kj75
Enlightened
In my life, I had my hands on to many flashlights of different brands. I know there are a lot of brands, and many are still unknown to me. I never heard of Rovyvon until I met the brand via social media. This brand had my interest and I got in contact with the manufacturer. First light that came in was one of the latest additions to the line, the A8UV. This is a rechargeable keychain-light with Nichia-led and thereabove an extra white side-light, a red option for signaling and an UV-option for special needs. This is all packed is a very compact housing. All this options make the A8UV an interesting mini-flashlight to have a closer look at. In this review I will introduce the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV, share my personal feelings about it and show the options. As usual, I will show this light next to some well-known EDC's and show you comparative photos between them. Also included: A bunch of beamshots, taken indoors and outside. Enjoy reading the review!
this is the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV
unique styling, many lightning-options
main LED is a Nichia 219C
lightweight and there easy to carry 24/7
well-suited as keychain-light
This tiny one has a bunch of features and options. Here are the full specifications, given by Rovyvon:
*Transparent body
*Nichia 219C LED (R9050), max output 350 lumens
*4500K, 90+ CRI (color rendering index)
*Sidelight: Neutral white, UV, Red
*Built-in Micro USB charging port
*130mAh lithium polymer battery
*Charging indicator & quick charged in 45 minutes
*Side switch prevents accidental activation
*Ergonomic design, one-hand operation
*Tail paracord hole
*A lanyard and two-way clip included
*IP65 water resistance
Unboxing:
The A8UV came in a small package, packed in a bubble envelope. Luckily nothing was damaged during the long trip; I'm always happy with that. The carton has nice appearance, you'll find most specs and applications on it. The package is full of accessories; this is a big plus. The only part that's missing is a pouch, although I ask me if this is needed because a tag and lanyard are included. Further we find the manual, a clip and a spare USB-port cover. This is all we need to work with the light at smooth way, so no wishes here. In short, this box suffices. Have a look at the pictures below too!
really a small package for the A8UV
nice appearance, main color orange and black
the specifications can be found back on the package
the contents: A8UV, manual, charging cable, lanyard, clip and soldier tag
Impressions:
The A8UV is for sure an eye-catcher: Just try it out and put the light on your desk a see how other react.. I had never had my hands-on to a concept like this. The A8UV is a tiny and lightweight "mini-torch" that is almost fully made of polycarbonate with only some metal accents. Above that, the light is transparent so it does not hide what's inside. This gives really a nice effect and I have to say that I like the design.
My (first) impressions of the A8UV are good. The light is well constructed and has the feels of a long-lasting product. Polycarbonate can withstand pressure and shocks and is scratch-resistant. No seams anywhere; the light can't be opened and disassemble it which is a good point for durability and waterproofing. Negative to this that you can't change any part of the light in case of damage; I think you need to buy a new light if there's something wrong with it. The light can't stand on its tail, so using the main led as a candle is not possible. Head-standing is stable and needed to use (for example) the white side light or the red warning light. The A8UV has good anti-rolling design, it will not move away that far when you put it on your desk. So, a translucent body, it is slightly diffused except the side where the three sidelights are placed. The Rovyvon logo, the type and some other information is printed / branded in the body, the small letters are aligned well. At one side, we see the rubber power button that has a stiff structure. A rubber switch is easier to control, maybe a metal one would be more durable. Below the button we see the most striking part of the light: the clear part of the body that keeps three side-lights in a row. The finishing on the leds is well-done, I can't see any shortcomings on soldering or things like that. The emitters are positioned at good way. On the opposite we find back the micro-USB charging port, which is covered by a well-closing rubber. The body has two notches between the side lights and the switch where you can fix the clip in two directions. Good point to have a clip on a small light like this. In the tail there's a rather big hole that makes it easier to add the A8UV on a keychain-ring. The silver head (that is made of metal) gives a nice accent to the overall design. The A8UV has a glass lens, a smooth shallow reflector with a kind of TIR and a loved Nichia 219C emitter that is well-centered. This flashlight can't be opened, so we don't have to take a look inside this time. My overall impressions about the Rovyvon A8UV are very good. The light is surprising good constructed and finished. I carried the light for some weeks now, but it looks like that this tiny one will survive for many years on your keychain. For some more impressions and details, have a look at a bunch of photos below!
