Mini-review of the Jetbeam E3S

I recently bought my new edc, a Jetbeam E3S. I searched the forum, and found little, almost no information on this light, so I wanted to share my impressions. In case anyone is asking, I paid for it.
The first thing I have to say is that this light is beautiful. I believe is the most beautiful of the ones I have. Is very small, smaller than my quark, and just 1.5 mm larger than a nitecore D10, but also around 1.5 mm thinner.

You all know those lights, but, in case, Jetbeam E3S, Nitecore D10 (dead), Quark AA Tactical, and Surefire E1L

again from the top.

the light from the inside, showing contacts.

Here you can see the led.


The (reverse click) swich has a very good feel and has a positive click.
As an SS light, the light is clearly heavier than some people would like, but I don’t feel that it bothers in my pocket.
The light comes with no accessories (other than an extra o-ring) in a gift tin, with a window. It has two holes on the tail if you want to use it with a small lanyard. I noticed, that there are threads in the holes, but haven’t found any optional clips that fits.


Notice the threads on the holes.

The light, has two stages, regular (daily) mode, and max. I compared it to my quark, and as you can see in the pictures, the beam is wider, and whiter (quark tend to be a little greener on medium/low modes). On dayly mode, I’s as bright as the quark in the medium.


Quark on the left.

In max mode, is very close to the quark on Max also, running on alkaline batteries of course.

Again, Quark on the left.

All in all, is a very nice light that as I see, doesn’t get mentioned too much, but I really liked it because of the simplicity, beauty, and durability.

by the way, i don't know if i should quit CPF, because is creating a need in me of buying new lights every time.

Boris said:

by the way, i don't know if i should quit CPF, because is creating a need in me of buying new lights every time.

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Quit while you can but like me I doubt you will be able once you get the collecting bug.lovecpf

I think your new light is a very classy looking bit of kit and I have been tempted more than once to buy one but it is just too much over my normal budget limit per light to justify.

Nice pictures - It's good to see lights that are actually being used! :thumbsup:

before purchasing my E3S this was the only thread containing any user experience with it, so i had the same idea as Boris, but he beat me to it. instead of starting a new thread, thought id just add to his mini-review of it.

I initially purchased this because the quark mini AA i gave to my mom was too complicated for her use. (she has bad memory retention). i wanted something more simply, and the E3S UI seems perfect for that. click to turn off/on. bezel tight= high, bezel loose= low. no strobe, and no cycling through modes. when i showed her the light today, she said it was "cute".:D she also mentioned its weight, something i already considered, the stainless steel body looks very classy, still think i would rather have it made of alumium for light weight, and better heat-sinking. (after i took the beamshots which only took me about 3 minutes, the light was much warmer than the others, almost to the point of it being hot, while all the other lights were fine). with all that said, i still think this makes a very good gift light. simple UI, uses AA, smooth, bright beam. with a light OP reflector.

another thing, i want to try a AW14500 in it, but i dont think its safe, as Jetbeam rates this at only 155 lumen max, so it would be logical to assume it does not. lets just hope its trade-off is better efficiency with the lower 1.5volts.

the switch being a reverse clicky works well, on the "off position it sits lower, and while "on" the clicky is close to being flush with the shroud. think this was good on jetbeams part, because there doesnt seem to be a lock-out function. makes it harder to accidentally turn it on while in a purse or pocket. i tried loosening the head to lock it out, but any contact with the battery and it will stay on. (the head was completely removed before cutting its contact). also, no signs of any thread play, something i find annoying with other lights, especially where the bezel/head attaches to the body.

:poke:now, on to the beamshots! all lights using energizer lithium primaries, all cells are new with only a few minutes use.

size comparision with some other single cell LED lights. left to right ZL H501w, ZL SC50w, Quark Mini AA R5, Nitecore D10 R2, Jetbeam E3S, Surefire E1E, Jetbeam RRT-0

top down view

left to right : Nitecore D10 R2, Quark Mini AA R5, Jetbeam E3S, ZL SC501w about 1 feet away from wall/door:D


Direct comparisions D10 on left, E3S on right. about 1 feet from wall.


