Customer Reviews

Inova X1MT-WB X1 AA-Battery Powered Flashlight with 2-Watt LED, Black

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Before going into my review of this flashlight, you first need to ask yourself what do you need this flashlight for. Do you just need a simple and reliable flashlight, doesn't matter what kind of technology it uses? Or you need a super bright flashlight? Or do you want a flashlight that can reach very far?
You will have to ask these question because LED flashlight is different from conventional flashlight. If you want a flashlight that can reach very far, stop reading this review and go get yourself a Mag-Lite with the Xenon bulb. Cause LED flashlight doesn't reach as far as a good conventional bulb flashlight. However, within the designated working distance (a.k.a focal point) of the LED flashlight, the brightness of a conventional flashlight is usually no match to the LED flashlight.

Now we have gotten this issue out of the way, lets get on with my review of this product.
The X1 is the best compact size LED flashlight that use conventional type of battery, one AA battery in this case. It's alos the brightest in it's class. The X1 only use one LED bulb. You won't need to worry about how much light only one LED can make cause the special LED being used in this flashlight is bright enough to blind anybody if you point to their eyes directly. On top of the LED bulb, there is a clever designed convex lens that focus the light to a circular beam. Many other LED flashlight suffer from inefficiency cause their light beam aren't focused as this one therefore you only have a very bright bulb in your hands but it's not lighting up the object or area bright enough for you to see clearly. The use of the lens made this flashlight very power efficient. With the clever designed lens, one LED is enough for this flashlight while many other flashlight have to use 3 to 5 LED bulbs, which comsume battery faster.

This flashlight only use one AA battery and the LED bulb doesn't consume a lot of power. One alkaline battery can last for months of inconsistant use. I use this flashlight a lot everyday, and the Durcel Ultra AA battery that come with the package lasted for 6 months. I recommend using Durcel Ultra, Energizer e2 Lithium, Energizer e2 Titanium, or Energizer Ultimate battery so you don't have to replace the battery very soon.

The body of the flashlight is very strong and very well built. It is shock-proof and water resistant. I dropped it to concrete floor a few times and there isn't one scratch on the surface nor does the lens or the bulb break. The funishing is excellent. The texture of the shell is smooth enough for the touch and for sliding it in and out of the holster but have enough friction to stop it from slipping away from your hand. I stepped on it accidentially once and everything still intact and fine. I am not sure if it is as strong as my 3D-cell size Mag-lite or not cause I haven't run over it with my car yet but I don't think it's necessary to test it this way.

Another special feature of the X1 is its dual switch. You can lit up the flashlight fast by pressing your thumb and holding down on the speed button at the end of the it. Let it go and it turns off. You can also twist the end cap and turn it on permanently so that you don't need to hold it. Turn the cap to the opposite direction to turn it off. By twisting the end cap, you can also asjust the sensitive of the speed button.

The X1 also comes with a nylon holster which I think is another great features that make it stand out from other brands. The holster and the flashlight fits like a condom :> You can put the X1 in its holster on your belt. The light weight of the X1 make it innoticable no matter how long you carry it. I practically carry it along whenever I am out of my house ever since I bought it. It is so handly when I need it. Taking it out and puting it back into the holster is extremely easy. The holster is tight enough to hold the X1 in place and won't fall out even you jump a few times while loose enough for you take it out smoothly.

The bottom end of the X1 is built with a hole at the tip for you to hold it on a key-chain or a strap. However it doesn't come with a strap. This is the only minor draw back of the X1. I bought a tiny nylon cell-phone strap that you can find in those cell-phone accessories stores and strapped it to the hole which makes it easier to take it out of the holster fast and also further more prevent it droping from my hand.

