Heider Tactical Flashlights Review
Heider is a flashlight and headlamp manufacturer that makes a number of high-powered, low-cost super torch flashlights for use in a variety of situations and outdoor activities. Here’s our Metem Technology Heider Flashlight review.
What is Heider?
Heider is a tactical flashlight manufacturer that claims to design its flashlights in Germany before manufacturing them in China “with high standards on production.”
The Flashlight manufacturer sells a variety of flashlights in all shapes, sizes, and power ratings. Heider is one of the few flashlight manufacturers that doesn’t list its light intensity in lumens, choosing instead to disclose the “lighting distance” (they claim “lumens” are no longer an accurate form of comparison between flashlights).
At the time of writing, Heider sold 7 different flashlights and two different accessories. The company maintains its headquarters in Amsterdam but also has offices in Hoboken, NJ and Istanbul, Turkey. Let's compare them to the leading tactical flashlight on the market, the Shadowhawk X800.
Heider Products
All Heider super torch tactical flashlights come with some common traits. They all use Cree next generation LED technology, for example, as well as a regulator microcontroller unit. They have up to 150 hours of illumination time on low mode and you’re able to click through 3 different light modes (including strobe and SOS).
The flashlights are also water-resistant and encased inside an aluminum housing to “military III class standards”, according to the manufacturer.
Heider flashlights and accessories include all of the following:
Heider AGX Ultra Power ($159)
This flashlight has a 3300 feet wide-angle illumination “privilege”, which means it illuminates 3300 square feet of space. As Heider explains, AGX “does not illuminate a limited area as the ordinary torches do. It is the expert of wide-angle illumination.” So if you need a spotlight-style flashlight instead of a narrowly-focused beam, then the AGX Ultra Power may be the right choice for you. The flashlight uses a Cree XML2 series LED.
Heider BBX Super Power ($74.90)
The Heider BBX Super Power is a waterproof flashlight that is capable to surviving up to 33 feet underwater. It also features gold-plated corrosion preventive internal parts. It illuminates a slightly smaller area than the AGX Ultra Power, highlighting about 1650 feet of space.
Heider CF1 Super Power ($39.90)
This is the cheapest flashlight sold by Heider. The CF1 Super Power has a 1400 feet lighting distance and uses a Cree new generation high-power LED. The flashlight also has a zoom function that lets you narrowly focus the beam.
Heider CSX Super Power ($79.90)
The CSX Super Power comes equipped with a notched case to provide superior grip. Heider claims this makes the flashlight easier to hold onto when you have wet hands. The flashlight is water-resistant and has a fall-resistant design. Its slim, sleek frame also emphasizes portability. It has a 2000 feet lighting range.
Heider CB1 Super Power ($79.90)
This head-mounted flashlight comes with an adjustable headlamp and headband. It uses a one-size-fits-all design that makes it comfortable to wear on anybody’s head. The light can also be mounted on your bicycle. The CB1 Super Power comes with reinforced mineral glass for extended protection and offers 6 hours of illumination time (which is less than other Heider flashlights). The light can illuminate objects 2500 feet away.
Heider MMX Cube Power ($139.90)
This unique-looking, square cylinder-shaped flashlight features a silver glass body design along with reinforced mineral glass for extended durability. The flashlight is capable of illuminating objects 1650 feet away.
Heider CFX Super Power ($79.90)
This flashlight uses gold-plated interior parts and anodized aluminum alloy gunmetal grey solid casing to make it stronger than its competitors. The flashlight has a zoom feature that lets you easily focus on a target. It’s capable of offering 2500 feet lighting distance and provides 100 hours of illumination time on low mode.
Heider SA1 Gun Mount ($19.90)
This flashlight mount is designed to be mounted on the barrel of a gun. It doesn’t include a flashlight: you just get the case itself. The case works with the Heider CF1, CFX, BBX, and AGX flashlights. In promotional images, the holder is seen fitted onto shotguns, rifles, and other firearms.
Heider BA1 Bicycle Mount ($19.90)
The BA1 Bicycle Mount is similar to the gun mount, but is modified to fit a bicycle frame instead of a gun. It’s designed to be mounted onto your handlebars to illuminate the road in front of you. Once again, this mount does not come with a flashlight. However, it is compatible with the Heider CF1, CFX, BBX, and AGX models.
The Heider CF1 and Heider MMX flashlights both use 14500 type 3.6v 800 mAh rechargeable batteries. The Heider CFX, BBX, AGX, CSX, and CB1 all use the 18650 type 3.6v 3000 mAh rechargeable battery.
Why Doesn’t Heider Use Lumens?
As you may have noticed, Heider doesn’t provide the lumen rating of any of its flashlights. Instead, it focuses instead on giving us the distance measurement of each flashlight.
Lumens are a popular unit of measurement across the flashlight industry. They’re standard across multiple manufacturers and brands. So why doesn’t Heider use lumens? Here’s the explanation from their FAQs section:
“We are not announcing the lumens of our lights, because we believe that lumen measurement has recently lost its reliability. We do not want to involve in an unfair competition with the producers of Far East, and prefer to declare lighting distances in stead. Although 2 flashlights have even the same lumens, their lighting performance differs according to LED driver circuit, light frequency and lens. Heider products are made of a unique design and technical specifications.”
It's true: lumens don’t tell the full story about a flashlight’s lighting capabilities. Many flashlights have high lumen ratings but disappointing real world performance. Lumens also don’t take into account the concentration of a beam.
In recent years, we’ve seen a big growth in Chinese manufacturers selling flashlights with 2000 lumens or more at prices under $100. Typically, you’d have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for flashlights of this power (and they were exclusively used by military and police). That’s why today, lumens mean less when it comes to comparing flashlights.
About Heider
Heider USA is based in Hoboken, New Jersey at the following address:
50 Harrison Street PH401
Hoboken, NJ 07030
You can contact the US division of the company by emailing [email protected] or by calling 1-201-399-6818.
The company maintains its European headquarters in Amsterdam and its operation headquarters in Turkey. You can get more contact information for the company here: supertorch.com
Should You Use Heider Flashlights as Your Next Flashlight?
Heider flashlights appear to be high-quality, well-reviewed flashlights engineered from high-quality materials. Many of the flashlights feature gold-plated internals and all flashlights are waterproof. Some of the flashlights are designed to illuminate a wide area at one time, while other flashlights are designed to zoom in and focus on objects.
There are plenty of low-quality tactical flashlights on the market today, most of which are priced similarly to Heider. Heider, however, is one of the few flashlight brands that actually appears to be worth its price.