Quark Mini AA R5, and E3S.

ZL SC50w and JB E3S


the beam is very smooth. very comparable to the quark X-PG beams. the D10 looks to have a noticable ring, but in real life use it is not noticeable, only on white walls, and i think the beamshot makes it look worst than it really is. the first beamshot pic with all 4 lights does a good job showing the tint of the E3S which does have a hint of blue in it. while the quark mini has a hint of green.

I really like my new E3S. Replaces the E3P in my laptop bag, but it might be my new "grab and go" light because of the size and appearance. Much brighter than the previous version, with a larger hotspot, as noted. Works great with the Energizer Lithium AA battery, which reduces the weight a bit.

I had some marks on the tailcap flat section, but a few passes on a sheet of 600 grit wet-or-dry paper, followed by some Flitz polish, and all was fine. And there were a couple of very slight lines scratched on the body of the light, probably from assembly or packaging (which is not all that unusual with a light having this brushed finish), but I took care of that, too. I masked off the etched writing with some Scotch Magic Tape, and then cut a 1/4 x 5" strip of 3200 grit flexible sandpaper from MicroMesh. The abrasive matches the brushed pattern on the light. I looped the abrasive paper around the light, held the ends together, and rotated the light repeatedly inside the loop of abrasive paper, until the marks disappeared. Open up the loop, move it up another 1/4" along the light, and repeat. Go all the way until you've come to the end of the light. Don't slide the light inside the loop, and don't just move the loop up and down as you rotate the light. Keep the abrasive lines perpendicular to the light's long axis. Finish up with some Flitz polish.

It is weird that there was no lanyard, no split key ring, and no clip (unlike all my other JetBeams, including the earlier E3 lights themselves). The machine-threaded holes on the tail cap make me wonder even more why there wasn't a matching optional stainless steel pocket clip included, with a couple of screws -- or if there is one coming later. It should have been supplied with the light. The obvious similarity to some other Chinese-made lights may suggest that this was "outsourced" to another manufacturer.

Other than that omission, nice job, JetBeam!

Nice reviews and outstanding photos Boris and Skyfire.

And JML, great description on how to get the scratches out of the SS. Any way you can post some pics of your work? And where'd you buy the sandpaper and Flitz polish?

That E3S is, by far, one of the best looking lights I've seen, but then again, I'm a sucker for SS. It's got a sophisticated and professional look to it that's kinda rare in this day and age of "tactical" everything. I liked the earlier JetBeam E3P but always thought the E3P was just way too big for a single 1xAA light, but it seems like the E3S is a significantly improved version that is much smaller and brighter to boot.

Thanks for the info fellas. I think I'm jumping on the E3S bandwagon. :wave:

I absolutely love my E3S. It arrived earlier this week and has become my favourite "carry with me at all times around the house" light

I too had trouble finding much info about this light before I bought it so I assume not many CPF'ers have them.


I just took some family pics of my current collection.



All bar the old Maglites and Led Lenser have been purchased in the last 3 weeks lovecpf

HIDblue said:

And JML, great description on how to get the scratches out of the SS. Any way you can post some pics of your work? And where'd you buy the sandpaper and Flitz polish?

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There's really nothing to show via a picture. All the MicroMesh does is remove any errant scratches. You can't see any difference between the supplied finish and what happens afterwards, except that any marks along the long axis of the light are gone.

Flitz is available all over the web, in many local hardware stores, or directly from the maker, at http://www.flitz.com/. Flitz is non-abrasive, unlike many other metal polishes.

MicroMesh papers are available from various websites and some good hobby shops. Or you can go directly to the source: https://micro-surface.com/index.php. I use the 3200 grit for this purpose.