I think a lot of you who consider buying this flashlight might also be thinking if you should get the X5 from the same company instead. I know it's hard to choose from these 2 great flashlight. Then you will need to ask yourself again how are you going to use the flashlight for.
If you want a compact flashlight that you can carry it with you all the time on your belt or in your purse to be ready whenever you need it, then X1 is a sure bet. It's light weight, it's brightest in its class, and it uses a battery type that you can almost find in any store or gas station.
The X5 is much brighter than the X1 and have a focus area much larger and further thant the X1, but it also consume more power. Also, the X5 uses special CR type batteries that are also used in many cameras, which may not be available everywhere (but most stores and gas stations in US these days carry these CR type batteries.)
While also comes with a nylon holster, the X5 is still bigger than the X1 and may not be an ideal flashlight for you to carry it around like you can with the X1. If you want to put a flashlight in your car, then I would suggest you to get a X5 or a 3D-cell size Mag-lite. If you want to have a flashlight with you anywhere you go like your cellphone, then go get the X1.

Hope this review helps your buying decision. Thanks for reading (if you make it this far!)

The primary advantage of using a flashlight with a LED bulb over incandescent is battery drain. The LED lights simply give you a lot more battery mileage. The disadvantage of LED bulbs is they don't provide the brightness of incandescent. Manufacturers have attempted to remedy the brightness drawback by packing absurd numbers of LED bulbs into their flashlights; there appears to be some sort of competition to see who can pack the most LED bulbs into a flashlight head! The obvious folly of this is that the more LEDs the flashlight contains, the faster the batteries will drain; which erases the primary advantage of buying a LED flashlight in the first place! No doubt some of the multi-LED flashlights currently on the market are bigger battery hogs than some incandescents.

Which brings us to the Inova X1. FINALLY someone has given us a LED flashlight that holds its own among incandescents. Featuring just one LED bulb, this thing produces a beam that's superior to any of the multi-LED flashlights of this size I've seen. Better still, it doesn't require an expensive, hard-to-find battery like most LED flashlights -- just a single common AA battery. Which means I can use my cost-cutting rechargables in it.

Ruggedly built to last and not absurdly priced like so many other LED flashlights on the market, this little beauty will become the first flashlight you reach for in most instances. Bravo Inova! I put this alongside my Palight as one of the few LED flashlights worth owning.

First off, this light has been through SEVERAL generations, all under the "X1" name. The original one had an optical lens, and created this ultra-bright circle (spotlight) that's about 2ft wide at 7 feet. That's it. It's like looking at the world through a hole of a hole punched paper. This is long gone now.

The second generation was in 2006-ish, when they switched from optics to a more traditional reflector. This version was very good -- the best flashlight in my opinion. The light was both intense and had great spread, and addressed a lot of the issues people had with not being able to see anything outside the little light spot. It got an amazing 10hrs of battery life; my personal tests showed around 8hrs then it started dimming.

However... as of May 07 Inova has switched LED's in this light. The new one (boasted as the 2.0W, it's a Luxeon LED of sorts) is about twice as bright as the old one, though our perception of brightness is on a logarithmic scale, so we really don't notice much change at all. However, here's what we will notice: battery life has gone down from a whopping 10 hours of the last generation to 3 hours now. (It starts dimming out on regular brand-name alkalines a bit past 2hrs, and at 3hrs the light is unusably dim). Inova, please hear us out -- PUT THE OLD BULB BACK. The little added brightness is NOT worth this sacrifice!

However, with that said, I still think this is the BEST single-battery LED light for its price. The light output is superb and will match bulkier 3 AAA or 2 AA lights easily. And the voltage is regulated, which means you get a full brightness down till the battery's nearly empty. Don't be fooled by cheaper lights! They do not have regulators, and the light will steadily dim throughout its life, forcing you to swap out batteries for additional brightness even though the batteries aren't even half drained! Plus, 2-3 hours is still well ahead of the competing products in its size class.

Another important thing to keep in mind: This light runs off a normal cheap AA battery. If you see a smaller or cheaper light with a better runtime, it is most likely using CR-123A (camera lithium) batteries. They pump more juice, but are harder to find and definitely more expensive to replace! Sure, you can buy then in large quantities online at cheap prices, but what if you're on a trip and your flashlight dies? Expect CR-123A's to be no less than ten bucks at a convenience store.