the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV is almost fully made of polycarbonate
and has some silver / metal parts
shallow reflector with well centered Nichia 219C-LED
see how compact this flashlight is
nice appearance, this is not an "all-day-concept"
text is printed in the body
most striking detail: the three-in-a-row sidelights
good anti-rolling design
the head is made of metal, the A8UV has a glass lens
the light doesn't have secrets about what's inside
the leds' color already shows the good tint
the lights has a very bright UV-option
and even red, in constant or flashing mode
the white side-lamp gives a floody beam which is ideal for reading
good finishing on such small parts!
a small but well-closing rubber protects the micro-usb port from water and dust
a red indicator lights up during the charge
good but rather big strap
the light seems irresistible for scratches
the rubber switch is easy to find in the dark
a big plus to this led is the high color rendering
a close-up to the tail
a real "firefly"; I really appreciate that!
stable standing
the low-battery indicator lights continuously, good option
blue (instead of awaited green) when the battery is fully charged..
so many options packed in such a small product
I really like the used led of this tiny one!
User interface:
Thanks to its compact format and featherweight the A8UV is flashlight that you can carry 24/7. Many options to take the light with you: A strap on your wrist, a soldier tag around your neck, fixed on your cap or backpack or in any pocket. And your keychain won't be to heavy with the A8UV fixed. Personally, I wear it mostly in the "coin-pocket" of my trousers, sometimes with clip for security. The design (that isn't completely round) and the clip will secure a good grip. Also the button is easily to find, even in complete darkness.
Charging the light works smooth, just connect the cable to the port and look for a dedicated charger. Lights like these (with only small cells) don't need that much power for recharge; to prevent the battery, it's better to look for a charging plug that doesn't have too much power. I mostly pick a charger that has about 0,5 to 0,7 Amps. So, please take care of this and do not use frequently of powerful smartphone-charger or something like that. Charging-job is done very fast, it mostly takes less than an hour. A red indicator lights up when the refill is in progress, if the led turns into green you're again ready-to-go.
The Rovyvon A8UV has one button for all. It's always interesting to me how a manufacturer will come with a good solution on the interface, especially on a light like this that has a bunch of lighting-options. For constant-on, you need to quick-click two times. The A8 start in firefly mode. In my eyes, this is the best mode to start at for an EDC-light. Cycle through the other three output-modes by short clicks. Long press to shut off the light. Firefly is not in the memory anymore if you cycle again and again through the modes. Works fine and doesn't take effort to get used by it. The A8UV doesn't memorize its last-used level. The light has momentary on: Press and hold (from off), the light will turn in highest mode until you lose the button. Nice to have momentary on a light without a secondary switch, I really appreciate this! I my eyes, this find of Rovyvon is a good one: Always starting in lowest mode if turned on at normal way, but entering highest level takes also only one second. Good solution again. To activate the side-lights, some more steps are needed. A triple-click turns on the UV-option (beware of your eyes!) and next click will bring red and after that flashing red. Keep the button pressed for about a second to turn off. Personally, because I want to prevent my eyes, I would have interchanged the ultraviolet and red options. After cheching this, there's only one side-led left… You can reach the white reading light by four quick clicks. A short or a longer press will turn off the white side-light.
The Rovyvon A8UV has an innovative interface that works well. A lot of options are controlled by only one button, and after little time, you don't have to consult the manual anymore.
