A 25,000 Lumen Behemoth: Imalent MS06 Review

The power of eight sets of car headlights in the palm of my hand? Yes, please! The sheer magnitude of light is intoxicating! The Imalent MS06 is only the size of a pop can but cranks out a behemoth 25,000 lumens of light.

That’s freaking nuts!

FYI: You can grab it for 10% off using promo code: WELLRIGGED850

The Imalent MS06 was released in August 2020 and features 6 high-power XHP 70.2 Cree LED’s supported by 3 high-drain 21700 batteries which are included. The flashlight has 6 output levels and Turbo yields 70 seconds at 25000 lumens before the thermal step down. The highest sustained output level is 4000 lumens for over 2 hours which I think is quite impressive.

Specs

First Impressions

The Imalent MS06 is a stout little flashlight slightly smaller than a can of Coke. The black anodized aluminum features cross-hash etching for grip and heavy heat-sink fins around the bezel.

The over-all look is understated. This is a utilitarian flashlight not a collector.

A single stainless steel button contrasts nicely in the dark and makes operating in the dark that much easier. A magnetic charging port on the bezel allows you to charge the three 21700 batteries(included) by simply snapping a proprietary USB cable to it.(also included.)

The MS06 comes in an attractive gift box and includes a lanyard, extra O-rings, instructions and imalent branded nylon holster.

Beam Shots

NOTE: I always use manual camera settings to when reviewing flashlights to prevent exagerated or underexposed images/videos. What you see closely represents what the naked eye actually sees.

This still image illustrates the epic scale and power of the MS06 at full power. It is quite a remarkable little flashlight.

Beam Characteristics

Here’s a beam shot firing 25,000 lumens downrange at a park.

Notice how even and floody the beam is. The light temperature is an bright white. The entire park was lit up well outside the frame of shot in this picture. Nothing can hide from the MS06 in wide open spaces.

Abandoned Road

For most of us, flashlights are for night walks and this is where the MS06 is actually quite practical. It can maintain 4000 lumens for over 2 hours! That’s a long walk!

4000 lumens is a lot of light. It is slightly brighter than car headlights(3000 lumens).

If you spend any time reading flashlight spec sheets you’ll quickly realize the MS06 is one of very few flashlights that can maintain 4000 lumens without overheating and throttling back.

For me, this is the most compelling reason to buy the MS06.

The Highway Bridge

The Imalent MS06’s spec sheet claims a beam throw distance of 513 meters. To test this in the real world I took the light under a large highway bridge. The beam was able to reach the sixth peer. According to Google Earth that is approximately the sixth peer was 400 meters away.

That is actually quite impressive. There was a slight mist in the air so it may have been possible to hit the 7th peer(490 meters) in optimum conditions.

Beamshot Comparison

Is The MS06 Good Value?

The MS06 is a lumen monster not an artsy collectible. This thing doesn’t have “show muscle”, it’s got “go muscle.” Pound for pound this light punches way above its class.

What I mean is, you get more lumens per dollar spent than the vast majority of flashlights on the market.

The MS06 costs $200. That works out to 125 lumens/dollar.

For some perspective, I compiled the chart below of some of the world’s brightest flashlights comparing lumen output to their prices.

Category	Name	Price (MSRP)	Lumens	Value (lumens/dollar)
Large	Imalent MS18	$670	100,000	149 lumens/dollar
Large	ACEBEAM X70	See it on Amazon	60,000	104 lumens/dollar
EDC	Imalent MS03	$130	13,000	100 lumens/dollar
Medium	ACEBEAM X80 GT See it on Amazon	$378	32,500	86 lumens/dollar
Mini	Imalent LD70	$60	4,000	66 lumens/dollar
Tactical	Nitecore TM9K	$160	9,500	59 lumens/ dollar

Quality & Performance

Imalent’s focus is on affordability and high lumen output. Naturally that means focusing on the internals and functionality more than the looks.

I have no major complaints about the over-all build quality. The MS06 is well put together. It certainly isn’t a “show flashlight” but that isn’t its purpose so I’m ok with that.

Imalent, has had some quality control problems over the years. Perhaps its because they rush things to market in order to remain the leaders of the lumen war..I don’t know.

