Packaging and Contents

The F1 arrived in a very nice retail-quality cardboard box and packaging. The light was cushioned in a form-fitting piece of white foam. Below that were the clip, 2 spare O-rings, lanyard, USB cable, case/holster and manual. The packaging both looked very nice and protected the light perfectly. In addition, the box was inside a plastic bag to prevent the box from coming open accidentally as well as to keep the box in good condition.

1 x Zanflare F1 LED Flashlight 1 x USB Cable 1 x Clip 1 x Case / Holster 1 x Lanyard 1 x Manual

2 x Spare O-ring









Fit and Finish

The F1 has solid and smooth black anodizing (Type III HA). The anodizing was applied well and seems thicker than many budget lights, even in the same price category. My copy did not have any notable defects in the finish. The anodizing was a smooth and non-glossy. I felt that this finish looks very nice and professional in quality.





The body of the light is a 18650-size EDC tube design that some people also may describe as an "S design". The width is wider than a dry erase marker and about the same length. Due to the design, there is minimal roll-resistance unless the clip is attached.

This light is slightly wider than some other 18650 tubes that I have used which will be preferred by people with larger hands. The light also feels solid and well-constructed.





The body has a unique diagonal pattern which adds grip and a clean look, and some scratch resistance. The pattern is very smooth while still adding grip. It feels very very nice in hand.

The threads were cut perfectly square and there is anodizing on the tail threads.









Comment: I originally wasn't sure whether or not I would like the diagonal pattern on the grip based on pictures. However, in person, the pattern is very nice and in fact I think that it works a lot better in hand than the traditional knurling on most lights. It's able to add grip while feeling smooth.



Built-in Charging and USB Port

The F1 features built-in charging. Mine appears to terminate charging <4.2V.









Comment: Built-in charging is very good (my preference) because terminating <4.2V is safer and will result in longer lifespans for batteries, especially for everyday consumers who frequently "top off" the battery via USB. I would have no qualms gifting this light to someone.



Lanyard, Case and Clip

The lanyard which was included in mine was on the short side and hard to put on even my relatively slim wrists. Fortunately, it was easy to replace the existing cord with some paracord which I already own.

The holster/case is also a very nice touch. It is a soft neoprene-type material and looks very nice.

The clip is nice material. However, I would have liked a deep carry clip.

Tail Stand









The F1 can tail-stand on a level surface and is stable. Also, there is a divot in the tail to allow the lanyard to sit without destabilizing the light when tail standing.

Tail Hammer

The F1 has the unique feature of having a built in glass breaker/safety hammer.

Comment: I did not test the hammer. However, I feel that if the hammer point protruded a little more, it would be more effective (although, it would also be more likely the scratch the user.)







User Interface and Modes

The light has a rear reverse-clicky (On/Off) and uses a side-switch to control modes.

There is mode memory. The light will activate on the last used brightness.

Strobe & SOS are hidden.



Operation:

To turn the light ON, press tail switch.

To advance modes, press side switch (Moon -> L -> M -> H)

To turn the light OFF, press tail switch. Operation: Flare (Hidden): To activate Flare mode, double-click side switch (when on).

To exit Flare, press side switch.

The light will automatically ramp-down from Flare to High after 30 seconds. Strobe / SOS (Hidden): To turn STROBE ON, long-press side switch (when on).

To change between STROBE and SOS, press side switch.

To turn STROBE/SOS OFF, long-press side switch.

Comments: I like the mode order and mode memory. I will normally set the light to Moon or Low before turning it off so it will always start low. Because the mode and power switches are different, it's very easy for me to always change the mode back to Moon/Low before turning it off. The side switch is very intuitive and I also like that the strobe modes are well hidden as I never use them.







Output, Runtime and Power

Measurements were done using a freshly charged EVVA protected Panasonic NCR18650B.