For those unfamiliar with the everyday carry (EDC) market, you might be surprised to learn that you can buy flashlights nowadays that are so powerful that if you directed the beam at someone, they could be blinded, or at least temporarily disorientated. Then there are flashlights like the Acebeam X80GT-2, which would blind an entire field full of people, all at once. If you need the light of a thousand suns at your fingertips, this is just what you're looking for.

With a maximum output of 34,000 lumens, the X80GT-2 is the most powerful flashlight in its class. It's best described as an emergency floodlight for search and rescue, hunting, law enforcement, or just personal protection. But it might also surprise you to learn this insanely powerful beast is in fact no larger than a pop can, weighing a mere 1.36lbs (580g).

Today we take an in-depth look at the Acebeam X80GT-2 and whether it should find a new home in your bug-out bag.

What's In The Box?

As well as the main body of the X80GT-2, you'll also find in the package:

• Four 18650 Acebeam batteries
• Wrist strap
• Optional handle
• Carry case

You'll note the absence of a charging cable, and that's because the X80GT-2 doesn't have an internal charging circuit. When the batteries are low, you'll need to remove them, and charge with a suitable external charger. While the 18650 batteries might look like regular AAs to the untrained eye, they're actually much larger, much higher capacity, and require special circuitry to charge. If you don't already have a charger, I'd suggest checking the box on the order page to include one, as it's only around $30 and will guarantee compatibility.

The case is a welcome addition, featuring a velcro strap, a belt buckle, and a plastic clip for attaching to a carabiner. Even with the handle attached, it fits in neatly and is easy to remove at a moment's notice.

Acebeam X80GT-2 Design

With a maximum diameter of 2.56 inches (65mm) and 7.4 inches (118mm) in length, the main body is made of aluminum alloy, while the top rim is made of sturdy steel. This keeps the glass as safe as can be, and gives a nice sharp point, should you need to whack something in an emergency situation.

While the included handle is entirely optional, I'd strongly recommend fitting it for prolonged use, as the main body can get uncomfortably warm. It features a textured grip that looks like it might be a Picatinny rail or other mounting system but actually isn't. Acebeam doesn't sell a rail mount for this model nor does it have a remote switch plate, and in fairness, the X80-GT2 would be a little too heavy to mount on the end of a rifle or your helmet anyway. However it does feature a standard UNC1/4" tripod thread into which the handle secures, so in theory, you could mount it on a tripod or jury-rig something to suit your needs.

The handle itself is "dumb" in the sense that it's just a piece of metal, and doesn't feature a button to control the X80-GT2. In fact, the only button to operate it is on the opposite side entirely, which can make one-handed usage a little awkward.

Performance and Brightness

The Acebeam X80GT-2 features no less than eighteen Cree XHP50.3 LEDs. On the brightness Turbo Max mode, the beam can reach 498m with 61,900 candela. The full list of modes available is as follows:

• Low: 220 lumens; 34 hour runtime
• Medium 1: 1,250 lumens; 7 hours
• Medium 2: 2,000 lumens; 3.5 hours
• Medium 3: 4,100 lumens; 2 hours
• High: 9,400 ~ 4,300 lumens; 4 minutes ~ 1.75 hours
• Turbo: 17,800 ~ 4,300 lumens; 2 minutes ~ 1.5 hours
• Turbo Max: 34,000 ~ 4,300 lumens; 1 minute ~ 1.25 hours
• Strobe: 4,100 lumens; 3.5 hours.

You might notice that the highest brightness level can only run for a maximum of one minute. That doesn't mean you'll have to change the batteries after a minute, but it will drop down to a lower brightness to prevent overheating. You can reactivate the mode as and when needed as long as it's not still overheated, but it's best to not use the highest brightness until you actually do need it.

I tested on a pitch-black cold winter night on a field of about half an acre, or 50 x 50 meters square. On the highest brightness, it's fair to say the entire area was illuminated when standing in one corner. In any mode, my immediate vicinity was akin to daylight. It's genuinely quite stunning to behold in person.

The beam has a wide-angle spread—not quite 180-degrees, but close. This is fantastic for your peripheral vision. While a narrow beam would travel significantly further, even with less lumens, it does mean you tend to have tunnel vision, with dark areas outside fo the main beam almost impossible to see. The Acebeam X80GT-2 will flood a huge area with bright light, making it easy to spot the same level of details you might during daylight, without having to constantly scan the beam around.

Operation and User Interface

All mode switching and operation is done via a single sturdy metal button, with a nice clicky feel to it.

• One short press will turn it on or off, from any mode. While the X80GT-2 features a mode memory, this only works with the four standard modes.
• One long press from off will go to Low mode (220 lumens).
• One long press while on cycles through the four standard modes: Medium 1, 2, 3, and High.
• Two presses from off or when any standard modes are on, take you to Turbo.
• Two further presses while in Turbo activate Turbo Max, the highest brightness available.
• Three presses activates the strobe (either from off, or any other mode).
• Ten presses (!) while off will switch between Power and Eco modes. Eco modes operate in the same way, but they're all a little less bright.

That probably sounds more complicated than it is in practice. The key takeaway is that thanks to the mode memory, a single press of the button can take you directly to a high power 4100 setting, two presses can take you to Turbo mode, and three will activate the strobe.

Since there are no red, green, or UV LEDs, there is no other mode complexity to navigate through.

Battery Life and Charging

As mentioned, there's no internal charging circuit on the X80GT-2, so if you don't already have a charger, you should include one in your purchase. If you're buying a charger from elsewhere, make sure it can handle the full four batteries, as charging can take up around eight hours at a standard 500mA rate. You may find some chargers also offer a quick 1000mA charge rate, but I don't suggest you use that. Batteries typically last longer if they're charged more slowly, so if you can't wait for a little extra downtime for charging, you should also buy some spares.

Swapping out the batteries is simple: just unscrew the main body, and the battery holder falls out. You might be confused as to which way the battery holder goes back, but it doesn't matter—either way will work. Just ensure the batteries themselves are in the correct orientation. The battery indicator LED goes from green, to red, to flashing red, before finally dying.

Safety and Temperature

Starting at Turbo Max mode and re-activating turbo max roughly every ten minutes, after 30 minutes the main body had reached an average of around 50C (122F), while the handle was a toasty 45C. At this point, I'd say it was uncomfortable to hold, and would certainly have the potential to burn depending on where you touched.

However, this was a somewhat contrived test, conducted indoors, on a slate tile to prevent damage to the floor. In reality, you'd likely be using this with more airflow, perhaps on a cool night. When I took it for a spin outdoors, for the same period of time with a cool breeze around, it didn't get uncomfortable to hold via the handle, or towards the back of the main body.

Is The Acebeam X80GT-2 Your Next Flashlight?

If you already have a drawer full of powerful flashlights, or you own the previous Acebeam X80GT model, I could say you don't need this one as well because it's an incremental upgrade rather than a revolution. But we all know you're going to buy it anyway, and you'll love it.

If you don't own already own a good emergency flashlight, this would certainly be a wonderful option, but you'd have to really be able to justify the $370 price tag (or at least hide the credit card statement).

While the Acebeam X80GT-2 is a little bigger than what I'd call pocket size, it isn't absurdly large either. It'll easily fit in a bug-out bag, or on your belt for daily carry without drawing too much attention. For personal protection or any kind of emergency situation, the Acebeam X80GT-2 should be your first choice.