Maelstrom MXS Standby

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Maelstrom MXS Standby Specifications & measurements

Brand & Model	Maelstrom MXS Standby
Flashlight category	EDC flashlight / Home Base Light / Work Light
Battery config.	1*26650
Switch type	Side only
Dimensions:
Length	142 mm
Head diameter	45 mm
Weight with battery	318 g
LED & Beam
LED type	Nichia 144A
High CRI	Yes
Focusable beam	No
Features
Onboard charging	Proprietary
Power bank	No
Specifications and measurements
Specified output	1,700 lm
Measured output (30sec)	1,515 lm
Max. measured output	1,609 lm
Specified beam distance	280 m
Measured beam distance (30sec)	293 m
Specified beam intensity	N/A
Measured beam intensity (30sec)	21,500 cd
Overall rating	4.5 stars
Review publication date	May 2025

Trying to understand the Name/ brand/ manufacturer of today’s review was a little difficult but I think I may have found my way. What we have is a Foursevens branded, Prometheus Light, named the Maelstrom MXS Standby. 

First, just in case you were wondering as I was, Prometheus has acquired the Foursevens brand and a portion of their assets which gives Prometheus Lights the right to use the Foursevens trademarks, flashlight designs, technology, social media accounts, and customer email list. The brand name, Foursevens still exists, but no longer as a legal entity. That brand is now owned and operated by Prometheus Lights.

Regardless, I was super-excited to finally get my hands on the Maelstrom MSX Standby from Foursevens/ Prometheus. Today’s lumen shooter has a lot of nice features wrapped into a very nice looking, quality feeling flashlight. There is a lockout mode for the MXS Standby but it wasn’t shipped to me “locked”. You are going to want to charge up your new 26650 to get the best performance from the cell. Mine was shipped at 3.9v.

What’s in the package

The Maelstrom MXS Standby comes to us in a nice cardboard box with a plastic tray inside holding our light tight. The front has a drawing of the MXS Standby along with all the branding info. There is a sticker on the backside of the box that shows all of the specifications we can expect from our new lumen blaster and I mean all. It is so nice to have everything at hand for the user to know what we are really getting. 

Speaking of getting, we got a lot of goodies with our MXS Standby, so let’s take a look inside the box: 

• Maelstrom MXS Flashlight
• Alternate switch buttons: Clear and Opaque Black (if you don’t want the status light to show)
• 3D printed switch tool, made in-house
• Inductive charging base
• USB-A/C Charging Cable
• Instruction Manual
• Foursevens 26650 battery

Wow, does this thing feel great in the hand. Somewhat short and squatty is how I would describe it at first grasp. The 26650 battery is a little larger diameter than what we usually get for a lot of flashlights these days, typically 21700’s, but not today! This LARGE 26650 size cell and corresponding host is great for ergonomics when actually using the light.

Speaking of ergonomics, this was apparently an important thing for Prometheus and it really shows. The accented power switch is the only protrusion of sorts on the entire body, towards the head of the light where your thumb naturally falls. This leads to easy locating of the switch and therefore easy operation.

Starting with the Type-III hard-anodized 6061-T6 aluminum body, our sample is “Java” colored, (also available in blue), and has a very even and smooth anodization all over, minus the charging base lower portion. There is an abundance of un-anodized threads and they are flat on the outermost edges. They are not square threads exactly, but sloped to the flat, outer-edge of the thread and they have a satisfying feel when twisting tight to the present o-ring. 

Milled ridges around the body have a knurled texture on the outer, raised portion for added grip. There is more of the same knurling towards the bezel as well. It gives texture but isn’t overly rough, very nice. There is a LED back-lit, e-switch that controls everything. It even came with two extra buttons, clear and opaque black for your choice of personal visual perfection at the switch.

The MSX Standby will easily fit in just about any pocket, but be ready as this light again is slightly larger in diameter than normal. It will certainly roll away from you as there are no major body protrusions other than the aforementioned switch area and it won’t slow it down much from a roll.

The large diameter, flat-bottomed base (that fits into the charger base), will easily let the MSX tail-stand. There is no magnet in the end since that’s how the light is being wirelessly charged in the base. There are also no lanyard attachments, no place for a lanyard or pocket clip anyway, and the size of this light probably wouldn’t be great for those anyway. It’s still a short light so carry ability is still there, it just takes a little getting used to.

I can easily see this MSX standby as a great household flashlight or backup light for general lighting purposes or even for daily-carry type situations. Especially if you don’t mind a slight bit more bulk than usual. It is marketed to be more of an emergency light with its inductive charging base, keeping the light ready at all times. A very cool, handy feature that is always ready.

