The E70 is a compact every-day-carry style flashlight, with modestly high output, running on an included single 21700 battery. Features a rakish looking design typically associated with custom lights.

1. Introduction
2. Manufacturer Specifications
3. Package Details
4. Build
5. User Interface
6. Circuit Measures
7. Emitter Measures
8. Beamshots
9. Testing Results
10. Runtimes
11. Pros and Cons
12. Overall Rating
13. Preliminary Conclusions
14. Acknowledgement

Introduction

I’ve long been a fan of Acebeam lights (or Supbeam, in their original incarnation). I’ve always found their lights to be solid offerings, very well made, with efficient current-controlled circuits and well-thought out interfaces. So, upon my recent return to reviewing, I was glad to see that they are still around, and producing new lights.

The E70 is their relatively compact 1×21700 light, with an included 21700 cell. Let’s see what it has to offer, relative to the competition.

Manufacturer Specifications

Note: as always, these are simply what the manufacturer provides – scroll down to see my actual testing results.

Feature	Specs
Maker	Acebeam
Model	E70
Emitter	XHP70.2
Tint	6500K
Max Output (Lumens)	4600
Min Output (Lumens)	1
Max Runtime	11 days
Max Beam Intensity	14,400 cd
Max Beam Distance	240 m
Mode Levels	6
Flashing	Strobe
Battery	1x21700
Weight (w/o battery)	102g
Weight (with battery)	-
Length	128.3 mm
Head Diameter	30 mm
Body Diameter	27 mm
Waterproof	IP68 2m

Package Details

The E70 is shipped in a nice cardboard display box. Inside, you will find the following:

• Acebeam E70 flashlight, with attached clip (Torx screws)
• Lanyard
• Pouch
• 21700 battery
• USB-C charging cable
• Extra o-rings
• Warranty card,
• Manual

It’s a reasonable package of accessories, but I would personally like to see a belt holster as well (although I noticed that is very rare nowadays). Note that according to the box labels, multiple tint options are available. I have the standard 6500K cool white tint to review.

Build

From left to right: LiitoKala 21700 (5000mAh), Fenix ARB-L21-5000U 21700 (5000mAh), Sofirm IF25A, Fenix E35 v3, Convoy S21E, Imalent MS03, Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max, Acebeam E70, Nitecore P20iX, Nitecore MH12SE, Lumintop D3, Convoy M21F.

Well, that is a pretty unique design! the flashlight is double-walled, with the inner wall a very pleasing electric blue colour (visible through the slanted cut-outs along the outside wall).  This light is also available in a stainless steel version, which must be particularly stunning. I personally prefer aluminum lights, for the lighter weight and ability to lock out the light (thanks to the anodized threads, as seen here).

The extra wall thickness and larger head make this light a little larger than most in this class, which may be an issue for you if you are looking for something very compact. I have relatively large hands though, so I find the ergonomics to be good.

The rear switch is electronic in nature, with a stainless steel switch cover. Feel and traverse of the switch is good, and easy to activate even if you don’t hit it dead-on. Thanks to the raised tail cut-outs, the light can still tailstand stably. I found the design and interface very easy to use in my testing.

The light lacks traditional knurling, but the cut-outs in the exterior wall produce the same basic effect, along with circular indents on the head. A very rakish design. Note that this double-walled design does produce a certain “hollow” feel when you tap on it, but that’s a minor point.

The pocket clip is firmly attached, and helps further with grip. It is not reversible, and can only be used for downward carry.

Hard anodizing looks to be good quality (as is typical for Acebeam), and is more on the matte side (which I personally prefer, not a fan of glossy lights). As previously mentioned, threads are anodized, so you can lock out the light by a twist of the head.

The light lacks a USB-C charging port on the body, but there is one built into the bundled battery. There is a charging LED on the battery. Given the extra length of these batteries, you’ll have to stick with ones that include such a port. And you don’t want them to be too long (e.g., I found I couldn’t screw closed the head if I used the longer Fenix battery with integrated USB-C charger).

The light uses a Cree XHP70.2, so you can expect a good amount of output. You can also expect a relatively floody light, thanks to the larger emitter die. Reflector is textured, and reasonably deep for a compact light like this.

Unfortunately, you can also expect some colour distortions in the beam as these are common with the xx.2 HD editions of the Cree XHP series. The mineral glass lens also has a purple anti-reflective (AR) coating, which enhances the purple fringing on the periphery of the beam, as shown above. At least they didn’t go too heavy on the coating – while the fringing is noticeable, I don’t find it too bad in actual use (scroll down for beamshots). I would recommend that they switch to a light green AR coating, which is far less noticeable. I haven’t observed any significant tint shifting across output levels at least.

