NEBO Davinci 800L: 800 Lumens, 128 m Beam and a Power Bank

The NEBO Davinci 800L is a rechargeable handheld torch that puts out 800 lumens on its highest setting and throws a beam up to 128 metres, according to the maker¹. It has four light modes, a 3x adjustable zoom that twists from a tight spot to a wide flood, and a USB-C charging port. It also works as a power bank, so it can top up a phone when the power is off¹.

For a household, that combination matters in a power cut. You get a bright light for checking the fuse box or walking a dark hallway, a low setting that runs for 20 hours, and a way to keep a phone charged for updates. It weighs 244g and measures 160mm by 38mm by 38mm, so it fits easily in a drawer or a grab bag².

This page sets out what the torch can do in each mode, how to charge it and read its indicator lights, how to use it safely, and what the maker's water and dust rating actually covers. It is a description of one product, not a comparison with others.

What the Davinci 800L is, and what it suits

The Davinci 800L is a USB-C rechargeable torch with a power bank function, built from aircraft-grade aluminium¹. NEBO lists Smart Power Control, Smart Temperature Control, a magnetic mode select dial and a direct-to-low start among its features¹. The light is a cool white, with a colour temperature of 6500 to 7500 K².

In the home it suits the jobs a power cut creates: finding the fuse box, moving between rooms, checking on a child or a pet, and lighting a table while you eat. The 800 lumen High setting is bright enough to light a room from a bounce off a ceiling, and the 100 lumen Low setting is the one you will use for hours at a time. The zoom lets you narrow the beam to look down a garden path or widen it to cover a work surface.

It is a torch, not a lantern. If you want a light that sits on a table and fills a room, a lantern does that better; our page on lanterns for lighting a room sets out the difference. If you are choosing between a handheld torch and one you wear, torch or head torch for a power cut covers the trade-offs.

Run time and beam distance in each light mode

The maker gives a figure for each mode: how bright it is, how long it runs, and how far the beam reaches¹. The table below sets them out side by side.

The pattern is the one you would expect: the brighter the setting, the shorter the run and the further the beam. On High you get 2 hours and a 128 m throw; on Low you get 20 hours and a 49 m throw³. For a power cut that lasts an evening, Low is the setting that will see you through, and Medium is a sensible middle ground for cooking or reading.

The maker also gives the beam intensity in candela for each mode: 4120 cd on High, 2100 cd on Medium, 610 cd on Low and 4120 cd on Strobe². Candela describes how concentrated the beam is rather than how much light comes out, which is why the High and Strobe figures match. If you want to understand why a torch with a high candela figure throws further than one with the same lumens but a wider beam, our page on lumens, beam distance and run time explains it.

Run times are the maker's figures for a fully charged battery. They will be shorter on a part-charged cell, and Smart Power Control is designed to manage the output as the battery drains rather than let the light fail suddenly³.

Switching modes, strobe and the direct-to-low start

The controls are simple once you know the sequence. The power button sits on the bottom of the torch¹. Press and release it to cycle through the modes in this order: off, High, Medium, Low, off¹. A double tap gives you strobe, and from off, pressing and holding takes you straight to Low¹.

That direct-to-low start is the feature worth knowing about. In a power cut you often want a little light quickly without blasting a room, and holding the button gets you there without cycling through the brighter settings. It also saves battery, because you are not running High for a few seconds each time you switch on.

Strobe is a flashing mode at 800 lumens with a 128 m beam and 2 hours of run time³. It is not a light for seeing by. Our page on how to use SOS and strobe modes covers when a flashing light helps and when it does not.

Charging the battery and reading the indicator lights

Charge the torch through its USB-C port using the included USB-A to USB-C cable¹. The maker gives an input voltage of 5V². The Black Line version lists an input current of 2,200 mAh³.

The power button doubles as a battery indicator. The maker's sequence is:

• Steady orange: battery more than 25%¹
• Pulsing orange: battery less than 25%¹
• Pulsing green: charging¹
• Steady green: fully charged¹

That gives you a clear warning before the battery runs down. If you see pulsing orange, put it on charge. For a torch kept for emergencies, the habit worth building is to check the indicator every few weeks and top it up, so it is not sitting at less than 25% when you need it. Our page on charging and storing rechargeable torches safely covers where to keep it and what to avoid.

