Last year, Sysmax – the owner of JETBeam and Nitecore flashlight companies – released many great products through the JETBeam brand, and they have been very impressive. This year, Sysmax is shifting its focus to Nitecore, and to kick off the production list of lights to come out this year, Nitecore released the Explorer Series (EA1, EA2, EC1, EC2).
With the new Explorer series, it’s easy to see that Nitecore has really stepped up their game in design and interface, with many innovative features that haven’t been used on their products before. For example, the new Explorer series has a dual side switch function to access the power and the modes that are flush with the side of the light, which greatly reduces any accidental usage of the flashlight. The reversible clip allows the user of the flashlight to choose their preference for carrying the light, but for the smaller models (EA1 and EC1) the torches are so light weight, that they can be attached to the brim of a hat and be used as a head lamp.
Used in the TM11, the Explorer has a red LED located on the side of the switch that notifies the user of battery level, and can also double over as a infrared light by pressing the “Mode” switch when the light is turned off. This comes in incredibly well for those that need to use a light that won’t ruin night vision, or those that do not wish to disturb someone sleeping. The primary emitter in all four models is the CREE XP-G R5, and being paired with a smooth and relatively deep reflector, makes it an impressive pocket thrower.
There are a few more models to be released later this year, but so far, the Nitecore Explorer series has been a good indicator for the lights upcoming.