Dorcy Flashlights and Camping Lanterns Review

Dorcy 4 LED Lantern
Dorcy Headlight

Dorcy Lights is a respected and easily recognizable name in the flashlight industry. Their distinct packaging and name can be found all over the United States.

Geared towards the everyday working man you can find most of their products at your local Sears, Wal-Mart and ACE Hardware stores. Also available on Amazon Canada and Amazon UK.

Known for their quality and inexpensive gear, they have been and continue to be a favorite in many households.

Currently, Dorcy has introduced newer products that are geared towards the outdoors-men. Whether you’re a hiker, hunter, runner, or just a weekend camper, Dorcy has something for everybody. They continue to maintain a competitive edge in the industry by offering a great diversity of options.

115 Lumens LED HeadlightLed Twin Globe Lantern4 LED lantern
Dorcy Headlight
Dorcy Twin Globe Lantern
Dorcy 4 LED Lantern

115 Lumens LED Headlight

Overall Aesthetics

The headlight came in a metallic silver color with black head straps. The headlight comes with a 3 way connected head band for added security. It gives great support, but terrible hat hair. :-)

I also like the fact that the battery pack was not separate of the actual headlamp itself. Having one bulky item on your head versus two is a plus. The Dorcy headlight batteries are housed with the light.

Functionality
  • Single hand operation (On/Off Button)
  • Adjustable one size fits all elastic band
  • Two settings: Full power and Half power
Technical Specs
  • Strength – 115 Lumens
  • Battery Life – 2 Hours
  • Beam Distance – 100 Meters
  • Bulb Type: Rebel 80
  • Batteries: Uses 3 AAA
  • Product material: ABS Plastic
  • Weight: 0.21 lbs
Pros
  • Extremely affordable. Quality headlights that won’t break the bank.
  • Bright
  • Water resistant
  • Durable (I dropped the headlight while changing out batteries, but the headlights worked fine)
Cons
  • Construction: The ABS plastic housing has a cheap feel to it, but it does do the job
  • Slightly larger than your average headlights.
  • Headlight at full power drains the battery fairly quickly and the beam distance drops.
  • No adjustable light focus
LED Twin Globe Lantern

Overall Aesthetics

The lantern came in a solid dark green housing. This was the probably the most durable Dorcy product I had tested next to the XL-M. The lantern came with a simple knob with the 3 settings. On top of the lantern was a large easy to grab handle and a pop out hanger.

Functionality
  • Pop out hanger hook makes it easy to hang in the tent or on rope. (I wish the hook was a little longer. It tapers off a little short so any swing in the rope or overhang will cause it to fall)
  • Three settings: High (2 globes), Low (1 globe), and amber night light.
  • The light is extremely bright with both globes.
This lamp in my opinion is comparable to the Eureka Warrior. Lumen-wise the Eureka is more powerful, but the functionality and overall durability are pretty equal. The Dorcy beats the Warrior in aesthetics, weight and price.

Technical Specs
  • Strength – 160 Lumens
  • Battery Life
    • One Globe – 350 hrs;
    • Two Globes – 175 hrs
    • Night light – 700 hrs
  • Beam Distance – 20 ft.
  • Bulb Type: LED 360’
  • Batteries: Uses 4 D cell
  • Product Dimension: 4.25 x 12.7”
  • Weight: 1.8 lbs
Pros
  • 360 degrees of light
  • Waterproof
  • Lighweight
  • Sturdy handle and pop up hanger
  • Submersible IPX-7 (Immersion in water for 30 min at a depth of 1 meter)
Cons
  • You must make sure that the bottom is correctly and securely fastened. This will affect battery contact.
  • Battery tends to drain quickly when setting is on full.
  • The pop up hook needs to be a little longer to be a better hanger.

XL-M Extreme 600 Lumen LEDSuper Flux LED Submersible Dive Light180 Lumen 4AA High Flux LED Cyber Light Flashlight160 Lumen K2 LED Flashlight
Dory Flashlight XL M
Dorcy Light K2 Led
Dorcy Cyberlight Flashlight
Dorcy Q4 Cree Flashlight

4 LED Lantern

Overall Aesthetics

The lantern came in a small blue plastic bottom a black plastic bumper. This is my favorite among the Dorcy products and was used on my last three backpacking trips. The versatility of this object is why it has permanent location on my pack.

