Chicken Drumstick
Flashlight Enthusiast
Convoy S2+ 18650 – XM-L2 T6-3B 7135*8
Declaration & Thanks:
This light was supplied for review by Simon @ Convoy flashlights.
Conclusion Summary:
The S2+ is an ideal and brilliantly capable EDC torch. With only one tiny minus that is doesn't come supplied with a pocket clip (but can be ordered separately). Quality, construction, performance and ability all easily exceed its price point. And to date, this S2+ has probably the best switch I've used on a flashlight yet. Oh, and I adore the colour.
The S2+ with some of its fellow Convoy models.
M1 | M2 | S2+ | S4 | EagleTac 18650
Manufacture Specs:
Aesthetic
MATERIAL Aluminum Alloy
Electronic Components
LOW VOLTAGE WARNING Yes
OUTPUT CURRENT 1050 mA
REVERSE POLARITY PROTECTION Yes
Flashlights
FLASHLIGHT MODES Group 1: Lo (5%) > Mid (40%) > Hi (100%);
Group 2: Lo (5%) > Mid (40%) > Hi (100%) > Strobe > SOS
LENS TYPE Glass Lens
MODE MEMORY Yes
REFLECTOR TYPE Aluminum Textured/OP
SWITCH PLACEMENT Tail
SWITCH TYPE Clicky
TAIL STAND Yes
Light Sources
LIGHT SOURCE BIN XML2 U2-1A
LIGHT SOURCE BRAND Cree
LIGHT SOURCE COLOR 6500-7000K
LIGHT SOURCE MODEL XM-L2
LUMENS (MAX) 490LM
Power & Batteries
BATTERIES INCLUDED No
BATTERY TYPE 18650 lithium (protected or unprotected)
REQUIRED BATTERY COUNT 1
Manufacturer
BRAND Convoy
Dimensionsus | metric
HEIGHT 118 mm
WIDTH 24.1 mm
Customizable LED:XML2 T6-3B / T6-4C / T5-5B / T4-7A
Customizable driver: 7135*4 / 7135*6 / 7135*8
Info about my reviews and testing:
I like to keep my reviews fairly informal and not overly technical. There are plenty of talented people with fancy measuring devices to offer more technical detail. What I want to do is give an honest appraisal of owning and using this torch, and what a regular punter will make of it.
What's in the box?
The S2+ like many of the S series Convoys came in a nice box with foam cut-outs. In the box is the S2+ and a sturdy looking multi-link lanyard.
Exterior Design & Ergonomics:
The S2+ is available in different colours, this is the wonderful new anodised red. It is a semi-matt finish and is flawless, while looking superb. And a refreshing change from the regular black anodising of most lights.
The S2+ consists of 3 sections; head, body and tail cap. The threads are all square cut and the tail cap caters for lockout.
The knurling is mild, but sufficient for grip and makes it nicer in the pocket.
There are two holes on the tail cap for lanyard attachment, or if you prefer for the screw on Convoy pocket clip (something I wish was supplied with the light).
The switch is recessed and allows easy, stable tail standing.
Beam:
The S2+ uses a shallow OP reflector.
This offers up a lovely floody light, with smooth transition from hot spot to spill beam.
Convoy offer several different emitter options for the S2+, from the latest high binned CW XM-Ls as well as Neutral and Warm White options.
My example is a neutral 3B tint. And I have to say this is a wonderful tint, the beam shot photos below will really highlight this. But this tint offers great colours and depth but doesn't look yellow or brown. When you can get a beam looking as good as this, it makes you wonder why some people still opt for CW emitters.
Sadly there is no XP-G2 option for the S2+, it would lose its floodiness, but I think this emitter would work well in this size of light, if you require something with a little more throw.
Switch, UI & Performance:
The switch deserves special mention. This is a new switch type for me, it's a reverse clicky, but feels like a piston switch to use. Only the middle part of the switch moved in and out, while the outer section remains in place.
The switch is wonderfully positive and smooth to use. And makes half click mode changes much easier than they are with the traditional rubber booted switches. I seriously hope to see this switch find a home on more Convoy flashlights.
If I had to sight a single item about the S2+ that elevates is above other torches of similar ilk, then the switch is it, it really is that good.
The S2+ uses the 105C based driver. As per the emitter, this is also customisable, from 3 to 8 7135 chips at the time of ordering. I opted for the 8*7135 driver, which should offer up a beefy 2.8amps to the LED.
A nice thing about this driver is it is also user customisable. By default it has 5 modes:
Low – Mid – High – Strobe – SOS
But not everybody will want the disco modes. So if you switch to the Low mode and wait a few seconds, the light will flash once. Turn it off and on again and it is now a 3 mode light:
Low –Mid – High
It also has memory.
Giving the end user this easy ability without the need of a soldering iron is fantastic.
The S2+ has the latest version of this driver, you'll note older ones had stars on the underside to allow you to select different mode groups by soldering a star to the negative contact (as well as the method above).
I did take some tail cap readings using a freshly charged Samsung 25R @ 4.19v
High = 2.82 amps
Mid =
Low =
So according to my DMM, the 8*7135 driver does indeed offer up 2.8 amps as promised.
In Actual Usage:
Size wise the S2+ compares favourably with other tube style 18650 lights. I like the fact it is a smooth finish, this way nothing snags on clothing or your pocket as you carry it or use it.
Solarforce T1 | Convoy S2+ | Convoy S4 | EagleTac D25LC2 Mini
Not being supplied with a pocket clip means there is no anti roll device as standard, although you can purchase a sturdy pocket clip separately that would solve this. I have the clips on order as I type this, as I'm not a fan of a torch this size floating about in my jeans pocket and prefer to clip it to the inside of my pocket.
If you prefer to carry the light in a coat pocket, this is a non-issue.
I found the beam, tint and UI to all be great for EDC use. The low isn't a moonlight, but it is a suitable low setting, and the floody beam would make this ideal for reading or map work with ease.
On high it does heat up pretty fast, but outside with your hand round the torch it can run like this for semi long durations before you have to step down to mid.
Beam shots & Comparisons:
Being an XM-L2 in a small reflector the S2+ is nothing but floody, but one shouldn't expect anything else.
The 3B tint however and the smoothness of the beam are however very impressive.
I decided to compare to S2+ to 3 other of my EDC 18650 lights.
-Convoy S4 Nichia 219B Qlite 3.0A
-Convoy S4 XP-G2 5A2 Qlite 3.04A
-Lumintop SD20 XM-L2
I compared it to these lights to give a comparison of beam profile, tint and price point.
I think the 3B tint stands up well to the 92CRI Nichia and compares favourably to the output of the Lumintop.
The XM-L2 doesn't throw as well as the XP-G2 does, but no surprises there. But the beam is smooth and just look at how wide an area it illuminates.
Video Review:
TBA