Modes:
The main led of Rovyvon A8UV has four output levels, in order of: MOONLIGHT > LOW > MED > HIGH. The spacing is very good, a strong point is the availability of two real low-modes. Well done of Rovyvon! Two direct-modes here: normally, the light starts in MOONLIGHT, but the MOMENTARY-ON is the highest level. No flashing-modes on the main led here. Three side-lights on the A8UV: UV > RED > RED FLASH > WHITE. These are the special modes of the torch. A good option is the LOW-VOLTAGE warning: The red indicator turns on until you recharge the light or until the battery is completely exhausted. I waited a night for the charge after the warning, and the indicator turned off because the battery was completely down. The A8UV doesn't have a special LOCK-OUT. I'd like to see that option on this little torch, but have to admit that it never turned on accidentally when I carried it in my pocket. Summarizing: The Aurora A8UV has really a lot of good working modes!
Size comparison:
It was not easy to find an equal light in my collection; I found the Fenix E99Ti that has about the same thickness and the Nitecore TINI with almost the same output. Next to these two you can see again how compact the Aurora A8UV is! We'll meet this couple again later in this review when we go out for the beamshots!
Eneloop AAA-battery, Fenix E99Ti, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Nitecore TINI
Nitecore TINI, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Fenix E99Ti
Nitecore TINI, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Fenix E99Ti
the heads: XP-G2 S3, Nichia 219C and XP-E2
the backs: Nitecore TINI, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Fenix E99Ti
Tint:
The A8UV has a very nice tint, thanks to the used Nichia 219C led. Compared to the other lights that I showed you in this review, the colors of the competitors seem to be green; in real life this is the big difference is the color rendering, which is very good at the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV. The beam of the A8UV show nice white color, but in the edge we see some purple. I'll show you more in the beamshots-chapter!
Beamprofile:
The Rovyvon A8UV has a very big spot and a medium corona and spill. Not a big surprise because of the used shallow reflector. This is the profile that you need for an EDC-light, and I like it. Maximum reach on highest mode up to 40-50 meters, but also possible for indoor-reading at midnight without disturbing anyone. What I don't like is that most modes (except the highest) show PWM. The beam is "clean" and doesn't show artefacts.
Beamshots:
Time for a couple of beamshots now! First session is indoors with the lights' beam pointed at a white wall. Distance to the wall about one meter. All available modes shown here including a GIF from the four modes that come out of the main led.
Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 1/125 sec, 35mm
GIF:
The secondary options, the side lights, will not reach the white wall easily, because they have a very floody profile. To show you how they perform, I mounted the A8UV on a tripod in a barn. See that the UV will light up the caravan at a couple of meters away; the bright red option and the nice "reading white" option.
Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 4 sec, 35mm
Going outdoors now! Location is a grassfield with some (little) trees. I'll show you only the modes of the main led at this location, because the side lights are barely visible here. See below for the four white modes and a GIF. Because of the transparent body of the A8UV the light will "glow-up" when using longer exposure time.
Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 4 sec, 35mm
GIF:
Time to show the difference in profile, color and output with the other lights. Against the Rovyvon you see that the Fenix misses output (it has a single AAA-battery); see also the nice color rendering of the A8UV.
the Rovyvon A8UV against the Fenix E99Ti, both on highest level
The Nitecore TINI is clearly brighter than the A8UV and has a broad beam. Big difference is the color rendering here: The TINI has cold tint, using the A8UV the trees and the grass look the same as in daylight.
the Rovyvon A8UV against the Nitecore TINI, both on highest level
Conclusion:
I'm really impressed by this tiny flashlight. I can be short: This is one of the best mini-flashlights that I carried ever! Machining and finishing is done at secure way, the A8UV has a lot of carrying-options, for example necklace, keychain, clipped on a cap or backpack and so on. I love the interface that includes two very good low modes and momentary-option. The output is not as big as some lights in the same class, but the A8UV has by far the best color-rendering. The sidelights make the light suited for a bunch of applications, although I won't use the ulviolette option that much. In my opinion, its better to "hide" this option some more, because it can be harmful to your eyes. I like the bright red with flash function. Good warning for low-battery too and surprising long runtime on the little battery. Another big plus: It never turned on accidentally during the months that I carried it. Except the presence of PWM I can't find any specific points of improvement for this mini-light. Recommended!
