2.1.2017

Just received it and it's DOA!I inserted the battery as illustrated and all I got was excessive heat from the charging port area and smell of burning.Revomed the charger, (which BTW both the charger and the cable are by Anker) and the battery and reinserted it, connectd the charger, light shows green, heating again and torch is stuck permanently on SOS mode even with rear cap detached.After several e-mails back and forth, they sent me a replacement torch, which, despite the fact that it's often stuck in either strobe or SOS modes while going through all the modes, for the most part, works.Now as a torch it's not the best I've owned, as when it's zoomed out it has virtually the same spotlight effect as the LC40 only brighter,but, to my disappointment, when zoomed in a bit more than half way, there's a big grey area right in the middle, which makes it unusable for walking in dark areas, as you can see around you, but not right in front of you and as far as I can observe, the lens is to fault here, due to its raised middle part shape, if it was flat, I think the beam would be much more evenly distributed.In conclusion, for: very good after sales service and support (hence the increase to 3*), good overall build quality and powerful light with good distribution (when zoomed in up to about 30%-40%, so as to avoid the big grey centre spot), good battery life, good packaging.Against: Awkward way to switch between modes, especially when mine trends to get stuck on the two useless ones (strobe & SOS), a separate mode switch would do the job better, on the big and heavy side, awkward way of recharging, a side mounted (covered) USB port would be much more convenient.Now I'll take my chances with the LC130, hoping it'll be the best of both worlds with a wide, full flooded beam and decent centre brightness.Update: Anker aftersales support was kind and interested enough to send me another LC90, which, this time works as it should.After the second one, which had a sticky On/Off/Mode switch, that tended to like the Strobe and SOS mode more than anything else, it seems that Anker modified the switch, making it more of a distinct two stage one, that it's now easier to select the mode you want, before the full press to enable it, Kudos to Anker!What I like about it: bright, sturdy, zoomable with a decently firm zoom mechanism, so as to prevent accidental zoom variations, has a built in USB charger, comes with a battery, very well packed and presented, with informative instructions, something most companies don't bother much and most reviewers even dismiss and wrongly "urge" users not to bother with, which, I personally, always read.What I don't like: The hunch in the middle of the lense tends to give a grey spot in the middle of the beam, which appears at about 30%-40% and gets bigger as more zoom is used and a separate On/Off and Mode switch, would be welcomed, unable to change mode while on one setting, unless you switch off and on again, which falls in the inconvenience side.Lastly, as I aforementioned in the beginning of this updated review, I'd like to thank Anker for standing by their products and supporting customers, who happen to get a faulty item, as they went a long way, redeeming themselves, by making dissatisfied customers, trust both their products and support team.5* for standing by your product, especially in after sales support services.

10.1.2017

This is a review of the Anker LC90, I have bought this with my own money. I've been looking for a USB rechargeable LED torch for a while, steering clear of the cheaper end of the market with dubious Chinese lithium batteries of unknown quality and associated fire hazards. I cannot justify the prices at higher end of the market for what is just a torch. I stumbled upon this torch from Anker when I received an email from them for a one day sale, showing this torch with £5 off, making it £20, and very affordable so I ordered it. I have bought a few Anker powerbanks over the years so I had a reasonably high expectation of what the torch would be like, and I wasn't disappointed.It came well presented in a sturdy box containing the torch,battery (with a manufacturing date of only the previous month), micro USB charging cable, a lanyard, and a easy to understand manual.The battery is a Anker branded, protected 3350 mah, lithium ion battery. It is inserted into the torch by removing the tail cap, and then a secondary cap, and following the polarity sticker on the inside of the casing, and refitting the secondary cap. This is something you only need to do when new, and I suppose when the battery is worn out. You charge the torch by removing the waterproof tail cap and plugging the supplied micro USB cable into the port. A red led changes to green once charged. This took about 4 hours from first charge with a 1.5 amp sony charger from my phone. The Tail cap is retained to the torch with a little lanyard, which is a nifty feature to save you losing it.A button on the tail cap turns it on, and wow, a very bright white, light with the slightest blue tinge. Comparing it to other led torches I have, I've no reason to believe it's not the 900 Lumens as quoted. Switching between modes is not quite as intuitive as you would expect, with half presses and full clicks means you need to cycle through the full range of modes more than you should, to arrive at the setting you want. Medium setting is slightly dimmer than full, and low slightly less again. In my opinion the low could ideally be lower still, (and a moonlight setting would be fantastic) but you do need to remember the price point of this torch.I doubt you ever realistically need a brighter torch.I've not fully tested the runtime yet, but a few hours use on full whilst camping at the weekend would suggest again that the 6 hours stated is about right.The torch itself is very well finished, with high quality anodising with a good knurled grip, the zoom action is smooth easy to operate one handed. The zoom from spot to flood is well implemented, being similar to anyone used to a led lenser torch.In summary a bargain at the price, rechargeable, and very bright with Anker 18 month guarantee. You won't be disappointed. I just hope that the bigger lc130 makes it to Amazon UK.

