Flashlights with integrated laser and UV lights are having a bit of a trending moment right now. As such, established brands are also looking to get in on the action. That’s exactly what’s happening with the Nitecore EDC17, a pocket-friendly three-in-one lighting tool.
Not only is the flashlight embracing the three-in-one trend that’s popping off right now, it’s also combining that with a flat form factor that makes it so much more convenient to carry in your pocket. Suffice to say, this makes for quite the compelling flashlight addition to any EDC kit.
The Nitecore EDC17 is a three-in-one lighting tool, combining a flashlight, a UV light, and a green laser pointer. Equipped with a UHi 25 LED, the flashlight delivers maximum brightness of 1500 lumens, all while throwing its beam at distances of up to 251 yards. As with most flashlights, setting it at maximum brightness will drain the battery pretty quick, with the whole thing rated to run at just 105 minutes at that setting. For longer runtimes, it also offers three other settings, namely Mid (220 lumens, 210 minute runtime), Low (50 lumens, 16 hours), and Ultralow (one lumen, 260 hours). It runs on a 1,500mAh rechargeable battery, by the way, so you can top it up from a power bank via USB-C any time you need extra juice.
We love the brightness adjustments on this thing, by the way, which is done via a sliding switch. This makes it very intuitive to go from one brightness level to another, making the whole process feel much smoother than usual compared to the typical button cycling most flashlights use.
The Nitecore EDC17 also comes with a UV light that offers three levels of output, namely 1350mW, 650mW, and 220mW, each of which can deliver 120 minutes, 360 minutes, and 13 hours of runtime, respectively. The UV here isn’t mean for sanitizing items. Instead, it’s meant for activities like authenticating currency, detecting stains in your hotel room (yes, it’s absolutely gross), find fungal infections in your pets, and identifying minerals, among other things. The green laser pointer, on the other hand, offers less than 5mW output, while being able to run for 72 hours. Granted, we’re not really sure how most people use laser pointers these days other than doing office presentations, class lectures, and annoying your cats, but if you do find the need for it, this makes for a great EDC option. The device, by the way, allows you to combine the flashlight with the laser pointer for better visibility when pointing things out in the dark.
Like we said, this flashlight comes in a flat ultra-slim design that makes it look more like a utility knife than a flashlight, especially with that sliding switch on the side. Dimensions are 4.8 x 1.3 x 0.6 inches (length x width x thickness), with the whole thing cut in a high-strength stainless steel shell with PVD coating for scratch- and wear-resistance. Other features include IPX7 water resistance rating, two meters of tested drop resistance, an advanced temperature regulation module to prevent overheating, a glass breaker tip on the tail for even more utility, and a pocket clip.
The Nitecore EDC17 is available now, priced at $94.95.
