Ledlenser MH11: A Rechargeable Head Torch for Power Cuts

The Ledlenser MH11 is a rechargeable head torch that Ledlenser first released in 2018 and still lists as the most feature-complete model in its MH Series¹. For a household getting ready for a power cut, the point of a head torch is simple: it leaves your hands free for holding a torch on a fuse board, a candle away from curtains or a child's hand on the stairs¹.

It is not the newest torch in the maker's range, and Ledlenser says so. The MH11 is an older generation product, and the maker points buyers who want the current generation towards the HF8R Signature or H21R¹. What the MH11 still offers within the MH Series format is Bluetooth control and Optisense, the automatic brightness adjustment, and it is the only MH Series model with Bluetooth capability¹.

This page sets out what the torch does in an emergency, what its modes and runtimes are, how to charge and store the 18650 cell safely, and how to keep it ready between emergencies. It does not give a price, and it does not set the torch against other models as a contest.

An older model in the MH Series

The MH11 sits in Ledlenser's MH Series, a family of rechargeable outdoor head torches. The maker describes the MH11 as an older generation product first released in 2018, and adds that despite its age it remains the most feature-complete model in the MH Series¹. That is a fair summary of where it stands: not current, but not stripped down either.

What that means for a household is mostly about expectations. You are buying a design that has been on the market since 2018, with the accessories and spare parts the maker still lists for it, rather than the newest optics or the highest output in the range. Ledlenser's own guidance for anyone who wants the current generation is the HF8R Signature or the H21R, which it describes as offering higher output and more advanced optics¹. If Bluetooth control within the MH Series format is what you want, the MH11 is the only option the maker lists¹.

The torch is built around a 40mm head and weighs 179g with the battery fitted, in ABS and PC/ABS plastics¹. It has a stepless tilt through 120 degrees, so you can angle the beam down at a task or out ahead of you without taking it off¹. The maker lists a colour rendering index of 70 and a colour temperature of 6,000K to 7,500K, which is a cool white light¹. None of that decides whether it suits an emergency kit, but the weight and the tilt do bear on wearing it for an hour or two while you work.

The maker's item number for the model is 500996¹. If you are checking a listing or asking a retailer about spares, that is the reference to quote.

Battery: one 18650 Li-ion cell, 3.7 V and 11.84 Wh

The MH11 runs from a single 18650 lithium-ion cell. Ledlenser's bundle listing gives the battery as 1× 18650 Li-ion at 3.7 V and 11.84 Wh², while the product page for the torch itself gives the included cell as lithium-ion, 3,200mAh at 3.6V, included and replaceable¹. The two listings differ slightly in how they state the cell, so treat the maker's figures as the guide and check the label on the cell you actually have.

A replaceable cell is the single most useful thing about this torch for emergency planning. Built-in packs turn a torch into a sealed unit that is only as good as its charging port; a torch that takes a standard 18650 can be kept running with a fresh cell while the old one charges, and the cell can be replaced when it ages. The maker lists a 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery of 3,000mAh as a compatible accessory, alongside a direct USB rechargeable lithium-ion battery of 2,500mAh¹. Note that the spare the maker lists is 3,000mAh against the 3,200mAh of the cell supplied, so the runtime you get from a spare may differ from the quoted figures.

The torch charges through a magnetic cable with a USB-A plug, supplied in the box along with a carry pouch¹. For how 18650 cells compare with AA and built-in packs, and what to keep in the drawer, see torch batteries and spare batteries to keep.

Bluetooth control: what sets the MH11 apart

Bluetooth is the feature that distinguishes the MH11 from the rest of its series. Ledlenser lists remote control and personalised settings via a smartphone as its Bluetooth function, and states that it is the only MH Series model with Bluetooth capability¹. The bundle listing describes app control for custom modes and timers².

There is a wrinkle worth knowing before you rely on it. Ledlenser states that the MH11 uses its own Bluetooth control system via a smartphone app that predates the current Ledlenser Connect App, which the maker describes as more developed, actively maintained, and offering light profile programming, simultaneous multi-device control and firmware updates¹. In other words, the app side of this torch is the older system, not the one the maker is currently developing. If app control matters to you, that is a reason to look at the current generation; if it does not, it is a reason not to worry about it.

