# Review: Thrunite TH20 Neutral White (1xAA/14500)



## stephenk (Jul 22, 2016)

*Disclaimer*


This flashlight was kindly sent to me for review by Gearbest.


*Introduction*


Traditionally, many headlamps use multiple AA or AAA cells, making the light unnecessarily bulky and heavy. Due to improving driver and emitter technology, more manufacturers are selling headlamps that use a single AA or 14500 battery to cut down on size and weight. The Thrunite TH20 is Thrunite’s answer to the single AA/14500 market, and is available in cool white (5500-6500k) and neutral white (4500-5500k) versions. This review is of the neutral white version. 







Manufacturer Product Description
* A high output headlamp with max output of 520 lumens in turbo mode powered by one Li-ion 14500 750mAh battery.
* The logarithmic scale brightness adjustment system allows any brightness from 1.6 lumens to 250 lumens. Furthermore, the TH20 features a built-in SOS signaling mode which is important when roaming out in the wild or confronting dangerous situations.
* Unlike other light-weight headlamps which are made with plastic, the TH20 is made with aircraft grade aluminum which gives it exceptional durability and excellent heat dissipation allowing it to maintain high output for extended periods of time.
* The advanced design gives the TH20 a light weight of 96g (battery excluded).
* The TH20 can also use an easy to get AA battery which makes it a great choice for daily reading, camping and a tool light when you want your hands free.
Manufacturer Specifications
* LED: CREE XP-L V6 LED with a lifespan of 20+ years of run time.
* Mode & Runtime (Tested by one Eneloop AA 2450mAh NIMH rechargeable battery): 
* -Firefly (0.3 lumens, 14 days）
* -Infinity Low (1.6 lumens, 21 hours）
* -Infinity High (230 lumens, 95 minutes )
* -Turbo (250 lumens, 93 minutes) 
* Batteries Applicable: 1x AA battery, 1x 14500 battery.
* Working voltage: 0.9-4.2 V.
* Reflector: Orange Peel.
* Peak Beam Intensity: 1120 cd
* Beam Distance: 67 m (max.)
* Dimensions: 70 mm * 24.5mm
* Weight: 96 g (without battery).
* Waterproof: IPX-8 (1.5 m)
* Impact Resistance: 2 m.
* Material: Aircraft grade aluminum body with premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.
* Accessories included: O ring, spare rubber slot.


*Packaging*


The light came in a small cardboard box, with foam padding. Accessories include 2 spare O-rings, a spare holder, warranty card, and instructions. 









*Ergonomics & Build*


The Thrunite TH20 has a single strap headband which I much prefer over the two strap (around and over the head) type. The holder for the light is soft and flexible. This is comfortable to wear, makes it easy to change the angle of the light, and also holds the light at the chosen angle whilst running. This headlamp is solidly built, but is heavier than many of its peers. The threads are smooth, though there is quite a bit of resistance when screwing in protected 14500s. 




It is IPX-8 rated, and survived a shower during testing. The emitter is well centred, and the light functioned as expected. 




The LED is centrally located on the light, which I prefer over L shaped headlamps. 


*Operation & Beam*


From off, a long press goes to firefly (initially), or the last brightness level from memory. A further long press ramps the output from low (1.6 lumens) to high (230 lumens), and then high to low, and so on. The light flashes twice at each end of the ramp. Memory will remember the (ramping mode) brightness the light was last left at. 


The ramping mode will polarise opinions on this light. On the good side, you can finely adjust the brightness (logarithmic increase or decreases) to suit your task rather than relying on a selection of predefined brightnesses. On the downside, as there are no predefined outputs, you could loose track of remaining runtime. The more I use this light, I am increasingly liking the ramping user interface. However if using the light for periods longer than runtime on high in the wilderness, I would advise taking spare batteries or a backup light just in case (which I do anyway).


A double click from any mode will go to turbo (520 lumens with 14500, 250 lumens with AA), and another double click will go to SOS. 


There appears to be no automatic step down from turbo, and this care needs to be taken to manually step down when the light gets very hot which only takes a few minutes. In high (ramping) mode the heat is managed very well for such a small light, with the light remaining warm but not hot. 


The existence of low voltage cut off is not advertised, though this appeared to function during the li-ion runtime test (the cell’s resting voltage was 3.5V when placed in the Lii-500 charger 2 hours later). Reverse polarity detection was tested and worked. 


Due to the very wide beam angle, I could not accurately test output via ceiling bounce tests (I was getting very high readings). The manufacturer output specifications are for the cool white version, and I would estimate that the output is slightly less than the published figures due to use of a neutral white emitter. For just a single AA and 14500, the output is impressive! 


Runtimes on high (ramping mode) were as follows:
- 14500 (2015 Keeppower 840mAh protected) - rapid output decline and light cut off at 105 minutes
- NiMH AA (4th gen FDK Eneloop) - noticeable output decline from 70 minutes, 85 minutes until output reached 'moonlight' output. At 105 minutes output was at 'firefly' output and still going. 
- Alkaline AA (Varta Longlife) - noticeable output decline from 55 minutes, 70 minutes until output reached 'moonlight' output. At 120 minutes output was still at 'moonlight' output and still going. 


The beam has a diffused hotspot, and smooth floody wide angle spill beam. This is a very useful beam for a headlamp, with a good compromise between throw and flood. 







This light has a neutral tint, and appears to be around 4800-5000k. As this is a neutral tint, it is quite yellow(ish) with a small hint of lime. Whilst this is not a dedicated high-CRI emitter, the neutral white tint allows for a good CRI, with colour rending good enough for most purposes. Using a neutral tint for night running and other uses is quite a revelation after using a headlamp with a cool white emitter for many years. Colours are rendered so much better, which can be critical when making sure you don’t step on something you shouldn’t (which is important in Australia where nearly every animal wants to kill you!) Thrunite need to be commended for having neutral white versions of most of their lights, something which more manufacturers should do.

