Jacob MurphyHaving a pocket flashlight with you at all times can be very helpful. You may need a bit of light in weird situations, and they come in very handy. That’s why you’ll find them as part of many everyday carry kits. However, it’s not just any flashlight – you’ll want a good one.
Even though there certainly isn’t a lack of options out there, we have to say that the J5 Tactical Hyper V is one of the best options, and it doesn’t even get close to breaking the bank. If you were to take a look at it on Amazon, you’d find around 3 thousand reviews with a 4.5-star average, so J5 Tactical is obviously doing something right. Let’s take a better look at it and see what that is.
The design and looks
The Hyper V looks somewhat “regular”. There isn’t anything on it that stands out, it’s just a regular tactical flashlight. The body is metal, and it is heavily textured so you can be sure it won’t slip out of your hands. On one end are the LEDs, while on the other, you’ll find the red rubberized power switch. It’s on a very convenient place – you can easily turn it on or off, and it’s virtually impossible to do so by accident. That button is also what you use to switch between the three operation modes – Strobe, Low and High. Low significantly reduces the light output, while Strobe is effective if you want to make your location known, or deter an attacker. The whole body is more or less equal in thickness, save for the LED head which is a little bit thicker. If you want to talk dimensions, you’re looking at 4.63 x 1 x 1”, with the body extending up to 4.88” with the adjustable focus, and the LED head is 1.3” at the widest, which actually is pocket-friendly.
Let’s talk about one very important feature – water resistance. Even though the manufacturer and the Amazon product page both claim that the Hyper V is water resistant, and can even be submerged in water, we’d take this with a grain of salt. Yes, there are rubber seals at the rear, where the flashlight opens for you to change the batteries. However, there’s also a moving part – the adjustable focus, which introduces a weak spot in the construction. If there is a leak, it will be here. Therefore, we would advise that you try to keep it out of water. If you do drop it, make sure you give it plenty of time to dry before turning it on again.
With that out of the way, we should say that the Hyper V does have very quality construction. Even at 4.6 oz (with battery), it’s still lightweight enough for the pockets, but heavy enough for it to feel like you’re holding a quality product. Oh, and if you’d rather not carry it in your hand, there’s a belt clip. It’s very sturdy and won’t flex easily.
The last thing we should mention about the build is the batteries. The rear of the flashlight can be unscrewed to reveal the battery tray. When you buy it, you’ll be able to put in 3 AAA batteries. However, there’s also the option for a 18650 NiMH rechargeable battery, but you’ll need a battery sleeve that’s purchased additionally. The regular AAA batteries will give you somewhere around 1.42 hours of runtime, while a 2000mAh NiMH battery can get you around 2.2 hours. Both measurements are continuous, at full power.
Let’s talk performance
The key thing about any flashlight is how it performs, and we have to say, the Hyper V is excellent. When compared to competitive products, it isn’t better or worse, it’s just different. For example, we found that there are some models that have a much stronger beam when you need to light up a single room at close distances. That’s not to say it’s bad – it did do a great job. However, when it comes to lighting up objects at a distance, the Hyper V easily outperformed tactical flashlights that cost double as much.
A great addition is the flashlight’s adjustable focus. It’s basically a zoomable design, which lets you extend or retract the whole body. And whereas with other budget flashlights this doesn’t make too much of a difference, it’s actually a very useful feature on the Hyper V. You can choose between a wide beam if you want to light something up that’s close to you, or a narrow beam that’s great for those long distances.
Wrapping things up – is the J5 Tactical Hyper V any good, and for who?
As you’ve probably figured out by now, the Hyper V, overall, is excellent. There are some competitors’ products that perform a touch better when the beam is wide, but it still works very well and the narrow beam is unmatched at long distances.
The build quality is overall great. An aluminum body feels stiff and the textured surfaces ensure that it won’t slip out of your hand easily. There’s a belt clip as well, and the operation button is placed on a great position.
However, this is a budget flashlight, so some corners had to be cut, and the issue with the Hyper V is the waterproofing or lack thereof. A tactical flashlight is often used outdoors, so you’ll want it to be protected against the elements – the Hyper V isn’t.
If the lack of water resistance is something you can look past, though, the Hyper V is actually a very compelling piece of gear. You won’t find many competitive products that work as well as this one, and it costs very little.
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