There is no flash or fluff with this product. The lantern has a rotating switch with two settings: on/off. Dorcy sells these lanterns in a variety of color to appease anyone’s desire of color coordinating.

Functionality:
  • Hang hook within the handle (latch)
  • Two settings: On/Off
Technical Specs
  • Strength – 40 Lumens
  • Battery Life – 70 hrs
  • Beam Distance – 15 ft.
  • Bulb Type: LED Luxeon
  • Batteries – Uses 4 AA
  • Product Dimension: 6.75''
  • Weight: 0.69 lbs
Pros
  • 360 degrees of light
  • Extremely lightweight
  • Easily latches on to any type of hook on a tent.
  • Hooks onto branches and to ropes (Great during meal times, brushing your teeth, or when nature calls)
  • Can act as a safety light in place of glow sticks or wands on packs
  • Utilizes AA batteries
Cons
  • Not the strongest lantern, but generates enough light for any menial task
  • The spring on the latch for the handle hook tends to weaken after excessive use

XL-M Extreme 600 Lumen LED Flashlight

Overall Aesthetics

This flashlight is Dorcy's Pièce de résistance. The XL-M is an amalgam of great technology, durability, and power.

The casing is built using an extremely durable Aerospace Grade Anodized Aluminum. The flashlight came in a gunmetal gray color with a fluorescent yellow button and lanyard ring reminiscent of a highlighter. This is truly the next generation of lights.



Functionality
  • Push button side switch
  • Two settings: High & Low
  • Polycarbonate Lens
Durability

I would not hesitate to use this in place of my MagLite.

The light is extremely powerful and the battery life is very good. During my Mendicino trip, this flashlight alone lit up my entire camp.

Technical Specs
  • Bulb Type – Cree XM-L
  • Batteries – Uses 6 AA alkaline batteries (Lithium batteries are not to be used)
  • Weight – 15.5 oz (~ 1lb) w/ batteries
  • Product Dimensions – 9'' x 1.5''
High Setting
  • Strength: 618 Lumens
  • Battery Life: 5 hrs 45 min
  • Beam Distance: 363 Meter / 1100 Feet
Low Setting
  • Strength: 173 Lumens
  • Battery Life: 25+ hrs
  • Beam Distance: 200 Meters
Pros
  • IPX-4 Water protection rating (Can be used in the rain, but cannot be submerged)
  • Rotatable lanyard ring w/ lanyard
  • Utilizes Dorcy’s Truespot Optimized Reflector System
  • Great weight balance
  • Cost: compared to other flashlights with the same specs as the XL-M, this flashlight is a steal
  • Utilizes one of the most common battery types
Cons
  • Might be considered heavy by some. I for one, consider the weight is reasonable.

Submersible LED Dive Light

Overall Aesthetics

This flashlight is Dorcy’s only completely submersible flashlight. It is constructed of metallic black anodized aluminum. It is anti-corrosion and very durable. This flashlight is great for boating activities or for people who do SCUBA.

However, I would recommend harnessing it to some sort of cord re-tractor.  It is easy to lose the flashlight in murky waters due to its color.



Functionality
  • On land the center spot concentrates 80%, while remaining 20% creates a bright and wide viewing area around the center.
  • Underwater is where the flashlight really shines. The beam is not distorted and maintains a strong and wide beam underwater.
Technical Specs
  • Strength – 220 Lumens
  • Battery Life – 8 hrs
  • Beam Distance – 200 ft.
  • Bulb Type: Cree Q4
  • Batteries – Uses 6 AAA
  • Product Dimension: 6.5” x 1.25”
  • Weight: 0.8 lbs
Pros
  • IPX-8 Water protection rating (Waterproof: Water-tight under immersion for 30 minutes under 2.6 meters of water)
  • Simple twist on/off setting.
  • Battery life actually exceeded the 8 hr. rating.
Cons
  • Make sure that all 6 batteries are properly installed parallel with same polarity direction.
  • Turning too far towards an on/off setting can accidentally open the flashlight exposing it to water.
  • Color: Easy to lose in the water

180 Lumen LED Cyber Light

Overall Aesthetics

This flashlight is great to have in the house, glove compartment of your car or in the RV. Upon opening it screamed emergency preparedness/survival to me. I feel that this flashlight would be the most useful in an emergency pack or for emergency situations.

