TL;DR

• The Convoy M21K (LHP73B 4000K) is a strong competitor to the Acebeam L35 2.0 (XHP70.3 HI 4000K) in the powerful versatile thrower category.
• Beam profile and throw are similar, with the M21K having slightly more artifacts but still very good overall.
• The M21K’s tint looks nicer and more pleasant than the L35 2.0’s 4000K emitter.
• L35 2.0 is brighter in High and standard Turbo, but the M21K’s 20A Turbo can exceed it in peak output.
• Runtimes are excellent on both lights, though the L35 2.0 is slightly more efficient.
• Downsides of the M21K include no tactical switch, a little too short for large hands, and a UI that could be improved.
• Overall, the M21K is a worthy and slightly more versatile alternative, mainly due to its emitter options and pleasant beam tint.

Introduction

In the field of zombie apocalypse flashlights (powerful versatile throwers), my favorite light so far is the Acebeam L35 2.0. It offers a great beam profile with a lot of throw while still providing enough spill, enormous sustained brightness, a dual-switch design, and a good UI.

I prefer CCTs around 4000K for most tasks, especially for outdoor use. Therefore my favorite L35 2.0 is the 4000K version.

I always find it interesting when there’s a light in the same size range that offers similar capabilities. That’s why I was happy to receive a Convoy M21K in order to test and compare it to the L35 2.0. Ultimately, I’d like to see whether the M21K can be a real alternative to the L35 2.0.

Please note that there are currently two emitter options available for the M21K: LHP73B (several CCTs) and SFT-90 (6500K only). While it would also be interesting to compare the M21K SFT-90 to the L35 2.0 XHP70.3 HI 6500K, this post focuses on my personal preference: 4000K lights.

So how good is the M21K LHP73B 4000K, and can it keep up with the L35 2.0 XHP70.3 HI 4000K? Let’s see.

Overall impressions

• Build quality is pretty good and everything feels solid.
• For my (larger) hands the light feels a bit too short and offers less grip than I’d like. Convoy added a longer tailcap for that reason, but it’s still not quite enough in my opinion. I was able to improve the grip by adding one of Convoy’s silicone tactical rings to the end of the battery tube.
• The head has a lot of thermal mass, which makes the light slightly heavier than the L35 but should also provide better heat dissipation.

User interface

• The main group consists of 4 modes, including turbo (I’d personally like to see a group without turbo).
• There is a second turbo mode for the 20A driver (double click and hold).
• The delay when pressing and holding to switch modes feels quite long and could be shorter.
• Smooth ramping is very fast, which makes it difficult to ramp to a precise brightness level.
• The brightness of the lowest stepped ramping mode (level 1/4) is actually lower than the lowest smooth ramping level (roughly 40–80 lumens).

Beam profile and light quality

• The LHP73B in 4000K produces a very nice and clean beam with a neutral and pleasant tint.
• The light almost looks like it comes from a high-CRI emitter.
• The beam profile is great even with the LHP73B, with only slight squarish artifacts.
• There is a slight donut hole or halo around the hotspot that becomes much less noticeable outdoors.
• The hotspot is roughly comparable to the L35 2.0.
• Spill is relatively bright at a wider angle but a little less pronounced between the corona and the medium-wide area.
• The combination of beam quality and spill makes the light comfortable to use for walking, even at lower brightness levels.

You can find animated beam shots here:

• https://imgur.com/a/aISlx69
• https://imgur.com/a/x2mXOWJ

Performance

The L35 2.0 offers higher output in High and Turbo mode but is outperformed by the M21K’s second 20A Turbo mode. The following comparison shows range and lumen output:

Note: I don’t have a calibrated measurement setup for lumen measurements. The lumen values I provide are for rough comparison only and may vary by ±20% or even more.

Runtimes

Both lights offer great runtimes and are relatively efficient. However, the L35 2.0 is slightly more efficient than the M21K, even at a slightly higher output. Please see the runtime chart (High level) and the total light output chart in the slider.

• Runtime of the M21K on High until step-down: 121 minutes (EVE 50PL, 5000 mAh)
• Runtime of the L35 2.0 on High until step-down: 113 minutes (Acebeam, 5000 mAh)

Note: The brightness of the M21K on High is approximately 80% of the L35 2.0’s brightness on High.

Conclusion

I’d say the M21K is a great light in the category of powerful versatile throwers. It can compete with the L35 in most scenarios and offers more interesting emitter options. For example, the LHP73B 4000K has a noticeably nicer tint than the XHP70.3 HI 4000K.

The beam profile is comparable to the L35 2.0, with slightly more artifacts but still very good overall. Sustained brightness and overall lumen output are excellent, and runtimes are also very good, even though the L35 2.0 is slightly more efficient.

The M21K LHP73B 4000K is a worthy competitor to the Acebeam L35 2.0 XHP70.3 HI 4000K. I would even say it is slightly more versatile, although it lacks a tactical switch.

The L35 2.0 costs three to four times as much as the M21K. So the M21K clearly offers the better price-to-performance ratio.

What do you think about the M21K, and would you choose it over the L35?