The Nitecore LA30 is a new high-CRI lantern from Nitecore. It has a built-in 1800mAh rechargeable battery yet can run off AA batteries if present, offering convenience and longer runtimes. It has a metal hanging loop, a magnetic base, three white output levels from 8 to 250 lumens and two red levels from 5 to 40 lumens.
Skip to the commentary section at bottom to read my subjective notes on the LA30.
Disclaimer: This light was provided at no cost by Nitecore Store, shipping from their location in Texas. Nitecore Store is an authorized Nitecore distributor for the U.S.A. Retail price at the time of this review was $39.95.
Unboxing
The LA30 arrived in the traditional black and yellow Nitecore retail box. The box front promotes the output, dual color options (yellow and blue; yellow tested in this review), dual power options, dual emitter colors, and shows a picture of it in use in a tent.
The rear lists many of the features:
One side of the box is quite simple:
And the other side is the same:
Inside the box, a plastic tray holds the LA30, USB to micro-USB charge cable, manual, warranty card, and spare gaskets for the battery door and thumbscrew.
Contents:
The manual is in 10 languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Romanian, and Korean); each language's section is complete as the text is quite small.
It is online here:
Nitecore backs the LA30 with a 1-year warranty, consistent with other Nitecore products with internal batteries but shy of the 5-year warranty that accompanies Nitecore flashlights.
Design
The LA30 has an oblong shape with triangular power button on front and micro-USB charge port on end. The main body is available in yellow or blue with a white dome wrapping around the top of the lantern.
Nitecore lists the length at 75.2 mm, depth at 49.5 mm, height at 53.8 mm, and weight at 117 g. My measurements confirmed the dimensions within 0.7 mm; weight as tested was exactly as specified.
For a size comparison, here is the LA30 alongside a Fenix CL25R lantern, an Eneloop AA battery, and a Nitecore MT22C 18650-based flashlight.
Taking a closer look at the front, we see a triangularly-shaped dark grey power button under the Nitecore logo. To the sides of the button radiate some raised lines to break up the smooth surface.
On the side is the micro-USB charging port, covered by a black rubber cover. Note that this is a different color than the power button. The charge port cover helps the LA30 achieve the IP66 water resistance rating. It moves out of the way nicely to accept the charge cable, but no spare is included so a user should be careful not to pull too hard and break the tether.
The flat bottom of the LA30 provides model, battery, and water resistance information. The thumbscrew used to access the AA battery compartment and the metal hanging loop are visible. The built-in magnet is not visible but is present in this battery door. I found the magnet was quite strong though effectiveness was reduced slightly with the weight of AA batteries installed.
The metal hanging loop is very handy for hanging the LA30 from the top of tents, on tree limbs, and basically anything it can be tied to or hung over. This adds a lot of versatility to the lantern.
The battery door itself has a double-ring gasket to keep water out. The slots for the two AA batteries (NiMH rechargeable or Alkaline) are easy to access and have gold-colored springs. Note that 14500 cells are not allowed. When AA cells are installed, the LA30 will use the AA cells. (They must be removed for the internal cell to be used.)
The LA30 includes a multi-function red indicator above the charge port. First, it displays battery charge. When the power button is pressed and released quickly, a single red LED above the charge port illuminates 1 to 3 times. Three flashes indicates charge over 50%, two flashes reports charge over 10%, and a single flash indicates charge is under 10%. This same light also illuminates when charging. Or, if the light is on and the power button held for 3 seconds while turning off, this indicator flashes about every 2 seconds so that the LA30 can easily be found in the dark.
A green indicator in the same vicinity shows when the LA30 is fully charged.
Note that the LA30 can be used when charging, with all 3 modes available. (If the battery is very depleted, High will step down quickly.) This allows the LA30 to be used while connected to external battery packs – potentially extending the runtime indefinitely.
Performance
Beam
The LA30 has 8 emitters under its rounded dome diffuser. As such, the main output is smooth and wide.
I failed to find the number of red emitters advertised, but red output was slightly more concentrated upward.
Tint & Temperature
Nitecore advertises the LA30 as having CRI >=90, but does not specify tint or temperature. In my testing, I found the LA30 has a very neutral tint (not noticeably blue, red, green, etc) and a temperature of about 4000K.
Output
Note: My testing equipment is setup and calibrated for flashlights, not lanterns. The multi-directional output of lanterns makes it very difficult to measure. As such, I am representing output here in percentages of the LA30's maximum output measured on High rather than lumens. Based on personal observation – and relative to a Fenix CL25R – I do believe that Nitecore's 250 lumen maximum output rating is credible.
