Inova Question

Hi everyone,

I was at Target and they had some Inovas, an x1 ($20), and x5 ($20.15) and a Bolt ($29). I am going biking, hiking, and canoeing in West Virginia in one month, and I want a good LED that I won't have a heart attack if I lose. I love my SF 6Pl, but it may have to stay home. I was trying them out, and liked the feel of the x5, but the beam was blueish, and almost all flood with no hotspot. The Bolt was nice, bright, and white, though. Which should I buy for general outdoor use? The light will be on my person at all times, so I am leaning towards the Bolt, because it is more substantial. However, I like the fact that the x1 runs on AA's. Runtime is not a huge deal, because I will have a 3D Mag LED in my pack, but I would like something smaller to carry. The flashlight would be used for an hour, tops. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

If you have more than one target in your area, you may check around. Target is having a flashlight clearance on Inova lights. The tricky part is, they are selling the "new" models and old ones at the seem price and it seems to be more or less random if a store has the new ones or old ones in stock. I have 4 targets in my area and all have completely different selections as far as the Inovas. For example, with the X5, the 2009 model is *a lot* brighter, same with the X1. I believe the Bolt models have also been updated. You can tell the difference by looking at the packaging, the new Inovas are in cardboard, versus the hard to open plastic crap. Also look at the copyright on back near the barcode, it should be say something like 2009 Emersive Energy Corp for the new models. So it is really worth it to look around if you have more than one Target within reasonable driving distance.

Anyways, the Bolt is a lot brighter and throws a lot better than the X1 or X5. Plus they have AA models if you look around. So based on your requirements, I would try to find a AA Bolt.

Thanks alot. I went to my more local Target and they have only old model Inovas, regular price. I also checked the three most local Targets and the one near my house only had an opened X03 and this strange little coin-cell light. I appreciate the tip on packaging, because the Target I saw the X5 and Bolt at had only the blister-pack versions. I hates me some blister packs!:thumbsdow Come to think of it, they also had non-Rebel MagLED's! There's have about 4-5 Targets within my county, so I will check them all out this weekend.

For the activities you've named, buy a Fenix TK20 and don't lose it.

Thanks, I was eyeing the Fenix family of lights, and the TK20 was on the top of my list.

TK20's are awesome! I have an X1 and I really like it. It's my EDC light. The part of your post that stands out to me is the 3D Mag...That's a big, heavy light that works (especially with the Rebel) but would be far from ideal when looking to save weight. The TK20 has two modes, good throw, decent spill, and runs on AA batteries. The warm white LED blows me away every time I turn it on (much better than my Quark warm white). It's also much lighter and smaller than the Mag. If you wanted a smaller light to go along with it, pick up the X1, which takes the same batteries and is cheap. The new version is indeed much brighter.

Hey SoCalDep,

Thanks. I am buying the TK20 pretty soon, along with an X1. I know the M*g Rebel is heavy, but I am just bringing one along for the hiking portion. It starts at 3:00 in the morning, and I like the protection factor.

I have an Inova Bolt 2AA. Very good light in my opinion. Well balanced beam between flood and spot, reasonably bright, and good build quality. I've used it in the woods with good results.

Thanks Big Ed, I went to the closest Target tonight with hopes to pick up a Bolt, but most of their Inovas were missing from the boxes. Lots of empty cardboard and plastic on the shelves. I asked an employee, but didn't get anywhere.

I bought an X1, the newest version with a tiny little LED and a orange peel reflector. Dont know how great the runtime is but its pretty bright, brighter than the advertised 25 lumens I think.
Its small, light, durable looking.
I went out and bought 2 more for gifts!

They make a 2xAA version too but it was a bit more expensive where I live, $40. Maybe identical to the bolt though?
It would be a great personal light, and you can always carry 1 more AA in your pocket or bag.

I would take a big knife and a few small flashlights over just a large maglight and a small light.

I would take a knife but this is a school trip...:sigh:

With regard to the "newer" X1 lights, I found that some of them have emitters that produce well in excess of the 25 lumens advertised on the packaging. It appears that Inova has one batch of LED's that yield 25 lumens, and another batch that produces closer to 100 lumens (albeit in a very tight hotspot, but with a good spill beam). Bottom line: test the lights before you buy...if the beam seems really bright compared to the others on the shelf, buy it. If it seems wimpy, bide you time and wait for the next batch to be restocked.

DaveTheDude said:

With regard to the "newer" X1 lights,... It appears that Inova has one batch of LED's that yield 25 lumens, and another batch that produces closer to 100 lumens ....

Click to expand...

How much current does the "100 lumen" X1 draw?

My 4th generation Inova X1 draws 530 mA from a fresh alkaline battery. Its overall output is about the same as a 2AAA Streamlight Stylus Pro using a ceiling bounce test although the distribution of light differs between the two.

Thanks Dave. I did notice that some of the X1's I saw were FAR brighter than the other X1's.