The bezel has small scalloped crenelations on it, so you can tell if the light is on when head-standing. I haven’t tried it using it as a weapon, but I imagine it would be rather unpleasant to be struck with the business end of this light.

Overall, I find this to be a snazzy looking light with decent ergonomics and a good beam pattern. It fits well in the hand, but is a bit larger than most in the class. A stylish build in the 1×21700 EDC class.

User Interface

The E70 uses a single tail-mounted electronic switch to control the flashlight. Available constant output modes, as per the manufacturer labels, are: Ultralow (which I will refer to as Moonlight throughout this review), Low, Med1, Med2, Hi, Turbo. There is one blinking mode outside the main sequence: Strobe.

From OFF:

• Press and hold: Moonlight (release after light activates to maintain Moonlight)
• Single click: Nothing
• Double click: Turns on in last mode used
• Triple click: Strobe
• 5 clicks: Activates lockout mode. Note the light will activate in Moonlight for ~3 secs, then flash three times, turn off and lock itself out. Press and hold 3 secs to disable lockout (or loosen-tighten the tailcap)

From ON:

• Press and hold: Cycles through all the modes from Low to High (note that Turbo and Moonlight are not part of the main cycle)
• Double click: Turbo (and a repeated double-click returns you to the previously used mode)
• Triple click: Strobe

Shortcuts:

• To Turbo: Double click from On to enter Turbo (or double-click twice from Off)
• To Moonlight: Press and hold from Off
• To Strobe: Triple-click from either On or Off
• To Lockout: Press and hold the switch for more than 5 secs. Press and hold 3 secs to disable (or loosen-tighten the tailcap)

 

Mode memory:

Yes. The light remembers the last constant output used, and returns to it next time you turn on it (with the exception of Moonlight and Turbo).

Low battery warning:

No, not that I have observed.

Reviewer Comments:

This is a very decent interface. About the only thing I don’t like is the need to double click to turn on (not sure why single click wasn’t used, perhaps to avoid accidental activation?). Still, it isn’t too hard to remember this little quirk, and the worst thing that will happen is the light won’t come in with a single click.  Alternatively, a press and hold will activate in Moonlight, and you can always cycle through to the main modes from there.

Note that Turbo requires a double click to enter, and ramps down automatically after about a min or so (scroll down for runtimes). And I’m glad to see the Moonlight mode here (see Testing Results for more info).

Circuit Measures

Pulse-Width Modulation (PWM):

There is no sign of PWM or circuit noise at any level. The light appears to be fully constant-current controlled. 🙂

Strobe:

Strobe frequency is a reasonably fast 8.5 Hz. Certainly annoying, but not as bad as some.

Charging:

Resting voltage <3.0V

Resting voltage >3.0V

The Acebeam 21700 battery shows an initial low USB-C charging current of 0.09A when the cell is heavily depleted (<3.0V resting), which jumps up to 0.60A once the cell is >3.0V resting. This two-current charging is a good design, and indicates a safe integrated charging circuit. However, the max charging rate is lower than most lights in this class, so it will take longer to fully charge the battery.

Standby / Parasitic Drain:

I have recently re-tested the standby current with an improved setup, and measured 0.152 mA.

This is reasonably low, and not much of a concern in practice (i.e., it would take 3.75 years to fully drain the battery). Still, I suggest you lock the light out when not in use to prevent accidental activation and completely cut this standby drain. A single twist of the head will lock out this light, thanks to the anodized screw threads.

Emitter Measures

This section is a new feature of my reviews, where I directly measure key emitter characteristics in terms of colour temperature, tint, and colour rendition. Please see my Emitter Measures page to learn more about what these terms mean, and how I am measuring them.

As explained on that page, since I am using an inexpensive uncalibrated device, you can only make relative comparisons across my reviews (i.e., don’t take these numbers as absolutely accurate values, but as relatively consistent across lights in my testing).

The key measures above are the colour temperature of ~5605K, and the noticeable positive tint shift (+0.0116 Duv) to yellow-green at this temperature.

For CRI (Ra), I measured a combined score of 63.

These results are very consistent with cool-white XHP70.2 emitters, and match my visual experience of this light.

Beamshots

All outdoor beamshots are taken on my Canon PowerShot S5 IS at f/2.7, 0.5 secs exposure, ISO 400, daylight white balance. The bend in the road is approximately 40 meters (~45 yards) from the camera. Learn more about my outdoor beamshots here (scroll down for the floody light position used in this review).

Click on any thumbnail image below to open a full size image in a new window. You can then easily compare beams by switching between tabs.

In practice, the yellow-green tint shifting in the corona to mid-spill area of the spillbeam isn’t that noticeable in a natural environment (well, it would be on snow). The purple fringing in the periphery is noticeable but not too distracting. I would recommend they switch to a green AR coating, to minimize the purple (although this would accentuate green in the mid-spill).

