Fenix PD22UE (Ultimate Edition) Review
The Fenix PD22UE (Ultimate Edition) is an absolute beast of an EDC flashlight! Combining the new Cree XP-L LED emitter, with the raw power of Lithium-Ion battery technology, Fenix has created a winner. For those of you not familiar with Li-ion batteries they are now all the rage in high end flashlights, they offer an incredible amount of power, and the convenience of being rechargeable. The Fenix PD22UE uses the 16340 which is a rechargeable version of the venerable CR123A ( I love Surefire batteries).
Size:
Length: 3.5″ (90mm)
Width: .85″ (21.5mm)Weight: 1.5 oz. (45g) weight excluding batteries
Batteries: Single CR123A battery or one 16340 Li-ion battery (batteries not included)
Included: Holster, lantern, clip, lanyard and two spare O-rings
Modes: 4 brightness levels:
- Turbo: CR123A Battery: 400 Lumens (1 hour 15 min.) 16340 Battery: 510 Lumens (45 min.)
- High: CR123A Battery: 200 Lumens (2 hours 20 min.) 16340 Battery: 200 Lumens (1 hour 50 min.)
- Mid: CR123A Battery: 60 Lumens (10 hours) 16340 Battery:60 Lumens (7 hours)
- Low: CR123A Battery: 6 Lumens (100 hours) 16340 Battery: 6 Lumens (50 hours)
Range: 425 ft / 130 meters
Fenix PD22UE Ergonomics
The Fenix PD22UE has some of my favorite ergonomics going. It is amazingly small for a light this powerful, and has just the right amount of checkering to stay put in your hand.
Fenix PD22UE In Use
I like this light. The Fenix PD22UE is pretty straight forward when it comes to using it. The tail cap turns it on and the other button cycles through the modes, if you want the strobe just hold it down. That is it, no fancy twisting this or double clicking that. Just 2 buttons. I like it!
The multiple modes on the Fenix PD22UE provides enough modes for most any situation. The low mode is good for rooting around in a pack at night or keeping yourself from tripping in the dark. The mid and high modes at 60 and 200 lumens are good for all around use. The Turbo mode is something to behold! The 400 lumens from a CR123A is impressive from a single cell flashlight but when using a 16340 Lithium-Ion it pumps out a retina scorching 510 lumens. It will blind you and you’ll be able to signal the Space Station if need be.
The Fenix PD22UE puts out a nice area illuminating beam. With a light this small Fenix can’t fit a huge reflector so it has a nice throw but don’t expect to light stuff up miles away. The beam is clean without any real hot spots.
The Fenix PD22UE may use some fancy batteries but don’t let that scare you away from it. The CR123A has become fairly common and they are never that far away, in fact Home Depot has them right up at the register. A nice thing about them is that the have a long shelf life and don’t ever leak. This way they can get thrown in a flashlight and put in a drawer or glove compartment and your light will be good for up to 10 years. The 16340 Lithium-Ion is a bit of a different animal. The Li-ion batteries put out huge amounts of power but require a bit more attention. They need a charger ( I like the Nitecore i4), are a bit expensive, and they need a topping off every 6 months or so even if not in use. If you can live with their limitations they are the way to extract a huge amount of performance from a flashlight. I like them but I’m a Gear Geek and don’t mind their quirks. They do benefit from a lot of R&D going into them right now so expect big things from them.
Carrying The Fenix PD22UE
The Fenix PD22UE fits well into a pocket. It is a good size for Everyday Carry (EDC) neither being too big or too small. Combine it’s size, power, and ease of use and Fenix has built themselves a real winner here! It finds it way into my pocket most days lately and comes in handy. It’s blinding light makes the guys at work marvel at it each time I use it. The Fenix PD22UE is also a good choice for putting into an EDC Kit.
The Wrap-Up
The Fenix PD22UE is a pretty amazing light. It has a lot going for it but it’s 510 lumen output puts it in a class by itself. As an EDC light I’m going to give the rare and coveted 5 out of 5 STARS!
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