The Acebeam X70 Flashlight: What does 60,000 Lumens Look Like?

Spoiler: It’s REALLY BRIGHT! I wait at a stop light and feel my truck rock side to side as it’s buffeted by a gust of wind coming off the water of Oyster Bay Harbor. Glancing down at my dash, I read the temperature display: 33° F. Without the wind chill. I stare at it and question my intelligence. When I get to the Center Island Causeway on the shore of the Long Island Sound I know that, with wind, it’ll feel like it’s in the low 20-degree range. They say that misery loves company, but I still felt a twinge of guilt knowing that I convinced my friend, Ryan Zanoni, to come to the shore with me tonight… but he’ll be on the other shore of the Long Island Sound—in Stamford, CT.

Why, I hear you ask, would two people be out on this cold and windy December night?

To answer that, we need to rewind to a week prior to that specific night. I was given the new Acebeam X70 Rechargeable LED Flashlight and asked to review it. They tout it as the most powerful handheld production search light in the world, and when I got home that night and drove every shadow in my back yard away, causing the neighborhood dogs to bark at the sudden introduction of daylight at 10:00 p.m., I started to wonder if they might be right. I would later find out that I hadn’t even managed to activate the 60,000-lumen power turbo mode—it was only kicking out the high 25,000-lumen output. It’s bright, is what I’m saying.

So here Ryan and I were, on opposite shores of the Sound, separated by 8.25 miles of open water. I held the most powerful handheld light in the world and I was going to attempt to shine it across to him and determine if he could see it—and hopefully, catch it on camera. I’d never seen a review like this before, so I was excited to get it done right.

A simple inspection reveals a surprising lack of buttons or selection switches or rotating collars. In fact, the only user interface is a single push-button. As I played with the light in my dining room (irritating my wife, dad, and daughter) I suspected that I was missing some outputs and other features. The manual was a little confusing, so I applied my experience of other flashlight interfaces and started playing around with different combinations of multiple button presses and press-and-hold to try and unlock the modes and features. Despite accessing some of them, I had a sneaking feeling that I was still missing some, so I contacted Acebeam and got some interesting answers (read to the end where I will share the “secret mode” that they let me in on J).

Technically, there are a total of 10 output choices—five in the Eco mode and five in Power mode—but the Ultra-low/Low/Medium outputs for both modes are the same, so there are really just seven. The “ultra-low” output is a bit misleading, since the output is a stunning 625 lumens! Here’s how the outputs break down per mode.

Eco Mode:

Power Mode:

There is also a 10,000-lumen strobe mode that is quite a sight to behold, and I would not recommend testing it on someone who isn’t actively attacking you or a loved one in your home.

For those of you who frequent CandlePowerForums and are interested in the spec stuff, the emitter array consists of twelve Cree XHP70.2 LEDs set in a circle around a single center Cree XHP35 HI LED. The 12 LEDs have shallow reflectors that produce more of a flood beam, while the center LED is in a deep smooth reflector that maximizes its throw. The housing is waterproof and submersible to an impressive 33 feet, and there is a ¼"-20 tripod mount just behind the head so you can use it as an area light (or photo/video/production light) very easily.

The light is powered by eight (included) 18650 batteries that charge in the light. Because of the heat generated by the high-intensity LEDs when in the high and turbo modes, there is a removeable handle that simply screws into the tripod mount and features an integrated fan. This fan, independently powered by a separate (user supplied) 18650, sits right above the heat-sink fins machined into the head and blows fresh air through them to aid cooling and avoid overheating. Since it was super-cold the night I had it, I left the handle at home.

Back to that cold December night…

Ryan and I were in constant contact via phone and text, and coordinated our location by simply opening a map app, pinging our location, taking a screen shot, and texting it to the other. We also oriented using beacons, transmission towers, and other landmarks.

Sitting in my truck, I re-read the email from Acebeam to make sure I understood how to access the Power Turbo mode, then donned all my insulated windproof gear and exited into the biting wind. I knew the odds were stacked against us, so to give me the best chance of success I climbed into the truck bed, then scrambled onto the roof of the cab, putting me more than 10 feet off the ground with my arm fully extended overhead. With Ryan on the phone I unlocked the light, made sure it was set to the 60,000 lumen Power Turbo output and, raising it high above my head, aimed it to where I estimated him to be.