The flashlight is small and attractive and easily fits in the pocket, and the tactical 3-way switch is a cinch to use. This is a great personal-use flashlight and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a decent flashlight to replace those dollar store incandescents.

I give it 4 stars; if inova would bring back the old bulb with the 10 hrs battery life, I'd give it 5 stars.

** June 2011 update: Inova just released model Inova X1DM-HB Dual High/Low Mode LED Flashlight - 1 AA Battery which is better than this model for about the same price (55/6 lumens, 1.75/40 hour battery life, it has high/low modes).

** July 2010 update. They keep changing the flashlight without changing the model number. The one I got in April 2010 is brighter and especially the center spot is brighter than the one I got in October 2009. I'd say it lights up a reflective sign at 75 feet about as well as the MagLite AA LED. Very impressive. The reflector is shinier. I don't know if they changed the LED.

For a tiny 2-ounce flashlight, the Inova X1 is amazing and just about perfect.

- - - Comparison with MagLite LED (2-AA) - - -

It's 47% as large/heavy, but center spot is almost as intense as the MagLite LED (2-AA).

It's an ideal just-in-case flashlight for backpack/purse/travel -- when tiny rules.

For the glove box of your car, or anyplace you don't mind the bulk, the MagLite LED (2-AA) is probably better due to more battery life and multi-mode (energy saving mode).

Most affordable LED flashlights do not throw a concentrated beam nearly as well as these two models. Either will light up a reflective street sign really well from 50 - 75 feet away.

The "contacts problem" is easily solved. Clean the endcap grease off them with a napkin and pencil eraser (see below).

PROs:

~~> Tiny & lightweight
~~> AA battery
~~> Concentrated beam. Better than most other LED flashlights
~~> High quality look and feel (exceptional)
~~> Has hole for tether/strap
~~> Affordable

CONs:

~~> Switch/contacts failure (easily solved)


= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
DETAILS:

Beam focus: The beam has two well defined parts. The center beam lights a 8" diameter spot on a wall 10 ft away (4 degrees). At the same time an outer beam (53 degrees) illuminates a 10 ft diameter area. The MAGLITE LED 2-AA also dishes out a 8" diameter hot spot (at 10 ft distance) and the rest of the light fills a 8-ft diameter area (44 degrees).

Both models have plastic lenses which will scratch over time.

Stick with AA batteries for all your devices. Best deal on rechargeables, and only one size to stock up on. Borrow from other devices in a pinch. I never go AAA...they're 2-1/2 times as expensive per amp-hour of output, and in most flashlights they're also less space-efficient (per amp-hour of output).

Contacts problem: I noticed after 3 months that the "momentary-on" button started to work poorly, and even the full-on position required a firm twist. Other reviewers had this problem. It was easily solved by cleaning endcap grease off the contacts (barrel end, disk inside endcap, and battery ends) with a napkin and pencil eraser.

Comparison Data:

Inova X1 ...... MagLite LED 2-AA
----------- ...... ---------------------
.72" x 4" ....... .72"/1" x 6.6" .. Dimensions
2 oz ............... 4.25 oz .......... Weight (with alkaline batteries)
2 ..................... 3 ................... Stated Watts
4/53 degrees .. 4/44 degrees .. Beam Focus
50 ft. .............. 75 ft. ............. Street Sign Test
YES................... NO ............... Glass Lens (scratch resistant)
NO ................... YES .............. Beam adjustment
?? ................... YES............... Energy saving mode
YES .................. YES ............... Hole for wrist-strap or tether

I've bought and sold over a hundred X1's

Several have had issues, I found the fix.

Remove the tail cap, use a smooth file and remove a bit of the housing.
I generally remove .005" or so.

This allows a tighter fit between the spring and battery also a better contact for the case and tail cap..