Thanks for the info JML. :thumbsup:

My E3S should be arriving any day now, and I'll probably need the micromesh and Flitz considering how scratched up my other pocket EDC lights get. If I could only remember to stop putting change/keys in the same pocket as my EDC light.

The E3S is the only single-AA light I've seen since I started collecting that I think is worth paying for. It's just as bright as my CR123-based lights, and it's made of stainless so it can take a beating. It's also much smaller than the old E3P, which is a good thing.

Just received my JetBeam E3S and all I can say is WOW! This thing just looks and feels awesome.

Typically, I'm into the 123 lights and previously believed that brighter was always better, but these days, I find myself seeking out lights that differentiate themselves from the pack in some way or another.

I'm a sucker for SS lights and the E3S, even in its AA form factor, just called to me (weird, I know). It's not as heavy as I thought it would be; it's surprisingly bright for a AA light (using Lithium AAs); it's got a great beam; it's got a reverse clicky, which I'm usually not a fan of, but the tactile feel of this clicky is just outstanding; and the fit and finish are superb.

My first JetBeam happened to be a defective Jet III-M, so I was kind of turned off by the line, but the E3S has renewed my faith in JB products. :thumbsup:

Now does anyone know what aftermarket pocket clip will fit those two threaded holes that are at the top of the light???

Here's a photo of the E3S with my humble rotation of other daily pocket EDC lights.

i agree about the feel of the clicky, it has a very nice feel to it.

sorry to hear about your jet III M exprience. the jet III M was my first jetbeam. and i think its a great light, nice beam, and feel, even though i never use it anymore, id still would never sell it.:thumbsup:

I just received my E3S from Light Junction. No issues and quick shipping. This is a really finely crafted, beautiful light. I like the switch. It has an authoritative click to it. The beam quality is very, very good. It is very much like my Quarks in the smoothness of the transition to the spill.

I might have to take another picture of my single cell collection to add in this beauty. I also bought a Revo and a Quark AA regular this month.

I picked one up last Saturday and this light just screams quality. I don't think a custom could be any better. And it's better than a roll of dimes for a fist load. :D

Does anyone know if the JB E3S is compatible with AW 14500's? I'm thinking it's not, but wondered if anyone gave it a try?

HIDblue said:

Does anyone know if the JB E3S is compatible with AW 14500's? I'm thinking it's not, but wondered if anyone gave it a try?

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I don't know, bit mine runs for ages on a Duracell rechargeable.
Waaay better than I expected :)

If only it had a clip it would prolly be my fave EDC. Small, simple UI, bright, and shiny :D

Yeah, me too. The E3S is my new favorite EDC light. I find that I throw the E3S into my back pocket every morning, even though it's not the brightest nor the smallest light I own. :thumbsup:

After some communication with edgetac, a jetbeam customer service rep, it is ok to use a 14500 li-ion battery in this light.

It uses a boost circuit which is bypassed when using a higher voltage li-ion battery. That means it will run in direct drive and put out significantly higher output.

So the circuitry can handle the power, but operating temps have to be kept in check to avoid thermal damage to the components or emitter.

Should be fine on max for a couple of minutes at a time. I'm definately picking one up after veryfing this information. Now only if they would produce a matching clip for the light. :twothumbs

ACRbling said:

After some communication with edgetac, a jetbeam customer service rep, it is ok to use a 14500 li-ion battery in this light.

It uses a boost circuit which is bypassed when using a higher voltage li-ion battery. That means it will run in direct drive and put out significantly higher output.

So the circuitry can handle the power, but operating temps have to be kept in check to avoid thermal damage to the components or emitter.

Should be fine on max for a couple of minutes at a time. I'm definately picking one up after veryfing this information. Now only if they would produce a matching clip for the light. :twothumbs

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Thanks for passing on the info to us. Now, who wants to be the first to try it with 14500's? :naughty: