Review: https://1lumen.com/review/convoy-m21k/
There are times when a reviewer has to work hard to put aside their personal biases or subjectivity, and I find this is the case whenever a Convoy comes across my desk. I don’t review them often (about 8:1 vs Fenix, Wurkkos), so when I do get one, it’s pretty special, and the newest one from Simon Mao is another special one. The M21K has been a while coming, but it’s here and here’s what I think of it.
The main selling point of any budget flashlight is price to performance to feature ratio, and amongst the budget brands, Convoy really is up there with Wurkkos and Sofirn, so the M21K represents a fantastic value for what you get. Convoy has made strides in recent years to improve performance and give the consumers what they want, and the M21K embodies this, with a solid UI, great build quality, and fully regulated output.
The beam from the TIR, while dirty, is effective and versatile. The beam distance is really awesome for an LED with a huge LES as well, beating the Acebeam L35 V2. The 5000K from the LHP73B is also good, one of the better neutral low CRI CCTs I’ve come across this side of a 519a or E21A. The user interface is a good one too. The smooth ramping could use some refining as it dwells a little too long in the lower brightness, and there’s a lot of clicking required, but otherwise it’s totally usable. Did I mention it’s cheap?
Cons? It gets hot, even under normal operation (not when forced into constant Turbo mode), so that could be an issue, but that’s why Simon has the infamous ‘burn hazard’ disclaimer on the product page, and (obviously) why you should be careful with a high-strung flashlight, so it’s less of a ‘con’ and more of a discretionary item. The beam, while I still like it, is full of artifacts and just plain ugly on a white wall, but outside, it’s not as noticeable.
I think Convoy has really hit it out of the park with the new M21K, and proof good things come to those who wait. This is a super affordable, high performance flashlight with features and performance on par with much more expensive lights, and I think it’s one that should be on every enthusiast’s ‘buy it now’ list, and a testament to Simon’s dedication to this hobby and industry. He gets 5 stars, and the M21K, gets 4.5 stars. Especially considering the price/performance ratio.
by 1LumenFlashlights
