Nitecore TUP

Nitecore TUP pocket light review (1,000 lumens)

Introduction:

If you are looking for a lightweight belt light, have a look at the Nitecore TUP. It can deliver 1000 ANSI Lumens and includes a display that shows Voltage, remaining runtime, and Output. And the output numbers are pretty consistent with my measurements. I haven’t tested the runtime yet, and I’m curious how this will reflect real-life usage after the battery had a few dozen cycles.

It has a large pocket clip that should hold up pretty well over the long run.

What you’ll get:

• Nice carton box
• Nitecore TUP flashlight
• Key clasp
• Manual + warranty paper

Specifications

Brand / Model	Nitecore TUP
LED	XP-L HD v6
Lumens	1000 lm
Beam intensity	58,130 cd
Battery config.	Built-in (rechargeable)
Material	Plastic + aluminum
Modes	4 + Turbo
Blinkies	No
Reflector	TIR
Waterproof	IP54
Review date	April 2019

Handling of the light and knurling

This is not your average kind of light. The TUP is very small and lightweight. I am thinking about how to use it, and how to carry it. The pocket clip seems to be of decent quality. At the rear end of the TUP is a small metal ring to attach the key clasp. This is supposed to withstand up to 30kg/ 66lbs of weight.

The ease of use and the ability to attach it to your keys make it a great rechargeable flashlight. And therefore it was added to the list!

Tailstand?

• hehehe.. nope

Build Quality

For about $50-$60 you can get a very handy little pocket rocket or belt rocket. Since the light is made of plastic It can be damaged rather easily. The display is a very useful feature, but also prone to damage. I once reviewed the Imalent SA04 which had a touch display, but it soon broke on me. Although this doesn’t have a touch display, it still feels like it can easily break, especially considering it will be on your keys. Therefore I would not recommend this on your keychain.

Anodization

Well… since it’s made of plastic, I can’t say much about anodization.

Threads?

Nope.. It doesn’t have threads.. It might have some O-rings, but I can’t see them.

LEDs, Lens, Bezel and Reflector

Behind the TIR optic, you can find a CREE XP-L HD V6 with a max output of 1000 lumens. And during my test, this number is very realistic, unlike many others.

Since the TUP uses a TIR optic, it doesn’t have a reflector, and it doesn’t have a bezel either, making the body of the TUP a little vulnerable.

That being said, I’m a bit disappointed that mine doesn’t have the LED centered very well, almost to the point that the optic is touching the dome of the LED. This is definitely a minus point.

Dimensions:

The Nitecore TUP is not your regular flashlight.

• Length : 67mm / 2.7″
• Width body : 26 mm /  1″
• Width widest part : 25 mm / 1″

Weight:

• Weight: 54 gr / 1.91 oz.

Keychain flashlight size comparison

Size compared to other tiny keychain flashlights.

From left to right: Lumintop EDC AA, Reylight Pineapple Mini, Fenix E12 v2, Nitecore TUP, RovyVon Aurora A9 CU, Fenix E03R

User Interface:

The Nitecore TUP has 2 User Interfaces.. Well, there are actually 3!

• Demo mode
• Daily mode
• Lockout mode 1

By default, it uses a Demo mode. Demo mode and Daily mode work the same with only 1 exception. Demo mode uses a 30-second timer on all modes, except TURBO, which is only available when you press and hold the button.

Switching between Demo mode and Daily mode: Press and hold both buttons. The TUP will flash twice and on your screen you can see in what mode you are.

• Modes: 4 + Turbo
• 1lm, 15lm, 65lm, 200lm and Turbo 1000Lumens

From OFF: Mode button

• 1 click: Display On
  (so you can see in what mode it’s currently in without turning on the flashlight. This is a great feature.
• Press and hold: Turbo

From OFF: Power button

• 1 click: On : last used mode
• 1 click + press and hold 1 sec: Lockout mode 1
• 1 click + press and hold 3 sec: Lockout mode 2 (unlock with same action)
• Press and hold: 1lm (firefly)

From ON: Mode button

• 1click: cycle modes from low to high
• Press and hold: Turbo

From ON: Power button

• 1click: Off
• Press and hold 1 sec: Lockout mode 1 (half lockout mode)
• Press and hold 3 sec: Lockout mode 2 (full lockout mode)

Lockout modes

The TUP has 2 lockout modes. I just told it has 3 modes since you can still use Turbo mode in Lockout 1! And you can still see how much battery is left. Lockout 2 doesn’t let you do anything. It also won’t allow you to see the remaining battery charge.

How to enter lockout mode?

From off: click 1 time + click and hold for several seconds. You can see a lock icon with a number 1 or a number 2, which indicates the lockout mode you just entered.

To deactivate lockout mode?

Click 1 time + press and hold for several seconds. You’ll see a key icon and a progress bar.

Low Voltage Warning:

When the battery reaches a voltage of 3.4 Volts, the power indicating LEDs will flash every 2 seconds to indicate a low battery. To my understanding, 3.4 Volts is actually still pretty high, and doesn’t know why they cut it off at 3.4 Volts. But that might be an overly protective measurement.

Batteries and charging:

The Nitecore TUP is a rechargeable flashlight with a built-in rechargeable lithium battery of 1200mAh. You can charge it using any standard Micro USB charge cable. The Nitecore TUP doesn’t include a charging cable, so if you have no charging cable yet, make sure you’ll get one before the battery runs out of juice.

Another important thing to note is that the USB port cover is very hard to remove without proper nails. So if you have short nails, you probably need a little tool to pry off the rubber cover!

Continuous Power Mode: Use while connected to a USB power source

The TUP can be powered continuously from a power source via the USB. So you can use a power bank to run the light! This is definitely a cool feature!

Performance:

Lumens were measured with the Hagner EX4 Lux Meter and “calibrated” with a Convoy S2+ at 136 lumens.

Specified	Measured Lumens
1lm	1.55 Lumens
15lm	18.03 Lumens
65lms	72.25 Lumens
200lms	217.27 Lumens
1000lms	1075.66 Lumens

It performed above expectations! Even Turbo was measured higher than the manufacturer claimed. That is rather unique. It’s usually the other way around.

There is no way to measure Amps.. since the battery is built-in, and it’s not easy to take apart.

Runtime:

Total runtime in High mode was a total of 3 hours.

Low Voltage Warning

When the battery voltage goes low, the 2 indicator lights behind the Mode and Power switch will start blinking. This time I stopped the runtime and the display showed 2.63Volts. Even when turned off, the 2 blue indicator LEDs kept blinking.

Throw:

This was measured using the Turbo mode:

• Total throw measured at 5 meters: 11150 cd / 211 meters / 0.131 miles
• Total throw measured at 10 meters: 11300 cd / 213 meters / 0.132 miles

Beamshots

The 1000-lumen mode can only be used when pressing the electronic switch! Still a very cool feature!

Overall conclusion

Pros:

1. OLED screen for battery voltage, available runtime and output.
2. Great pocket clip
3. Output of 1000LM max
4. Interesting 30 seconds timer in Demo mode
5. Able to use a USB power source to use the light

Cons

1. No charge cable included
2. Charge port cover difficult to remove
3. LED isn’t centered very well
4. Not sure how well it holds up in the long run

Author: Marco

Overall Rating: very good

The TUP is a one-of-a-kind flashlight. Bigger than other plastic keychain lights, but much brighter and it includes some cool features like OLED display and USB port for continuous lighting. The longer I play with it, the more I like it. It really has some cool features, and it really feels like a good thought throw design and UI.