For a household preparing for emergencies, the honest position is that Bluetooth is a convenience, not a capability you need in a power cut. The torch has its own controls for its light modes, and Optisense adjusts output automatically to the surrounding light, increasing brightness in darker conditions and reducing it when ambient light rises¹. That automatic behaviour is arguably more useful in an emergency than a phone app: it means the torch looks after its own output as you move from a lit hallway into a dark loft, without you stopping to press anything.

Using the MH11 in a power cut

The MH11's modes are quoted by the maker with a brightness, a beam distance and a runtime for each. They matter because they tell you how to make the battery last when you do not know how long the power will be off.

The pattern is the one that matters in an emergency: the brightest setting is for a short burst, and the dimmest setting is the one that keeps going. Ledlenser quotes boost at 1,000 lumens and a 320 metre beam for a short burst only¹, and low power at 10 lumens and a 30 metre beam for 100 hours¹. If the power goes off in the evening and you do not know when it will return, drop to low power for moving around the house and save the brighter modes for the moments you need them, such as checking a consumer unit or finding the stopcock. For the general principle, see lumens, beam distance and run time explained and how long a torch battery lasts on low.

The torch also has blink, SOS and strobe modes, and red, green and blue colour modes¹. The maker gives the colour uses as red for night vision, green for wildlife observation and fishing, and blue for liquid and surface detection¹. In a household emergency the red mode is the one with a practical use: it preserves your night vision and is less disruptive if you need light in a room where someone is sleeping. For more on that, see what red light mode is for and how to use SOS and strobe modes.

A head torch is not the only light a household needs, and it is not the best light for every job. It is the one that leaves your hands free, which is why it belongs alongside a lantern for lighting a room and a hand torch for checking outside. See torch or head torch for a power cut and head torches for power cuts and jobs in the dark for how to divide the work between them.

Charging and storing the 18650 battery safely

Lithium-ion cells store a lot of energy in a small space, and the maker's own instructions for its product are the ones to follow. Charge the MH11 with the magnetic charging cable supplied, plugged into a USB-A source¹. Do not leave a charging cell where you cannot see or smell it, and do not charge a cell that is damaged, swollen or wet.

For a household, the practical routine is short. Charge the torch fully before winter and check it at the same time as the other emergency lighting, so that a power cut does not find you with a flat cell. Store the torch and any spare cell somewhere you can reach in the dark without a light, and somewhere cool and dry rather than in a hot cupboard or a damp shed. The maker supplies a carry pouch with the torch, which keeps the head and lens protected between uses¹.

If you keep a spare cell, keep it in its own case or in the pouch rather than loose in a drawer with other odds and ends. The general guidance on charging and storing rechargeable lights, including what to do with a cell that has been sitting unused, is in charging and storing rechargeable torches safely and can the wrong USB charger damage a torch battery. For the wider question of how a rechargeable torch fits a household's lighting plan, see rechargeable or battery torches for emergencies.

Support and spare batteries

Ledlenser lists a 7 year warranty with registration for the MH11¹. Register the torch when you get it, keep the receipt, and note the item number, 500996, so that a support query can be answered quickly¹.

The maker lists a set of compatible accessories for the torch, which is where to look for spares rather than guessing at a cell¹:

• 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery, 3,000mAh (item 501001)
• Li-ion direct USB rechargeable battery, 2,500mAh (item 502595)
• Powerbank Flex3 (item 502126) and Powerbank Flex7 (item 502125)
• Universal Mounting Bracket Type D (item 502052)
• USB Car Charger (item 0380) and USB Adapter 2.4A (item 502271)
• Helmet Band Fixing Clip Type A (item 502313)

The power banks are worth a thought for a household plan, because a power cut is also a phone-charging problem. A power bank lets you top up the torch or a phone from the same reserve. For how that fits a wider plan, see backup power at home and staying informed and in touch in an emergency.

The MH11 is one of a number of Ledlenser lights that suit a household, and the maker's range is set out on the Ledlenser brand page. If you are building a lighting plan rather than choosing a single torch, start with emergency lighting at home and the power cut checklist, and check your lights before winter with the winter lighting checks.