$250 Flashlight?? Lumen & Destructive Testing SureFire, Olight & More 

The winner(s) have been added to our "Tools that don't suck" product page: www.amazon.com/shop/torquetestchannel What other class of lights would you like to see tested? Every video I learn of brands from the comments I've never even heard of before, so there's certainly plenty to introduce to the pavement! As always, Torque who started this channel is working in product development for Astro Tools who also make lights, though not flashlights. Always consider multiple sources when looking at a tool!

I just retired my old olight m18 maverick, after about 6 years of abuse. Got it used for cheap and it’s endured 40 foot drops several times as well as being dropped in volatile liquids. What finally got it was immersion in diesel fuel while turned on. And left there for several days.. It still worked after that but was emitting a very dim yellow light. Still enough to not let me down for ordinary work though for a few weeks. Best light I’ve ever owned so I just replaced it with a new olight warrior mini 2! Sticking with the brand. I love the spot and I’ve used it to blind a couple people in sketcy situations and like that it has a knurled tip to use for impact force if needed. Kubotan. Using NCR18650GA cells in it. Cheers everyone!

Turns out surefire is the snap on of flashlights

I have had an Olight baton pro for roughly 4. Been an amazing light. It’s been dropped in water, mud, snow, diesel fuel, anti freeze, and whatever else you can think. Been an amazing light.

I've carried and abused an FC11 every day for two years and I couldn't recommend it more. They're so affordable that they make AMAZING gifts.

Thank you for saying "easy on the eyeballs" i feel like EVERYONE else thinks blue is brighter, and better in everyway. But its not. it gives headaches and creates deep shadows and washes out colors where you are trying to look. So in my opinion warm light or 3000-4000k is best for pretty much everything

Way to hold manufacturers to the numbers 💪🏻 Thank you for bringing attention to threads on flashlights! The quality has been getting worse on a lot of flashlights.

I use to carry the Surefire Fury for work on my duty belt on night shift. I carried it for about a year and loved it, until the sensor started “freaking out” on my and would cause the light to malfunction just like your results. I love the light, Surefire ended up sending me a brand new one but I ended up buying a Modlite for my daily carry at work and I love it!

I'm a mechanic and I use Olight S30R all the time having it strapped to my hat with its clip just lighting up everything that I'm facing and most of the day it it stays on the second (not counting the super dim mode) mode, it is without a question my favourite tool EVER 'cause if you can't see what you're working on then hardly any other tool will be of any help, it was expensive but in my opinion it is worth every single penny of its asking price, seriously I love this thing I've been using it since five years at work and home and it has a hard life being turned on for many hours every single workday and then some at home and it fell from my head many many times onto hard tiled workshop floor and other than the clip breaking (which you can buy new online for like 3$) it never broke, the glass didn't even break (although it's fairly pitted from grinding stuff and welding and stuff like that but still in one piece) and it fell so hard to the floor many times to the point that the magnetic end cap got so 'mushroomed' that I had to grind it down 'cause it wasn't contacting with the charging base properly, the battery is still original and when I'm at home I just always put it on the charging base so each morning it's fully charged and even tho it had a hard life for well over 5 years the battery still goes strong lasting whole day using it on the second power level which lights up everything really well, it is amazing I can wholeheartedly recommend it, the only two bad things that I can say about it is 1. the magnetic endcap that doubles as contacts for charging is a double edged sword as in from one side it is convenient and holds it very well to the charging base but from the other side it is magnetic and well, it tends to pull metal shavings from grinding stuff to it and tends to short the charging contacts but personally I just put on it a plug off of some thermostat from a Renault and it becomes a non-issue and as a bonus the rubber makes it hold onto my hat better and 2. you gotta do a little maintenance to that endcap, just disassemble it and clean up the electrical contacts inside of it, for some reason after a very long time it tends to not make proper connection to the battery even tho it looks fine to the eye after disassembly, just brush some fine sandpaper over the contacts and put it back together, with a heavy use like I do it needs that little maintenance once per about half a year, other than those two little but noteworthy shortcomings it is a 10/10 tool in my opinion.