All tests were performed between 70F and 75F without any active cooling. Nitecore states the LA30 has Advanced Temperature Regulation (ATR); performance could vary in warmer and cooler conditions.
High is rated at 250 lumens for 4 hours using the built-in rechargeable 1800mAh Li-Ion cell. I found output held fairly steady for the first 7 minutes, then dropped down to about 40% of the output by minute 15. Output rebounded a little bit to 45%, whereby output remained nearly flat until 4 hours and 39 minutes into the test. At 4 hours and 50 minutes, a second stepdown occurred and output was <10%. This 4:50 runtime exceeds Nitecore's specifications by 50 minutes.
High with AA cells is also rated at 250 lumens, but for only 3 hours. In testing, I found that the AA cells started off at the same initial peak but output slightly less for the first 12 minutes, by which time the internal cell had started to fade more quickly. The AA cells maintained higher output (and without as steep of a drop or bounce-back) through minute 24 – when the two again flipped. A sharp stepdown occurred at 164 minutes – 16 minutes shy of the rated 3 hours. Voltage was measured at 1.15V per cell after termination; the LA30 terminated without running the cells all the way down to around 0.8V.
First 15 minutes:
Full output curve:
Medium is rated for 55 lumens and 9:15. I measured output at 23% of the peak output on High; since High is rated for 250 lumens, this ratio seems about right. Output was extremely flat on Medium from turn-on until a stepdown at 9 hours 17 minutes – right in line with the rated specification. That said, the LA30 held on with an output >10% of the initial output until 10 hours 53 minutes when it powered off, thereby exceeding the official stated runtime. (AA cells were not tested on Medium.)
Low is rated at 8 lumens for 56 hours. I measured output at about 3.6% of the peak output on High; this would again put the results in alignment with specifications. Output on Low as tested was extremely flat all the way until shut-off at 49 hours and 5 minutes. This falls about 7 hours short of the 56 hour runtime.
Red has two brightness levels plus SOS and Beacon. High is rated at 40 lumens for 7:15. Runtime was not tested; output was measured at about 14% of peak white output – which puts it in line with specifications.
Red Low is rated for 5 lumens and 48 hours. Again, runtime was not tested but output measured just over 2% of peak white output – which would put output at around 5 lumens if the peak was indeed 250 lumens.
All runtimes tested:
Throw
This was not measured for the same reason that lumen output was not reported above (lack of validation/calibration).
PWM
Nitecore advertises the LA30 as constant current – and I found no signs of any PWM during testing.
Parasitic Drain
Nitecore advertises that the LA30 has APC (Advanced Power Cut-off) so that the LA30 has no parasitic drain in standby. With the internal nature of the battery I could not verify this – but I did see no evidence of parasitic drain during nearly a month of use and testing.
Impact Resistance
Nitecore rates the LA30's impact resistance at 1 meter. I unintentionally dropped it 8 ft (2.43 m) onto a wooden deck; the LA30 suffered no apparent damage.
Water Resistance
Nitecore rates the LA30 as IP66. This makes it resistant to rain and splashing but it should not be submerged underwater. After seeing the gaskets and waterproofing measures on the LA30, I would see no issue with leaving it outdoors in the rain at a campsite or during other normal use.
Charging & Internal Battery
Charging measured approximately 0.54A. A full charge consumed 2160mAh on average. Factoring in a 15% loss in the charging process, this would put the battery at or above the rated 1800mAh.
Outdoor Beamshots
All photos taken with a Canon SD4000IS camera. 1/4" exposure, ISO800, Daylight white balance, F2.0.
LA30 on dock at approximately 75 ft.
Control:
Low:
Med:
High
LA30 shining outward on yard and dock.
Control:
Low:
Med:
High:
On deck at approximately 15 ft.
Low:
Med:
High:
Red Low:
Red High:
Interface
The LA30 has 3 regular white output levels, 2 red output levels, and 2 special red modes (Beacon, SOS). There is no mode memory but there is a shortcut to High from off.
From off:
From on:
Problems
No problems were experienced with the Nitecore LA30 while testing.
Commentary
The LA30 is quite a nice little lantern. It is bright but being small and pretty tough. The biggest selling point will be the multiple ways it can be powered; it has the convenience of a built-in rechargeable battery, can utilize common AA cells when there's no time to recharge (or when saving the internal battery), and can even operate while recharging off external power.