CRI Test




PWM was tested by using video on an iPhone. PWM effect could only been seen during brightness ramping, but no PWM was detected once the brightness level was selected.

*Real World Beamshots*

Both images 20sec, f/8, ISO400.










*Conclusion*


The Thrunite TH20 Neutral White is an impressive single AA/14500 head lamp with a relatively low price. It is well built and comfortable to wear, if a little bit heavy. For practical usage, the neutral white emitter, floody beam, firefly mode, and ramping brightness make this headlamp a great choice. This light will now be my preferred headlamp for longer night runs (>6k), night adventure races, urban exploring, camping, and light painting. I expect that Thrunite will have a success on their hands with this head light.


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## stephenk (Jul 22, 2016)

Video review:


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## wacbzz (Jul 23, 2016)

Thanks for the good review. I, like you, prefer the "centered" headlamps instead of those shaped like an "L."

I'm wondering about the real world run times of this headlamp on a plain AA battery. While I would almost always use either a 14500 or Eneloop, the generic AA battery run times would be most helpful to know. Is it possible for you to do a runtime test with said battery?


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## stephenk (Jul 24, 2016)

wacbzz said:


> Thanks for the good review. I, like you, prefer the "centered" headlamps instead of those shaped like an "L."
> 
> I'm wondering about the real world run times of this headlamp on a plain AA battery. While I would almost always use either a 14500 or Eneloop, the generic AA battery run times would be most helpful to know. Is it possible for you to do a runtime test with said battery?


I'll do an Alkaline AA test just for you (on high end of ramping mode), and I'll post the result in this thread.


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## neonsteve (Jul 24, 2016)

FYI, the runtime in the infinity low 1.6 lumen mode is way more than 21 hours. I've been testing a cool white TH20 with a 2400 NiMH battery and it's been running for almost 130 hours and voltage has only dropped from 1.41 to 1.24 V. 

I purchased two cool white TH20 headlamps and both have a very yellowish tint. 

Photo shows an Olight M20 flashlight on the left with a very white tinted Cree XP-G R5 LED about 3 feet from a white wall, and a cool white Thrunite TH20 headlamp on the right with a very yellowish tinted CREE XP-L V6 LED about 1.5 feet away. The Olight is in medium mode with 110 lumens and the Thrunite is somewhere in the middle of infinity, which is where I find myself also.


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## stephenk (Jul 24, 2016)

In response to wacbzz's question on AA alkaline runtime, I did a runtime test on high (ramping mode) with a Varta (Rayovac) Longlife battery. 
Noticeable dimming was evident at 55 minutes, output reached moonlight equivalent at 70 minutes, and then stayed at moonlight equivalent for more than 2 hours (at which point I stopped testing). Maybe with a "high end" alkaline such as Energizer Max you might get high brightness output for longer. 

I'll update the original review with this information.


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## wacbzz (Jul 25, 2016)

stephenk said:


> In response to wacbzz's question on AA alkaline runtime, I did a runtime test on high (ramping mode) with a Varta (Rayovac) Longlife battery.
> Noticeable dimming was evident at 55 minutes, output reached moonlight equivalent at 70 minutes, and then stayed at moonlight equivalent for more than 2 hours (at which point I stopped testing). Maybe with a "high end" alkaline such as Energizer Max you might get high brightness output for longer.
> 
> I'll update the original review with this information.



Thanks for doing this. I've always found it somewhat odd and funny at the same time that manufacturers tout the "cheap" battery ability - but never put out numbers/results of their actual usage. 

Much appreciated. :thumbsup:


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## stephenk (Jul 26, 2016)

Video review has now been added in post #2.


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## stephenk (Jul 29, 2016)

Two real world beam shots added to the original post.


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## LeanBurn (Jul 29, 2016)

Thanks stephenk


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## KeepingItLight (Aug 20, 2016)

Thank you, stephenk! I enjoyed your review.


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## stephenk (Aug 22, 2016)

^ Thanks for the comments. 

I've been using this headlamp quite a bit lately whilst doing light painting in a forest. It's a fantastic headlamp, with the variable brightness, and instant access to moonlight or turbo being rather useful. 

It also recently survived an accidental 2m drop onto concrete, with just 2 minor marks on the anodizing. 

I'm preferring the lighter, smaller (and less bright) Fenix HL10 for <6km runs though!


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## Treeguy (Dec 26, 2016)

Thrunite TH20 NW After Action Report.

Just came from a stint of nighttime shovelling and sanding pathways and stairs at some local businesses. Had my TH20 on the whole time, and when finished, it was covered in ice from the freezing rain.

Verdict: It works.


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## Benaiah (Jan 19, 2017)

Thanks for the great review! I just received mine in the mail yesterday, and I love it. I got the neutral white and find the beam quite yellow. I'm surprised that it only gets warm while running on high. It seems like it should get hottter. Is that normal for this headlamp?


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## Hugh Johnson (Jan 25, 2017)

This headlamp is on my shortlist. Things I like:
-Runs on AA or 14500
-Construction and waterproofing
-Flood for proximity 
-Neutral option
-Firefly mode
-Bright on 14500
-Price
-Simple headband

I just got a Thrunite TN12 with the XP-L V6 NW and it has a very green tint around the hotspot. Frankly, I don't like that. But that opinion is based on indoor use and I don't really notice it outdoors, where I'll be using the headlamp exclusively. Therefore, it remains on my shortlist.

Question: Does it have an easily adjustable angle? That's a deal breaker.


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## Hugh Johnson (Jan 26, 2017)

I've watched some video reviews and confirmed that the angle is adjustable.


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