If you were interested in an Olight with a throw like the Imalent LD70, that's provided by the Baton series of lights they make. I know you have your own reservations about the brand but thought I'd just throw that out there. (My old S2R Baton has been my daily carry for a few years now, love the wide throw it provides)

Yeah, Olight is pretty outstanding. I'm not a flashaholic by any means but I have had quite a lot of flashlights over the years. I've never purchased an Olight until recently because the fact is that they are very expensive for the claimed output. I finally bought the Baton 3 Premium because it is the only one I know that has a rechargeable case, and that's kind of a cool gimic that has a bit of functionality to me. I got it brand new for $68 from an ebay bid because $150 brand new from their official site is ridiculous (I got the limited seasons one, Spring specifically, the regular Baton 3 Premium are about $100). Not going to lie, the quality is impeccable. It's very small but feels so solid. The light output is great, it lasts a long time and I hope that it is durable and lasts a long time. I still wouldn't spend full retail price on any of their lights because Sofirn and the likes make very good lights too, but if you can find Olight at a discount, it's worth it.

Happy to see the Olight do well. Just started using the Arkfeld as my EDC. Have been using the LED Lenser MT10 for the last 5 years with no issues. The little Olight has a lot to live up to. Thanks for the cool video. Fun to see a little variety.

Olight are the best flashlights I have ever used. After buying one years ago I now use them for head lamps, weapon lights, and work edc. Olight is the one you really want, I've used my baton 2 working under houses as a plumber on medium setting for 8 hours straight, I have backups just in case, but these just kick ass so hard I only use my back up when I forget to charge my main.

I would love to see Zebralight in these tests, especially the drop. Priced generally a little under olight, they are still expensive.. but they are potted and seem to focus on build quality more than any of the ones mentioned here. SC64c LE please!

The Sofirn SP31V1 has been my EDC light at work since October 2021. Building Engineer on 2nd shift in a 2.1M sq ft site. Ive dropped it off ladders, tossed on ground, used in rain, banged around pocket with keys, etc and it still works perfect to this day. Usually run about two 3000mah 18650's through it a month. I'll have to look into purchasing the SC31T or another Sofirn. I have the SP32A at home as well but with no tailswitch...I don't like it.

I love my Streamlight Wedge. I always carry it with me and it's taken plenty of drops with zero issues. The form factor is also better than any other light as it's shaped and sized like a medium sized pocket knife.

I hope that Surefire sees this and improve their product with the charging methods. I'm surprised the threads were so bad on since they use cnc to make it. Wonder if the tool was worn out.

I love my warrior mini 2. It's one of my favorite do all lights and has taken many falls but still works great. Keep up the great videos

For personal taste, my Fenix PD36R is a touch large for EDC, but glad to see it get a shoutout even without testing lol. I’ve been very pleased with performance and quality, though understandably I still don’t try and drop it at any distance lol

If you ever do more testing, I'd like to see the Sofirn SP33S tested. It's got an XHP70.2, 6500k or 5000k, floody design, 26650 battery, acts as a powerbank and can run off USB, and because of it's size with the wide cell, it has better cooling than something like the Imalent light you tested, so it runs brighter for longer. I use it at ~1500-2000lm in "high" as a bike light (with a beam cutoff), but it can also do supposedly over 4k lumens in "turbo". It's around $50. I'd also like to see Convoy brand lights tested, they're a bit big and ugly but they are very cheap and supposedly bright.

Very informative. I have Wurkkos and Sofirn lights for home use, power outages etc... Also have several Surefire lights that I carry and trust them completely. The Olight really surprised me. I have a few and I know they're nice, I just had no idea that they might surpass Surefire like that. Very impressive.

Good job on the selection of lights. I have carried a warrior mini since it came out. A bunch of guys at work loved it and wanted there own. some were quick enough to get them before they canceled the pocket burner 5000 and replaced it with the mini 2. my problem with the mini 2 is when they put the proximity sensor in the head it made it to heavy for the magnet to hold it horizontally. I'm not mechanic, but I do have a shop and work on stuff all the time and that's annoying. I'm also bummed about you not getting the emisar because I have a d4s and it's awesome. I'm impressed with the imlaent and may very well pick oen of those up. keep up the good work.

