NEXTORCH TA30D EDC Torch Review
NEXTORCH TA30D#
- Specifications
- Introduction
- Torch in use
- Build quality
- LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam
- Size and comparison
- User interface
- Batteries and charging
- Performance
- Beamshots
- Thermal Images
- Conclusion
- Price
- Product page
Specifications#
| Brand/model | NEXTORCH TA30D |
|---|---|
| LED | Cool White LED |
| Maximum lumens | 2,200 lm |
| Maximum beam intensity | 42,025 cd |
| Maximum throw | 410 m |
| Battery | 1*18650, 2*CR123 |
| Onboard charging | No (USB-C battery) |
| Material | Aluminium |
| Modes | 3 |
| Blinkies | Strobe |
| Reflector | Smooth |
| Waterproof | IPX8 |
| Review date | February 2026 |
Introduction#
The NEXTORCH TA30D is an 18650-sized tactical torch designed for military and law enforcement use. It comes with an FR-1 tactical ring.
The TA30D is the upgraded version of the TA30C. The beam now has a more intense hotspot, reaches farther, and the user interface has been improved with new Tactical and Lock modes.
I have been EDC’ing the TA30C so I am excited to see how the TA30D compares.
NEXTORCH provided this torch as a Christmas present. No review was required. I have not been paid for this review nor have I held back my opinions of this torch.
Packaging#
The TA30D comes in a white and green NEXTORCH branded box with an image of the torch on the front and specifications on the back.
The following is included in the box:
- NEXTORCH TA30D.
- NEXTORCH 18650 3.6V Li-ion 18650 3400mAh USB-C battery.
- NEXTORCH FR-1 Tactical Ring.
- Pocket clip.
- CR123 Battery Adapter.
- USB-A to USB-C cable.
- Lanyard.
User Manual#
Torch in use#
The NEXTORCH TA30D is the perfect size for my hand.
The torch can be operated with one hand by pressing the dual-stage tail switch momentarily or by rotating the rotary switch.
An FR-1 Tactical Ring is included. It can be removed by unscrewing the tailcap. This will then reveal a removeable pocket clip.
The pocket clip can be threaded through a loop on a backpack strap or through the loop on a vest.
The tactical ring provides an easy way to quickly grab the torch.
You could get an optional V55 or a V31 holster to store the TA30D more securely. The angle of those holsters can be adjusted on your belt or on MOLLE webbing so that the torch is in a more comfortable position. This can help avoid needing to take a holster off your belt when sitting down in a vehicle.
Build quality#
The NEXTORCH TA30D is made of one chunk of aluminium. It has a matte black anodised finish.
There is plenty of grip.
The rotary switch clicks into place while changing between TAC (off), Lock, Low, Medium, High and Strobe. There is about one millimeter of play in the rotary switch before it clicks into the next position.
The anodised square-cut threads came lightly lubricated.
The light will turn on every time I go to unscrew the tailcap due to the High position being at the end when turning it counter-clockwise.
There is a single spring at the head and a single spring at the tailcap. The springs are short and do not allow an unprotected flat top 18650 to fit.
LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam#
The NEXTORCH TA30D has a domeless Cool White emitter with a smooth reflector to provide a throwy beam.
There is a strike bezel with three nano-ceramic beads.
There is an anti-reflective coating on the glass lens.
CCT, CRI, and duv#
I have taken Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT) and Colour Rendering Index (CRI, RA of R1-R8) measurements with the torch positioned two metres away from an Opple Light Master Pro III (G3).
The CCT is around 5800K. The CRI is around 64.
The Delta u, v is positive (green) on low and less green on High.
The beam has a white hotspot with a bit of a donut shape due to the larger throwy emitter with a relatively small reflector. Around the hotspot is a slightly green corona and a slightly purple spill on High. The strike bezel creates shadows around the edge of the beam. The beam itself is quite throwy and it creates a wall of light on High.
| Mode | CCT (K) | CRI (Ra) | x | y | Duv |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 5563 | 62.6 | 0.3309 | 0.3647 | 0.0123 |
| Medium | 5757 | 64.3 | 0.3262 | 0.3560 | 0.0102 |
| High | 6059 | 66.4 | 0.3200 | 0.3441 | 0.0073 |
Calculate Duv from CIE 1931 xy coordinates
Dimensions and size comparison#
Dimensions#
I took the following measurements using a digital caliper.