Also, lots of us hold them in our mouth, use Vaseline or Silicone grease on the tail cap threads, O-Ring, spring and both ends of the battery.

It is NOT mandatory to use Alkalines I've used NiMH's [Nickle Metal Hydride] in all.

NiMH's average 1.35vdc while new Alkalines average 1.65vdc

The amperage of the NiMH's is higher than the Alkalines, average NiMH today is 2000 mah or 2 amps.

Any electrical device is rated in wattage.

Watts = Volts X Amps, so lower voltage in the NiMH's is overcome by the higher amperage.
Bottom Line, good quality NiMH batteries work fine, IMHO.

FYI, when a battery goes dead in a car, as the voltage goes down, the amperage goes up, often killing components such as wiper motors, light bulbs etc.

So you guys having problems, try this trick..
Selling lots of different brands of flashlights I promise you this, ALL of them have some issue that will need to be resolved !

Hope this helps
DrVette

After reading this week the comments posted by Jon Fowler and Alan W. Richmond, I would like to confirm their experiences. After I quit carrying my original X1 (purchased in 2006) for a while, I remembered that Inova has a limited lifetime warranty of its products. So, on August 3, 2008, I sent to Inova (Emissive Energy) an e-mail message about the problem I was experiencing in turning on my Inova X1 flashlight. I received a reply from the Sales Administrator, who provided a return authorization number. I sent in the X1 and received a newer model X1 on August 19, 2008. The newer model (it is brighter than the model that I sent in -- I think that it had the 2-watt LED) did work satisfactorily for a while, but then this X1 also started being inconsistent in turning on. After twisting the end cap to the constant on position, I would have to tap the flashlight against my hand several times before it would turn on. Sometimes it would not turn on and I would quit trying to use it for a while and then try again a few days later and it would turn on. So, several times, before I sent another message about the problem, I would try the flashlight and I would be able to get it to turn on, so I did not write about it.
I had purchased one of the older models in 2006 for my younger son, so I tried using the end cap of my X1 on his older model X1, which is not as bright but which continues to work without any problem. His older model X1 turned on every time with my X1's end cap, even at the momentary on setting. When I put the end cap back on my X1, my X1 did not turn on. Consequently, I figured that the problem may not be in the end cap switch but in the circuitry of my X1.
The last time I tried to turn on my X1 again, I had to tap it once on the desk edge and three more times on my hand, before it turned on. I was then able to turn it on briefly about four out of seven times -- sometimes, after I twisted the end cap to the constant on position, the flashlight would turn on after a delay of about a second. I have changed batteries before without any noticeable improvement. It is frustrating to have a flashlight not turn on right away when it is needed, so I gave up carrying the X1 and started using other flashlights that may not be as sturdily constructed as the X1, but were more reliable in turning on whenever I needed them.
So this past week, I sent another e-mail message to Inova about my X1's problem, also asking whether there was a known circuitry problem with some of the flashlights. I was told that there was no known problem with the X1, but I was given a return authorization number to return my X1 under the limited lifetime warranty. I mailed in my X1 this week, but then read the comments referred to above, which indicated that the problem may be more common than Inova may want to admit. If you experience a problem with an Inova flashlight, exercise your rights under the limited lifetime warranty.
Today, Sept. 4, 2009, I received a replacement X1 (X1MT) for the one I mailed back on Aug. 12. The packaging says "max output 25 lumens" and does not mention a 2-watt LED. The replacement X1 came with an AA battery but with no holster or wrist strap. This X1 turns on as it is supposed to so far. When it works, the latest model is very bright -- brighter than some of my older 2-AA battery LED flashlights (but, of course, not brighter than some of the newer 3-watt 2-AA battery flashlights). However, I do like the smaller size of a 1-AA battery flashlight for pants or shorts pocket carry with the AA battery's longer life over the 1-AAA battery (I do like convenience and portability of the slimmer AAA battery flashlights for shirt-pocket carry for close-up use). Hopefully, this X1 will last longer than the first two that I had to mail back to Inova under the warranty -- it does cost money to mail the flashlight back to Inova. If the circuitry problem is not present in my latest X1, I would rate it with a lot more stars than my original model.
Because my son still has the older model X1 (the second version without the spotlight lens and, apparently, not the 2-watt LED), which is just a little brighter than a 2-AAA-battery LED Eveready penlight, I was able to compare the brightness of my original model of the X1 with the latest "25 lumens" version. The latest version is much brighter, but it has a bright center "spot." My son's older version is much dimmer (of course, with a longer-rated battery life) and has a more evenly diffused floodlight circle of light that is actually easier to use for close-up lighting of objects. I have a Coast LED Lenser Digitac II 1-AA-battery flashlight that has a larger and more evenly illuminated circle of light (without the noticeably brighter center spot) than the "25 lumens" X1 and seems to be better for close-up illumination, but the latest X1 has a brighter, whiter light that could be more useful for outdoor distance lighting with a very compact 1-AA battery flashlight.
UPDATE: As of April 2010, the latest X1 is still working and has not developed the circuitry problems of its predecessors!