Many thanks to Rovyvon that I got the opportunity to test this light!
this is the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV
unique styling, many lightning-options
main LED is a Nichia 219C
lightweight and there easy to carry 24/7
well-suited as keychain-light
This tiny one has a bunch of features and options. Here are the full specifications, given by Rovyvon:
*Transparent body
*Nichia 219C LED (R9050), max output 350 lumens
*4500K, 90+ CRI (color rendering index)
*Sidelight: Neutral white, UV, Red
*Built-in Micro USB charging port
*130mAh lithium polymer battery
*Charging indicator & quick charged in 45 minutes
*Side switch prevents accidental activation
*Ergonomic design, one-hand operation
*Tail paracord hole
*A lanyard and two-way clip included
*IP65 water resistance
Unboxing:
The A8UV came in a small package, packed in a bubble envelope. Luckily nothing was damaged during the long trip; I'm always happy with that. The carton has nice appearance, you'll find most specs and applications on it. The package is full of accessories; this is a big plus. The only part that's missing is a pouch, although I ask me if this is needed because a tag and lanyard are included. Further we find the manual, a clip and a spare USB-port cover. This is all we need to work with the light at smooth way, so no wishes here. In short, this box suffices. Have a look at the pictures below too!
really a small package for the A8UV
nice appearance, main color orange and black
the specifications can be found back on the package
the contents: A8UV, manual, charging cable, lanyard, clip and soldier tag
Impressions:
The A8UV is for sure an eye-catcher: Just try it out and put the light on your desk a see how other react.. I had never had my hands-on to a concept like this. The A8UV is a tiny and lightweight "mini-torch" that is almost fully made of polycarbonate with only some metal accents. Above that, the light is transparent so it does not hide what's inside. This gives really a nice effect and I have to say that I like the design.
My (first) impressions of the A8UV are good. The light is well constructed and has the feels of a long-lasting product. Polycarbonate can withstand pressure and shocks and is scratch-resistant. No seams anywhere; the light can't be opened and disassemble it which is a good point for durability and waterproofing. Negative to this that you can't change any part of the light in case of damage; I think you need to buy a new light if there's something wrong with it. The light can't stand on its tail, so using the main led as a candle is not possible. Head-standing is stable and needed to use (for example) the white side light or the red warning light. The A8UV has good anti-rolling design, it will not move away that far when you put it on your desk. So, a translucent body, it is slightly diffused except the side where the three sidelights are placed. The Rovyvon logo, the type and some other information is printed / branded in the body, the small letters are aligned well. At one side, we see the rubber power button that has a stiff structure. A rubber switch is easier to control, maybe a metal one would be more durable. Below the button we see the most striking part of the light: the clear part of the body that keeps three side-lights in a row. The finishing on the leds is well-done, I can't see any shortcomings on soldering or things like that. The emitters are positioned at good way. On the opposite we find back the micro-USB charging port, which is covered by a well-closing rubber. The body has two notches between the side lights and the switch where you can fix the clip in two directions. Good point to have a clip on a small light like this. In the tail there's a rather big hole that makes it easier to add the A8UV on a keychain-ring. The silver head (that is made of metal) gives a nice accent to the overall design. The A8UV has a glass lens, a smooth shallow reflector with a kind of TIR and a loved Nichia 219C emitter that is well-centered. This flashlight can't be opened, so we don't have to take a look inside this time. My overall impressions about the Rovyvon A8UV are very good. The light is surprising good constructed and finished. I carried the light for some weeks now, but it looks like that this tiny one will survive for many years on your keychain. For some more impressions and details, have a look at a bunch of photos below!
