Acebeam W30

Acebeam W30 review

Introduction:

Acebeam was one of the first flashlight manufacturers who dare to enter the LEP flashlight market. This means they have quite some experience and the Acebeam W30 is one that can reach 2.4km!

Since I only like to review flashlights I’m personally interested in, each and every review I can start by saying: I’m excited to test this bad boy. Lol. And sure I am very excited because this is supposed to be one of the best LEP flashlights.

What you’ll get:

Package quality is fine. Not special.

  • Acebeam W30 flashlight
  • 21700 USB-C battery
  • Lanyard
  • USB cable
  • O-rings
  • Lanyard
  • 18650 battery adapter
  • Warranty card
  • Manual
  • Warning card
  • Red filter

Acebeam W30 specifications

Brand / ModelAcebeam W30
LEPClass 2M (4000K) Class 3B (6500K)
Lumens500
Beam intensity1,450,000
Battery config.1*21700
MaterialAluminum
Modes1
BlinkiesN/A
ReflectorN/A
Waterproof100 meters
Review dateMay 2020

Handling of the light

Playing with the W30 is fun, although it’s not a toy. Far from that. The W30 is designed for professionals and the design and quality clearly resemble that. There is only a switch, at the rear, for power.

It uses a forward clicky that lets you use it for signaling and momentary-on.

The body feels quite slippery but with all the machining marks and pistol grip ring, it holds very nicely in your hands. You don’t need to be afraid for it to slip.

The pocket clip feels sturdy and if you don’t like it, you can simply take it off without too much hassle. Acebeam also included a lanyard in case you prefer carrying it that way. The red filter is great for hunting at night, but I don’t have any use for that. It seems to be made of high-quality material though.

Build Quality, knurling, threads, and anodization

The anodization is matte and looks very good. Much better than the shiny black used by other manufactures. 2 O-rings seal off the battery tube. According to its specs it is supposed to be usable underwater as well, up to 100 meters. That is pretty amazing.

Machining is well done and I got my copy as a second hand. So mine had a few little spots but nothing extreme.

LEP, Lens, Bezel, and Reflector

No LED but an LEP. Available with CRI90, 4000K (class 2M) and 6500K (Class 3B laser) that is able to reach 2400 meters and a peak beam intensity of 1450000cd, 1.45Mcd. This review is about the 6500K cool white version with Class 3B laser.

The name White Laser is a little deceiving since there are no white lasers. It has a blue laser that is reflected onto phosphor and with a convex lens focused into a very narrow beam. Its divergence angle is supposed to be 1.8 degrees. See for more explanation on LEP flashlight, the image below. I’m not an expert on lasers, so I have to trust their specifications.

The stainless steel bezel looks much better than a standard black, aluminum, bezel. It doesn’t only look better, it’s also much stronger than aluminum. Dropping or accidentally hitting the bezel should be okay without too much damage.

Inside the package is also a red filter. In case you want to use this bad boy for hunting. The beam is very narrow but reaches really far. Check out the beamshots towards the end of the review.

Dimensions:

  • Length:  198 mm (  7.795”)
  • Head diameter:  60 mm ( 2.363 ”)
  • Lens width: 53.9 mm (2.12″)
  • Body diameter:  24.52mm ( 0.965 ”)

Weight: 

  • Empty:  259.3 grams (  9.15oz)
  • With battery: 332.3 grams ( 11.72 oz)
  • Battery: 72.7gr (2.56oz)

LEP Flashlights

Size compared to other LEP flashlights

From left to right: Acebeam W30Weltool W4, Jetbeam RRT M1X raptor, Jetbeam M1X WP-RX, No-brand 26650 LEPNextorch T10L, Jetbeam RRT M2S, Jetbeam M2S WP-RX, Weltool W3 PROFenix TK30Nextorch T7LAcebeam W10 gen2.

Driver & User Interface:

A simpler UI is impossible. Click on, Click off. No modes.

