I have had a long and troubled relationship with Nitecore torches. The EX10 was my first serious flashlight and while the Piston Drive mechanism worked incredibly well (where did you go Piston Drive?), the pocket clip was a design blunder. It fell apart and was unrepairable. Then I reviewed one of their early IMR lights and it was, well, one of the few items I have marked as a product failure. It simply never worked, despite swapping out review samples, batteries, and even my battery charger. If there is a Corvair of Everyday Commentary it is Nitecore.

So when the Nitecore store offered me a review sample of the keychain torch the TIP SE, I was a bit trepidatious. I really dislike writing “this doesn’t work reviews.” Note that is different than a “this is a stupid design” review, which can be delightfully fun to write (see: Topo Designs Daypack). Struggling with technical difficulties is never fun, but trying to extract a review from a pile of problems is even less fun. But the original TIP had so many positive reviews that I was willing to wade back into the murky Nitecore waters.

The reason is pretty obvious: this is a light that stands to revolutionize the EDC market. In my Best Lights of 2020, I lamented the fact that no company had yet developed a quick charge USB-C EDC torch. The TIP SE is just this light. Freed from the design tyranny of the tube, the TIP SE is a small, versatile package with no need to fiddle with batteries, impressive outputs, and amazing recharging times. There are few concerns that blemish the torch, but nothing like the problems I have had historically with stuff from Nitecore. This is an amazing light and, oh, by the way, its like $30.

Here is the product page. The Nitecore TIP SE costs $29.95. Here is a written review. Here is a video review. The TIP SE was provided for review by the Nitecore Store.

Finally, here is my review sample:

Twitter Review Summary: Break free of tube tyranny

Design: 2

Here is what I wrote in May of this year in the annual 10 Best Lights post:

We are on the verge of a true revolution in production lines—the widespread adoption of USB-C charging. Not only is the protocol easier to use than the micro USBs (its directionless!), it also offers charging times heretofore unseen in consumer electronics. The first true EDC light with USB-C charging will have a huge competitive advantage.

The TIP SE is the first true EDC light that I know of that has USB-C charging. Accordingly it has a huge competitive advantage of the rest of the market. Here is why: USB-C, unlike Mini and Micro USB, allows for fast charging. Until now, all of the “in-light charging” torches have had to endure slow charging which basically eliminates the advantage of having a cell that can charge IN the light. If the speed is the same, other than the minor convenience of having to take the cell out of the light, why bother? Assuming you have some kind of charger, in-light charging and out-of-light charging made no difference. With USB-C you can now get a full charge in about 1/3 the time of a high performance external charger. The TIP SE is not quite that fast, but it is faster. This is the future folks. And it is here now with the TIP SE.

The advantage of fast charging USB-C cannot be overestimated. Until this new protocol, we had basically been at the limit of safe charging speed for about 20 years. Even high dollar, high demand items like laptops just couldn’t charge faster. Now with high speed USB-C (which I have on my work laptop) I can go from 1% to 100% charge in about a half hour. Imagine this technology fully implemented in a flashlight? This is where the market is going and the TIP SE was the first to get there. Yipee!

Even if you set aside the USB-C charging, the light it still a damn solid design with a great form factor for both coin pocket carry and keychain carry. I wish the buttons were recessed and that the lens was glass or crystal, but those aren’t dealbreakers, especially at this price.

Fit and Finish: 2

Nitecore’s downfall in the past hasn’t been design or features or price. For me, the felling blow was delivered by absolutely abysmal fit and finish. I am happy to report that the TIP SE has no such issues. The light is snug, feels solid, and works exactly as advertised (though shipping it in demo mode caused a five minute aneurysm on my part until I read the instructions). The product literature claims there is an aluminum frame under the plastic, but you wouldn’t know it given the weight or the plastic shell.

Grip: 2

Well, go figure, lose the tube and get better grip. With a bevy ways to hold the light, the TIP works well in lots of different situations. One night on a bike ride near sunset, I put it slim ways between my fingers and it worked even when I was holding on to my handlebars. You have to do things to enhance the grip of a tube because fundamentally it tells you how it should be held. With a few different ways, the TIP SE gives you choices and in design, especially gear design, choices are optimal.

