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A UV flashlight is not a brighter Maglite. It is a 365 nm inspection tool. The jobs are pet urine on carpet, dye in an AC line, fluorescent rocks, charging glow powder, and a hotel-bed once-over that still needs your eyes. A $12 Amazon “blacklight” that dumps purple haze on the room is the wrong tool. Buy wavelength, then a filter, then the body that matches the job.
This is a spec-based first look, not a hands-on test. Numbers below come from the manufacturer or a named listing. We skipped lights that are not on a current official page. For pocket carry in general see Best EDC Flashlights. For lumens vs candela (white light, not UV) see Lumens Explained.
Eye safety: do not stare into a 365 nm beam, and do not bounce it off a mirror, tile, or window into anyone’s face. 1Lumen’s UV guide warns that UV can inflame the cornea (photokeratitis) and that chronic exposure is linked to cataracts. Fenix’s SW05R-UV manual is blunt: UV is often invisible, so people overexpose without noticing. Wear UV-rated glasses for long sessions. This is not a tanning lamp and it is not a medical device.
365 nm vs 395 nm (this is the whole buying decision)
1Lumen’s 2026 UV roundup, after testing 28 lights, puts it in one line: UV light should be invisible to our eyes. Lights get sold as 365 nm or 395 nm. 365 nm sits deeper in UV-A and leaks less visible purple. 385–395 nm (and Streamlight’s current Stylus Pro USB UV at 400 nm) sits on the edge of violet, so the beam itself looks bright purple and washes out the glow you came for. (Sources: 1Lumen, The Best UV Flashlights tested; Streamlight, Stylus Pro USB UV.)
1Lumen’s money test: all the 385 nm-class lights made banknotes look purple without glasses. The winners were 365 nm lights with a dark UV / ZWB2 filter that blocks leftover visible light. Their table marks the Convoy S2+ as 365 nm but no factory filter; the Sofirn SF16 as 365 nm with a filter. That gap matters more than “how many LEDs.”
Cheap 395 nm still fluoresces highlighter, tonic water, and laundry brighteners. For faint urine, dye leaks, and minerals, 395 nm is the purple party flashlight. 365 nm is the inspection wavelength. We are not listing 395 nm “100 LED” bars.
What these jobs actually are
- Pet urine. Dried urine can fluoresce under 365 nm. So can detergent optical brighteners, tonic water, and a dozen household chemicals. Sofirn markets the SF16 for carpet stains; treat every glow as “clean here and look again,” not a lab result. Dark room, sweep slow.
- AC / refrigerant leaks. Streamlight sells UV penlights specifically for “detection of engine or HVAC leaks.” That only works if the system already has (or you add) a compatible fluorescent dye. The light does not invent a leak. Follow the dye maker and the equipment OEM — a 365 nm tube is the finder, not the repair.
- Hotel bed bugs. Honest version: UV is a helper, not a medical test and not how you confirm an infestation. The EPA’s how-to-find-bed-bugs page tells you to look for live bugs, dark fecal spots, rusty stains, eggs, and shed skins. Harvard Health’s inspection note is a bright flashlight, a magnifier, and a card in the seams — white light, not blacklight. Some residues may fluoresce. Carpet beetles and detergent spots also glow. If you think you have bed bugs, you still need a visual ID (or a pro), not a purple selfie.
- Minerals / fluorescent rocks. 1Lumen’s gem-stone test (septarian, ruby-in-zoisite, yooperlite-class material) is why hobbyists want 365 nm plus a filter: less visible wash, more of the actual glow. 395 nm still “works” on loud specimens and looks more dramatic on camera.
- Charging glow stuff. Phosphorescent toys, glow powder, some paints, tritium-adjacent adhesives — 365 nm charges them. Convoy lists cash, fluorescent agents, and forensic traces on the S2+ page. Fun, not a counterfeit lab.
