Surefire flashlights are as American as apple pie and baseball, and is most likely a household name for any flashlight enthusiast. Recently, Surefire has decided to expand its market of flashlights into the realm of headlights, with their brand new Maximus headlight.
Using an internal rechargeable battery, the Surefire Maximus can produce up to 500 ANSI lumens from it’s high-power LED, the Maximus headlight is designed to handle extreme conditions, and the ramping function interface to control a custom lumen output combines ruggedness with luxury for a fine quality light. The Maximus has been designed to rotate up and down to 90 degrees, allowing the light to be directed in any specific way as necessary by the user of the light itself.
While performance is important to the user of the flashlight, comfort can also be a big issue, and having a sweat-filled headband can ruin the appeal of any headlight user quickly. By using the Breathe-O-Prene forehead pad, the Maximus is placed comfortably on the user’s head, and actually wicks away moisture from the pad, which will keep the forehead virtually dry and will keep the pad from smelling.
For a rechargeable headlight produced by the biggest name in the flashlight world, the Surefire Maximus sets the standard for all high quality headlamps.
Known for making the toughest and most reliable flashlights in the world, Surefire could very well be considered a household name for those in the flashlight world. With their most recent release, the Surefire P2X Fury meets the standards of its predecessors, but is the first of its kind from the manufacturer to produce 500 lumens from a compact light. About the same size as the G2X and 6PX, the Fury comes with a micro-grooved orange peel reflector, giving the beam a great amount of throw while introducing a fair amount of flood for illuminating larger areas. The light comes with two modes: a 15 lumen low output comes on first to give the user a great light for any night searching that will not damage nightvision, and a 500 lumen high mode for those that need to light targets from far away. As per all Surefire lights, the Fury uses two CR123 primaries to power the flashlight.
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!
Surefire is known for making some of the best flashlights available, period. The new M3LT is no exception.
The M3LT tops out at a blistering 800 lumens on the max brightness setting which is twice brightness of the old M3LT. Surefire’s TIR lens focuses all of that light into a nice big hot spot. The beam quality on this light is just incredible thanks to the total internal reflection lens. If you’re looking for a light with a lot of spill then the M3LT probably isn’t for you. If you want a light that is crazy bright even way past 100 yards, look no further.
Surefire lights are 100% made in the USA using the best materials and highest quality components available. That sentence alone is enough to make me want it!
The world of high end, high output flashlights can be sort of overwhelming. There are a ton of options which can make it very difficult to choose the right light for you when the time comes. To remedy this problem we do a flashlight comparison series using all of the biggest and brightest tactical flashlights available at that time. Not only do these videos give you a good idea of how well each light performs, it also provides a nice side by side comparison of each beam. There are 3 targets set up at 100, 200, and 300 yards to give you an idea of how far each beam travels. These comparison videos are a great way to get a feel for how all of the technical jargon translates into real world use. Clear your schedule and check out the vids, there are a lot of them!
The Surefire M3LT-S is one of Surefire’s brightest lights, and definitely one of the best throwers out right now.
The video below features the 400 lumen version, but we no longer sell that particular light. The newer version that we do stock is rated at 800 lumens, so it is twice as bright as its predecessor. The “S” on the end of the name lets you know that this version has the strobe feature. The M3LT utilizes Surefire’s TIR (total internal reflection) lens giving it a very high quality and concentrated beam. The TIR reflector allows the beam to stay focused enough to be usable at 100 yards and beyond. The M3LT is powered by 3 CR123 primary batteries, allowing you almost 2 hours of run time on max brightness.
While it isn’t something you’d want in your pocket all day, the M3LT is definitely a useful light. If you’re out and about during the night very often you’d be glad to have this flashlight with you; darkness fears the M3LT!
The Surefire G2X Pro and G2X Tactical are virtually the same as the 6PX series. The only difference between the two is the body. The G2X series has a plastic body referred to as Nitrolon, while the 6PX models have an aluminum body. Price is also adjusted accordingly, making the G2X models a bit cheaper than the aluminum.
Max brightness and mode of operation is the same between the two series. The pro model has two brightnesses, while the tactical has only one. Both models still utilize 2 CR123 primary batteries. These are perfect for use as weapon lights, or even a defensive tool. The tightly focused beam makes it easy to light up the desired spot, directing all 200 lumens into one small area.
The choice between the Nitrolon and aluminum models may be tough, but take solace in the fact that whichever light you choose is going to be great.
Surefire has been doing flashlights the right way for years and years. The two models shown in the video below are no exception. The 6PX Pro and 6PX Tactical are both extremely bright and compact flashlights.
Both lights run on two CR123 batteries and put out a whopping 200 lumens on high. The main difference between the two is the mode of operation. The tactical version only has one output mode, which is 200 lumens. The pro model has two output modes; 15 lumens on low and 200 on high. Furthermore, the tactical version’s tail button only operates as momentary activation. To make the flashlight operate as constant on, you must tighten the tail cap. The tail button on the pro version allows you to cycle between the two brightness modes, and also choose between momentary and constant activation.
Considering the exceptional build quality and amazing output, you really can’t go wrong with either of these lights.
As we saw with Olight and 4Sevens, the SHOT Show in Las Vegas is a great time to see what new gadgets are on the horizon. A rep from Surefire was nice enough to talk with us at SHOT 2011 about some Surefire lights that are on the way as well as some prototypes that we will hopefully see in some form eventually.
Surefire is getting into more lights with rotary rings, more rechargeable units, and a heavy push into high output LED lights. They only have a couple of high output LEDs currently, so expansions to that line are welcome. Surefire lights have been kind of low tech compared to what is coming out of Asia, but this new stuff looks like it can hold its own on the technology front while also having Surefire’s legendary quality and durability. Combine that with the fact that all of their products are made in the US and feature a lifetime warranty and you have a great product. I can’t wait to see what they have next year.
The Surefire AZ2 Combatlight is my new favorite light from Surefire. Similar to the A2L Aviator, the AZ2 has a main bright LED surrounded by four secondary LEDs. The secondary LEDs are not nearly as bright as the main one, but they have a really nice floody light that lights up a wide area in front of you. The main LED is more focused and is good for distances.
When you first press the switch, the secondary LEDs are activated. A full press turns the main LED on as well, so you have a great combination of an up close and distance light. The AZ2 has the best combination of the two that I have seen in any light from Surefire or any other company. As with most Surefire lights, this model is powered by two CR123 batteries that are included with the light.
Yes, I know the light is pricey, but a flashlight is so essential to me that if I have the funds, the AZ2 is an easy choice.
