Last Updated on September, 2024
With the Striker Mini, Mankerlight has created a real looker.
I thoroughly enjoyed the China-based manufacturers’ Manker Striker, which produced 2,300 lumens with a rechargeable 18650 battery. The Manker Striker Mini is their attempt to recreate that light with EDC sensibilities.
At a glance, the Striker Mini looks like a very powerful tactical light that has been shrunk down to pocket size. But does it deliver the goods of a tactical EDC, or does it just have looks to deceive?
Read on because that’s what we’ll answer in this Manker Striker Mini flashlight review.
Table of Contents
- Specifications of Manker Striker Mini
- Packaging
- Flashlight Use, Build Quality and Dimensions
- LED Specifications
- User Interface Design
- Brightness, Performance and Throw
- Charging and Battery Life
- Price and Warranty of Manker Striker Mini
- Pros and Cons
- Customer Reviews for Manker Striker Mini
- Final Verdict
- Frequently Asked Questions
Specifications of Manker Striker Mini
| Light Source | Osram KW CSLNM1.TG LED |
| Light Modes | 2 modes |
| Blinkies | Strobe |
| Battery Configuration | 14500 li-ion / Alkaline AA / Ni MH AA |
| Max Output | 635 Lumens |
| Peak Beam Distance | 430 meters |
| Peak Beam Intensity | 46,225 cd |
| Working Voltage | 0.9 V – 4.2 V |
| Lens | Dual-sided AR coated |
| Reflector | SMO Aluminum with Vacuum Plated |
| Waterproof | IP68 |
| Impact Resistance | 1.5 meters |
Packaging
The Manker Striker Mini comes with fairly plain but aesthetic packaging. The box is black and orange and displays line art of the flashlight. Aside from that and the name, no technical information or product details are displayed on the package.
I had to open mine to confirm I’d gotten the army green color I had ordered. That’s my only gripe with it. The box was padded and sturdy, and the styrofoam slot held the flashlight well.
As for the contents of the package, they include:
Flashlight Use, Build Quality and Dimensions
Design and Build
The Manker Striker Mini has a thin body, fins for style, and plenty of grip. It comes in black and army green colors. The black is fine, but I chose the army green because it pops while retaining a conservative appeal.
As size goes, the flashlight is lightweight and compact for EDC:
The aluminum housing and anodized finish give the Striker Mini a great build. As for durability, it’s IP68 water resistant and 1.5 meters impact resistant. There’s also built-in temperature regulation to prevent overheating.
Physical Dimensions
| Full Lenght | 4.48 inches |
| Head | 1.37 inches head diameter |
| Body | 0.66 inches body diameter |
| Tail-cap | 23 mm tail diameter |
| Weight | 81.6g (without battery), 103.3g (with battery) |
| Body Material | Aerospace aluminum alloy |
| Bezel Material | 304 stainless steel with anti-fingerprint (natural color) or PVD black coating |
| Pocket Clip | 304 stainless steel with black plating |
| Button Cap Material | 304 stainless steel with sandblasted |
| Switch | Tactical forward-click switch (Mechanical switch) |
Retention and Carry
One thing you always look for in tactical EDCs is their retention and carry capabilities. The Striker Mini has some neat features for this. It comes with a pre-installed two-way pocket clip.
I occasionally use this to carry the flashlight in my pocket. Even though it’s a two-way clip, the light is too top-heavy to carry with the lens facing up. With the lens down, though, the pocket clip makes for easy carry.
Alternatively, there’s the tactical ring. Aside from giving grip, this also lets you secure the lanyard (through the lanyard hole) to the tailcap. The lanyard is my preferred way of carrying the Striker Mini.
Disassembly
You can remove the bezel, the tactical ring, the cell tube, and the tailcap for disassembly. To get to the battery, unscrew the tail of the flashlight. The tail holds a spring that keeps the cell firmly in place.
When it comes to reassembly, the flashlight will only work if the cell is put back with the positive side toward the head. I tried reversing it but could not get the Striker Mini to light up. This is one of those aspects of it that leans more toward EDC than tactical.
Strike Bezel
Now, we get to the most “striking” thing about the Manker Striker Mini: the bezel. It’s made of 304 stainless steel, with a Trapezoidal thread design for easy removal and two-way installation.
If you go for the black color option, the bezel will be natural silver; if you get an army green like I did, it’ll come with a PVD black coating.
The first time I tinkered with it, what instantly came to mind was Wolverine. Like him, the Striker Mini is an impressive specimen. But once you bring the Strike Bezel into play, it’s like Wolverine with his claws out.
Not every tactical EDC flashlight needs to be this aggressive, but the Manker Striker Mini stands out by going the extra mile.
You can reverse or remove the bezel altogether if you don’t like or need it. I find it fantastic for tactical use.
Yes, it does affect the beam, but not to the point of messing with it. And the bulky, jagged spikes make the flashlight a formidable self-defense option.
Tailcap
There are six slots around the tail cap and one at the base of the flashlight, where the switch is located. Each is 6mm x 1.5mm and is meant for the glow-in-the-dark strips provided in the box.
Instead of using those, I opted to attach tritium vials to the tail of my torch. They’re pricey, but I recommend them over the plastic strips if you want your flashlight to be well-lit and visible in the dark.
The Striker Mini will tail stand because of the flat metal switch. It’s a little unsteady, though, because of the top-heaviness of the build.
Reflector
The Striker Mini has a dual-sided AR-coated lens and an SMO aluminum reflector. The good people at Mankerlight have given their mini flashlight a big smooth reflector to match its big head. And I couldn’t be happier for it.
