A Perfect Small Flashlight You Can Customize: Fenix PD35R ACE Review

Far from the light of a city, I was double fisting flashlights on a dark mountain road. In one hand, the Fenix PD36R Pro, arguably the best flashlight on the market for a few years now. In the other, the Fenix PD35R Ace, a newcomer that is absolutely going to make waves in the flashlight market.

While similar in size and performance, one particular feature set the newer light apart. As part of Fenix’s Advanced Command Edition (ACE) Series, it has a SET mode — a hidden switch tucked beneath the neck of the flashlight — that puts configuration in your hands.

Choose between three preset options so you’re in control of how you’d like to operate the flashlight. Once you lock in your preference, the light will function as you’ve dictated. You can even disable the Strobe mode if you so choose. (I love this feature!)

So I pushed all the buttons, dialed the brightness up and down, and let the Fenix PD35R Ace light up the night to find out if it’s worth the fuss.

In short: The Fenix PD35R Ace is a powerful, versatile flashlight with an excellent user interface and top-shelf performance. Very few flashlights match its combination of durability, performance, and user experience. And it allows users to customize light output modes for a truly unique and utilitarian flashlight that sits at the head of the pack. With a street price under $100, this light is a top choice.

Compare the PD35R ACE in our guide to the best flashlights.

Fenix PD35R ACE Review

If you don’t feel like reading a lot but just need a good flashlight, I’ll assure you this is one of the best I’ve tested out of literally hundreds.

For an EDC or work light, it’s darned near perfect if you like the Ace’s dual switch interface — one power button on the tail and one along the side. I also think the dual switch interface is great for most outdoor users, like hikers and campers.

In this review, I will mention the PD36R Pro a few times. This slightly more expensive flashlight has been a benchmark for Fenix for a few years and is among my all-time favorite flashlights. Those who like a clicky tail interface can get a little more power from the PD36R Pro, which has a slightly more tactical interface.

While this article isn’t a complete comparison between these two, I think most outdoor users such as hikers and campers will enjoy the interface of this new PD35R Ace more, and the slight loss of power (2,000 lumens versus 2,800 for the PD36R Pro) won’t make much difference in most circumstances.

Light Output and Quality

The PD35R ACE casts exceptional light. It has a bright center spot with significant spill to illuminate a large area. At higher output modes, the light carries a heck of a long distance. I was actually shocked using it side-by-side with the PD36R Pro, as it was a little hard to tell the difference between the brightest modes of the 35R ACE and 36R Pro.

The lowest setting of the PD35R Ace is 1 lumen. This is an interesting setting and one that many flashlight nuts love, as it gives the light an insanely long runtime (720 hours in this case).

Realistically, 1 lumen isn’t much light. But on a dark night, it is enough to navigate a trail at very low speed, find a key on a keychain in the dark, or look for items inside a tent.

Bumping up the power to the middle ranges, you can expect a very useful amount of light for normal walking speeds and proximity work. The 350-lumen medium setting is great for most uses and gives you a 7-hour, 16-minute run time.

The flashlight produces light around 6,500K, which is a bright daylight color temp. It renders color reasonably well and allows the light to put out a lot of illumination on a modest battery. The reflector does its job very well, as the light quality is smooth, even, and consistent. There are no variations in lighting.

Battery, Runtime

The PD35R Ace comes with a 4,000mAh rechargeable 18650 Li-ion battery. But Fenix also confirms it’s compatible with two CR123A lithium batteries. I only tested the 35R Ace with a single 18650 battery model.

As noted, the run time on 1 lumen is an astounding 720 hours. The flashlight is regulated, meaning its highest output settings will quickly scale back to lower outputs. The flashlight will only run on the Turbo setting for about 5 minutes before dropping to 40% output, which it will maintain for a little less than 3 hours before falling off entirely.

The best compromise for runtime and power is at 350 lumens, which it can maintain for nearly 7 hours before regulating down. Impressively, it can run at 50 lumens for 45 hours, 24 minutes. That’s enough light to realistically walk a trail at night and a heck of a lot of hours.

User Interface

The user experience might be my favorite part of the PD35R ACE. This flashlight is super-intuitive, with a clicky single tail switch for momentary on or on/off, and a side switch to control brightness selection. It is, to me, darned near a perfect method of controlling a light.

To dive deeper, the PD35R ACE also has a collar that screws up and down below the side switch. The collar, which operates extremely smoothly, keeps water and dirt out of the USB-C charging port and “SET” button when closed, and gives access to the port and “SET” button when open. It’s a good solution for charging, and results in a flashlight that has an IP68 dust and waterproof rating (it’s good down to 2 m).

The SET button changes the light between one, three, or five brightness settings. Press the button and you’ll see an indicator light next to a 1, 3, or 5 to show which mode you’re in. Keep pressing the SET button to cycle through the modes.

I think most users would be well suited with the three-mode setting (2,000, 350, and 50 lumens), but the ability to add more, or allow only “turbo” use, gives this light some adaptability that goes beyond the normal flashlight.

Finally, I’d like to address the side button option. For those who will mostly carry a flashlight at their side in a normal walking motion, the side button is the best interface. It doesn’t require you to change your grip to change the light setting.

For those who will more likely carry the light in an overhand hold (law enforcement comes to mind), a tail switch can be a better option. So for those folks, I think the PD36R Pro still reigns supreme. But for hikers, campers, dog walkers, or other more casual, less tactical applications, the PD35R ACE is awesome.

Durability

As noted, the PD35R ACE is IP68 rated. That means it’s OK to completely submerge it. It also withstands dust intrusion and has a 1m impact rating.

In the hand, the PD35R ACE feels stout and precise. It has zero flaws out of the box. The battery cap twists with a little force, but is smooth, well-lubricated, and sealed with an O-ring. Fenix provides spare O-rings in the box, along with a USB-C charging cable, lanyard, and holster.

The holster is nice enough, but nothing to write home about. I personally won’t use a holster with a light this small. The pocket clip works fine.

So for your sub-$100 investment, you should get a light that lasts a long time. And Fenix does offer an exceptional limited lifetime warranty that covers replacement or repair on most non-abusive breakdowns.

This is a well-made, durable flashlight. Treat it like one, and it should last for several years.

Fenix PD35R ACE Review: Who It’s For

The PD35R ACE is one of my favorite flashlights in years. It isn’t the brightest, doesn’t throw the farthest, and is overpowered by plenty of other lights, even from Fenix.

But for most people, especially outdoor recreationalists, it is darned near perfect. With a good runtime, powerful Turbo mode, and a fabulous user experience, the PD35R ACE is already near the top of the list. Add a bit more functionality with its extremely easy mode customization, and it’s arguably the best flashlight on the market.

Law enforcement officers or others who prefer an overhand carry and quick access to strobe and SOS modes in the overhead carry should also consider the slightly more expensive and brighter PD36R Pro. But for most people, the side switch and long runtime of the PD35R Ace should be serious considerations when purchasing a quality flashlight.

If it looks right for you, I wouldn’t hesitate for one instant.