Fenix vs Nitecore
The main difference between Fenix and Nitecore isn’t so apparent, so let’s have a look at some of the main differences between these popular flashlight brands.
1: First about Fenix
Fenix is well-known for its Tactical flashlights. To whatever country you go, you can definitely get Fenix flashlights. They are widely available, and many online and brick-and-mortar stores carry them.
Although mostly known for the Tactical flashlights, they have a significant number of flashlights outside this category. They have high end EDC lights, headlamps, bike lights, and their products are widely used in outdoor, military, security and other professional.
They’ve been around for 2 decades and know a lot about this industry. Some of their most well know flashlights are the PD and TK series, including the extremely popular PD35.
2. How about Nitecore?
According to their website, Nitecore has been around since 2007. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have as much experience as Fenix. They have been producing flashlight for a long time, including some very popular flashlights.
But Nitecore isn’t just a flashlight manufacturer. They have expanded beyond that and built all kinds of stuff. If you visit their website; nitecore.com, you can select Lighting (flashlights), Power solutions (large battery management systems for 100V, 12V, 1200W etc), Battery chargers, Photo accessories, and EDC gear like backpacks, bags, caps, and many more.
They have a larger variety of products, and are getting larger and larger.
In that regard, they are the winner.
Packaging:
In terms of packaging, they are very similar, with contents that look similar. They often include a lanyard, holster, o-rings, and a manual. There’s not a clear winner in that regard.
The differences: Nitecore vs Fenix
Types of flashlights
It’s fair to say that Fenix has a lot of history, and therefore knowledge, with tactical gear, because they have been producing flashlights for over 20 years. Some of their most well-known flashlights include the PD35 and TK series of which we reviewed many.
Nitecore is focusing on similar types of flashlights, and both aren’t focused so much on high-power flashlights. Imalent for example is focusing mostly on high-power flashlights, while Fenix and Nitecore are both relatively conservative.
When it comes to high-power flashlights in general, Nitecore is definitely the one with the highest performers of the 2. Have a look at the Nitecore TM9K Tac or the TM20K.
Types of batteries and charging
One of the most criticized points for some brands is the use of a proprietary charging system, including proprietary batteries.
95% of all Nitecore’s products don’t use a proprietary charging system, but they have a couple of flashlights that do. That means you need to charge the battery inside the flashlight, and you can’t use a battery from another brand. Fortunately enough, you can still use an off-the-shelf USB cable to charge, unlike Olight. Fenix doesn’t have this (yet).
Fenix, on the other hand, accepts regularly available batteries. These days, Fenix includes batteries with its flashlights often, and they oftentimes have a USB port built-in, so you can charge the battery everywhere and at any time, as long as you have a USB power plug (laptop, car, van, airplane etc). That might be another benefit of buying a Fenix flashlight over a Nitecore.
Performance: Brightest Fenix vs Brightest Nitecores
One of the brightest handheld Nitecore flashlights is the TM20K. It’s a 20,000-lumen tactical flashlight powered by 2*21700 batteries. That’s like 4 times the output of a similar-sized Fenix flashlight.
Fenix has some powerful flashlights, but those are big, like the Fenix LR80R, which has a max output of 18,000 lumens, or the Fenix LR50R we reviewed.
To sum it all up: Nitecore likes to go a little towards the extreme, while Fenix tries to stay a little more conservative.
If you compare them side by side in the same category Nitecore’s lights are often a bit more powerful. They usually like to increase their lumens a bit more than Fenix does. We’ve tested many flashlights, and headlamps, of both brands, so definitely check out the reviews.
Some of the most popular Fenix and Nitecore flashlights we reviewed
If we look at the website data we gathered over the past year, we can see that the following flashlights were very popular, and read thousands of times. Here are the top 5 most read Fenix reviews:
- Fenix TK16v2
- Fenix E35v3
- Fenix LR35R
- Fenix PD36R
- Fenix PD36 Tac
And here are the top 5 Nitecore flashlights read on our website. Keep in mind that all reviews were published on different dates.
- Nitecore P20ix
- Nitecore MH25S
- Nitecore MH12S
- Nitecore Tini 2
- Nitecore P20i