Wowtac BSS V3 Tactical LED Flashlight Review & Real World Test
Wowtac sent me their BSS V3 tactical LED flashlight which I put through real world testing to see if it can hold up to their claims.
My tests generally include long term use in the real world every day, shock testing, under water tests and beam distance testing.
This flashlight comes packaged with a large assortment of accessories. There is a USB rechargeable 18650 battery rated at 3400 mAh. There is a USB charging cable to charge up the battery. There is a package with extra gaskets, a shirt clip, manual and a red lens for stealth use.
The red lens is unique and the first I ever found with any of the tactical flashlights I have tested so far. This is good for stealth use during a survival situation. Red light is used by the Military at night because red light dues not travel as well. You can see what is right in front of you but others farther away cannot see your beam like with a white light which travels a long way at night.
The defensive front end of the flashlight really stands out. This light has five deep spikes on the front for fighting off an attacker or predator. Along with the strobe mode, this combination can confuse and scare away an attacker in the night.
There are two buttons on the Wowtac BSS V3, one on the butt end and one on the side. The butt power button turns the light on and off. The side button cycles through the various modes.
One very awesome feature of this flashlight is the instant strobe mode when you press the side button while the light is off. If you are under attack and in a hurry, searching for the strobe mode can be like playing chess with the lights out. Having an instant strobe button is a great feature of this light. This sets the Wowtac BSS V3 above the rest as a tactical LED flashlight.
When you turn on the light it always starts in high mode. This is also unique because most lights start in low mode, or have a memory and then you have to sort through the modes to find the one you want. Again, this is good to have in a hurry because when I have to grab a light to see what is attacking our animals at night I dont want to be pressing through a bunch of modes on a light. I need the light NOW. The BSS V3 has no memory function though but this is not needed with the light always starting in high mode in my opinion.
I had this flashlight for a long time now but I had lost come computer footage and had to redo some of it. I started out the review right after a blizzard hit our homestead this spring.
I took the light outside during a rain storm and left it on a log overnight. In the morning it was not wet enough for video work although it had been out in the rain all night. I wanted to show it very wet. So I took the flashlight over to a puddle of freezing water and tossed it in. The light works fine of course even when left outside to freeze overnight and then tossed into freezing water. This means that the circuits and the battery can take the extreme cold. This is an important feature in a tactical LED flashlight.
During the night this casts an interesting beam due to the odd shaped defensive bevel on the front side. This does not at all detract from the light or its brightness. Its just cool to look at.
This light has the following specs:
Low - 22 lumens and lasts 2.5 days
medium - 208 luments and lasts 8 hours
high - 1050 lumens and lasts 2.7 hours
strobe - 1150 lumens and lasts 2.7 hours
The light casts a beam up to 220 meters into the distance. It lights up the night very well for its compact size. Its small size also makes it a very convenient carry for a pocket or a purse. Considering its more than 1,000 lumens for the size, this is a good light to have on hand.
This is impact resistant to 1 meter, which I tried out by chopping at some snow and semi frozen slush during the cold water test. Which brings me to the water resistance of 1 meter.
In summary, the Wowtac BSS V3 is a very good tactical LED flashlight with a compact size, convenient charging options and effective tactical features.
You can get the Wowtac BSS V3 flashlight here:
Wowtac BSS V3 Tactical LED Flashlight on Amazon
About the Author
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Troy Reid |
