Anker LC90 Flashlight: Definitive Review (2024)
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Here we are – ready to shine some light on the Anker LC90 Flashlight – the reason you’re here today.
We narrowed down 27 of the most popular rechargeable flashlights to a selection of just 10 which we field tested over a period of a couple of months.
The LC90 was one of our Top 3 – actually the best value of them all.
It came out looking very bright indeed.
Rest assured, if you want one of the best flashlights there is AND you want value for money, you’ve come to the right place.
In fact,
We loved this small but mighty flashlight so much we chose it for our TopNotch Best Value Award.
What’s the best value flashlight?
Let’s cut to the chase…
The Best Value is the LC90.
Want to know why?
Well in this review we’re going to cover…
- Durability
- Beam brightness and quality
- Battery life
- And lots more…
Keep on reading to find out more.
- Manufacturer: Anker
- Battery Life: Up to 6 hours on medium-beamNylon
- Light Output: 900 lumens
- Construction Material: Aluminum
- Weight: 177g
Bottom Line : The ideal all-rounder with plenty of features
Pros
- Super bright
- Six hours of battery
- Water-resistant
- Smart design
Cons
- Flimsy neckpiece
- Rolls off surfaces easily
Our Verdict: Anker LC90 Flashlight
We reckon the Anker Bolder LC90 2-cell Rechargeable Flashlight offers a winning combination of value, brightness, beam quality, durability, and ease of use when you’re looking for a lightweight and versatile flashlight.
Heading out a short ultralight backpacking weekend?
Taking the kids for a holiday to the lake?
Planning your next thru-hike and getting that packing list sorted?
You’ll need a flashlight!
There’s a good reason the American Hiking Society list flashlights in their 10 essential kit items. The good news is…
The Anker LC90 LED Flashlight is going to be a go-to piece of kit on any one of these trips… and many more scenarios too!
We love the fact you can toggle between no less than 5 modes!
Take your pick from 3 beam strengths – high, medium, and low.
You can also use strobe and SOS modes if you ever need them.
After our rigorous and extended tests, we didn’t hesitate to choose it as our TopNotch Best Value pick.
So without further ado let’s get to it and find out exactly why that is.
Related: 10 Best Rechargeable Flashlights
Our Analysis, Comparisons & Test Results
Did I mention we took the Anker Bolder LC90, and our other top flashlights overnight to the summit of Mulhacen?
That’s Mainland Spain’s highest mountain – topping out at 3,478 meters (11,413 feet) above sea level.
We love our job!
Trips like these give us ample opportunity to test each product (in this case flashlights) in detail.
If you’re looking for a seriously versatile flashlight that’ll likely be the first one you grab time and time again, we reckon the Anker flashlight will be a great choice.
Let’s find out more about exactly why we love it so much.
Battery Life
Picture this:
You get to your camping ground on the third night of a weeklong hike. It’s getting dark, you’re cold and hungry and you only really have enough energy to pitch your tent, cook some noodles and crawl into bed.
Battery Life Rating
As you start pitching your tent, you flick your flashlight on to help you see… it stutters and then goes out completely. Now you’re in the dark, with a half-pitched tent. You’re still cold and hungry.
That’s seriously bad news.
And it’s one of the reasons we take battery life, sometimes seen referred to as run time, so seriously when reviewing flashlights.
Luckily, the results of our Anker LC90 review mean you’re unlikely to end up in the unlucky category above.
When using the medium brightness mode, you’ll get a respectable 6 hours of non-diminishing brightness.
Bear in mind…
…once you have your new flashlight, the battery life can be maintained if you look after your LC90.
Make sure you always fully charge your battery before the first use. Once that’s done, you want to allow it to run down as low as possible without actually completely draining. There’s an art to it, but once you’re familiar with your own flashlight it becomes second nature.
One last thing…
Always unplug your battery once it’s fully charged, rather than leaving it plugged in for longer than necessary.
Brightness
Brightness is one of the most important metrics out there.
Why?
There’s very little point having a flashlight with mediocre brightness, even if it does have plenty of other redeeming factors.
Brightness Rating
We’d choose a functional and very bright flashlight over a flashlight with all the bells and whistles, but a low lumen count.
Luckily…
The Anker rechargeable flashlight blows a lot of its competitors out of the water in this metric.
Hello, 900-lumen brightness.
For reference, this is an impressive lumen count for such a tiny flashlight.
Of the flashlights we reviewed, only one scored more highly than the LC90.
For reference, that was the Stanley Fatmax Flashlight with a humongous 2,200 lumens. While it’s undeniably a great flashlight for camping trips and keeping by the back door, it’s too big for hiking or short camping trips.