Anyway, early delivery MS03s and MS06s suffered from a sporadic turbo mode lockout issue. Meaning, turbo mode would stop working even though the battery capacity and heat level were within acceptable levels.

I’ve discussed this with Imalent and they advised me that these issues have since been corrected. For more info on this issue consult my video review on youtube.

Operation

The MS06 is dead-simple to operate::

• On/Off: single click turns the light on to the last used light mode
• Step up: Press and hold. Cycles from low to high
• Turbo: Double-click. 25,000 lumens for 70 seconds
• Tactical Strobe: Double-click again after entering turbo mode
• Safety Lockout: Quadruple-click when off- indicator flashes green

Turbo Mode

Some could rightly say that the MS06’s Turbo mode just a party trick since it only lasts for 70 seconds or so. It does have its uses though, like quickly scanning a field, shoreline, or a security perimeter.

If you want a flashlight that can maintain 25,000 lumens you’ll need step up to the brightest flashlight in the world for 2020. The 100,000 lumen MS18 can sustain 25,000 lumens for a whole hour!

When the battery power drops to a certain threshold or the heat level is elevated the MS06 will lock out turbo by an indicated flashing red LED.

Some early run MS06’s had an issue with the lockout kicking in prematurely.

Tactical Strobe

A perfectly sober man can be reduced to a reeling drunkard under 25,000 strobing lumens. Imagine what it would do to a bad guy high on meth! TKO!

This flashlight is a formidable self-defense weapon without having to even touch a bad guy. It’s a reassuring option to have in hand things get “out of control.”

Do keep in mind that this thing is not a toy and can do real damage. Don’t shine this thing in peoples eyes except for self-defense…in which case..have at ‘er!

Safety Lockout

I can’t emphasize using this feature enough. I review very high power flashlights and they can all light paper on fire very easily.

Please make a habit of locking out the MS06 by quadruple clicking the power button while off. You don’t want this thing to accidentally turn on in your backpack and incinerate everything.

LEDs

All the magic comes from the six XHP 70.2(2nd gen) Cree LED’s. The XHP 70.2 LED brings a higher lumin density and longer life at high temperatures.

In other words: the XHP 70.2 LED’s, last longer and produce more light for less money. CREE claims on a lumen/dollar ration they are the most cost effective LED on the market. I agree.

I’m quite pleased with the light temperature as well. It’s a bright white without any cold blue hues.

Lens and Reflector

Each of the six LEDs is surrouned into its own smooth(SMO) aluminum reflector. I’m not sure how they worked out the phyisics, but the result is a very even floody beam.

The lens comes with protective film so make sure to remove it before the first use. An anti-relective(AR) coating allows for maximum light throught he hardened mineral-glass lens.

Not much else to say here accept that the lens gets extremely hot!

Batteries

21700 batteries are fast becoming the fuel of choice for the brightest flashlights on earth. The MS06 comes pre-loaded with three of them.

21700 batteries are capable of very high current discharging similar to the idea of cold cranking amps on car batteries.

Supplying huge amounts of current(15-30 amps) to satisfy high-demand LED’s also means plenty of heat is generated too.

Charging

The MS06 features an onboard battery charger via a special magnetic USB connector. It takes a couple hours to charge up the flashlight. An indicator LED above the power button turns green when fully charged.

There are some pros and cons to Imalent’s magnetic charging cable:

• PRO: quick and convenient
• PRO: water proof advantage over regular USB
• CON: don’t loose the cable (thankfully replacements aren’t expensive)
• CON: Cable is a bit short

Belt Holster

The Imalent MS06 ships with a pass-through style belt holster.

A velcro belt loop and a plastic loop allow for some creative mounting options. It’s an nice minimalisty design. The pass through design cuts down on bulk and allows you to draw the flashlight easier than traditional style holsters.

Conclusion

There are two main reasons I’d buy this flashlight:

Firstly, you simply won’t find a 25,000-lumen flashlight for $200 anywhere else. Other brands cost at least $300. So, in my opinion, the MS06 is a pretty good value proposition.

Secondly, the MS06 can maintain 4000 lumens for well over 2 hours. Again, that is still more than car headlights…for 2 hours.

I think the MS06 is a very practical tool for extended search and rescue, security patrols and farm applications.

NOTE: Imalent has offered my readers a 10% discount at checkout with promo code: WELLRIGGED850