Convoy/EDC

Convoy S2+

Name: Convoy S2+
Brand: Convoy
Price: 15 USD
Availability: InStock

The legendary budget flashlight. Simon's Convoy S2+ has been an enthusiast staple for years — infinitely customisable with dozens of emitter options and dirt cheap.

Beam profile

Balanced, about 22° wide. A usable hotspot with enough spill to see around it.

Estimated from 1,000 lm ÷ 8,500 cd — how this works

$15

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Specifications

Output: 1000lm
Peak intensity: 8500cd
Beam distance: 184m
Emitter: SST-20 4000K
Colour rendering: 95 CRI
Beam type: Balanced
Cell: 18650
Runtime: 2 hrs (high)
Modes: 4 Stepped
Interface: Biscotti
Water/dust: IPX8
Dimensions: 4.7 x 1.0 in
Weight: 2.0 oz
Warranty: 1 Year

Manufacturer figures, measured to ANSI FL1 where the brand states it.

Features

High CRI (90+)Pocket Clip Waterproof (IP67+)

What owners report

Convoy S2+/5 sources reviewed

The S2+ is less a product than a platform. Simon Mao has sold it for over a decade in an enormous matrix of emitters, tints, drivers and body colours, and the enthusiast consensus is that nothing else comes close at $15 to $20 — reviewers put its failure rate in the same bracket as Nitecore and Fenix while costing a fraction as much.

Owners buy it for the choice. You pick the emitter — an SST-20 for high CRI, a 519A for tint, an XPL-HI for throw — and get a light configured the way you want rather than the way a marketing department decided. The compromises are real but predictable: there is no onboard charging, so you need a separate 18650 charger; the waterproofing is closer to splash resistance than the IP rating suggests; and buying from a Chinese storefront means warranty support depends on messaging the seller rather than a returns portal. Owners consistently report Simon himself is responsive, which is most of why the brand has the reputation it does.

Consistently praised

Enormous emitter and tint selection — you configure the light rather than accept a default
$15 to $20 buys build quality reviewers rate alongside brands charging five times more
Simple, reliable driver options with no firmware to go wrong
A decade of production means accessories, hosts and modding parts are everywhere
Simon Mao's customer service is repeatedly singled out as excellent
Survives real abuse — owners report drops and dunkings without failure

Common complaints

No onboard charging: you need a separate 18650 charger and a cell
Water resistance is debatable in practice — treat it as splash-resistant, not submersible
Warranty means negotiating with an overseas seller, not a returns process
Shipping from China is slow, and the choice of variants is genuinely bewildering for a first-time buyer
The stock clip and switch are adequate rather than good

Questions people ask

Which emitter should I choose?: For general use, the SST-20 4000K gives high CRI and a neutral tint that most people prefer. The Nichia 519A is the tint enthusiast's pick and is rosier. Choose an XPL-HI if you want more throw and don't care about colour rendering.
Where do you actually buy one?: Convoy's own AliExpress storefront is the canonical source and where the full variant matrix lives. Amazon carries reseller listings, usually at a markup and with a much narrower choice of emitters.
Is it waterproof?: Treat it as rain-resistant. Owners report S2+s surviving accidental drops into water, but the sealing isn't in the same class as a properly gasketed IPX8 light and it shouldn't be relied on for submersion.
What's the difference between the S2+ and the newer Convoy models?: The S2+ is the classic 18650 tube. Newer models like the S21 series use 21700 cells for more capacity and output, and some add USB-C charging. The S2+ stays in the line-up because it's smaller, cheaper and endlessly configurable.

Sources (5)