The 900 lumens Cree LED used in the Anker LC90 can sweep over an impressive 200 meters (660 feet) length when set to high-beam.
That’s two football fields!
We had absolutely no trouble picking out our dogs on late-night walks when they’d wandered off in search of something interesting to sniff.
The fact of the matter is…
For a small flashlight, the LC90 offers seriously impressive levels of brightness.
And that means it’s become our to-go choice when selecting a small flashlight for all kinds of outdoor adventures.
Beam Quality
Ok, so we know that brightness is super important but what about beam quality?
We’ll let you into a little secret…
Brightness and beam quality are not the same thing.
Sure, you can have a flashlight with a high lumen count in terms of brightness.
Beam Quality Rating
But if the LED and reflector arrangement is poorly thought out, or you can’t adjust the beam focus, then you’ll soon be wishing you had a more adaptable flashlight with you.
The good news is…
The Anker 900 lumen flashlight had one of the highest beam qualities we’ve seen.
The result is crystal-clear clarity and excellent color, even in pitch-black conditions.
You can easily adjust between a small, focused beam of intense light, and a broader area of coverage.
Once again, the Anker LC90 topped out our results table for this metric.
Ease Of Use
A well made and easy to use flashlight is a great mix… we certainly think so anyway!
When testing this metric, we consider things like the location of the power switch, how easy it is to switch between modes, and if it’s quick and simple to adjust the beam focus.
Ease Of Use Rating
And the verdict?
The Anker LC90 is one super easy to use flashlight.
In fact…
We gave it to my three-year old daughter and she had it all figured out within minutes.
Durability
When it comes to choosing a new flashlight, durability isn’t something to compromise on.
The fact is…
Over the course of our USB rechargeable flashlight reviews, we spent a lot of time putting them through their paces.
Durability Rating
And we don’t treat them gently either!
From being thrown into the back of a truck, to some flashlights being (accidentally) left out overnight in a downpour, our testing is pretty rigorous.
Over here in southern Spain, it also gets hot and very dry during the summer. The good news is – this gives us the perfect opportunity to carefully check each flashlight for weaknesses in terms of protection from dust.
Want to know the good news?
Once again, the Anker flashlight performed impressively well.
Thanks to its high IP rating of IP65, this flashlight is built to withstand almost anything you can throw at it.
But wait there’s more…
This was one of the only flashlights we reviewed which had an IP rating for both dust and water (signified by the 65).
So if you’re looking for a robust flashlight built to stand up to all weather conditions, you can’t go wrong here.
Features
The Anker LC90 flashlight is packed full of loads of excellent features that you often only see with premium flashlights.
Including…
A long-lasting battery.
FIVE different modes – including high, medium, and low beams, plus both SOS and strobe light options.
Features Rating
If you’re in search and rescue or even need to signal for help, the flashlight is a great choice.
It also has a variable beam diameter and a long-lasting battery.
That’s a whole lot of features packed into a small flashlight.
Unsurprisingly, it comes top of our leaderboard once again.
Our Final Verdict: Anker LC90 Flashlight
We’ve nearly made it to the end!
Before we wrap up this review, let’s take a look at the final score of all 10 products in our rechargeable LED flashlight review.
Which one is top of the leaderboard?
Yup, you guessed – it’s the Anker Bolder LC90 2-cell rechargeable flashlight!
It’s safe to say this is one seriously impressive flashlight.
Conclusion: Anker LC90 Flashlight
Just what is it that makes this flashlight so special?
By now, it’s probably clear that our final score for each flashlight is based on how it performed across all metrics.
And what’s clear in this case…
…is that the Anker Bolder LC90 t gave a seriously strong performance across…
Every.
Single.
Metric.
It never scored lower than an 8, making it our best performer overall.
To put it simply…
This flashlight is more than just the sum of its parts.
It’s incredibly easy to use, Check.
It’s durable enough to stand up to even the toughest expeditions (even being dropped in water). Check.
It’s incredibly bright yet offers an excellent range of modes, including three brightness levels. Check.
What’s more?
We simply love using this flashlight.
It’s a clear winner on so many different levels.
In fact…
It’s now the flashlight we take on almost every trip.
I also use it at home.
If there was ever a flashlight that combines everything we’d like in our dream flashlight…
…this is it.
What’s even more impressive is that it does so on an impressively low budget.
That’s why it was an easy choice for our TopNotch Best Value award.
Try it for yourself and we reckon you’ll love it just as much as we do.
What are you waiting for?
Over to you.
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