As of recently, it seems that this is the season of the flashlight companies to release their biggest and baddest flashlights. With Nitecore unveiling its TM26 Quad Ray and MH40, JETBeam releasing the DDR30, and Blackshadow (the underdog that is rising quickly in the ranks) producing the Terminator, it was only natural for the boys and girls of Fenix to show of their new powerhouse: the TK75.
Hosting three CREE XM-L U2 LED’s in the deep reflector, this light can push up to 2600 ANSI lumens. Using the deep reflector for the three XM-L’s allows the beam of the light to be more concentrated than others, which helps boost the throw distance of the light, while maintaining a fantastic flood beam as well.
The interface of the TK75 is perfectly tuned for any flashlight user with the two button layout on the side of the light. The first button is used to turn the light on and off, while the second button allows the user to quickly access the other modes on the light, leaving out the annoyance of twisting the head, or trying to access secret features from a one button switch.
One thing that definitely gives this light a competitive advantage over the other lights is the optional battery extender. Attaching the extender to the light will not only give the user a good defense mechanism (kidding), but will also increase the run time, which is incredibly helpful for long periods of use.
Niteye’s TF25 has really impressed us with its unique features and strong design points, which is why it stands out compared to other flashlights in its category.
At first glance, people can notice that the TF25 has been designed with the intention to perform better than the competition by adding an over-sized smooth reflector in the head of the flashlight, that when it is combined with the CREE XM-L LED, it has a fantastic amount of throw, and an impressive amount of spill. The modes on the light can be accessed through Niteye’s infamous ramping ring, that includes a range from 2 to 500 lumens, and a very useful strobe feature.
The lights structure is very sound as well, being constructed out of aerospace aluminum and having an IPX-8 waterproof rating ensure that this tactical flashlight can hold up to some of the toughest conditions, and will minimize any chance of surprise.
Admired for being able to make a compact light produce an incredibly high amount of lumens, Zebralight’s SC600 and SC600W’s 750 lumen output from a flashlight no longer than 4.2 inches. From the succession of the SC600 series, Zebralight released two high-powered headlights (the H600 and H600W) as a choice for those that want a light with bright output, yet allow hands-free use. Powered by the CREE XM-L LED, the H600 series boasts the same output as the handheld light version, yet maintains a smaller and lighter profile, making it incredibly comfortable to rest on the head (sometimes it feels like the light is not even there). A standard for all of the Zebralight headlight products, the H600 series includes an elastic headband that is comfortable enough to wear on your head, yet strong enough to hold on in bumpy situations. It also includes a pair of light holsters – black and glow in the dark – that keep the light snug and prevent any chance of twisting or falling out of place. Keep in mind that the H600 series can only use a lithium-ion 18650 battery, and cannot use any CR123 format battery.
A first from Fenix, the PD32 is the first dual switch light from Fenix that is not a tactical light or a large light. This EDC size flashlight uses tw0 CR123 batteries or a single 18650 battery to produce 315 lumens. A great choice for the outdoorsman, the PD32 is designed with an anti-roll body, and provides enough grip to prevent the light from slipping out of the user’s hand during wet conditions (the light is also IPX-8, which states that the light is waterproof up to 2 meters deep). The light has four different modes that can be easily accessed by the secondary switch located on the side of the light, which also has a hidden strobe and SOS function.
The new JETBeam RRT-3 is a true monster of a light. Instead of the single SST-50 that the old version used, this new version uses triple CREE XM-L LEDs to pump out a blistering 1950 lumens. The ideal power source for the RRT-3 is three 18650 rechargeable lithium batteries. The 18650 cell will offer the highest output and the longest run time when compared with the CR123 primaries that most lights use. Operation of the RRT-3 is made simple with the use of a rotary switch paired with a tail cap clicky. The clicky turns the light on, and the rotary ring adjusts the output – it’s really that easy. Check the video below out to get a feel for just how insane this light really is.
When you need to turn night into day, the choices don’t get much better than the RRT-3.
The Klarus XT20 is a tactical light with mega output. The XT20 differs from a lot of tac lights in that it has two whole heads built into the same bezel. Having two heads means that it has two different LEDs set into two different reflectors. This set up allows the XT20 to have ridiculous output with a very unique beam pattern. The hot spot is wider than most, while still being extremely intense. The XT20 uses two CREE XM-L LEDs to pump out 1200 lumens of light on high. Having that much output makes this torch perfect for search and rescue, or just as a general duty light. The XT20 also features Klarus’s dual switch system which has become very popular due to its ease of use.
With its phallic shape and crazy output, this is one powerful light!
When someone asks for an affordable, high output light the JETBeam BC40 is the one that I mention almost every time. The performance is amazing at its very modest price, which is well under 100 dollars.
Using a CREE XM-L and 4 CR123 batteries the BC40 can spit out 830 lumens on the max brightness setting. Performance like that is mostly only seen in high dollar lights which are 4 to 5 times the cost of the BC40. The version in the video uses a warm tint LED which will represent colors with higher fidelity. The warmer tint means that greens and browns will still be green and brown, without having a blue tint cast over them.
With output that high and a price that low, there is a reason the BC40 is one of our most popular lights. If you’re in the market for a mega torch that won’t break the bank, then look no further than the BC40. Seriously, it’s that good.
The M20-X and M21-X are essentially two of Olight’s most popular lights, with an upgrade to the new CREE XM-L LED.
The M20 and M21 have proven themselves to be amazing lights. The new upgraded LED makes an already great light even better. The XM-L LED allows both lights to have more output while also being more efficient. Not only will both lights be brighter than the previous versions, they will also run longer. The user interface is essentially the same as the previous versions but there have been improvements. Both lights still use the dual button system which has become widely popular in this class of lights.
The M20 and M21 are the epitome of the tactical light. Both will work well as a duty light, weapon light, or just an every day companion.
The RRT-21 is JETBeam’s new super pocket light. Most of JETBeam’s lights are very bright for their size, but the RRT-21 is on another level.
Using a CREE XM-L LED and two CR123 lithium batteries, the RRT-21 spits out 460 lumens on high. That is enough power to do pretty much anything that you would need this light to do. Since the XM-L LED is larger than the previous XP-G LED, the hot spot will be a little bigger on this version of the RRT-21. The wider hot spot and higher output of the RRT-21 makes for a larger over all volume of light. This increase in volume allows the RRT-21 to light up a larger area at once than previous versions with the smaller LED. Having more of a floody beam is very useful in EDC tasks since you don’t get the tunnel vision effect that comes along with a lot of other lights.
JETBeam puts out some of the highest quality and most unique lights available today. The XM-L LED combined with JETBeam’s rotary system makes the RRT-21 an instant favorite.
Spark is a new comer in the world of high end flashlights, but they are bursting onto the scene with some really great offerings. The SL6-740NW and the SL6-800CW are two very high output torches at a super affordable price. This kind of performance in this price range isn’t seen too often.
The 740NW and the 800CW both use a CREE XM-L LED, and both can be powered by either 2 CR123′s or a single 18650 lithium battery. Both torches also use the same dual button interface which is unique to the Spark line up. The 740NW has a high CRI LED which represents colors with higher fidelity than normal cool white LED’s, but it does result in somewhat decreased output. The 740NW tops out at 740 lumens, and the cool white 800CW tops out at 800 lumens. When you are using lights this bright, the 40 lumen disparity doesn’t make much of a difference in use. Needless to say, both of these are more than bright enough for any task that you can throw at them.
The video below illustrates the difference between the two lights and also shows how the dual button system functions. Words are good, but video is always better!