What are the new warranty terms and resolution options? This from the website:

• Any light purchased after January 1, 2017 will be covered under the original Foursevens warranty terms, if the flashlight is one Prometheus continues to manufacture, and you can provide proof of purchase.
• In all cases, if we do not continue to manufacture the light, we have no physical way to repair or replace the parts (or the entirety of) those lights…because those parts/lights don’t exist.
• Resolution 1: we’ll repair/replace your light for free. If the above conditions cannot be met, you can opt for resolution 3 below.
• If your light was purchased before January 1, 2017, the chart below will help you better understand which resolution below applies to your Foursevens light.
• Resolution 2: you’ll be charged a small fee + shipping to repair and return your light, which will establish a new warranty with Prometheus Lights.
• Resolution 3: you’ll be granted a discount code for 40% off anything Prometheus sells that is eligible for discounts. For example, custom lights are excluded. If a product is excluded from discounts this is indicated on the product page below the pricing information. These codes do not expire, and can only be used once. If your light is unrepairable and you choose to receive a discount code, your light will not be returned to you. There are several reasons for this, but the main one is that we return defective lights to the manufacturer for analysis.
• If any Foursevens lights share components (like tail switches) we will offer those as repair parts for a compatible light of any age, when/if they become available.

Email Support: In all cases, for all lights, you can email [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help you troubleshoot any issues with your light.

The quoted LED for our MSX Standby is a Nichia 144A (4000K / 90+ CRI) and it is quite nice. Nichia sets new standards in high power LEDs with the 144A series. The 8 W SMD LEDs have 4 chips with a forward voltage of 12 V. With a minimum size of 5 x 5 mm, this domed LED can provide a considerable luminous flux of over 1000 lm.

Our sample measured right at the 4000 K temperature throughout the different output modes. This slightly warm output is nice and the Nichia 144A is known for its great balance of size, brightness, and efficiency. Nichia is also famous for tight binning, meaning you get consistent color and brightness from unit to unit.

My measurements show the MSX achieved a 93 CRI on the Opple meter. CRI (Color Rendering Index) measures how accurately a light source shows colors compared to natural sunlight. A high CRI flashlight (usually CRI 90 or above) gives you much more natural, true-to-life color. 

All Opple measurements were slightly above the BBL with regard to DUV. A positive DUV “above” the curve, exhibits more of a green tint, whereas a negative DUV indicates that the source is “below” the Planckian locus (blackbody curve, aka BBL), potentially giving a red/ blue tint.

Our MSX has a crenulated bezel and the heft of this light would help make a decent striking tool should you need to go that route for some reason. There is Optical grade glass (2 side, AR coated), sitting nicely above our deep, shiney, OP reflector. An OP (Onion Peel) reflector is a reflector with a textured, slightly bumpy surface — it looks a bit like the surface of an onion. (Versus being smooth and mirror-like – which is called an SMO or Smooth reflector). This aids in floody goodness from our beautiful Nichia LED.

There is a pretty full hotspot in the center of our beam and it’s soft edge. The beam is solid in the middle, then steps to a softer shorter portion of hotspot and then quickly fades to the even spill of lumens all the way outward to the edges of the beam. The spill is full and usable, even in lower modes, say when seeing the path at your feet as you take that nighttime stroll for example. It’s a generally floody output to say the least. 

More details: 

• LED Type: Nichia 144A
• High CRI: Yes
• Focusable beam: No

Spectral measurements: 

Measurements were taken using an Opple Light Master IV or to measure the flashlight beam in complete darkness at 10 meters away using the included fully charged 5500mAh 3.6v – 19.8Wh – 15A, 26650, protected, flat-top lithium-ion battery.

Mode:	CCT:	CRI Ra:	duv
Turbo	4113 K	93.1	0.0012
High	4108 K	92.9	0.0026
Medium	3968 K	93.1	0.0014

Dimensions: 

Maelstrom MXS Standby	Millimeters	Inches
Length	142 mm	5.6 in
Head diameter	45 mm	1.7 in
Body diameter	38 mm	1.5 in

Dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter and the nearest tenth of an Inch.

Weight: 

Maelstrom MXS Standby	Weight in grams	Weight in oz
Without battery:	221 g	7.8 oz
With battery	318 g	11.2 oz

Weight is rounded to the nearest gram and tenth of an Oz.

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Group 1: Maelstrom MXS Standby, Fenix WF25RM, Olight Warrior X Pro, Astrolux FT06

Lockout was not in action when the MSX arrived on the scene, but had it been, a quick five-ckicks would get you out of lockout and the main LED would flash twice to confirm.