From OFF:

  • Half-press: Momentary-on
  • Single-click: Full Power

From ON:

  • Half-press: nothing
  • Single click: Off

Low battery warning:

  • There is a battery level indicator at the side of the light.
  • Green= 3Volts+
  • Red=below 3Volts

Lock-out mode:

  • No, just unscrew the tailcap

PWM:

  • Not visible

Batteries and charging:

Acebeam provides a 5100mAh 21700 battery. Its product code is IMR21700NP-510A. On the top of the battery is also a tiny battery indicator. It’s always on, albeit extremely dim. I suppose that is normal. It has a Micro USB port to charge. When charging: red=charging, green=full.

Unprotected, flat tops, like the Samsung 21700 40T also work fine, but they do rattle a bit when you shake the flashlight. I tested the flashlight with both batteries and both produce the same output numbers in throw.

You can still use 18650 batteries with the included metal battery adapter (not plastic). However, short flat tops have trouble keeping contact on both ends. When you shake the light, the beam will flicker. Protected 18650 batteries like the Acebeam ARC18650H-310A work perfectly, without losing contact when shaking the flashlight.

Performance:

Lumen measurements:

Edit: Lumen measurements were redone in October 2021.

All output numbers are relative to my homemade Integrating Sphere. It is now set up with an Extech SDL400 Lux Meter for measurements including a Kenko PRO1D ND-16 camera filter. The base measurement is done with a Convoy S2+ that is tested at 255 lumens.

Lumens were measured this time with a Samsung INR21700-50G battery.

Amps measuredSpecs@ start@ 30 sec
2.65A500 lumens512 lumens489 lumens

That’s pretty close to specs.

Runtime:

The runtime test was done with the integrating sphere, including the Kenko Pro1D ND-16 filter and Extech SDL400 data logging Lux Meter.

From the runtime graph, we can see that it reduces output slowly over the first 1 hour and 45 minutes and then drops to roughly 38 lumens. When I checked the output I actually saw the light was flickering, not blinking. So I would suggest to stop using the light when it initially drops in output! When I took the battery out it measured 2.6V. The battery protection should activate at 2.5V. So no much reason to wait till the last drop unless your life depends on it. Then you can still have a few minute to replace your battery.

Throw measurement:

Measurements were taken outdoors with a professional Hagner E4-X Lux Meter. After several readings and 2 different batteries the maximum I could get was: 

  • 20meters:  1,312,000cd =  2291m / 2505 yards / 1.42 miles / 7515.92 feet

Acebeam claims 1,450,000 and 2405 meters. I couldn’t replicate it. But keep in mind this is still one of the most extreme throw flashlights!

Beamshots

For the following beamshots I use the following settings and gear:

Canon 5d mk2, 100mm, F4, .5sec, ISO1600, 5000K.

The first tower is approximately 650 meters away (710 yards).

The second tower is about 450 meters away ( 492 yards).

Disclaimer: This flashlight was bought with my own money. I have not been paid to review, nor have I been holding back on problems or defects.

Overall conclusion

Pros:

  1. Nice amount of accessories included
  2. Extreme long range flashlight
  3. Waterproof, you can even dive with it

Cons

  1. Only 1 mode? (doesn’t have to be a con)
  2. Not reaching the claimed beam distance
  3. Flickering at the end of its battery life
Author Marco
Author Marco

Rating: 4 stars ★★★★

You are looking for a thrower? Maybe for hunting? Or just to show off to your friends? The Acebeam might be your choice. It has only 1 mode, which could be a deal-breaker, but it is 1 crazy flashlight. Although not reaching the claimed distance, it’s still beating 99.9% of all LED flashlights in the world! There aren’t many flashlights, especially this size that can beat em! Recommended for professionals only, aged 18+. Definitely worth 4 stars. 

Acebeam W30 for sale

The Acebeam W30 is not for sale anymore. Check out one of the following successor: NlightD L1, or the Acebeam W35

Check out our list of the best LEP flashlights.