LED Specifications
The Osram KW CSLNM1.TG LED is an excellent thrower. The built-in measures ensure that it has a long life inside the Striker Mini without compromising performance. While the Osram LED isn’t renowned for its CCT or CRI, it gets the job done in the Striker Mini with great throw and a crisp white beam.
The beam produces a concentrated white hotspot, surrounded by a nice green corona and plenty of spill over a wide area. If you turn the flashlight on with the Strike Bezel facing outward, you’ll get a weird vignette around the spill. But that’s about it. You don’t have to worry about it ruining the beam.
User Interface Design
The Manker Striker Mini has a tactical forward-click switch at the tail.
Now, I am a reverse-click guy. I don’t mind a forward click on a single-mode flashlight at all, but for a multimode one, it doesn’t do it for me.
So, I had some trouble with the Striker Mini’s user interface. The switch feels good on my thumb when it engages, and going from Off to High is simple enough with a solid click.
But going from High to Low requires a half-press. To activate the strobe, you need two half-presses.
Getting these right took me a while, and I still occasionally slip up. Keep in mind that, as a big user of reverse clicky flashlights, this is a bigger gripe for me than it might be for you.
Regarding the UI, the Striker Mini has no mode memory or Pulse Width Modulation. It also has no low-voltage protection for the battery. So be mindful of that when the flashlight starts to dim.
Brightness, Performance and Throw
Light Modes
The Manker Striker Mini has only two modes:
There is neither medium mode to bridge the two nor turbo mode, which is a staple of tactical use. Bummer. There is a hidden strobe, though.
And this has tactical use written all over it. The strobe was way more menacing than I had expected for a flashlight this size. It’ll daze and confuse anyone coming at you, especially in the darkness of night.
Beam Distance
There is a noticeable discrepancy between the 14500 and AA batteries. Low mode on the 14500 cell gives you a beam distance of 130 meters. On High, that stretches to 430 meters. The Ni Mh cell, on the other hand, can only do 60 meters on Low. When set to High, you’ll be looking at a 265-meter range.
Output
The Manker Striker Mini has an impressive output for a flashlight of its size.
It emits 50 lumens on Low Mode and lasts 6 hours and 30 minutes. On High Mode, it emits its maximum output of 635 lumens for 3 minutes before going down to 260 for the next hour and 15 minutes. After that, it drops to 8 lumens for the last 40 minutes of runtime.
That’s with the 14500 li-ion cell. In Low mode with the Ni-Mh AA cell, the flashlight emits 8 lumens. The max output on High is 265 lumens for 40 seconds, 100 lumens for the next hour and 32 minutes, and 8 lumens for the final hour.
The AA cell also emits 8 lumens on Low. Its max output is 220 lumens for 1 minute, then 80 lumens for 36 minutes, and 8 lumens for 12 hours and 30 minutes.
Charging and Battery Life
While the Manker Striker Mini doesn’t have onboard charging, it does come with a pre-installed Manker 14500 Li-ion battery and a USB-C charging cable.
The battery has a USB-C charging port. This gives you the ease of charging your flashlight with a USB cable.
The 14500 battery has an LED light under the positive terminal to indicate charging. The light glows red while charging, then changes to green once the cell has reached a full charge.
Your other USB-C charging options are Alkaline and Ni-Mh AA cells. The Striker Mini won’t perform quite the same as it does with the 14500, but these AA batteries can still power it.
I tested out all three cells on the Manker Striker Mini.
Here are the results:
Price and Warranty of Manker Striker Mini
Mankerlight offers a five-year warranty on the Manker Striker Mini. According to their website, you can contact your dealer if you encounter any issues within 15 days of purchase. They will handle replacements for your light.
Beyond that, the dealer offers repairs and replacements should your flashlight act up during the five-year warranty period. Other things, like pre-installed rechargeable batteries, have a one-year warranty period from purchase.
As for the price, the Manker Striker Mini is available for $49.95 on the Mankerlight website. You can buy your Manker Striker Mini here. Though prices may vary slightly, it is also available on Amazon, Flashlightgo, and AliExpress. There is no mention of a refund policy on the Mankerlight website.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
Customer Reviews for Manker Striker Mini
The consensus on the Manker Striker Mini is that it is a very good tactical EDC flashlight. EDC users appreciate its specs, size, and lightweight feel. The USB-C port for charging is another thing that makes this flashlight appealing for everyday use..
Tactical flashlight users like me sing their praises a bit louder. It’s nice that Mankerlight hasn’t let fans of the original Manker Striker down in their attempt to miniaturize it. There’s so much to like for us outdoor folks in this smaller version.
Mainly, the durability, ease of carry, and that serrated bezel. Most customers were also surprised by the throw and output that this thing could do. They said it surpassed their expectations.
Naturally, there are complaints like the lack of low voltage protection, which affects the battery’s lifespan. And almost everyone agrees that the 14500 cell doesn’t offer the best runtimes for a tactical torch. Despite these complaints, most customers have a positive opinion of the Manker Striker Mini.
Final Verdict
I’m happy to report that Mankerlight has successfully shrunk its tactical Striker for EDC use.
The Striker Mini doesn’t just look like it could be a bigger flashlight; it also delivers on its promises. It has a unique design, great features, and performance that punches above its weight.
All things considered, $49.95 is an amazing price for the Manker Striker Mini.
I can certainly see myself using this one for a long time. And I bet you could, too.
Frequently Asked Questions
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