Operations are pretty simple with the MXS Standby. There is a nicely responsive, rubber covered, e-switch on the side and only takes a single press of it to activate that sweet LED goodness in the last mode used (yes, mode memory!).

To change modes while on, you’re just going to press and hold the switch. There is a turbo, referred to as Max/Burst, that you can access anytime with the ole double-click. This is the norm for most flashlights but a must have in any powerful light in my opinion. Another quick access type feature is the Moonlight mode. From off, you’ll press-n-hold until the moonlight (barely) shines. This is also a nice feature and must-have for any lights I plan on carrying. 

The UI itself is a little weird on this one as it is a ramping style mode change but you have to go to the full extent upward before you can release the button, press it again and start going down in output modes. If you start in low, you will have to hold the switch until it gets to the high mode.

It will stay in that high mode even when continuing to hold the button once it has been reached, not start back down in modes. Release and press-n-hold again and it will step down to the lower output modes and will continue stepping down until you have reached Eco. Once again, it will hold in that mode. Then you can finally press-n-hold again to ramp back up. So you can’t keep cycling modes continuously without letting go of the switch and re-pressing.

Once turned on, output will always Step-Up in mode if the higher mode is available when changing modes. So for example, if you wanted to turn on the light and lower the output down by one mode you would have to ramp all the way up to the highest mode before you could run back down to the mode you wanted. Hence the strange UI reference. 

Again, five quick-clicks will lockout the MXS and it will flash twice to let you know. another five-clicks will get you out of lockout and turn the MXS on the last used mode. I would suggest this if throwing the light in a bag or in a pocket for carry as that switch may get pressed accidentally. It is quick and easy and gives me peace of mind.

Available modes:

• Moonlight, Low, Medium, High, Max/Burst

From OFF:

• Press and hold: Moonlight 
• Single click: on in last used mode
• Double click: turbo 
• 5 fast clicks: lockout

From ON:

• Press and hold: changes modes
• 1 click: off
• Double click: turbo

Mode memory:

• Yes, last used mode! 

Shortcuts:

• To Moonlight : press and hold
• To Turbo: double click 
• To Strobe: double click 

Strobe/blinkies

• None

Lock-out mode: 

• 5 fast click and the light will flash twice 

PWM

• None noticeable to eyes, see spectral measurements below 

Additional/summary info on the UI: 

• Burst is active for 30 seconds and then ramps down to high mode over the following 30 seconds

When we get to the battery and charging part of the review, the MSX Standby is very unique. There is an Inductive charging base that keeps your flashlight ready to go at all times. The charging base utilizes a standard USB-C connector and stays plugged in via USB-C connector/plug. 

If you do your part and set the MSX down on the base, it initiates ONE charge. This is explained this way because the MSX does not continuously fill-up the battery for safety reasons. It activates what is called a Standby Mode. This means the light will automatically turn on (in the lowest setting) when a power outage occurs or you pick up the flashlight. 

The charging base utilizes a standard USB-C connector (included). The tail end of the light is permanently sealed, eliminating the two biggest problems with in-light charging: mechanical failure and contamination. Do not remove the base from the MSX as it will damage the internal circuitry. 

The light also has a green/red charge indicator inside the colored translucent button. When on the charging base, the indicator is illuminated all the time, so you can find it in the dark and once again, the MSX will come on should the power go out.

When charging, the indicator in the switch will glow red. When fully charged, it will change to green. Also, while using the MXS, when the battery gets low, the output will step down to the next lowest mode that can be sustained. It will continue stepping down through all the modes until the battery is depleted.

Another great feature with the MXS Standby is not only do we get the awesome charging base and integral charging for it, but we get a real 26650 battery that can be changed or replaced should something go awry. To be specific, we get a Foursevens 5500mAh, 3.6v – 19.8Wh – 15A, 26650, protected, flat-top lithium-ion battery. All the flashaholics will be glad to have access to that! One last note, it does take some time to re-fill such a large, completely drained battery, but that also means more runtime too.

Give and take = compromise.

Also included as an extra accessory at the time of purchase is an Xtar USB wall adapter. At a very affordable add-on price, this was included in our sample order and is specified to have an output 5.0v / 2.1a and was verified at that output by yours truly. It is nice to have everything you need all together in one package.

Battery level indicator:

• Solid green: >20%
• Solid red: ≤ 20%

Batteries	Details
Compatible batteries	protected or unprotected 26650’s
Incompatible batteries	Non 26650’s
Low voltage protection/warning	red light
Onboard Charging:
Onboard charging	Proprietary
Power bank functionality	No
USB-C to USB-C charging	No
Max power of USB charger (port)	18 watts
Max power measured	4.79v/ 1.25a/ 6.05w
Final battery voltage (charged)	4.2V
Avg. onboard charge time	6h 45min

Lumen measurements

How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards: The ANSI FL1 standards specify that output in lumens should be measured 30 seconds after turning on, as this is the standardized time for measuring brightness according to the industry standard. This is why we focus on this part in our measurements. The ANSI FL1 standards require an ambient temperature of 22 ± 3°C. We record the ambient the ambient temperature to identify potential reasons for any observed discrepancies.