I'm on my third X1 in 3 weeks. The first two worked for a few days then became intermittent before dying. I have two ARC AAAs and two Inova X5s that I've owned for several years. They have been reliable. I avoid chinese made products when I can, but I have to wonder if the River Rock light (sold at Target) wouldn't have been a better choice.

This has been my favorite pocket light for back stage work in live theater, compact yet bright enough to see the grid sixty feet overhead. Nite Ize has acquired the Inova line which they are continuing to sell and support. The light blinks when the battery is running out which has been typical of other LED flash lights I have observed, not a bad thing. NiMh (1.2v.) and NiZn (1.6v.) rechargeable batteries have both been good performers in the light. After a year of regular use I experienced increasing switch problems and at eighteen months a complete failure following a particularly hard landing. I filled out the claim form on the Nite Ize web site and within twenty-four hours had instructions for returning the X-1 to Nite Ize. I shipped the light on Dec. 20 2010, first class, $1.69 via USPS. Today, Jan. 13, 2011 I received a new 2010 model X-1 via FedEx. Bottom line, both the light and technical support are excellent. Of course it would be great if everything was always perfect, but for the real world this company has demonstrated both the quality and professionalism that I expect after 40 years as a techie.

My previous pocket light was a cheap $10 Rock River LED 2x AAA, it lasted about 14 months. The Inova light was much brighter and more resistant to being accidentally turned on in my pocket. It also appears to be much better made and just feels more solid. I did miss the pocket clip a little, it was handy to be able to clip the other light to the brim of a cap for hands free use.

About a month after getting this light it began to intermittently refuse to turn on. Sometimes it would turn light up a second or two after turning it on. A couple of raps on the palm of my hand would get it going again. Then the raps had to harder ...and harder. Finally, after only two months it stopped working altogether.

UPDATE: Nite Ize, the current owners of Inova, just replaced my defective light under the Limited Lifetime Warranty. Nite Ize Customer Service was extremely pleasant to deal with. New packaging no longer has the almost useless 2 Watt claim and now says Max Output 25 Lumens. More importantly, RUN TIME IS NOW LISTED AS ONLY 2 HOURS 20 MINUTES. That's down from the older model's verified claim of 10 hours. That short of a runtime is a deal breaker for me, I would be replacing the battery once or twice a week for work use. I'm going to stick with my Streamlight Stylus Pro for everyday pocket carry. Added a star for the great, hassle free customer service.

I bought this light at target for $19.75. When i got home i tried to use the light. I took it out of the package and turned it on... nothing happened. Then i banged it on my hand then it came on VERY dimly. Orignaly i thought it was the battery so i replaced it. I did the same thing... NOTHING HAPPENED! I am very dissapointed with this so i will be getting a refund in a couple days.