The outputs are well-spaced and runtimes are solid though Low is a little bit bright at 8 lumens. The neutral color temp and high CRI emitters are excellent, making it easier to discern colors and recognize objects in the dark.
The combination of hanging loop, stable bottom, and magnetic base means the LA30 be used in a lot of different ways. The only caveat I'd note is that one should be careful to trust the magnets if AA batteries are installed due to the added weight.
Yellow and blue are fun color options but a simple black should be added to attract customers who want a more serious-looking lantern.
In the Nitecore lantern lineup, I expect the LA30 may make the LR10 obsolete. The LA30 has the same rated output but much longer runtimes, can accept AA batteries in addition to the internal battery, has multiple red outputs, and only costs about a dollar more. The LR10 is a little thinner, has white SOS and Beacon modes instead of red, and comes in more traditional body colors – but I expect most people to find greater value in the LA30.
The LA30's diffuser dome spreads light well and it is especially effective when hung upside down. However, light is wasted into the sky when the lantern is pointed upward. Compare that to the Fenix CL25R, a cylindrical lantern that sends light outward but not up or down – which can be more useful in a campsite but far less useful in a tent or under a car hood.
The LA30's main competition is the Fenix CL20R. The LA30 and CL20R have similar sizes and designs. Both are the same retail price. Both have an upward facing dome diffuser, side-mounted power button and end-mounted charge port. Both have magnetic bases, hanging loops, and are rated at IPX6 for water resistance. Performance wise, the Fenix has one more white output level and 50 more lumens output while the Nitecore has an additional (and brighter) red level. But the Nitecore battery is larger and the Nitecore allows common AA batteries to be used – while the Fenix is limited to the internal cell. Both are very similar lanterns, but the battery flexibility alone would lead me to choose the Nitecore LA30 over the Fenix CL20R.
Overall, the LA30 is a solid lantern with high CRI, multiple output levels for white and red light, and the ability to run off a variety of power sources.
Lux Meter: Dr. Meter LX1330B
Integrating "sphere": Homebuilt tube-style device calibrated on other known lights and test results. Numbers should be considered relative to each other and my other review figures but accuracy is in no way certified or guaranteed.
Camera: Canon SD4000IS
Micrometer: Mitutoyo CD-6ASX
Multimeter: Craftsman 82170
Skip to the commentary section at bottom to read my subjective notes on the LA30.
Disclaimer: This light was provided at no cost by Nitecore Store, shipping from their location in Texas. Nitecore Store is an authorized Nitecore distributor for the U.S.A. Retail price at the time of this review was $39.95.
Unboxing
The LA30 arrived in the traditional black and yellow Nitecore retail box. The box front promotes the output, dual color options (yellow and blue; yellow tested in this review), dual power options, dual emitter colors, and shows a picture of it in use in a tent.
The rear lists many of the features:
One side of the box is quite simple:
And the other side is the same:
Inside the box, a plastic tray holds the LA30, USB to micro-USB charge cable, manual, warranty card, and spare gaskets for the battery door and thumbscrew.
Contents:
The manual is in 10 languages (English, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Romanian, and Korean); each language's section is complete as the text is quite small.
It is online here:
Nitecore backs the LA30 with a 1-year warranty, consistent with other Nitecore products with internal batteries but shy of the 5-year warranty that accompanies Nitecore flashlights.
Design
The LA30 has an oblong shape with triangular power button on front and micro-USB charge port on end. The main body is available in yellow or blue with a white dome wrapping around the top of the lantern.
Nitecore lists the length at 75.2 mm, depth at 49.5 mm, height at 53.8 mm, and weight at 117 g. My measurements confirmed the dimensions within 0.7 mm; weight as tested was exactly as specified.
For a size comparison, here is the LA30 alongside a Fenix CL25R lantern, an Eneloop AA battery, and a Nitecore MT22C 18650-based flashlight.
Taking a closer look at the front, we see a triangularly-shaped dark grey power button under the Nitecore logo. To the sides of the button radiate some raised lines to break up the smooth surface.
On the side is the micro-USB charging port, covered by a black rubber cover. Note that this is a different color than the power button. The charge port cover helps the LA30 achieve the IP66 water resistance rating. It moves out of the way nicely to accept the charge cable, but no spare is included so a user should be careful not to pull too hard and break the tether.
The flat bottom of the LA30 provides model, battery, and water resistance information. The thumbscrew used to access the AA battery compartment and the metal hanging loop are visible. The built-in magnet is not visible but is present in this battery door. I found the magnet was quite strong though effectiveness was reduced slightly with the weight of AA batteries installed.