| Measurement | Unit (mm) |
|---|---|
| Length | 137.17 |
| Head diameter | 29.93 |
| Tube diameter | 22.97 |
| Tail diameter | 26.71 |
Weight#
I took the following measurements using a digital scale.
| Weight | Unit (g) |
|---|---|
| Torch | 101.60 |
| Battery | 54.07 |
| FR-1 | 9.28 |
| Torch with battery | 164.95 |
Size comparison with its competition#
From left to right: NEXTORCH TA30D, NEXTORCH TA30C, NEXTORCH TA30C MAX
User interface#
The torch has a rotary switch to select the mode and a dual-stage forward-clicky tail switch.
The rotary switch can be rotated to access: TAC (off), Lock, Low, Medium and High.
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Rotate switch to TAC | Off |
| Off | Rotate switch to Lock | Locked |
| Off | Rotate switch to I | Low |
| Off | Rotate switch to II | Medium |
| Off | Rotate switch to III | High |
| Any | Half press the tail switch | Momentary High |
| Any | Full press the tail switch | Momentary Strobe |
| Locked | Press the tail switch | Nothing |
Momentary Strobe#
Momentary Strobe appears to have a constant frequency.
I measured Strobe with a Zoyi ZT-703S oscilloscope.
Battery Indicator#
The battery indicator will light up in the tail button for a few seconds when the torch is turned off or when the rotary switch is moved to the Tactical or Locked positions.
| Colour | Battery level |
|---|---|
| Blue | 75% - 100% |
| Blue flash | 50% - 75% |
| Red | 25% - 50% |
| Red flash | 0% - 25% |
Mode memory#
There is no mode memory. You can select the mode by rotating the rotary switch.
Low voltage protection#
The torch does not appear to have low voltage protection built-in.
Low voltage protection in the included protected 18650 cell was tripped by the Medium and Low runtime tests. When I applied a small voltage to the cell, it returned to 2.64V.
Pulse Width Modulation#
I did not notice any visible PWM (flickering).
Low, Medium, High
I measured the PWM of the light with a Zoyi ZT-703S oscilloscope.
What I like about the UI#
- The user interface is easy to use.
What could be improved#
- Reverse the order of the modes so that the light does not turn on when unscrewing the tailcap to charge the battery. Increasing the output from Low to Medium and then High by turning the rotary switch clockwise may be more intuitive too.
Batteries and charging#
Battery#
The torch supports button top 18650 cells or two CR123A cells with an adapter.
A button top NEXTORCH 18650 3400mAh cell with USB-C charging was included inside the torch. The cell arrived with a voltage of 3.71V.
The cell was isolated with a piece of plastic.
I tried the following cells:
| Cell | Top | Compatible? | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXTORCH 18650 3.6V Li-ion 3400mAh USB-C | Button | Yes | |
| Acebeam ARC18650H-260A 15A 3.6V Li-ion 2600mAh | Button | Yes | |
| Acebeam ARC18650H-310A 3.6V Li-ion 3100mAh USB-C | Button | Yes | |
| Sanyo NCR18650GA 3.7V Li-ion 3450mAh | Flat | No | Too short. |
Charging#
The torch does not have built-in USB-C charging. The battery has built-in USB-C charging.
Power supply: PinePower Desktop USB-C
USB Meter: ChargerLAB Power-Z KM003C
Room temperature: 20 C
It took 2 hours 17 minutes to charge the included 18650 cell with built-in USB-C charging from 2.72V to 4.17V at a rate of 5V/1.8A.
The charging status indicator at the head of the battery is red while charging and it is blue when charging is complete.
Power supply compatibility#
I tried the following power supplies with USB-C charging built into the cell:
| Power supply | USB Type | Protocol | Does it charge? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple 61W Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| Google Pixel Power Adapter | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-C | PD | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | QC | Yes |
| PinePower Desktop | USB-A | Yes |
USB-C to USB-C charging works.
Performance#
Specifications from the manual:
| ANSI / PLATO-FL1 | Momentary on | Tactical Strobe | Low | Medium | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output (lumens) | 2,200 | 2,200 | 20 | 350 | 2,200 |
| Runtime | 50h | 6h 15min | 2h 15min | ||
| Beam Distance (metres) | 38 | 160 | 410 | ||
| Beam Intensity (cd) | 361 | 6,400 | 42,025 |
I used the included 18650 cell to test the torch.