My SC31T is almost 1 year old now and it impressed my family how it made our lives more convenient in emergency situations... Not regretting buying the Warm Light Variant and SoFirn sells diffusers to boot!

would love to see more head torches tested, I work outside at night and often only have my head torch for light so needs to be reliable last for up to 8 hours on a reasonable level but also be able to see further on a high setting. I currently running the LED Lenser H15R

one thing i would like to see is tests done with "standardized" batteries. Impossible to do with lights that have built in batteries but there is soo much variation in 18650 that a difference in battery can make one light go from pretty good to pretty bad or vice-versa. Also you can't really compare flashlights that use different batteries or you get wildly different results like you do here. Keeping them within the similar battery categories i think would be great.

I have that SureFire Fury and I completely agree with the lack of value/quality. There is nothing about it just justifies the cost. Thankfully I didn't pay anywhere close to full price for mine. I will say that mine dosn't take nearly 9 hours to charge though haha. I've always been interested to see how the Pelican 7600 performs, or just Pelican flashlights in general, if you happen to get around to it.

I have a couple Olights and really like them as well. The Seeker lll pro you mentioned is great for carry and I use a Marauder Mini multiple times every day to take the pup out to do her thing. It will light up the entire back yard.

I’ve had the surefire stiletto for a while. Got it back when it was $75. I think it’s $200 now. I love the light because it has a nice wide beam and the same profile as a cell phone case for using in pocket. There aren’t many small, flat lights with 600-1000 true lumens. The battery won’t hold a full charge anymore and after this review I’m thinking of a different brand for its replacement.

I was very impressed by Fenix when they first came out. I am more of a fan of Olight now. Warrior XPro makes a great tight beam for night duty and seeing if that suspicious person has a phone or something more hurtful. It does get hot on high for longer than a minute. Better than my Surefires, which, though good, are not able to throw that really good beam. The Warrior Mini is very good, but my model does not have a tail cap activator which is something that is something missed when it is a trained response to try to click.

I can say that Surefire Lights were very great. I have several that are about 10 years old give or take a year or two. They are unbeatable in durability and function. I have dropped one from 100 feet up in the air onto a 1 inch thick steel plate and it never missed a beat. Still carry it everyday. That model is no longer available and haven't tried any of their newer products but they were incredible 10 years ago.

I use stream light. Lifetime warranty, different sizes available and a awesome headlamp option as well.

I'm not sure if it is still available, but I love my Nitecore MT21C, its got a swiveling head which is super useful in my use case and a magnetic base. I've got no idea whether it meets or exceeds its Lumen rating but it gets super bright in "turbo" mode and starts as standard in low lumen mode which is also a useful feature IMO

I know that olight gets a lot of crap on the internet. But Iove them, great build quality and the magnetic charging is really what makes me keep returning to the brand. It's just insanely convenient. I would not recommend the warrior 2 mini for mechanics though. The taillight switch only works in turbo mod (which is pretty much useless for an inspection light) you can "lightly" tap it for normal mode. But It's actually impossible to use this way. it will be too bright and blinding in turbo mode to work for inspections. The Baton series from Olight is what I recommend.

Would love to see you test weapon lights - my experience with OLight there was they're only good for airsoft & training. I tried a olight pistol light+laser. It ran fine for about 2000 rounds of 22LR, but failed in something like 500 rounds of light recoil in a very heavy (>40oz) 9mm pistol. Currently waiting on an RMA replacement and will see if that one fails too, I strongly suspect it will based on the switch design.

No Fenix this round huh? Fenix LD30 has to be hands down the best EDC I've ever had. Considering I own over 30 plus flashlights. I can't help but grab the LD30 every time. 👍🏽 I have the olight warrior 2 as well. Nice flight but it's kind of like going from iPhone to Android. Different muscle memory for turning on and off and going through all stages of power levels. Nice light regardless of my preference.

