Smiling Shark G1 Camping Torch Review

What’s in the box

Two small plastic torches, model SD-1023XPE, each with a spotlight in the end, a flat floodlight panel down one side, one button and a clip-style hook at the top. Each has a 1,200 mAh battery that charges through a USB-C port, hidden under a sliding section in the middle of the body. A USB-C cable comes in the box.

Quick Specs

Light modes

The spotlight on the end is the one for walking around camp, checking gear or looking under the bonnet. The flat panel down the side is a floodlight that spreads a wide, even light, which is better for cooking or lighting up the inside of a tent or the back of the car. There’s also a sensor mode that turns the light on with a wave of the hand, which is handy when your hands are full or dirty, like during a late-night pack in the back of our Prado.

The hook

The hook at the top is what makes it a camp torch rather than just a torch. It’s a clip with a spring gate, so it hooks onto an awning strap, a branch, a tent loop or a bag. During the weekender, we hung one from the strap of our XTM awning with the floodlight on, and it lit up the area under the awning while we cooked.

Charging and battery life

Slide the middle of the body open and there’s a USB-C port, so it charges from the same cable as everything else. We charged ours from our Kings 24Ah power pack, and it topped up in a couple of hours. A charge lasted about 6 hours on the spotlight and 7 to 8 hours on the floodlight, and left in the tent overnight on sensor mode, it still had charge in the morning. There’s no battery indicator, though, so you don’t know how much is left until it fades.

Build and weight

It’s all plastic, with a matte finish that’s easy to grip, so it’s light at 84 g on our scale, but it doesn’t feel as tough as a metal torch. It only has white light, with no red mode for night vision. For a torch that hangs around camp and lives in the glovebox, the plastic is fine; for something to throw around, a metal torch suits better.

How it compares with our other work lights

The G1 is the smallest of three lights we hang up at camp. The Smiling Shark Magnetic Work Light is a 4,000-lumen flood lamp with a strong magnet and a battery that doubles as a power bank, but it weighs 363 g.

The Adventure Kings Illuminator LED Work Light is a $10 LED bar on AA batteries with a hook and a magnet, fine for a quick repair. The G1 is the one for your pocket. Our camping lights guide has the rest.

	This oneSmiling Shark G1	CheapestKings Work Light→	BrightestSmiling Shark Lamp→
Type	Torch	LED bar	Flood lamp
Brightness	Up to 600 lm	Not stated	4,000 lm
Modes	Spot, flood & sensor	1	18
Mounting	Clip hook	Hook & magnet	Magnet, hooks & stand
Battery	1,200 mAh, USB-C	3 × AA	4,400 mAh, 2 × 18650
Weight	84 g	118 g, no batteries	363 g
Price paid	$22 each	$10	$70
Our score	8.1	8.2	8.8

Conclusion: Smiling Shark G1 Camping Torch

The Smiling Shark G1 is a handy little camp torch: a spotlight, a side floodlight and a sensor mode, a hook to hang it from the awning or a branch, and USB-C charging that lasts 6 to 8 hours. It’s plastic, there’s no battery indicator and it only has white light. We paid $44 for a 2-pack, and for a torch to hang under the awning and keep in the glovebox, it does the job.