Carry: 1

So protruding buttons are not a good idea. If you occasionally like to heat up frozen food in your pocket or you like to simulate a sunburn while inside, protruding buttons are fantastic. For all other purposes they stink. I have had the light come on twice in the pocket and while there is a lockout feature, the better choice is to simply recess the buttons. Maybe we will see that on the TIP SE II.

Output: 2

With 700 lumens and a 1 lumen low the TIP SE has all of the bases covered. I did note that it did not dissipate heat as well as I would like, but it does work without much issue. Holding that high a high in a plastic body is always a bit worrisome, but in my month of use that worry has been purely hypothetical.

Runtime: 2

It blows my mind that something this small and this light could run for 50 hours. Some kind of wizardry allows them to pack a battery into this form factor that is both powerful and the size of a piece of gum—not Bubble Yum or Wrigley’s, but Dentine…that is powerful cell.

Beam Type: 2

Don’t think the non-tube form factor has done anything to make small lights more throwy. This is pretty much a flood light only but that’s what you want in a light this small. Do you really need to hit something 500 meters away in a pocket torch? Probably not.

Beam Quality: 1

Okay, I know there are a few lights with dual, side-by-side emitters out there. But honestly, its kind of dumb. I guess if you like odd-shaped beam patterns that selectively light up the field you are looking at then this set up is for you. It is not the worst thing, but it seems unnecessarily stupid. Aside from the distorted beam pattern, the Osram P8s work well.

UI: 2

The two button set up is really ideal for the UI, equalling a good paddle set up on a tactical light. Honestly, this would be great on any EDC light. It also gives manufacturer a bunch more input options.

Hands Free: 2

The light doesn’t roll, stands in five different positions, and works well without hands. This is a true benefit of breaking free of the tube tyranny.

Other Considerations

Fidget Factor: Very Low

Unless you need this to be a stand in for a early TNG era Type 1 phaser for your Data or Tasha Yar cosplay, there is basically nothing to fiddle around with on this light. Even the buttons are pretty boring. Functional, but boring.

Fett Effect: Very Low

With plastic, plastic everywhere, you won’t be forcing a patina on this thing. It will look the same out of the box as it will in four years unless you crush it.

Value: Very High

With a tasty combination of small size, high output, and plug in USB-C charging, the TIP SE is one of the better choices out there for EDC, given that it costs $30.

Overall Score: 18 of 20

This is a straightforward review of a really good light. For $30 it is hard to find a better EDC torch in 2020. There are tons of benefits to getting rid of a flashlight body tube and replacing it with a light, compact polymer shell. When you throw in the USB-C charging ability, the TIP SE is a winner. And, it breaks the streak of bad luck I have had with Nitecore. All that aside, it has been a great pocket companion during the hottest month of the year, adding virtually no weight and a significant amount of utility. Lots of peoplE question the fact that I daily carry a light, but as I have written before when they are so small and light as if to be invisible, why not? Half our time on Earth is shrouded in darkness (or to use TierZoo terminology: half our time on earth occurs during a server-wide buff in stealth) and a light that is essentially as difficult to carry as two quarters now makes perfect sense. The TIP SE is an excellent light. Look for it to show up on my Light & Saber list coming soon.

Competition

If we are limiting competition to non-tube lights with USB-C charging Fenix E03R is literally the only other light out there and it is significantly worse, hitting only 260 lumens on high, less than half what you get with the TIP SE. That alone tells you how interesting the TIP SE is. If we expand things out to similarly sized lights there is still a dearth of true competitors. There is only one 1xAAA sized light that can come close to 700 lumens, the Peak LED Solutions Eiger Ultra X can hit around 500-600 lumens, but costs and weighs twice as much. One light that is an interesting comparison is the Folomov C1 EDC. With a tiny body tube housing a single 10440 light (a rechargeable AAA for those that do not speak batteryese) it hits 400 lumens and costs and weighs roughly the same as the TIP SE, but lacks built in charging or USB-C charging (the stock battery is, itself, rechargeable with a Mini USB port at the top). The previously reviewed trio of ultra-compact CR123a lights, the oLight Baton, the 47 Mini Turbo Mk. III, and the Fenix E16 (and E16R) are all true performance competitors but lack the high speed USB-C charging and, again, are at least twice as much. As this forced comparisons prove the TIP SE is almost completely unique in the flashlight world circa August 2020. That will change over time, but for now the TIP SE is really ahead of the crowd and great light for it. The fact that it costs $30 is proof that the rising technological tide has lifted all boats in the flashlight world.

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