Testing Results

My summary tables are generally reported in a manner consistent with the ANSI FL-1 standard for flashlight testing. In addition to the links above, please see my output measures page for more background.

All my output numbers are based on my home-made lightbox setup. As explained on that methodology page, I have devised a method for converting my lightbox relative output values to estimated lumens. My Peak Intensity/Beam Distance are directly measured with a NIST-certified Extech EA31 lightmeter.

E70 Testing Results

Mode	Spec Lumens	Estimated Lumens @0sec	Estimated Lumens @30 secs	Beam Intensity @0sec	Beam Intensity @30secs	Beam Distance @30secs	PWM/Strobe Freq	Noise Freq	Charging Current <3V	Charging Current >3V	Parasitic Drain	Weight w/o Battery	Weight with Battery
Ultralow	1	1.0	1.0	-	-	-	No	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g
Low	50	55	55	-	-	-	No	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g
Med1	180	180	180	-	-	-	No	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g
Med2	650	550	550	-	-	-	No	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g
Hi	1,300	1,300	1,300	-	-	-	No	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g
Turbo	4,600	4,200	4,000	13,800 cd	13,200 cd	230 m	No	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g
Strobe	1,650	-	-	-	-	-	8.4 Hz	No	0.09 A	0.60 A	1.8 mA	101 g	175 g

To see full testing results for all modern lights in my testing, check out my Database page.

Runtimes

As always, my runtimes are done under a small cooling fan, for safety and consistency. To learn more about how to interpret runtime graphs, see my runtimes methodology page.

As you can see above, the E70 is extremely efficient at all levels tested, consistent with a good current-controlled circuit.

To better show the timed step-down feature on Turbo, here is the max output runtime expanded to show the first few minutes:

The output rapidly ramps down just before the 1 minute mark, over a period of 30 secs or so. This is quite reasonable, given how the hard the light is driven for the first minute. It also gets quite warm in the hand by the point it starts to ramp down.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Excellent current-controlled efficiency, with flat and stable regulation in all modes	Double-click to turn on is unusual, and deprives the option of an extra shortcut (e.g. to Turbo)
Great range of output levels, including Turbo and Moonlight	Slightly larger than most compact 1x21700 lights
Nicely balanced beam profile with lots of spill	Standby drain higher than typical, requiring you to lock-out the light when not in use.
Comfortable to hold in the hand	Some colour distortions in the beam due to the XHP70.2 HD emitter, plus purple fringing at the edge of the spillbeam due to the AR lens coating
Included high-capacity battery with USB-C charging port

Overall Rating

Preliminary Conclusions

I really like the design and features of this light. It is comfortable to hold and operate, and it has a great range of well-regulated and highly efficient output levels (from Turbo to Moonlight). It’s nice to see Acebeam has kept its commitment to using good current-controlled drivers.

The beam pattern is very useful, with a nice big hotspot and tons of spill. However, the XHP70.2 HD emitter used here produces greater tint shifting across the spillbeam than most emitters, which is being accentuated by the purple AR coating on the lens of this model. But it’s not too bad on my specimen, probably due to the heavily textured reflector which helps even things out. And I’m really glad to see the ~1 lumen Moonlight mode here – it’s incredibly useful for dark adapted eyes, and something I (sadly) rarely see any more.

The E70 is a bit larger than some in the class, but I find it actually fits in my large sized hands well. Your experience may differ though, so I could see how this could be a drawback for some. And appearance will always be subjective, but I find it looks snazzy. Good ergonomics and a great overall package, making it a pleasure to use for me personally.

The dual-level charging is good design feature, although the max charging rate is lower than most in this class. But otherwise, I’m very impressed will all aspects of the circuit performance. The only thing I’m not crazy about is the double-click to turn (as a single click is far more intuitive, and is a loss opportunity to have a Turbo shortcut as most others implement).

Collectively, the relatively minor issues above are enough to knock a half star off the top possible rating. But I would still consider the E70 a top pick in the 1×21700 class of flashlights so far, based on features and performance.

UPDATE May 11, 20223: I originally reported an unusually high parasitic standby drain on my sample, as I was getting inconsistent readings and so went with the highest value. I’ve upgraded my DMM leads and more carefully masked off the surfaces, and am pleased to report much more reasonable (and inconsequential) drain levels consistent with the competition.

Acknowledgement

The E70 was provided for review by Acebeam. All opinions are my own however, and the light received the same rigourous and objective testing as all other lights that I have reviewed. At the time of review, this light retails for ~$75 USD (~$125 CDN).

Acebeam is making available a discount code for readers of my reviews. If you purchase the light from the Acebeam.com website, you can use the code “selfbuilt” (without the quotation marks) for 10% off.