The flashlight body is in black, hard-anodized aluminum alloy, with a wide, triple projector, and an IP 69 protected charging port. An anti-roll ring prevents the light from rolling too much if dropped (given the projector size, do not expect the flashlight to stop rolling quickly, though) while you can choose between a nylon pouch or a clip as a carry method.

Where surely the TM9K Pro shines (couldn’t resist this pun) is in the sheer power-to-size ratio: under this aspect the torch is really, really compact, with its 9900 lumens and 65.400 candles of light.

Projected along a dark road in the woods at night, it lights it up day bright. Literally.  Considering that your average car’s halogen high beams have an output of 1000-1200 lumens, and led headlights can reach a maximum legal output of 3000 lumens, and knowing how obnoxious they can be, blotting out everything else when shone into your eyes, you can start to appreciate what the 9900 lumens of the Luminshield function can do to someone’s vision. Not that I’ve tested it on anyone, but it’s a brightness level that in most people causes physical pain.

The TM9K Pro can also be used as an ordinary flashlight, though, with four power settings, the lowest of which is ideal for such mundane nighttime stuff as going to the bathroom without waking up your s.o. and without stubbing your toe against the chair, while the higher outputs are perfect for inspection, or search and rescue operations. The high setting is 2000 lumens and can reach over 300 meters.

The nice part is that, even when using the TM9K Pro in normal mode, the Luminshield function is always available at the touch of a button. The main button, raised from the back of the flashlight, actuates the standard operating levels, while the mode button, flush with the back of the flashlight to prevent accidental activation, instantly turns the Search mode on at 6000 (slight pressure) or Luminshield at 9900 lumens (full pressure).

Selecting standard power levels is easy and intuitive. Slightly push the main button for temporary activation, and to cycle through power levels, full press to constant on: the torch will turn on at the last setting.

The flashlight can also be easily set in partial lock mode, that disables standard operation but leaves Luminshield available.

The internal 5000 mAh battery offers more than enough autonomy in standard modes. There is no indication of battery duration in Luminshield mode, both because it is considered an emergency mode, not a way to routinely operate the light, and because the Luminshield function is subject to an automated thermic protection system that turns the power down to “High” mode (still 2000 lumens!) after about 15 seconds, to prevent overheating.

A LED on the back of the flashlight shows charge level through fixed (Green, over 50%), slow blinking (Blue, under 50%) and fast blinking (Red, under 10%). The battery can easily be recharged from any USB-C source. A safety sensor will automatically switch the flashlight to 500 lumens if it gets accidentally activated near some surface. This is very wise, as 9900 lumens are a lot of light and can easily burn combustible materials in a few seconds.

The Nitecore TM9K Pro is a very practical, compact light that adds another effective option for defense/dissuasion to the security professional’s toolbox. For more information, price and availability visit the official Nitecore Store.