The bright yellow and black housing makes it easy to spot in low or dim light. This comes in handy especially for blackouts and such caused by storms or earthquakes. It comes with a plastic housing and a rubber grip and rubber on/off button to prevent it from slipping.

This would be ideal to have in case of storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and etc. Now this may sound a little extreme, but those were my first thoughts when looking at this flashlight.

Functionality
  • Poly-carbonate Lens makes the lens extremely durable.
  • Durability: Able to withstand a 8 ft. drop tests.
  • The light is extremely bright and boasts a beam distance of 275 meters.
Technical Specs
  • Strength – 180 Lumens
  • Battery Life – 5 hrs
  • Beam Distance – 275 meters
  • Bulb Type: LED
  • Batteries – Uses 4 AA
  • Product Dimension: 7.8” x 1.5”
  • Weight: 6.8 oz w/ batteries
Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Bright yellow housing makes it easy to spot
  • Rubber grips and on/off button to grip when wet
  • Beam is powerful and reaches a long distance
  • Uses the most common battery type
Cons
  • Plastic housing feels a little cheap
  • Lanyard is a little small around the wrist

160 Lumens K2 LED Flashlight

Overall Aesthetics

This flashlight is the most well rounded of the Dorcy products. It has unique little feature integrated into the flashlight that I had never seen before.

It comes with a built-in LED battery indicator. The LED lights up green if there is more than 20% energy remaining. When there is less than 20% energy remaining, the LED changes to a red light.

Functionality
  • Power button is within the recessed tail cap
  • Uses a poly carbonate lens which makes the lens extremely durable
  • The flashlight is o-ring sealed which prevents dust and moisture from entering (weather resistant)
  • Utilizes the True Spot Reflector which creates a precise and bright center spot.
Technical Specs
  • Strength – 150 Lumens
  • Battery Life – 3 hrs
  • Beam Distance – 150 meters
  • Bulb Type: Luxeon K2
  • Batteries – Uses 3 AAA
  • Product Dimension: 4.76” x 1.38”
  • Weight: 0.23 lbs
Pros
  • Weather resistant
  • Battery Life indicator saves you from the guess work
  • Aluminium housing and poly-carbonate lens make this extremely durable
  • Lightweight
  • Small and compact
Cons
  • Short battery life
Conclusion

Dorcy Lights have become a mainstay in my camping and backpacking gear. The products do exactly what they advertise and the prices just can't be beat. Especially for outdoorsy people on a budget, Dorcy meets the expectations and more.

Dorcy 4 LED Lantern attached to Backpack
Camp Fire and Dorcy Lantern

My only issue with the products was the battery life. When set on the highest output, some of the lights did not last as advertised. However, the consistency in output was maintained. Usually when light starts fading, the battery life does go as long as it is supposed to, but the performance decreases.

The Dorcy products maintain the optimum output which does drain the battery quite significantly. Ultimately this decision comes down to which the user prefers.

Finally, the greatest thing about Dorcy products is the wide availability of replacement parts. They make it incredibly easy to buy them and the cost to replace them is usually very low.

Check them out on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About the author: JSO is a climber and hiker from Northern California. He's part of the group of athletes who regularly write gear reviews for Highball Blog. 


Thanks for stopping by! Share this article with your friends.

2 comments :

  1. You will never know when you’ll need a great flashlight like this one. I think you should have one on hand at easy access. It is just the thing you need for the outdoor trip or the emergency situations that seem to crop up from time to time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True. My headlamp, simple as it is, is one of the most precious piece of gear when I go outdoors for more than 12 h.

      Delete

Please use your personal name and NOT your business name to comment. Enjoy the blog, the T-shirt designs and thanks for joining the conversation!