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 Surefire UB3T Invictus is one of those lights that leaves you with a smile on your face. From the super high build quality to the blistering output, there is literally nothing else like this on the market today. Using three CR123 lithium batteries the UB3T is able to spit out 800 lumens on the max brightness setting. Thanks to Surefire’s TIR (total internal reflection) lens those 800 lumens are concentrated into a nice clean and tight beam which throws way past 100 yards. At distances 100 yards and closer the UB3T has almost too much output.
A torch like this doesn’t come around often, so I imagine this will be Surefire’s flagship for at least a few years. It’s hard to explain just how well this light performs, so luckily we included a video below for your viewing pleasure!
The Olight i2 and i3 are essentially the same light. The main difference between the two is the power source. The i2 is powered by one AA battery, and the i3 is powered by one AAA battery. Both lights have roughly the same output being only 5 lumens apart. The i2 maxes out at 75 lumens, and the i3 tops out at 70 lumens. The larger reflector of the i2 will give it more throw than its smaller counterpart, the i3. Both lights have enough power to illuminate objects at 100 feet out, which is amazing considering the size of these torches. With power like this available in keychain size there is no excuse not to carry a nice EDC light. Having bigger flashlights on you is great, but having something like the i2 or i3 on you at all times is pretty much invaluable.
I love writing about fun items, and the Fenix TK70 definitely qualifies as a fun item!
In the flashlight world almost all of the super high output lights are powered by some form of lithium battery. The TK70 bucks that trend by utilizing the ubiquitous D cell battery. Using a D battery makes the TK70 super convenient for the regular Joe that wants to play around with a light brighter than anything he’s seen previously. The D battery is much easier to find and a lot cheaper than its lithium counterpart. Thanks to the D cell, battery changes are safe, quick, and most of all inexpensive. Rechargeable NiMH batteries are definitely recommended, although regular alkaline cells will work.
The TK70 tops out at 220 lumens, so it is definitely brighter than anything else in its class. The poor Mag lite doesn’t stand a chance!
The Maelstrom S18 is one of 4Seven’s brightest lights, as well as one of the biggest.
The S18 is powered by 6 CR123 lithium batteries which push a Luminous SST-90 LED. Those 6 batteries push the SST-90 all the way up to 1200 lumens on high. The S18 uses a unique rotary system that allows the user to quickly switch between output modes just by twisting the tail cap. The light is still powered on by pressing a button on the tail cap, but switching between modes is made much easier with the use of the rotary system.
I’m sure all of the specs sound impressive, but you really can’t get a good idea of just how bright this light is without seeing it in action. Lucky for you we attached a video below for your viewing pleasure. You may want to put on some shades before pressing play!
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!
The ST6-460NW and the ST6-500CW are two of Spark’s highest output headlamps. Just like their other series of headlamps, these two are almost identical in every way except for output and beam color. Both lights are powered by an 18650 rechargeable lithium battery which pushes a CREE XM-L LED. The large XM-L LED gives these two lights more flood than most of Spark’s other headlamps. Both have the same internals and function in the exact same way. The 460NW tops out at 460 lumens and sports a high CRI LED which will represent colors with higher fidelity. The neutral white tint of the 460NW does come at the cost of a little output, although the difference is minimal in use. The 500CW has a cool white tint and tops out at 500 lumens making it one of the brightest headlamps available today. Either of these headlamps will provide more than enough light for just about any situation.
If you’re one of those people that needs the absolute most amount of light possible to come from your head, then these headlamps are perfect for you!
The Spark ST6-280OW and ST6-360CW don’t differ all that much from Spark’s other headlamps in operation or functionality. The difference in these two lights is the power source and max output.
The 280OW and 360CW are both powered by an 18650 rechargeable lithium battery which provides a higher max output and longer run times while having virtually the same internals. Both lights still use the CREE XP-G LED and the same user interface as all of the other Spark headlamps. The 280OW has a high CRI LED which provides higher color fidelity than the cool white version, but it does sacrifice some output. The 360CW (cool white) maxes out at 360 lumens while the 280OW (neutral white) maxes out at 280 lumens. Both versions come with an optional frosted lens which will change the beam from predominantly throw to flood.
Spark makes some very high quality items for a very modest price. These headlamps are becoming popular for a reason!
The SL5-190NW and the SL5-220CW are two of Spark’s newest lights. The SL5 series runs off of one AA cell making battery changes easy and inexpensive. The 190NW and 220CW both utilize the CREE XM-L LED giving these lights more spill than the other versions which use the smaller XP-G LED. Using the CREE XM-L does mean that these lights will not throw as far, but they will light up a larger area at once. The larger area of illumination is much more useful in most situations. A huge amount of throw is really only necessary for search lights and situations where long distances need to be covered. These two lights are functionally identical, but the 190NW will have a little less output than the 220CW. The 190NW uses a high CRI LED which tops out at 190 lumens, but it does represent colors more accurately than the 220CW. The 220CW tops out at 220 lumens, but since it has a cool tint it will not have the same color fidelity that the 190NW has. Either light is bright enough for just about any urban task, so the decreased output of the 190NW isn’t really a concern.
Spark initially hit the scene with only headlamps, but now they are venturing into the world of hand held flashlights. The SL5-210CW and the SL5-180OW are two of the new hand held lights that Spark is producing.
Both of these lights run off of a single AA battery which pushes a CREE XP-G LED. The 210OW has a traditional cool white beam with a max output of 210 lumens as the name implies. The 180OW sports a warmer high CRI tint which represents colors with more clarity. While the 180OW version does have higher color fidelity, it sacrifices output to some extent. The cool white version tops out at 210 lumens while the 180OW tops out at 180. The decrease is output is not as drastic as it sounds in use. Both of these torches sport two different switches, but unlike other dual switch lights both of the buttons do the same thing. The tandem dual switches gives the end user great versatility while using the light.
Spark has demonstrated excellent quality with their headlamps which translated over into the hand held lights. These are two of the nicest little pocket lights available.
