Never bring a Maglite to a real flashlight fight
If you think the $25 flashlight you bought at Ace hardware is badass, think again. Today’s best flashlights are engineering tours de force, and even Moore’s Law has improved their performance with semiconductor advances.
There are three primary types of flashlights—incandescent, LED, and HID (high-intensity discharge). In our search for the ultimate flashlight, we eliminated incandescent as an option for this particular review round-up. Incandescents deliver value in the form of warm color temperatures in the 2,700-3,000 Kelvin range, but there’s just something wrong about a technology that hasn’t changed much in 200 years. So, we opted to look at two lights that use LEDs and a third that uses an HID bulb. All three designs are superior to any incandescent light in terms of output, features, and run time.
None of the high-performance models we tested run on typical AA or D batteries. Instead, one uses lithium polymer as a battery source and the other two use disposable lithium cells. In weighing our verdicts, we considered each flashlight’s construction, the quality and color temperature of its beam, and its usability. Price was not a significant factor, but we did consider it. For more info on flashlight tech, read our primer.
Surefire M3LT CombatLight
Surefire’s M3LT CombatLight isn’t a flashlight, it’s a CombatLight. And that’s not some clever marketing schtick, either. The company’s lights have long been standard equipment among Special Forces around the world. A Surefire is by definition bomb-proof.
The M3LT certainly lives up to the company’s name. Surefire won’t disclose who makes the quad-die LED it uses, but it’s likely Cree’s popular MC-E. Light is generated by the powerful multi-die LED, and then focused with a total internal reflector (TIR) and a Fresnel lens to throw a beam as far as possible. Push the tail cap partially in, and you’ll get 70 lumens for up to 8.5 hours from the M3LT’s three lithium cells. Push it farther, and you’ll get 400 lumens for 1.7 hours. A combat grip enables you to use the light while holding a firearm.
We found the color temperature of the M3LT to be fairly warm, and the TIR and Fresnel help eliminate artifacts commonly seen from multi-die LED emitters. In terms of range and output, the M3LT is on par with other quad-die emitters we’ve tested. The TIR, however, limits the light to a centralized hot spot with very little usable spill. Other negatives include the lack of a rechargeable option, a slight front-heavy feeling, and pricing that seems designed for defense-department wallets. Still, if you want a light that meets the requirements of the U.S. Navy SEALS, the M3LT is well worth it.
Bomb-proof construction. Great throw range. Adaptable for use with a handgun.
Stiff price. Slightly front-heavy. Not rechargeable.
Microfire Warrior III K3500R
Have you ever been blinded by an oncoming car equipped with high-intensity discharge headlights? Think of that same dazzling light coming from a handheld flashlight that’s just slightly bigger than a conventional model powered by a couple of D cells. With a 3,500-lumen bulb, the Warrior III is literally a miniature search light.
All that power requires a hefty 3,000 mAh lithium-polymer rechargeable battery, and you’ll drain it dry in less than an hour. HID flashlights put LED models to shame in terms of candle power, but they have limitations, with slow startup being the most noticeable. From dead cold, the Warrior III takes about 25 seconds to reach full brightness. Yes, you get light the instant you press the tail switch, but it ramps slowly. The light’s color temperature—7,000 Kelvin—is also a bit on the cold side.
The Warrior III is compact, but very heavy, tipping the scales at 28 ounces. And the absence of any knurling could contribute to a broken HID lamp should you drop it. Cha-ching! A replacement HID will set you back a cool $100. Unlike LED models, which offer low-power settings for extended battery life, an HID delivers full power or nothing. Still, measured in terms of output-per-buck, the Warrior III is hard to beat.
A veritable light Howitzer in your hand. Insanely bright.
Needs knurling. Expensive. Slow ramp-up. Only “splash proof,” not waterproof.
4Sevens Maelstrom G5
If you’re still getting over the sticker shock of Surefire’s superb but pricey M3LT, 4Seven’s Maelstrom G5 will make you feel better. Available for $150, the Maelstrom G5 is an incredibly versatile light with tons of modes and, of course, crap-loads of light pouring out the front.
The G5 uses a Cree XP-G LED and can push out 350 lumens at its maximum setting for just over 1.3 hours. A twist of its head switches the G5 between various output modes, including strobe and SOS. Twisting the head four times quickly enables a second set of modes. We found this to be confusing at first, and while we eventually grew accustomed to it, we didn’t like having to switch modes to reach maximum output. That said, the ability to run on size 18650 rechargeable Li-Ion cells is a major benefit.
The Maelstrom G5 features a front crenellated strike bezel, and a removable grip ring for use with a firearm. The light’s maximum output is quite impressive considering 4Sevens’s LED choice: XP-G LEDs have a reputation for flood-beam output, but the G5’s beam is all about throw with a good amount of usable light spilling out the side as well. We compared the G5 with a 200-lumen Surefire LX2, and found the G5 to be superior in this regard.
Beyond the clunky mode-switching, the only other shortcoming is the G5’s unaggressive knurling. But those are minor complaints about a really great light.
Great throw and usable spill. Fairly compact. Runs on rechargeable batteries.
Clunky mode-changing method.