The Davinci 800L is powered by one 2000mAh Li-ion 18650 3.7v battery². The larger Davinci 3500 uses a 4500mAh Li-ion 21700 cell instead⁴, so the two are not interchangeable. The maker's pages for the 800L do not describe a user battery swap, so treat the cell as set by the maker and charge through the port.

Using the torch as a power bank in a power cut

The Davinci 800L has a USB-A port and works as a power bank, so you can charge a phone or another USB device from its battery¹. The battery capacity is listed as 5,000 mAh².

That matters because a phone is how most households get information in a power cut. Keeping it charged lets you check your network operator's updates and call for help if you need it. Guidance for households preparing for a power cut is to keep a torch with charged batteries or a wind-up torch within easy reach, so you can check the fuse box and move around the house safely⁵. A network operator's storm advice makes the same point: store a battery or wind-up torch somewhere you can get to easily⁶.

A torch with a discharge function, acting as a power bank, is one way to keep a mobile phone charged so you can receive emergency updates or contact the emergency services⁷. The trade-off is that every bit of charge you give the phone is charge the torch cannot use for light, so decide which you need more at the time.

For a car, the Met Office's winter kit advice is to carry a large torch with spare batteries or a wind-up torch that does not need battery power⁸. A rechargeable torch is useful there, but a wind-up backup covers the case where the rechargeable one is flat. Northern Powergrid's grab bag list includes torches and spare batteries⁹.

Water and dust protection: what IPX7 covers

The maker describes the Davinci 800L as waterproof and dust resistant to IPX7, with water resistance up to 1 metre depth for 30 minutes and complete dust-tightness³. One of the maker's pages also lists it as IP67². The two ratings are close but not identical, and the maker's pages do not resolve the difference. Treat the torch as able to survive being dropped in a puddle or used in rain, not as something to take swimming.

What that means in practice:

• Rain and splashes: fine. A torch used to check an outside meter in the rain is within what the rating covers.
• A drop into shallow water: the maker's figure is up to 1 metre for 30 minutes³. Retrieve it promptly and dry it.
• Dust: the maker states complete dust-tightness³, which suits a torch kept in a shed or a garage.
• Not for diving: the rating is for temporary immersion, not for use underwater.

If you want the general explanation of what these codes mean across torches and lanterns, our page on what IPX ratings mean sets it out. The Davinci 3500 carries the same IPX7 rating, with the maker noting it is not covered for high-pressure water jets or saltwater⁴.

Size, weight and the Black Line version

The Davinci 800L weighs 244g and measures 160mm long by 38mm wide by 38mm high². The Black Line version has the same weight and dimensions³. That is a torch you can hold in one hand and slip into a coat pocket or a grab bag without noticing the weight.

The Black Line is the same torch in a black finish. NEBO lists the same 800 lumens, 3x zoom, four light modes, 5,000 mAh battery capacity and 244g weight for both³. Both come with a USB-A to USB-C charging cable and a detachable lanyard³. The Black Line is built from anodised aircraft-grade aluminium³, and the standard version from aircraft-grade aluminium².

For a grab bag, the size and weight are the point. A torch that is light enough to carry is one you will actually take with you, and the lanyard means you can hang it from a wrist or a hook rather than put it down and lose it. Our page on where to keep torches so you can find them in the dark covers the storage question.

How it compares with the Davinci 3500

NEBO makes a larger torch in the same family, the Davinci 3500. It is a different product with different figures, and the table below sets the two side by side so you can see which suits your household.

The 3500 is brighter and heavier, and it charges by Micro-USB rather than USB-C. The 800L is lighter and uses the more common USB-C connector. Neither is better in every case: the choice depends on whether you want the brightest possible light or the lightest possible torch. Both have a 3x zoom and four modes¹.

Support, warranty and where to get help

The maker's pages for the Davinci 800L do not set out a warranty period or a support process. If you have a problem with the torch, the place to start is the retailer you bought it from, and the maker's own site for its product information.

If a torch or its charger is recalled, stop using it and follow the recall notice. Our page on recalled and unsafe torches and chargers explains how to check and report. For fire safety advice at home, your local fire and rescue service offers free home fire safety visits, and our page on free home fire safety visits explains how to ask for one.

For the wider question of how to light a home when the power goes off, start with our guide to lighting your home safely when the power goes off, and for the full picture of what to have ready, our power cut checklist. The emergency lighting section covers torches, lanterns and candles together.