30.7.2018

First of all, if you're undecided about getting this, the LC40 or the LC130, I can tell you right now that I think the LC90 is the way to go. Essentially, the LC90 sits right in the middle in terms of how powerful the beam of light is, and the price. I think the LC90 will be powerful enough for most situations, with the LC130 being overkill (for the price) unless you specifically need a very powerful torch. So I believe this LC90 will offer the best value for money.I had high expectations since this is yet another Anker purchase of mine, and I wasn't disappointed. As is now typical from Anker, the torch arrived beautifully packaged and presented.The micro usb cable used for charging comes included so the torch arrives with everything you need (micro usb is a great universal solution, but I had hoped that USB C would be included here instead). The build quality is excellent, it really feels like a premium device in your hands. The added water resistance is a really nice addition - one less thing to think about when using this outdoors in the rain. The torch exudes a powerful beam of light when focussed (the ability to switch between wide and focussed modes is great, and the sliding mechanism works well). Battery life has also been excellent so far, and the ability to recharge the torch is great. The convenience of not having to replace the batteries is excellent, I'll never go back now to non-rechargeables now. The button to activate the torch is located in the tail cap and gives a really nice 'clicky' response - you won't accidentally knock this and turn on the torch by mistake. The different light modes probably won't ever be needed but it's great that these are included. The torch has a 'memory' effect and will remember the last mode that you were using. There are a lot of really smart 'hidden' technologies packed into here as well that are really useful: overcharge protection, anodising, thermal protection, smart illumination control chip etc.I would say though that the screw-cap design for both the battery compartment and for accessing the micro usb charging port could have been better designed. The two are stacked on top of each other, so when you go to unscrew the torch to access one of them, you might accidentally unscrew the other too. This didn't always happen though and since the battery life is so great you shouldn't often need to access this anyway.Not only do you get an 18 month guarantee but you'll also have access to Anker's brilliant customer support - they've always been extremely helpful and quick to resolve any issues in the past.I make reviews every day and have tested many different torches over the years. If you're after one, the Anker's LC90 won't let you down.

27.4.2018

Bought this for my son to take on a school residential as my 1200 lumens CREE torch would be a little too big for an 8yr old. REALLY surprised at how well it performed. I'll admit I didn't really read the specs of the torch when I bought it as I just wanted something from a decent brand for under £30.Very surprised that this torch was rechargeable via a microUSB cable. The battery is an Anker branded, protected 3350 mah, lithium ion battery which is protected with an IPX5 rating to ensure that the electronics are protected by the elements even when raining. I would suspect that its would be protected if dropped into puddle too.It came well presented in a sturdy box containing the torch,

4.5.2018

So, I went through the top 10 flashlights of 2018 and I found this one. The article said "quality and price" so I said to myself why not.1. The LC90 comes in a nice convenient and well made package. Great price too!2. The LC90 is really well made and looks good! You can feel that you are holding a tool in your hand rather than a flimsy/cheap flashlight.3. The light beam it emits is really strong and long. Also the 5 modes + zoom add to its overall usefulness.4. The battery seems to be of solid quality but It will have to pass the test of time/charges. It comes fully charged and ready for first use.5. The strap is well made and strong. The cap hook is metal and can take other straps or para-cords of your liking for stronger securing.Overall 5/5.

3.2.2017

Really good torch. Solidly built and easy to use. Micro-USB charging is very convenient and it was nice that a cable was included.A few bits of feedback that could make the next version even better in my opinion:the strobe mode is incredibly fast, I use this torch as a bike light so would prefer it to flash, but don't really feel I can put it on strobe on dark evening/morning commutes as its a bit too distracting for drivers, so I have to settle for steady beam (S-O-S mode is too slow). A medium paced strobe would be good for the next version as its less aggressive.The adjustment of the beam of the torch from spot to flood is done by pulling the head of the torch out/in. When sat in the holder on my handle bar,

6.10.2020

I have always trusted ANKER products for both work and my personal life so seeing that they made a heavy-duty torch was a no brainer for myself. Before I was using a larry light which was less than what I wanted from a torch. The price is acceptable and the brightness is insane for what you pay for. Although the torch is heavily and is definitely not lightweight that would give me further confidence on having it attached to my body armour all day and In the rain.Having any LED torch being rechargeable should be an industry-standard by now but unfortunately is not so having the ANKER torch have an easy charging system is great but if I was just to nitpick having a magnetic charger like the O

21.11.2019

Good value. It's hard to find a well-built, reliable torch these days, that isn't sold as a ridiculous £80+ luxury item, as opposed to a simple, early 20th century tool built with modern technology and components.This fits that niche for me. It's solid, well built, well designed (in terms of usability), compact, yet (reasonably) powerful, uses modern lithium-ion battery tech, and includes USB charging built-in. It's SEEMED a bit unfortunate that you have to unscrew the back to charge the thing, BUT it's actually not so bad, given how easily it unscrews, how the part that unscrews is still tied so you can't lose it on a campsite, and I definitely prefer that to little rubber USB port caps that are bound to break after repeated use.