The picks, with the catch on each
| Job | Light | Headline spec (manufacturer) | Honest weakness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated 365 nm tube | Sofirn SF16 | 365 nm, 875 mW high, 3 modes, USB-C 18650, filter lens (Sofirn; 1Lumen: filter ✅) | UV only — no white light. Not a trail flashlight. |
| Dedicated 365 nm tube | Convoy S2+ 365 nm | Nichia 276A, 1050 mA, OP reflector, one mode (Convoy) | No factory ZWB2 (1Lumen). No battery in the box. Stock on convoylight.com fluctuates. |
| Clip-on white + 365 nm | Fenix SW05R-UV | 150 lm white, 365 nm / 1,500 mW UV, 700 mAh built-in (Fenix) | Built-in cell. 150 lm is a marker, not a search beam. Small flood for close work. |
| Work-light UV channel | Wurkkos HD02 PRO | 365 nm 130 / 520 mW, plus 3,200 lm spotlight (Wurkkos) | Not a dedicated UV light. Five-source UI. Confirm you are buying the PRO. |
| Pocket EDC UV channel | Olight ArkPro | 365 nm UV 1,200~580 mW / 360 mW, 1,500 lm flood (Olight) | Built-in 2,000 mAh pack. UV is one dial position, not a filtered inspection tube. |
Dedicated 365 nm: Sofirn SF16
If the job is “I want a real 365 nm tube, USB-C, and a name 1Lumen already tested,” this is the current dedicated Sofirn. The U.S. store still lists it as of this writing at $28.99 (list $53.99). 1Lumen’s UV guide calls the SF16 highly recommended, great quality and marks it as having a UV filter. We have not had a sample on the desk.
Sofirn U.S. store: SST-08-UV 365 nm, three levels — Low 126 mW / 31 h, Medium 440 mW / 14.5 h, High 875 mW / 8 h — USB-C, 1× 18650, AL6061-T6, 122.7 mm × 25 mm, 67 g without battery, tail switch, IPX8 (store: not for diving). Sofirn’s copy says fluorescence is strongest around 360 nm and names pet-urine stains as a use. (Source: us.sofirnlight.com SF16.)
Weaknesses: there is no white LED. You still want a normal pocket light for walking the hall — start with Best EDC Flashlights. Amazon has third-party “77outdoor” SF16 listings; we are not treating those as a verified Sofirn ASIN. Buy the official store or search and read the title.
Sofirn SF16 (U.S. store). Amazon search (no verified ASIN):
Dedicated 365 nm: Convoy S2+ (Nichia 276A)
This is the enthusiast default 365 nm host: a purple or black S2+ with a Nichia 276A, listed on Convoy’s own store. Convoy’s page: 365 nm for cash, fluorescent agent, beads, forensic traces; driver 7135×3 / 1,050 mA; orange-peel reflector; one high mode; use a flat-top unprotected 18650 (protected cells are too long); battery and charger not included. (Source: convoylight.com S2+ purple UV 365 nm Nichia 276A.)
1Lumen tested this exact class and still lists it as recommended — with a caveat we will not sand off: the S2+ row is filter ⛔. Their S2 (not S2+) row is filter ✅. Visible leak is the difference between “the stain glows” and “the whole carpet is purple.” Convoy sells a ZWB2 filter separately. Customer notes on the official page already tell people to add one.
When we checked, Convoy’s add-to-cart on both the purple and black S2+ UV pages showed unavailable. The SKUs are still up. That is a stock/shipping issue, not a reason to invent an Amazon clone. Third-party Amazon listings branded “LITNIT” are not a verified Convoy ASIN.
Weaknesses: you supply the cell and, for a clean beam, the filter. One mode. Direct-from-China shipping. Do not stare into 365 nm — Convoy customers on that page already mention polycarbonate goggles.
Convoy S2+ purple UV 365 nm. Amazon search (no verified ASIN):
Clip-on white + 365 nm: Fenix SW05R-UV
If you want a name-brand clip light that is still a small white flashlight when you are done glowing the carpet, Fenix’s current UV clip is the SW05R-UV at $44.95 on Fenix Lighting (MSRP $58.00) as of this writing. Fenix Lighting: 150 lumens max, 39 m / 128 ft, three white levels plus UV, one white LED and one 365 nm UV LED, built-in 700 mAh, USB-C, 200° head, dual clip, magnetic tail, 69 × 29 × 16 mm, 55 g with battery. Fenix’s factory page adds the UV number the U.S. marketing page buries: 1,500 mW at 365 nm. (Sources: fenixlighting.com SW05R-UV; fenixlight.com SW05R-UV.)