And missed completely. He couldn’t see me.

This went on for an uncomfortable amount of time.

We spoke some more and determined that we were a little off in our directions. What finally got us on the right path was the realization that the road I was on was surrounded by beach, so the only lights for the whole stretch of road was four lonely street lights. He could see four dim lights around a mostly dark part of the distant shore. With him (probably) looking at where I was, I turned the light on and off at regular intervals, and I would say “On” and “Off” to give him cues as to when he should and shouldn’t have been seeing me.

After a few minutes, he shouted “ON” and then “OFF” as I was saying it. He was seeing me! He told me not to move while he pulled out his wife’s phone and opened its camera app. He started recording a video as I began flashing the light again. Sadly, while he could see it from over 8 miles away, the limited low-light capability of the phone’s camera was unable to capture it.

More Features and Accessories

So, where does that leave us at the end of the day? Well, it’s a powerful light without question, and it is the brightest light I’ve ever held or seen. Even though it’s a monster, it’s remarkably well balanced and easy to handle—especially with the handle installed. I absolutely believe the fan would be critically important in warmer weather to maintain the output, since overheating protection circuitry will quickly kick in and automatically drop the output to more reasonable levels to avoid damage. The single pushbutton makes for a simple user interface, but the series of presses and press-and-holds you need to remember was more than a little cumbersome at first, but I suspect that if I owned the light and used it regularly, the commands would quickly become second nature—not unlike the two remotes and phone app that I need to use in a very specific order when I want to watch Netflix on my Roku or play Call of Duty on my console. It’s possible that the simplistic design was meant to keep the cost as in-control as possible, at around $550. If they had added a second mode button or a selector collar, the associated cost for the extra hardware, circuitry, and programming could have easily pushed the price tag above the $600 mark, so I kind of get it.

As far as accessories are concerned, I mentioned the handle, but there are more. You get a shoulder strap to make carrying it easier, a standard 110VAC 2-prong wall plug charging cord, and a 12VDC car/vehicle plug adapter. This second adapter is a nice touch since this is clearly meant for use by first responders, search and rescue professionals, and law enforcement, so having a way to keep it charged in an ambulance, firetruck, patrol boat, or cruiser right out of the box is a big plus. The light and all the listed accessories fit in a zippered semi-rigid case that still has room for additional gear like a battery for the handle’s fan and a battery charger for it.

As promised, there is a secret mode that isn’t mentioned in the manual. Acebeam literally wrote, “There is a hidden feature, that is three special modes.” I know what you’re thinking, and I cannot answer why it’s hidden.

Here we go… but don’t tell Acebeam I showed you how to access it. We’ll keep it between us.

What are the three modes?

1. All Beam: the twelve outside and center LEDs are all activated
2. Flood Beam: Just the twelve outside LEDs are on
3. Throw Beam: Only the center LED is on

How to get there:

1. First, set the light to Lock function: turn the flashlight off and long press for five seconds to lock
2. When the light is locked, quickly click the button five times; if you do it right, the outside LEDs will flash. As Acebeam advised me, you need to look at the LEDs from the side so you don’t blind yourself.
3. If you see the LEDs flash, you’ve entered the "Flood Beam" mode
4. To change the mode, click five times again and you’ll see the outside LEDs flash again. You’ve now activated the "Throw Beam." Click five times again, see the LEDs flash again, and you’re in "All Beam" mode.
5. It should be noted, that at no time during this process will the light do anything more than blink rapidly. The primary outputs are still locked out. You’re just setting the mode and you need to rely on knowing what mode you’re already in, seeing the blinking lights, and determine what mode you’re selecting from memory.
6. When you get it to the mode you want, unlock the light (same way as you locked it)
7. With the light unlocked, the light will be set in the selected mode and ready for use

Now that you’re in on the secret, and you know how powerful the Acebeam X70 is… how are you going to use it? How far away has your friend been and still see the light? Were you able to replicate my experiment and capture it on video? Comment below and let us know!