2.3.2019

During a false alarm one night, I suddenly became acutely aware of not having a decent torch on hand. Extensive research online revealed a staggering range of torches that carried all sorts of amazing claims about light intensity and so on but digging down, none of them could back up these extravagant claims and worse, these products were riddled with flaws such as failing switches and claimed zoom not really working - check out the reviews! Take a deep breath and expect to pay some ££ and you will get what you pay for. This torch is simply superb. Unless you're trying to provide flood light for a football game at night, forget all the talk about lumens etc. - I cannot believe anyone could want a brighter torch than this ..

15.12.2018

I bought this as I was looking for a rechargeable alternative to my led lenser p7.2The build quality is very good for a very fair price, another one of many anker products I can say this about.I can't measure the brightness exactly but it is far far brighter than my p7.2 on boost at a quoted 320 lumens.Cycling modes can be confusing at first but I really like that it remembers the last setting it was on, one of my biggest issues with the led lenser is having to cycle through modes to turn off, and not being able to use the torch on full power without holding the power button on.I haven't been able to test the burn time on a full charge yet but I'm never going to use it continously for anywhere near the quoted time on full anyway.Overall I'm very impressed with this product,

22.11.2017

Good quality feeling torch, feels strong and sturdy.Love that you can recharge the torch itself rather swapping batteries.Have been using it mostly as a bike light, and can easily be charged at work. Will light up the path ahead very well and is noticeable to others from afar. Shame it didn't come with a handlebar clamp or a changeable lens, to keep the throw of light down, so as not to dazzle drivers using the road.Throw from torch is great,have reached around 150 metres myself. On a wide beam, has centre shadow/circle markings, but for the price compared to more expensive torches out there, cant complain.Switch is a bit of a fiddle at times, but you get use to it.Battery supplied has lasted a long time on one charge,

5.3.2017

Wow.... I read the reviews but always take them with a pinch of salt. Very prompt delivery... It is a very well made torch, sturdy and not too heavy. I put the battery in and it took about 5 hours to charge connected via my PC. No problems, no overheating etc. Boy this baby has a really powerful beam..I've always wanted a portable torch you could light up the skies with. I have a 4 battery Maglite and this is way brighter. Didn't want to buy the, no insult indented, "cheaper" models but rather buy from a company I trust is good on it's word. I am not being biased and just promoting Anker as I paid for this torch and I have a fair few things from them because they are quality products.I can carry it in my bag and use my portable chargers to charge it which is great!!

5.3.2020

Not usually one to write reviews but, on this occasion I thought I must. I purchased my LC90 in November 2018 and had been operating perfectly until February 2020 when it developed an intermittent charging problem? Tried different USB cables but problem not solved, and then I noticed that if I held the USB cable (while connected) in a certain position, the LED charging indicator would light up, hence, bad charging connector in the base of the flashlight?Knowing that I'd had the flashlight for some time, I presumed that the warranty was only for the usual 12 months and not 18 months? I duly contacted Anker Support and one of their support persons by the name of Julia,

25.5.2020

Fantastic torch. Massive amount of light which you can focus into a spot or spread over a wide angle.3 levels of brightness - the lowest level is absolutely enough for general use such as dog walking, maintenance tasks etc.The brightest setting turns night into day. I use it strapped to the back of my truck to see when reversing in the dark - it's a god send.Even though it uses a single 18650 rechargeable battery, the battery life is perfectly adequate, and when it needs charging this can be done easily from almost any device using the included cable.Pocket sized and lightweight, this is the ultimate torch.Should you have any problems then Anker's customer service is awesome.

8.11.2017

As per usual from Anker, this torch is intelligently designed and fantastically functional.When looking for a new torch I was looking for a product which was:1 - Bright2 - Rechargeable3 - Long battery life4 - LED.5 - Durable6 - Light weight7 - Adjustable brightnessThis torch is all of the above.I have used this torch for my ambulance work 4 nights running and I still don't need to recharge (I used to use a battery per night). The light emitted is excellently bright and focusable.My only gripe is that the unit is not well balanced, this does not effect usage when handheld but when attached to my uniform with a klickfast attachment, the torch sags and does not balance.Overall,

Anker LC90 - Reviews

Info

Analysis