1Lumen reviewed this clip in March 2025 (3.5 stars): white output matched the claim (~153 lm), useful as a backup/clip light, UV “does what UV lights do” at this size. Fenix’s own UV warning block is the one to read before you hang it on a brim aimed at eye height.
Weaknesses: built-in cell, period. 150 lumens is not a trail light. The UV beam is a close-range inspection flood, not a warehouse scanner. IPX6 on the factory page — rain, not a dunk. No verified Amazon ASIN on our side.
Fenix SW05R-UV (Fenix Lighting U.S.). Amazon search:
Work-light UV channel: Wurkkos HD02 PRO (not a dedicated UV light)
Already on this site: the HD02 PRO is a 5-in-1 tool light that happens to include 365 nm. Do not buy it as your only UV if you live on carpet stains. Do buy it if you already wanted the wings and the 3,200-lumen spotlight and you like having UV in the same brick. Full first look: Wurkkos HD02 PRO review.
Wurkkos / PR Newswire (Aug 5, 2026): 365 nm UV, Low 130 mW, High 520 mW, plus a Luminus SFT70.2 spotlight at 3,200 lm / 330 m / 27,175 cd, dual-axis 90 CRI wings, 660 nm red, 520 nm Class 3R green beam, removable 21700 5,000 mAh, IPX6, launch $89.99. (Sources: Wurkkos HD02 PRO; Wurkkos via PR Newswire, Aug 5, 2026.)
520 mW of 365 nm is in the same conversation as the Sofirn’s 875 mW high — enough for stains and dye if you get close. It is still a channel on a complicated UI, not a filtered inspection tube. Spec-based first look only; we have not had a sample on the desk.
Weaknesses: Amazon still mixes the older HD02 with the PRO. Five emitters is extra UI. The green beam is Class 3R — do not treat it like a toy, and do not stare into the UV either. No verified HD02 PRO ASIN.
Buy the HD02 PRO from Wurkkos (manufacturer page). Amazon search — confirm the title says HD02 PRO:
Pocket EDC UV channel: Olight ArkPro
If the light has to live in a pocket and do white flood, a 365 nm check is a bonus channel. Olight’s current ArkPro is listed on olight.com at $109.99 as of this writing. Olight’s table: UV 365 nm; High 1,200~580 mW / 5 + 300 min; Low 360 mW / 8 h; white flood turbo 1,500~520 lm; spot turbo 800~400 lm; throw 205 m / 10,640 cd; USB-C + MCC; built-in pack (series page: 2,000 mAh); 124 × 27 × 16 mm; 115 g including battery; IPX7. Laser ≤5 mW, 510–530 nm. (Source: Olight ArkPro product page.)
Olight’s own ArkPro Ultra copy lists stain detection, HVAC dye leaks, hotel linens, and fluorescing scorpions as UV jobs. Same 365 nm idea, more output on the Ultra (1,200 mW class). We are pointing at the current ArkPro listing, not swapping in an older Arkfeld. Verified Amazon ASIN for the ArkPro sold by OLIGHT USA is B0FGN9L8J5.
Weaknesses: sealed cell. UV has to share a tiny head with flood, spot, and a laser, so it will not match a filtered 18650 UV tube on contrast. The laser is a separate safety item. This is EDC first, inspection second.
Amazon (verified ASIN B0FGN9L8J5, sold by OLIGHT USA):
Manufacturer: Olight ArkPro.
What we skipped
Sofirn’s newer SR15 UV is on sofirnlight.com globally; the U.S. store 404’d when we checked, so it is not a pick yet. Convoy’s filtered S2 / S21A / S12 UV hosts exist on convoylight.com — interesting if the S2+ stays out of stock, but we did not substitute an unverified twin. No 395 nm “pet urine 100 LED” bars. No invented ASINs.
Related: Lumens Explained · Best EDC Flashlights · Wurkkos HD02 PRO review · Best Flashlights 2026 · How to Choose a Flashlight
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links are affiliate links. You pay the same.