Lumen measurements were taken using my 50cm homemade integrating sphere (IS) and a REED R8100SD Data Logging Light Meter (with a measurement range up to 100,000 Lux). The IS has been calibrated using a 1lumen.com calibrated S2+ as a comparable reference source and the included, fully charged, Foursevens 5500mAh 3.6v – 19.8Wh – 15A, 26650, protected, flat-top lithium-ion battery.

Mode	Specified output	Turn on	30 sec.	10 min.
Moon	10 lm	5 lm	5 lm	5 lm
Low	50 lm	47 lm	47 lm	47 lm
Med	350 lm	323 lm	322 lm	320 lm
High	1,000 lm	1,019 lm	1,006 lm	955 lm
Turbo	1,700 lm	1,609 lm	1,515 lm	955 lm

*Turn-on and 30 second measurements are done manually, while the 10-minutes readings comes from the runtime graph. This is our standard approach, though some reviewers may choose a different approach.

Ambient temperature during testing:

•  20.5°C

Battery Life: Runtime graphs

How Runtimes are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About ANSI FL1 runtime standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions, with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries.

Runtimes were measured using the REED R8100SD Data Logging Light Meter (with a measurement range up to 100,000 Lux) and the included, fully charged, Foursevens 5500mAh 3.6v – 19.8Wh – 15A, 26650, protected, flat-top lithium-ion battery.

Mode	Specified runtime	Runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off*
Low	40h 00min	52h 19min	52h 19min
Med	6h 00min	7h 03min	7h 54min
High	2h 30min	2h 31min	4h 34min
Turbo	2h 24min**	2h 28min	4hr 27min

*The last column reflects the total runtime until the light turns off. A “+” symbol indicates that the test was stopped at that point, but the light continued to run. This typically occurs with certain drivers, firmware, or battery types.

**indicates 30 seconds burst, then ramps down to high

Look at those runtimes! Nice work with the MXS Standby, running longer than expected, or specified I should say. I love knowing I’ve got some time to use a flashlight and the MXS gives you over 300 lumens for a solid 7 hours and around 1000 lumens for over . That is definitely enough time to get some use.

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

About Peak beam intensity: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About peak beam intensity The calculated value of distance in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object). This means that the intensity has decreased so much, it becomes difficult to see darker objects, or objects that don’t reflect light. The columns ‘Meters’ and ‘Yards’ use rounded numbers.

Throw measurements were taken outdoors in complete darkness at 10 meters using the Opple Light Master IV for accurate lux readings, converted to candela. All measurements were taken at 30 seconds for most accurate measurements in accordance with ANSI measurement ratings.

Mode	Specified intensity	Specified beam distance	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
Moon	n/a	n/a	70 cd	17 m	19 yd
Low	n/a	n/a	600 cd	49 m	54 yd
Medium	n/a	n/a	4,380 cd	132 m	144 yd
High	n/a	n/a	13,800 cd	235 m	257 yd
Turbo	n/a	280 m	21,500 cd	293 m	320 yd

Ambient temperature during testing:

•  12.8°C 

The MSX Standby was surprisingly hitting the numbers given, performing over actually. It is such a floody light but obviously still does the work with throwing the lumens well. Nice work!

Beamshots were taken using a Canon EOS 4000D. Settings as follows:

• ISO 1600, 1/4sec., f/10, WB – “AWB ambience priority”
• Distance to fence is 28m

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Maelstrom MXS Standby
• Sofirn IF23 Pro
• Olight Warrior X Pro
• Loopgear SK05 Pro
• Fenix WF25RM
• Astrolux FT06

Please note that the following beamshots are mainly intended to showcase the beam pattern and beam quality, rather than overall performance. These images are typically taken directly after activation, and in different seasons or weather conditions, and therefore do not fully represent its overall performance. In few cases the camera settings are even different and therefore not meant for performance comparisons. For accurate performance metrics, such as output, beam distance, and runtimes, you need to look at the performance section of this review.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to us for review at no cost by Prometheus Lights. We have not been paid to review, nor have we been holding back on problems or defects.

Buy your Maelstrom MXS Standby here

1lumen selects and reviews products personally. We may earn affiliate commissions through our links, which help support our testing.