Lumen measurements#
I measured the current at turn on with a bench power supply.
| Mode | Amps at start | Specs | Lumens @turn on | Lumens @30 sec | Lumens @10 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 20 | 22 | 22 | 22 | |
| Medium | 340 | 337 | 330 | 314 | |
| High | 6.70 A | 2,200 | 2,030 | 1,965 | 695 |
Runtime graphs#
I used my own DIY lumen tube with a TSL2591 sensor and forked bmengineer’s project RuTiTe to record runtimes.
Note: Lumen measurements may be off by 10% with my DIY lumen tube.
The room temperature was approximately 20 C.
Runtime#
Here is a summary of the runtime results:
| Mode | User manual | Runtime | Turn off | Final voltage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High | 2h 15min | 2h 12min 21s | 4h 31min 46s | 2.71 |
| Medium | 6h 15min | 6h 34min 51s | 7h 29min 30s | 2.02 or 2.64 |
| Low | 50h | 59h 22min 2s | 62h 56min 3s | 2.01 or 2.65 |
“Runtime” is the time until the output reduces to 10% of the output at 30 seconds (as per the ANSI/PLATO FL1 2019 Standard).
“Turn off” is the time until my DIY lumen tube no longer detects more than one lumen.
“+” indicates that the light remained on after recording had stopped.
The runtimes are better than expected.
It would be nice if NEXTORCH improved regulation of the driver so that it provides a constant output for each mode.
Throw#
I took lux measurements with a UNI-T UT383BT at 30 seconds. Each mode was measured at five metres.
| Mode | Specs (cd) | Specs (m) | Candela measured (cd) | Distance (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 361 | 38 | 400 | 40 |
| Medium | 6,400 | 160 | 7,775 | 176 |
| High | 42,025 | 410 | 48,225 | 439 |
Beamshots#
I went to a local park and I aimed the torch at a tree 70 metres away while using High.
Beamshots were taken using a Sony RX100M2 using 3.2", f3.2, ISO 100, 5000K WB.
NEXTORCH TA30D (High)#
NEXTORCH TA30C (High)#
Acebeam Defender P16 Gray (Turbo)#
Amutorch XT35#
Armytek Predator Pro Warm (Turbo)#
NEXTORCH TA30C MAX (High)#
Thermal Images#
I used a Thermal Master P3 to take thermal images of the torch while using High. Get 10% off the Thermal Master P3 with code Mcmahon10
Room temperature: 19 C
| Time (mm:ss) | Max Temperature |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 24.1 C |
| 01:00 | 36.1 C |
| 02:00 | 42.0 C |
| 03:00 | 42.3 C |
| 04:00 | 43.3 C |
| 05:00 | 43.3 C |
The temperature peaked at 43.3 C within the first five minutes.
Conclusion#
The NEXTORCH TA30D is welcome upgrade over the TA30C.
Should you upgrade to the TA30D if you already have the TA30C? Yes.
The beam distance is better and the hotspot is more intense.
The user interface has improved: The rotary switch has Tactical and Lock modes instead of Strobe.
The runtimes are longer.
An FR-1 Tactical Ring is now included by default.
I would love to see NEXTORCH update the TA30D body in the future so that it has built-in USB-C charging near the head while being hidden by a ring that unscrews to expose the USB-C port. This would greatly improve the user experience when it comes to charging the battery because you would not need to take the battery out each time.
The TA30D will replace the TA30C for my EDC.
Pros:#
- Excellent build quality.
- The beam has an intense hotspot.
- Good beam distance.
- Good runtimes.
- User interface is easy to use.
- FR-1 Tactical Ring is included.
- 18650 battery has USB-C charging.
Cons:#
- A short unprotected 18650 battery will not work.
- The strike bezel interferes with the beam pattern.
- No low voltage protection built into the torch (the battery has protection).
Price#
The NEXTORCH TA30D with FR-1 Tactical Ring is US$99.99 at nextorch.com.
Product page#
Promo code: TIM
TA30D at nextorch.com (affiliate link)
TA30D MAX at nextorch.com (affiliate link)
I may earn a commission if you use an affiliate link or a promo code. This will help fund future torch reviews and tutorials.