashlight I own! The EDC23 has a 2500-lumen turbo mode and nearly 300m range.
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General thoughts after a week of usage/size comparison/practicality/interesting things:
• So today we’re going to be looking at the new Nitecore EDC23! This is a flat-style flashlight that’s significantly smaller than the EDC 25 and 27, but rivals them at 2500 lumens and nearly 300m range! Nitecore provided me with a sample of the EDC23 for review. I haven’t been paid to make this video nor held back on any negative opinions of this light. The EDC23 is designed to be a tactical EDC flashlight that can even fit into your shirt pocket. This makes it a great light for general use, emergencies, and self-defense.
• What’s in the box? You also get a chunky lanyard, USB-C Charging cable, and instruction manual.
• Comparison with RovyVon E30, EDC29, Wurkkos Flat Lights. There are no auxiliary lights.
Overall Construction, LED, lens, bezel and reflector
• The Nitecore EDC23 is constructed from stainless steel with an internal carbon fiber reinforced frame. This provides extra rigidity to resist compression and bending. The light has a unique military-futuristic design but still looks low-key. The light has an aluminum heat dissipation plate inside, which is needed due to the relatively lower heat conductivity of stainless steel. Nitecore uses a process called PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) to apply the titanium coating on the shell of the light. The coating is matt black and feels surprisingly grippy. There’s some knurling on the side of the light. The tail end sticks out a bit more, due to the addition of an OLED display. There is a clip on the back – it’s very rigid and you won’t have issues with the light moving around or falling out of your pocket.
• The light is operated via two metal switches on the rear (one is raised so you can tell them apart in the dark) and a lockout switch on the side. Nitecore are using a 1500mAh Li-ion battery. There’s a USB-C charging port on the side, covered by a rigid port cover. The OLED display is perfectly implemented at a nice level of brightness, and it also switches off quickly when not in use. The display shows battery voltage, and mode, and even estimates the remaining runtime on the mode being used, based on the remaining battery life. The EDC23 features a proximity sensor that only activates on high mode 1100 lumens (not turbo). This means you can use turbo and it will not step down when objects get in the way.
• Nitecore is using 2xUHi 25 LEDs rated at 2500 lumens. Two small OP reflectors. I also like that Nitecore uses an anti-reflective glass lens on the front for extra durability. The lens and LEDs are recessed which helps protect them from damage.
UI – modes
• Lock switch – up position for full lock, down for unlocked. You can semi-lock the light so that only turbo and strobe modes are available. This is akin to a basic tactical UI.
• The lower switch has two steps, half press for turbo and full press for strobe.
• The higher switch – half press to switch UL, L, M, H. Full press lock-in. The screen also displays modes. You can switch modes during operation too.
• Semi lock – press the lower switch, and slide lock up.
Performance – total output, beam profile, longevity, practicality
• Ceiling bounce test, CRI, CCT
• Surprisingly throwy beam with lots of usable spill. Both LEDs come together nicely to produce a circular hotspot.
Considerations
• 1500mAh non-replaceable battery. Once the battery has worn out, it’s game over – It’s great that the capacity still rivals the larger EDC 25/27 which are both rated at 1700mAh and are significantly larger than the EDC23. It’s not the kind of light you’d want to rely on for long trips. Maybe a night out, or a short trip, given you’re using the low modes with some turbo use. Even 18350/14500 lights of a similar size still provide 900-1100mAh.
• Turbo only lasts for a few seconds – it’s only meant to be used for momentary spotting and self-defense situations. It won’t compete with larger tube-style lights with much larger heatsinks.
• No proper moonlight mode.
• Clip is very rigid, but at least it won’t fall out of your pocket. I’d prefer a deep carry clip, but I notice that many tactical flashlights use this kind of clip design so you can grab the light out of your pocket more easily.
• I almost wish Nitecore had constructed this light from aluminum – heat dissipation would be better but it may have made this light thicker due to the lower rigidity.
Verdict
• Nitecore has created a great alternative to the usual tube-style tactical flashlight. On paper this thing doesn’t make sense when you compare it with a tube light of similar specifications – I mean it just can’t win in terms of sustained output, battery capacity, range. But when I look that the majority of times I carry a flashlight with me at night, I rarely use the turbo mode, let alone exhaust even half the capacity of an 18650 cell. Whenever I carry around a larger light, I mostly regret it as the bulkiness and weight are quite noticeable. So if you’re anything like me, and just want a slim tactical EDC light with a ridiculously high output when you need it, then this might be the light for you.
