Nextorch manufactures quality rechargeable flashlights suitable for duty, everyday carry, and other occupational needs. We reviewed the TA22 after carrying it for a while and were impressed by the light.
The Nextorch TA22 is part of their tactical line of flashlights. Similar to other tactical lamps—such as the TA30C and TA30C Max—the TA22 has a rotating switch hugging the end closest to the momentary tail switch. Also like other “TA” lamps, the momentary tail switch is made of metal, something other tactical and everyday carry lights don’t have.
About Nextorch
We’ve run tests on several Nextorch lights over the years and have continued to maintain a relationship with the folks over there. The TA30C is our favorite everyday carry light for travel. The TA30C Max is a behemoth that is suitable for those outdoor “ing” activities but would be just as at home if utilized as a search and rescue lamp or one for law enforcement use. We most recently reviewed the K30 penlight and found it to be fairly useful.
Rechargeable capabilities of the Nextorch lights come from the batteries they provide. All of the Nextorch lamps we’ve run through testing and evaluation can only be charged by removing the batteries and then plugging them into a USB-C cable. There’s a small LED indicator light on the batteries that will let you know when they’re fully charged.
In addition to a multitude of flashlights, Nextorch has multitools, batons, and accessories for all of their offerings.
A little about the TA22
The TA22 is constructed of aircraft aluminum. The body is a bit knurled which allows for users to get a good purchase on it. The knurling is similar to other tactical lights in the line. The finish seems to be the same as other TAs as well as the K30. That finish is probably a weak point in the Nextorch line of products—it will wear somewhat easily depending on use. The lamp is outfitted with a sturdy steel clip, perfect for carrying in a pants, jacket, or even shirt pocket. The TA22 is IPX8 submersible up to two meters.
Size
The TA22 is a penlight, so it’s slim and light weight. The dimensions are that of two AAA-sized lights.
The lamp is about 5 and 7/16ths inches, or 149mm in length.
The battery
As mentioned, the TA22 comes with a Nextorch rechargeable battery. The battery is a USB-C rechargeable 10880 Li-ion.
Power switches
The TA22 and other tactical lights by Nextorch have two switches. One rotary magnetic switch and one metal tail switch. The rotary magnetic switch has three different settings: lock, tactical, and duty.
The lock setting is great and will not allow the lamp to turn on at all. This is great to ensure you don’t accidentally light your pants on fire if you’ve got the button pushed in!
When in tactical mode, a partial press turns the light on to full brightness. A full press puts the light on in strobe mode.
The duty setting allows for a partial press to have momentary on. A full press will turn the light on constant at high. Half presses when on will allow users to cycle through the low and medium brightness settings.
Brightness
The TA22 is probably the brightest penlight I’ve ever seen or used. It has a maximum of 850 lumens. That’s almost as bright as early 18650 series lights.
The levels are as follows:
- High at 850 lumen
- Medium at 150 lumen
- Low at 15 lumen
Our experiences with the TA22
For years I carried a Streamlight Stylus Pro penlight as an everyday carry. I eventually swapped over to the Stylus Pro USB, a rechargeable version. The TA22 absolutely crushes both of those lights—and mind you, we’re big Streamlight fans. There’s no competing with the 850 lumen that the TA22 delivers.
The good
Overall, we loved this lamp though. It’s perfectly suitable for everyday use but also it’s bright enough for those duty moments.
Manipulating the rotary switch wasn’t as much of a pain as I thought it was going to be. Much like the other TA lamps, it’s just something to get used to. But once you’re acclimated with running the lamp, it becomes second nature.
I love that there is a setting that locks the light. My worries with my TA30C and TA30C Max lights is that they’ll turn on if tossed into a bag. To remedy that, I just loosen the endcap so that the battery is not making contact. That’s not useful if the light is in service. The TA22 having this as a feature saves you from having to worry about it not being ready when you need it.
The tactical full bright or strobe settings are great if you’re looking to use the light as a self-defense option. The lamp is plenty bright to distract someone to allow you to gain distance if needed.
The ugly
I carried the TA22 for several months and I have really only three complaints.
One of the complaints is easy to remedy and it’s that the lanyard loop gets caught on things if I’m not paying attention. That’s easy enough to remove and have.
Another complaint is that the battery does run down quickly. So expect to recharge the TA22 more often than some of the other rechargeable penlights on the market.
And lastly, as mentioned above, the finish on the light is not super robust. I’ve found that the finish on Nextorch lights will wear off in due time if the item is rubbing against other items in the pocket. In my case, I carry a pocket knife and tactical pen in the same pocket as the flashlight. Banging around either of those items causes premature wear.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Super bright. USB-C rechargeable. Easy to manipulate. Can lock the lamp off. Affordable.
Minuses: Battery will run down quickly. Finish not overly robust.
The Nextorch TA22 is likely going to bounce all my other penlights out rotation for use. There’s not much the competition can really do to the TA22. Someone is going to have to deliver a plus 1000 lumen light that lasts longer than the TA22 to really impress me at this juncture. Would I buy this light? Yes. I also would recommend it to someone who’s in the market for such a lamp. Perfect for EDC as well as a primary or secondary light on camping, hiking, and other trips. Wouldn’t be a stranger in a toolbox either!
If you use the code THESQUAREREVIEWS at checkout, you’ll receive 10% off your order and we’ll get a commission! If you prefer, this product is also offered on Amazon.
Be sure to check out the rundown Jordan from Nextorch gave us at SHOT Show® 2025 on the latest and greatest products from Nextorch HERE or in the embed below.