the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV is almost fully made of polycarbonate
and has some silver / metal parts
shallow reflector with well centered Nichia 219C-LED
see how compact this flashlight is
nice appearance, this is not an "all-day-concept"
text is printed in the body
most striking detail: the three-in-a-row sidelights
good anti-rolling design
the head is made of metal, the A8UV has a glass lens
the light doesn't have secrets about what's inside
the leds' color already shows the good tint
the lights has a very bright UV-option
and even red, in constant or flashing mode
the white side-lamp gives a floody beam which is ideal for reading
good finishing on such small parts!
a small but well-closing rubber protects the micro-usb port from water and dust
a red indicator lights up during the charge
good but rather big strap
the light seems irresistible for scratches
the rubber switch is easy to find in the dark
a big plus to this led is the high color rendering
a close-up to the tail
a real "firefly"; I really appreciate that!
stable standing
the low-battery indicator lights continuously, good option
blue (instead of awaited green) when the battery is fully charged..
so many options packed in such a small product
I really like the used led of this tiny one!
User interface:
Thanks to its compact format and featherweight the A8UV is flashlight that you can carry 24/7. Many options to take the light with you: A strap on your wrist, a soldier tag around your neck, fixed on your cap or backpack or in any pocket. And your keychain won't be to heavy with the A8UV fixed. Personally, I wear it mostly in the "coin-pocket" of my trousers, sometimes with clip for security. The design (that isn't completely round) and the clip will secure a good grip. Also the button is easily to find, even in complete darkness.
Charging the light works smooth, just connect the cable to the port and look for a dedicated charger. Lights like these (with only small cells) don't need that much power for recharge; to prevent the battery, it's better to look for a charging plug that doesn't have too much power. I mostly pick a charger that has about 0,5 to 0,7 Amps. So, please take care of this and do not use frequently of powerful smartphone-charger or something like that. Charging-job is done very fast, it mostly takes less than an hour. A red indicator lights up when the refill is in progress, if the led turns into green you're again ready-to-go.
The Rovyvon A8UV has one button for all. It's always interesting to me how a manufacturer will come with a good solution on the interface, especially on a light like this that has a bunch of lighting-options. For constant-on, you need to quick-click two times. The A8 start in firefly mode. In my eyes, this is the best mode to start at for an EDC-light. Cycle through the other three output-modes by short clicks. Long press to shut off the light. Firefly is not in the memory anymore if you cycle again and again through the modes. Works fine and doesn't take effort to get used by it. The A8UV doesn't memorize its last-used level. The light has momentary on: Press and hold (from off), the light will turn in highest mode until you lose the button. Nice to have momentary on a light without a secondary switch, I really appreciate this! I my eyes, this find of Rovyvon is a good one: Always starting in lowest mode if turned on at normal way, but entering highest level takes also only one second. Good solution again. To activate the side-lights, some more steps are needed. A triple-click turns on the UV-option (beware of your eyes!) and next click will bring red and after that flashing red. Keep the button pressed for about a second to turn off. Personally, because I want to prevent my eyes, I would have interchanged the ultraviolet and red options. After cheching this, there's only one side-led left… You can reach the white reading light by four quick clicks. A short or a longer press will turn off the white side-light.
The Rovyvon A8UV has an innovative interface that works well. A lot of options are controlled by only one button, and after little time, you don't have to consult the manual anymore.
Modes:
The main led of Rovyvon A8UV has four output levels, in order of: MOONLIGHT > LOW > MED > HIGH. The spacing is very good, a strong point is the availability of two real low-modes. Well done of Rovyvon! Two direct-modes here: normally, the light starts in MOONLIGHT, but the MOMENTARY-ON is the highest level. No flashing-modes on the main led here. Three side-lights on the A8UV: UV > RED > RED FLASH > WHITE. These are the special modes of the torch. A good option is the LOW-VOLTAGE warning: The red indicator turns on until you recharge the light or until the battery is completely exhausted. I waited a night for the charge after the warning, and the indicator turned off because the battery was completely down. The A8UV doesn't have a special LOCK-OUT. I'd like to see that option on this little torch, but have to admit that it never turned on accidentally when I carried it in my pocket. Summarizing: The Aurora A8UV has really a lot of good working modes!
