REVIEW: Nextorch Industries Glo-Toob AAA

Chemical light sticks are always included in operations. But after 8-12 hours, the light is gone. Sometimes you wish for more sustainability - like a chemical light stick with a battery. Nextorch Industries has created exactly that with the Glo-Toob. Today, we are presenting to you the Glo-Toob AAA version.

Glo-Toob originally comes from the diving sector. The founders were so dissatisfied with existing chemical light sticks during a dive in South Africa in 1996 that they conceived an alternative. The goal was to create a lamp that has the size and weight of a chemical light stick, but is significantly more durable and can be turned on and off. The use of a battery should also increase environmental friendliness, which was lacking in chemical light sticks due to the chemical reaction and the partially leaky plastic housings.The Glo-Toob AAA, with only 34 grams including the battery and dimensions of 75mm x 19mm, has achieved the goal of being equivalent in weight and size to a chemical light stick. The cylindrical shape allows the LED to be seen from 360 degrees. The housing cap consists of a simple screw cap, which, with an O-ring, ensures waterproofness up to 60 meters.

When opened, the AAA battery is revealed. The cap also has another function: it serves as an on and off switch. When you screw the cap on tight, the LED lights up at full brightness. If you unscrew and then screw the cap back on slightly, the second brightness level of 25% is activated. By twisting it for the third time, a strobe function with blinking light is activated. The battery lasts for 15 hours at 25% brightness and about 4 hours at 100% brightness.The LED of the Glo-Toob is designed to have 100,000 hours of operational time. The working temperature range is stated as -15 to +55 degrees Celsius. In our tests, we froze the Glo-Toob and then thawed it with hot water; the function remained consistent.The housing is made of extremely durable polycarbonate. Several car runs over the Glo-Toob could not harm it except for a few scratches - so in terms of robustness, it is clearly a plus. To secure the cylinder, there is a metal ring on the top and of course a lanyard is included in the package.

After subjecting the Glo-Toob to heat, cold, and weight, we wanted to know how it fared in terms of waterproofness.We tested it at a depth of nearly 20 meters in the diving tower: no problem at all for the Glo-Toob. It handled the operation and switching smoothly.

For those who want more, in addition to the Glo-Toob AAA, there is the Glo-Toob Pro AAA. This model offers waterproofness up to 200 meters, 5.5 hours of operation at 100% brightness, and 27 hours at 25%. Still not enough?

Then there is the Glo-Toob Lithium with a CR123A battery. This model offers a total of 11 lighting modes (flashlight, BEACON STROBE, fast & slow flashing, SOS, impulse, HALF FLASH, BOUNCE, RAMP ON, 100% brightness and 25% brightness), providing between 24 and 100 hours of light. Diving depth of 200 meters? No, this monster goes down to 3,500 meters. Testing that will likely be difficult. If you want, we can also test the flagship model for you.

CONCLUSION: The Glo-Toob AAA is a very good alternative to traditional chemical light sticks. In terms of weight and size, it matches its chemical counterparts, and the lighting duration is quite comparable. Even though the Glo-Toob only lights up for 4 hours at 100% brightness, the advantage is that you can turn off the light at any time. A chemical light stick shines and shines, and then it is used up. The robustness and the performance during diving impressed us - a recommendation for anyone needing a small backup light or an emergency signaling device. The Glo-Toob should not be missing from any equipment.

The Glo-Toob AAA, Glo-Toob Pro, and Glo-Toob Lithium are available in the colors orange, blue, red, green, and white light at Uli Dehler's Spezial-Depot for 19.99€ (AAA), 27.99€ (Pro-AAA), or 49.95€ (Lithium). An IR (infrared) version is also available.

Nextorch Industries on the Internet: www.nextorch.com