The metal hanging loop is very handy for hanging the LA30 from the top of tents, on tree limbs, and basically anything it can be tied to or hung over. This adds a lot of versatility to the lantern.
The battery door itself has a double-ring gasket to keep water out. The slots for the two AA batteries (NiMH rechargeable or Alkaline) are easy to access and have gold-colored springs. Note that 14500 cells are not allowed. When AA cells are installed, the LA30 will use the AA cells. (They must be removed for the internal cell to be used.)
The LA30 includes a multi-function red indicator above the charge port. First, it displays battery charge. When the power button is pressed and released quickly, a single red LED above the charge port illuminates 1 to 3 times. Three flashes indicates charge over 50%, two flashes reports charge over 10%, and a single flash indicates charge is under 10%. This same light also illuminates when charging. Or, if the light is on and the power button held for 3 seconds while turning off, this indicator flashes about every 2 seconds so that the LA30 can easily be found in the dark.
A green indicator in the same vicinity shows when the LA30 is fully charged.
Note that the LA30 can be used when charging, with all 3 modes available. (If the battery is very depleted, High will step down quickly.) This allows the LA30 to be used while connected to external battery packs – potentially extending the runtime indefinitely.
Performance
Beam
The LA30 has 8 emitters under its rounded dome diffuser. As such, the main output is smooth and wide.
I failed to find the number of red emitters advertised, but red output was slightly more concentrated upward.
Tint & Temperature
Nitecore advertises the LA30 as having CRI >=90, but does not specify tint or temperature. In my testing, I found the LA30 has a very neutral tint (not noticeably blue, red, green, etc) and a temperature of about 4000K.
Output
Note: My testing equipment is setup and calibrated for flashlights, not lanterns. The multi-directional output of lanterns makes it very difficult to measure. As such, I am representing output here in percentages of the LA30's maximum output measured on High rather than lumens. Based on personal observation – and relative to a Fenix CL25R – I do believe that Nitecore's 250 lumen maximum output rating is credible.
All tests were performed between 70F and 75F without any active cooling. Nitecore states the LA30 has Advanced Temperature Regulation (ATR); performance could vary in warmer and cooler conditions.
High is rated at 250 lumens for 4 hours using the built-in rechargeable 1800mAh Li-Ion cell. I found output held fairly steady for the first 7 minutes, then dropped down to about 40% of the output by minute 15. Output rebounded a little bit to 45%, whereby output remained nearly flat until 4 hours and 39 minutes into the test. At 4 hours and 50 minutes, a second stepdown occurred and output was <10%. This 4:50 runtime exceeds Nitecore's specifications by 50 minutes.
High with AA cells is also rated at 250 lumens, but for only 3 hours. In testing, I found that the AA cells started off at the same initial peak but output slightly less for the first 12 minutes, by which time the internal cell had started to fade more quickly. The AA cells maintained higher output (and without as steep of a drop or bounce-back) through minute 24 – when the two again flipped. A sharp stepdown occurred at 164 minutes – 16 minutes shy of the rated 3 hours. Voltage was measured at 1.15V per cell after termination; the LA30 terminated without running the cells all the way down to around 0.8V.
First 15 minutes:
Full output curve:
Medium is rated for 55 lumens and 9:15. I measured output at 23% of the peak output on High; since High is rated for 250 lumens, this ratio seems about right. Output was extremely flat on Medium from turn-on until a stepdown at 9 hours 17 minutes – right in line with the rated specification. That said, the LA30 held on with an output >10% of the initial output until 10 hours 53 minutes when it powered off, thereby exceeding the official stated runtime. (AA cells were not tested on Medium.)
Low is rated at 8 lumens for 56 hours. I measured output at about 3.6% of the peak output on High; this would again put the results in alignment with specifications. Output on Low as tested was extremely flat all the way until shut-off at 49 hours and 5 minutes. This falls about 7 hours short of the 56 hour runtime.
Red has two brightness levels plus SOS and Beacon. High is rated at 40 lumens for 7:15. Runtime was not tested; output was measured at about 14% of peak white output – which puts it in line with specifications.
Red Low is rated for 5 lumens and 48 hours. Again, runtime was not tested but output measured just over 2% of peak white output – which would put output at around 5 lumens if the peak was indeed 250 lumens.
All runtimes tested:
Throw
This was not measured for the same reason that lumen output was not reported above (lack of validation/calibration).
PWM
Nitecore advertises the LA30 as constant current – and I found no signs of any PWM during testing.