Size comparison:
It was not easy to find an equal light in my collection; I found the Fenix E99Ti that has about the same thickness and the Nitecore TINI with almost the same output. Next to these two you can see again how compact the Aurora A8UV is! We'll meet this couple again later in this review when we go out for the beamshots!
Eneloop AAA-battery, Fenix E99Ti, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Nitecore TINI
Nitecore TINI, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Fenix E99Ti
Nitecore TINI, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Fenix E99Ti
the heads: XP-G2 S3, Nichia 219C and XP-E2
the backs: Nitecore TINI, Rovyvon Aurora A8UV and Fenix E99Ti
Tint:
The A8UV has a very nice tint, thanks to the used Nichia 219C led. Compared to the other lights that I showed you in this review, the colors of the competitors seem to be green; in real life this is the big difference is the color rendering, which is very good at the Rovyvon Aurora A8UV. The beam of the A8UV show nice white color, but in the edge we see some purple. I'll show you more in the beamshots-chapter!
Beamprofile:
The Rovyvon A8UV has a very big spot and a medium corona and spill. Not a big surprise because of the used shallow reflector. This is the profile that you need for an EDC-light, and I like it. Maximum reach on highest mode up to 40-50 meters, but also possible for indoor-reading at midnight without disturbing anyone. What I don't like is that most modes (except the highest) show PWM. The beam is "clean" and doesn't show artefacts.
Beamshots:
Time for a couple of beamshots now! First session is indoors with the lights' beam pointed at a white wall. Distance to the wall about one meter. All available modes shown here including a GIF from the four modes that come out of the main led.
Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 1/125 sec, 35mm
GIF:
The secondary options, the side lights, will not reach the white wall easily, because they have a very floody profile. To show you how they perform, I mounted the A8UV on a tripod in a barn. See that the UV will light up the caravan at a couple of meters away; the bright red option and the nice "reading white" option.
Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 4 sec, 35mm
Going outdoors now! Location is a grassfield with some (little) trees. I'll show you only the modes of the main led at this location, because the side lights are barely visible here. See below for the four white modes and a GIF. Because of the transparent body of the A8UV the light will "glow-up" when using longer exposure time.
Camera settings: ISO100, WB daylight, F/2.7, 4 sec, 35mm
GIF:
Time to show the difference in profile, color and output with the other lights. Against the Rovyvon you see that the Fenix misses output (it has a single AAA-battery); see also the nice color rendering of the A8UV.
the Rovyvon A8UV against the Fenix E99Ti, both on highest level
The Nitecore TINI is clearly brighter than the A8UV and has a broad beam. Big difference is the color rendering here: The TINI has cold tint, using the A8UV the trees and the grass look the same as in daylight.
the Rovyvon A8UV against the Nitecore TINI, both on highest level
Conclusion:
I'm really impressed by this tiny flashlight. I can be short: This is one of the best mini-flashlights that I carried ever! Machining and finishing is done at secure way, the A8UV has a lot of carrying-options, for example necklace, keychain, clipped on a cap or backpack and so on. I love the interface that includes two very good low modes and momentary-option. The output is not as big as some lights in the same class, but the A8UV has by far the best color-rendering. The sidelights make the light suited for a bunch of applications, although I won't use the ulviolette option that much. In my opinion, its better to "hide" this option some more, because it can be harmful to your eyes. I like the bright red with flash function. Good warning for low-battery too and surprising long runtime on the little battery. Another big plus: It never turned on accidentally during the months that I carried it. Except the presence of PWM I can't find any specific points of improvement for this mini-light. Recommended!
Many thanks to Rovyvon that I got the opportunity to test this light!
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