The Product
This is one of many right angled lights offered by the company - there's also non-pro versions, the 18650 powered Wizard versions, and the micro-USB charged Elf C1.
Spoiler
I've tried out a handful of Armytek lights at this point, and I'm very happy with them. The build quality seems robust, with thoughtful features like deep set stainless steel bezels and double o-rings for added water resistance.
This little Tiara is no exception. The UI is easy to use, the diffused beam is just as lovely as it was with the Elf C2, and the magnetic charging is convenient. The tiny size of this one means that runtimes aren't as spectacular as an 18650 powered light, but it also means this little thing disappears into most pockets and can still put out 900 lumens when you need it to.
I did have a small issue where the light initially arrived with the cell measuring at 0.8 V, but this was not the case with the replacement - I'm not entirely convinced this wasn't due to someone at the customs office messing around with it.
I did have a small issue where the light initially arrived with the cell measuring at 0.8 V, but this was not the case with the replacement - I'm not entirely convinced this wasn't due to someone at the customs office messing around with it.
Physical Dimensions
The light measures 79.4 mm long, 27.7 mm around the widest part of the head, and 20.3 mm around the cell tube. The light weighs 60 g without a cell, 82 g with the included cell, and has a 'trail weight' of 117 g with both the cell and headband.
I've lined up the HLAAA 2.0, H40, Tiara C1 Pro, Panda 2M CRI, H03 RC, and Elf C2 for a size comparison, showing how the smaller cell helps cut down on size a fair bit from 18650 right angle lights.
Build
The base contains the charging contacts for the magnetic connector. The base is flat, and the light is very stable while tailstanding.
Inside the tailcap, Armytek uses double o-rings as a second defense against liquid ingress. The threads are bare and not anodized. A quarter turn will prevent activation of the light, but this position is used for charging so I can't be sure that there isn't any standby drain in this state. A large spring serves as the negative cell contact. At the positive end of the cell tube, a small button serves as the positive contact.
What's Included
- Armytek Tiara C1 Pro
- 900 mAh unprotected flat top 18350
- Friction fit pocket clip
- Headband (not assembled)
- Handband
- Lanyard
- 2 spare o-rings
- Paperwork
Ergonomics and Retention
As a final attachment method, Armytek includes a hand band. This is a simple velcro strap that uses the same clip as the headband - only one of these clips is included. I'm not quite sure what the use case is for this strap, but it seems to do its job just fine. If you know what exactly this is for, I'd love to know!
Modes and Interface
The user interface on this light is a bit complex, but very powerful once you get used to it. The levels are switched into 4 "sections", and each of these has a number of modes. The firefly section has 3 levels at a claimed 0.4, 2.5, and 6 lumens. Main has two modes at 90 and 220 lumens, and turbo has an additional 2 at 440 and 900 lumens. The fourth section has three different strobe modes.
- From off, press and hold to go to Firefly 1
- From off, press once to turn on to the last used mode
- From off or on, double click to turn on the last used Main mode
- From off or on, triple click to turn on the last used Turbo mode
- From off or on, 4 clicks to turn on the last used strobe mode
- From on, press and hold to cycle through the modes in the current section
- From the Main section, double click to switch to the last used Firefly mode
One feature I don't see listed in the manual - If you continue holding from off, the light will cycle up the brightness levels until released. This is a great feature, and makes it easy to get exactly as much light as you like. I tend to prefer simpler interfaces that let you hold from any mode to increase brightness, but there's a definite advantage to splitting the modes up this way - if you're using the light for a long hike or for work, where runtime is important, you can be sure that you aren't jumping to a mode that's too high and draining the cell too quickly. You know that as long as you stick to the firefly modes, you should have at least 2.5 days of light, at least 2.4 hours in the main modes, and at least 30 minutes on turbo. If you're like me and you never keep track of what mode you're currently in, this feature is incredibly useful, and really makes the "Pro" part of the product name make sense.
The indicating switch blinks when you turn the light on to indicate the charge level - either green, yellow, or red. This is a welcome feature, but it's bright enough that it can be a bit jarring if you're using one of the lower modes. The indicating LED will also flash yellow or red if the light is getting warm or hot.
As a final feature, there are two configurable options described in the manual. A tactical mode, where the light acts as momentary only while the switch is held, can be activated by loosening the tailcap and tightening while holding the button. You can configure the switch LED to blink even when the light is off, as a locator beacon, by loosening the tailcap, holding down the switch, tightening and loosening the tailcap again, and releasing the switch.
As a final feature, there are two configurable options described in the manual. A tactical mode, where the light acts as momentary only while the switch is held, can be activated by loosening the tailcap and tightening while holding the button. You can configure the switch LED to blink even when the light is off, as a locator beacon, by loosening the tailcap, holding down the switch, tightening and loosening the tailcap again, and releasing the switch.
Light Quality and Beam
Power and Runtime
The first sample I received came with the internal cell measuring 0.8 V - far too discharged to safely recover. I received a replacement without any issues, and I don't think this is a very common issue, as I haven't heard any reports of people receiving dead cells from Armytek in the past. Given the state of the packaging, I'm not convinced someone at customs isn't responsible for this. In any case, the second light I received had the cell at an ideal 3.8 V.
On Turbo1 and Main3, the light showed no stepdowns and held output stable for the duration of each test. Turbo 1 fell below 10% after 62 minutes, almost exactly matching the 1 hour specified by Armytek. Main3 ran for 137 minutes, while Armytek claims 150. That's a bit below spec, but it's within a reasonable margin of error.
All runtimes were stopped when the light was still glowing dimly. Testing with a benchtop power supply shows the light has LVP that will activate around 2.7 V.
Charging
Charging the light is done just by loosening the tailcap a quarter turn and attaching the included magnetic cable.
Charging was measured from the USB port, bringing the internal cell from dead to full. The charge shows a the current dropping throughout the charge, without the usual CC portion. The charging starts around 0.8A, and took around 2.5 hours to fully charge. A total of 1127 mAh went into the cable.
Summary
Pros:
- Complete kit - comes with the light, a cell, and a way to charge it
- Floody, even beam is great for a headlamp
- Headlamp bracket is easy to pop the light in to and out of when switching
- Magnetic tail, pocket clip, and handband give many great carry options
- Light feels well built and like it would withstand some abuse
- Deep stainless steel bezel to protect the glass from drops and scratches
- Double o-rings to keep water out
- Good temperature regulation
- Good UI with shortcuts to various modes and sections
Cons:
- Switch backlight is bright, and I wish it would stay off in the lower modes
- Some people won't love the finish
- One cell arrived dead
Notes and Links
This product was provided free of charge by the manufacturer. I was not paid to write this review, and have tried to be as unbiased as possible.
Manufacturer's product page
Product listing on Amazon (affiliate link)
Manufacturer's product page
Product listing on Amazon (affiliate link)
Can you use a protected cell in this?
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