A good torch lives in our car, and the OZtrail Lumos FR800 has earned that spot. It’s bright, the beam focuses from a wide flood to a long spot, and it’s rechargeable, which is the part we like most. We paid $35 for it, and we also have its little brother, the OZtrail Lumos F300, which runs on AAA batteries.
What’s in the box
The FR800 is a black aluminium torch with a gold bezel, a rubber Duragrip handle and a push button on the tail. It gives up to 800 lumens, has a push/pull focus head and a built-in lithium-ion battery that charges by USB-C, and it’s rated IPX4 against splashes. A USB-C cable comes in the pack.
What we like
- 800 lumens, 165 m throw
- USB-C rechargeable
- Push/pull focus: flood to spot
- Rubber grip sits nicely in hand
- Solid aluminium build
- Good value at $35
What we don’t
- 3 hours on high
- IPX4: splashes only
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | OZtrail |
| Material | Aluminium bodyRubber grip |
| Weight | 219 g |
| Size | 14.7 × 4.2 cm |
| Brightness | 800 lumens (high)200 (medium)80low |
| Modes | HighMedium and low |
| Run time | 3 h high6.5 h medium12 h low |
| Battery | Built-in lithium-ion |
| Charging | USB-CAbout 3.5 hours |
| Water rating | IPX4 |
Rechargeable by USB-C
This is the reason we reach for the FR800 over the F300. It’s rechargeable, so we don’t need to keep spare batteries in the car. We’re rarely away from the car for long, and with our solar setup and Kings BatBlock we can always recharge our devices, so a flat torch is never more than a USB cable away.
The USB-C port is hidden under a collar near the tail: rotate it and the port appears, rotate it back to cover it. A full charge takes about 3.5 hours, and it gives about 3 hours on high, 6.5 hours on medium and 12 hours on low.
Cycling the modes
Everything runs off the one push button on the tail cap. Before the first use, check the Power Lock: the tail cap has to be twisted fully tight, or the torch won’t come on. Loosen it a little and the circuit is open, so it can’t switch on in your bag.
Three modes, from bright to long-lasting:
The FR1200 is brighter on every mode: 1,200, 500 and 100 lumens, lasting 3, 4 and 13 hours.
How to get there:
- Switch
- The push button on the tail cap
- Twist the tail cap fully tight to unlock the Power Lock.
- Click the button once: the torch comes on high.
- Click again within 2 to 3 seconds: medium, then low.
- Click once more and it switches off.
- Leave a mode on for 5 seconds and the next click turns it off.
- Twist the tail cap back to lock it before it goes in a bag.
The mode memory is the handy part: once you’ve settled on a brightness for more than 5 seconds, one click turns it off, so you don’t have to click through the other modes to get there.
Focusing the beam
It’s handy that you can focus the beam. Push the head in towards the handle for a wide flood that lights up the area around you, or pull it straight out for a tight spot that reaches further. On high, OZtrail rates it at 165 m, and it has a good throw.
Build and grip
The build quality feels really good. The body is aluminium, OZtrail rates it to survive a 1 m drop, and the rubber Duragrip handle sits nicely in your hand. It weighed 219 g on our scale, so it’s a solid torch rather than a pocket one, and it’s rated IPX4: fine in the rain, but don’t drop it in a creek.
F300, FR800 or FR1200
OZtrail makes the Lumos in three sizes. The F300 is the small one that runs on AAA batteries, the FR800 is the one we use most, and the FR1200 is basically the same torch as the FR800, just brighter, and longer and heavier with it. It was $45 at Anaconda when we checked.
| Tested Lumos FR800 | Tested Lumos F300 | Brighter Lumos FR1200 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rechargeable | Yes | No | Yes |
| Power | USB-C, ≈3.5 h charge | 3 × AAA | USB-C, ≈4.5 h charge |
| Beam distance | 165 m | 99 m | 170 m |
| Modes | High, medium & low | High & low | High, medium & low |
| Brightness | 800 lm | 300 lm | 1,200 lm |
| Run time on high | 3 h | 5 h | 3 h |
| Run time on low | 12 h | 27 h | 13 h |
| Length | 14.7 cm | 11.6 cm | 22.2 cm |
| Weight | 219 g | 132 g | 301 g |
| Shop | Amazon | Amazon | Anaconda |
Read our Lumos F300 review for the AAA version.
Conclusion: OZtrail Lumos FR800Conclusion
The OZtrail Lumos FR800 is a bright, well-built torch for $35. It gives 800 lumens with a good throw, the beam goes from flood to spot by pulling the head out, the rubber grip sits nicely in your hand, and one tail button runs three modes with a handy mode memory. It’s rechargeable by USB-C, which is why it’s the one in our car: with solar on the roof, there are no spare batteries to carry. It only lasts about 3 hours on high and it’s rated IPX4, but for the car and camp it’s great value. It’s the best value rechargeable torch in our best torches guide.
A bright, well-built torch for $35.
The OZtrail Lumos FR800 gives 800 lumens and a good throw, the beam goes from flood to spot by pulling the head out, and the rubber grip sits nicely in your hand. It charges by USB-C, which is why we prefer it: with the solar in the car, there are no spare batteries to carry.
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
- Weekend trips
Yes. $35 gets you a solid, rechargeable 800 lumen torch with a focusing beam, and with solar in the car it never needs a spare battery.
