The Fenix E-Star is a portable flashlight designed for emergency situations where power might not be available. The light can be powered by the included low-discharge Ni-MH battery, or one AA battery, or by pumping the charging handle when the battery is low or not available. It uses USB Type-C charging and the built-in super-capacitor helps with energy storage and buffering when the battery is damaged or missing. The E-STAR has four output modes with a maximum lumen output of 100 Lumens and beam visibility of 131 ft. This is a great light to keep on hand in your emergency preparedness kit - in the house or in the car!
Overall rating: 4.32 / 5 from 25 reviews.
The Fenix E-Star is a portable emergency LED flashlight that offers reliable lighting in emergency situations. It can be powered by a low-discharge Ni-MH battery, an AA battery, or by pumping the charging handle. The flashlight features USB Type-C charging and a built-in super-capacitor for energy storage. Customers appreciate its brightness and versatility, though opinions on the battery are mixed.
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"Fantastic flashlight. Has a great light output, very bright. 4 brightness settings for maximum visibility and power saving options. Obviously, the best feature is the super capacitor and Nickel Metal Hydride battery for fully independent power, with the added benefit of plug in charging for speed. Would highly recommend for everyone to own at least one."
"Really nice worth it"
"This is a great addition to a bug out bag or in the back of the truck for a light to grab without battery worries."
"I have been waiting literally for years to find a new generation of the plastic Dyno Torches that I ordered from the UK. They were originally made of either metal or Bakelite in WWII. Like the original Dyno Torch, I wanted a hand operated flashlight that did NOT rely on rechargeable batteries which will eventually fail and render a recharge flashlight useless. The early generation of Dyno Torches did not have a battery, only a miniature flywheel which basically meant you had to keep squeezing to get the light to work. I upgraded my plastic versions by replacing the incandescent bulb with an LED but that was about all I could do. Then Fenix came out with the E-Star and not only added an LED light, they also added a super capacitor to actually hold a charge for a short while. Moreover, super capacitors are less sensitive to heat or cold. Then, Fenix went two steps beyond and added the capacity to insert a removable, rechargeable Ni-MH battery or a disposable alkaline battery thus resulting in a triple-powered flashlight. In other words, this flashlight can work with a rechargeable battery, disposable battery, or for a short time - a super capacitor. The unit feels like it is well constructed and I have already tested the hand charging and capacitor without any batteries and it works well. This is truly a new generation emergency light offering many power options."
"Disappointing. Unlike many other Fenix flashlights, and I own many, this is made of plastic, not metal. The light is weak (claims 100 lumens, but doesn't look even that level) and the locking mechanism for the hand crank is very, very difficult to unlock and lock. I need to use an instrument, can't do it with my thumb. I guess it might be useful in a prepper bag, but I'll stick with my other Fenix lights."
"The light is solidly constructed, easy to use and bright enough for my intended purpose"
"The device works as expected. The light levels are well chosen considering the intended use. The on/off switch is a little difficult to operate. Other functions are good. The light level switch was not immediately obvious m, but it functions well. The generator crank is comfortable. More of a squeeze than crank. I recommend it."
"This is a neat little emergency light. Relatively small and flat, it's easy to store, easy to hold, easy to operate. Normally, a AA NiMH battery runs it, but it can run without the battery! Hand-crank recharge, or USB full recharge allows the light to work in almost any situation. The low output setting runs for a while even on super-cap charge, and there is a much brighter setting for special situations. This is a light I'll keep in a Faraday bag for dire situations!"
"Perfect emergency flashlight useful amount of light and no need to worry about batteries being dead since it can charge itself."
"I committed the amateur mistake of not completely reading the instructions before posting my initial review of this flashlight. Consequently, I was not aware of the different brightness settings that are available and based my review on the default (lowest) brightness level. Testing it again at the different brightness levels, including (Turbo) indicated that it actually does provide sufficient light to navigate safely in a darkened room. As such, it does have some use as an emergency light source although I would probably find the greatest use for it in finding my way to a more powerful light source. In the absence of anything else, though, it wouold be a useful and reliable emergency tool."