Parasitic Drain
Nitecore advertises that the LA30 has APC (Advanced Power Cut-off) so that the LA30 has no parasitic drain in standby. With the internal nature of the battery I could not verify this – but I did see no evidence of parasitic drain during nearly a month of use and testing.
Impact Resistance
Nitecore rates the LA30's impact resistance at 1 meter. I unintentionally dropped it 8 ft (2.43 m) onto a wooden deck; the LA30 suffered no apparent damage.
Water Resistance
Nitecore rates the LA30 as IP66. This makes it resistant to rain and splashing but it should not be submerged underwater. After seeing the gaskets and waterproofing measures on the LA30, I would see no issue with leaving it outdoors in the rain at a campsite or during other normal use.
Charging & Internal Battery
Charging measured approximately 0.54A. A full charge consumed 2160mAh on average. Factoring in a 15% loss in the charging process, this would put the battery at or above the rated 1800mAh.
Outdoor Beamshots
All photos taken with a Canon SD4000IS camera. 1/4" exposure, ISO800, Daylight white balance, F2.0.
LA30 on dock at approximately 75 ft.
Control:
Low:
Med:
High
LA30 shining outward on yard and dock.
Control:
Low:
Med:
High:
On deck at approximately 15 ft.
Low:
Med:
High:
Red Low:
Red High:
Interface
The LA30 has 3 regular white output levels, 2 red output levels, and 2 special red modes (Beacon, SOS). There is no mode memory but there is a shortcut to High from off.
From off:
- Press and release quickly to perform a battery voltage check
- Press and hold about 1.5s to access Low
- Press and hold about 2.5s to access High
- Double press to access Red Low
From on:
- Press to cycle upward through modes (Low->Medium->High or Red Low->High->Beacon->SOS)
- Press and hold about 1s to turn off
- Press and hold about 3s to turn off whilst activating the Position indicator
Problems
No problems were experienced with the Nitecore LA30 while testing.
Commentary
The LA30 is quite a nice little lantern. It is bright but being small and pretty tough. The biggest selling point will be the multiple ways it can be powered; it has the convenience of a built-in rechargeable battery, can utilize common AA cells when there's no time to recharge (or when saving the internal battery), and can even operate while recharging off external power.
The outputs are well-spaced and runtimes are solid though Low is a little bit bright at 8 lumens. The neutral color temp and high CRI emitters are excellent, making it easier to discern colors and recognize objects in the dark.
The combination of hanging loop, stable bottom, and magnetic base means the LA30 be used in a lot of different ways. The only caveat I'd note is that one should be careful to trust the magnets if AA batteries are installed due to the added weight.
Yellow and blue are fun color options but a simple black should be added to attract customers who want a more serious-looking lantern.
In the Nitecore lantern lineup, I expect the LA30 may make the LR10 obsolete. The LA30 has the same rated output but much longer runtimes, can accept AA batteries in addition to the internal battery, has multiple red outputs, and only costs about a dollar more. The LR10 is a little thinner, has white SOS and Beacon modes instead of red, and comes in more traditional body colors – but I expect most people to find greater value in the LA30.
The LA30's diffuser dome spreads light well and it is especially effective when hung upside down. However, light is wasted into the sky when the lantern is pointed upward. Compare that to the Fenix CL25R, a cylindrical lantern that sends light outward but not up or down – which can be more useful in a campsite but far less useful in a tent or under a car hood.
The LA30's main competition is the Fenix CL20R. The LA30 and CL20R have similar sizes and designs. Both are the same retail price. Both have an upward facing dome diffuser, side-mounted power button and end-mounted charge port. Both have magnetic bases, hanging loops, and are rated at IPX6 for water resistance. Performance wise, the Fenix has one more white output level and 50 more lumens output while the Nitecore has an additional (and brighter) red level. But the Nitecore battery is larger and the Nitecore allows common AA batteries to be used – while the Fenix is limited to the internal cell. Both are very similar lanterns, but the battery flexibility alone would lead me to choose the Nitecore LA30 over the Fenix CL20R.
Overall, the LA30 is a solid lantern with high CRI, multiple output levels for white and red light, and the ability to run off a variety of power sources.
Lux Meter: Dr. Meter LX1330B
Integrating "sphere": Homebuilt tube-style device calibrated on other known lights and test results. Numbers should be considered relative to each other and my other review figures but accuracy is in no way certified or guaranteed.
Camera: Canon SD4000IS
Micrometer: Mitutoyo CD-6ASX
Multimeter: Craftsman 82170
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