Niwalker Aurora C26, Prototype (Cree XP-L HI)(1x26650) Short review

Niwalker C26 Aurora is a relatively compact flashlight powered by single 26650 battery.
Dimensions:
Length=143mm
Head diameter=43mm
Body diameter=34mm
Weight without battery=200 grams

I did not get any specifications or any other info from the manufacturer,so I will try to just share my impressions of the C26.

As usual,Niwalker shows really well looking design,maybe not the most practical,but definitely pleasure for the eyes and great fit in hand.
The whole construction is made of thick aluminum.
Excellent black anodizing.Matte finish,but it is far from the special heavy matte finish of the MM series flashlights.Yet the actual finish does look high quality and not cheap at all.
There is precisely made,relatively deep knurling on the battery tube,helping a lot with the grip.
As most Niwalker flashlights,the C26 Aurora features an electronic side switch and tripod mount thread on the opposite side.
The side switch again has the periodically flashing green indicator underneath.May be distracting at some moment and of course has its power consumption.
The switch is flat with the surrounding surface and as expected this makes it hard to find in the dark.


Overall Niwalker C26 fits well in hand,comfortable grip,it is easy to carry for a 26650 size flashlight.
My only critique is about the lack of good anti-roll design.

The C26 comes with a new Cree XP-L Hi LED,which in my tests with this ad other flashlights,perform impressively well,providing very well focused beam and good lumen output/current consumption ratio.

Parabolic aluminum reflector with diameter 32mm and about as that deep.
Glass lens with anti-reflective coating.


The beam from the C26 is very well focused,reaching great distance for such a small flashlight.
Cool white light.No visible artifacts. Generally,I am very pleased with the beam and found it better than expected.
A beam that actually I could use,indoor or outdoor.


The C26 is designed strictly for unprotected batteries. I was not informed about that and using almost entirely protected batteries,I had a hard time testing this flashlight.
There is no way to fit protected 26650 battery,so I had to de-solder the front spring to release some more space for a battery.
I was able to try Niwalker C26 only with a protected 18650 battery,using some rubber foam to fill the free surrounding space. I had also to not screw the head fully to be able to fit the battery. The battery tube space is really limited just to the standard 65mm and no even an extra millimeter.

I managed to test the UI briefly. No chance for a full runtime test.
Typical for a flashlight from Niwalker,the C26 offers wide range of modes-relatively well spaced.
What I was able to measure using a Keeppower 18650 battery is-
6 constant modes-Turbo2- Turbo-High-Mid-Low-UltraLow
plus Strobe mode.
Brightness measured by me-
6 mode 1230 lm
5 mode 554 lm
4 mode 290 lm
3 mode 107 lm
2 mode 19 lm
1 mode 3 lm

StandBy current draw is very high, 5.5mA while the green indicator is off, 13.5mA when the indicator is On.
Both measurements are in milli Amps,which is very high for StandBy drain.
It is recommended to lock-out the tailcap after every use.Unfortunately,as I already mentioned,protected batteries can not be used.


Size comparison-
Thorfire VG10(a small 18650 flashlight), Nitecore EC4S(2x18650), Niwalker Aurora(1x26650), Orcatorch WR10(1x26650)

Beam shots
~5 meters distance, 1/6sec



~5 meters distance, 1/50sec



~5 meters distance, 1/250sec



~5 meters distance, 1/1000sec



All 6 modes

Thank you for the information. I hope to be seeing my single cell 26650 lights in the coming future.

Protected 26650 batteries are 71.1mm in length from KeepPower and will fit lights that can use 26700 flashlights.

sidecross said:

Thank you for the information. I hope to be seeing my single cell 26650 lights in the coming future.

Protected 26650 batteries are 71.1mm in length from KeepPower and will not fit lights that can use 26700 flashlights.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the comment.
I have only one 26650 battery and it is from Orcatorch. Its length is ~7cm

FlashLion said:

Thanks for the comment.
I have only one 26650 battery and it is from Orcatorch. Its length is ~7cm

Click to expand...

Most of my 26650 flat top batteries are 67.36mm and 67.55mm. The protected 26650 should be checked for their size.

My two single battery 26650 lights are Fenix a PD40 and a FD40 both could use a protected battery, but I prefer a standard flat top. There are more 26650 flat top batteries available and I did no want to stress the contact springs for the 'Protection Circuit' batteries.

Both Fenix lights have a very easy lock-out at the rear cap by only a few mm of travel. :thumbsup:

Thank you for the review, looks like a nice light but a big bummer that it doesn't allow protected batteries :thumbsdow

Do you know what the lux is?

Lets hope the final version accepts protected 26650 cell.

BLUE LED said:

Do you know what the lux is?

Lets hope the final version accepts protected 26650 cell.

Click to expand...

A little late reply.
Here are my measurements:
(I can't guarantee high accuracy of my luxmeter)

High mode~ 26000cd
Turbo mode~ 56000cd

Measured at 3 meters distance.

For a flashlight with that high Standby drain,In my opinion it is highly recommended to accept protected batteries.
I know it from experience. It is hard to think how much charge has left in the battery and after every use to unscrew the tailcap or take out the battery.

FlashLion said:

A little late reply.
Here are my measurements:
(I can't guarantee high accuracy of my luxmeter)

High mode~ 26000cd
Turbo mode~ 56000cd

Measured at 3 meters distance.

For a flashlight with that high Standby drain,In my opinion it is highly recommended to accept protected batteries.
I know it from experience. It is hard to think how much charge has left in the battery and after every use to unscrew the tailcap or take out the battery.

Click to expand...

Both my Fenix PD40 and FD40 can lock out power by a few mm turn of the tail cap. If this new light does not have the same ability this would be a big problem for me.

Niwalker has some really nice designs. I hope this one hits the market soon.

I really like the 6 well spaced modes an the general look of the light. The only issue for me is my two favorite 26650's run 71.46mm protected 5200mah button top and the King Kong ICR26700 at 70.6mm with a metered capacity of around 5400mah. Please Niwalker give us a touch more battery tube.

FlashLion, thank you for your review.
I just received on of these great lights. I also agree with your concern about the electronic switch... I wish Niwalker wood go to a manual or lower the power usage of their switches. I don't need a flashing green light every 3 seconds, maybe once every 15 seconds?
The spacing of the power levels are perfect (in my mind).
Another great light from Niwalker. (I do not work for them, only now own 3 of their lights).

Lateck,