I own several Sofirn lights and presently they are my EDCs. I mostly carry the SC31 Pro over the SC31T, mostly because at the present I like a side switch better than the tail switch (this is the basic difference between them). They have been very durable for me but if I were to lose one or destroy it, I wouldn't cry too loud, I would just go buy another one. The prices are so reasonable. I have yet to break one. My very first light, a SP31V had intermittent switch problems and they quickly resolved that with a new light. I carry that doing mechanical work on a regular basis with no problems. I also wear several different Sofirn headlamps on a regular basis. No problems and love them. Dependable, just not flashy.

I've EDCed a SC31 pro for the last 2 years on and off. It's worked flawlessly since still used the original battery. For $35 it's and absolute steal of a deal. The SC21 pro is also a great EDC 18350 light.

A simply excellent review. Loved the way you tested them and compared them. Would really like to see you do similar reviews on the following ones: ThruNite Archer 2A V3, Lumintop Tool AA 2.0, ThruNite Archer Pro, Sofirn SP33S 5000 High Lumens, ThruNite TC20V2, Manker MC13 II SB90.2 4,500 Lumens, Olight I5T Plus 550 Lumens, Olight Baton 3 Pro 1500 Lumens, Olight Warrior 2 Mini 1885 Lumens, Streamlight 88062 Protac 500 Lumens, Astrolux FT02S 11,000 Lumens and the Astrolux EC03 6,700 Lumens.

Sofrin SC35 has been a solid unit, 21700, usb C, 2000lm, cheap price (little bit more than the one you tested) albeit a bit cooler white, it does throw light in a nice beam at +100 FTC’s wager it prob has same output as the tested unit.

Just got the Arkfeld Olight. Good build quality, fits nicely in the pocket, and the laser pointer sure is a nice toy.

I bought a Thrunite T2 for edc because it was a small form factor 21700 light with a very long runtime in moonlight mode that had a floody beam pattern for up close stuff and can take a non proprietary 21700 battery, I'm also pretty invested in 21700 lights at this point. I mostly use moon, low and medium and I'm pretty sure that battery is going to last quite awhile using it like that.

I have a Sofirn, really neat flashlight, it resisted a big crash from my eScooter, and I use it almost every day. I can see however that the lumen output did decrease compared to when it was brand new, but it's still much brighter than anything I'd need. Great video!

I've found Olight to generally be the most consistent in providing the quality you pay for. They have cheap to expensive offerings, with the quality to match any price point (and actually exceed often). Just wait for one of their flash sales, which they have throughout the year, as things like the $90 Warrior Mini 2 can be had for around $60-70 (sometimes even less).

I have edc my warrior mini 2 for a year now and the only issue I have is that the coating has come off where it touches my leatherman. But I like the patina.. and it never misses a beat, it’s been dropped in coolant, oil, diesel from a roof and hasn’t missed a beat! Although here I’m Australia it definitely cost more than $90

With the obscene amount of money I have spent on Flashlights and Headlamps, I still haven’t been more happy than with my Nitecore products. They are around the $75-$100 mark but worth it in my opinion. Plus if you have an issue they stand behind their products, That goes a long way in my book.

I LOVE your flashlight tests! Please keep them coming

I got that same Sofirn light a couple months ago after watching another one you featured in a similar test. I had a bunch of 18650 batteries I salvaged from a bad Ryobi battery and wanted something to use them in. Such a nice light for a nice price. Another brand I came across that seems decent is Nicron. I picked up a couple of their N7 model which has a magnetic base and swivel head. They rate at only 600 lumens, but man they are bright for only 600. They are a "hybrid" light too so you can use a standard AA or a Li Ion AA, but you lose some lumens with a standard AA. They also claim a lot of things like water resistance and drop testing. Might be one to check out if you ever do pen-style lights.

Can't speak to that olight but I've carried an olight m1x striker for years at work as a commercial/industrial electrician and I've dropped it a few times from probably 12-15ft (on a 19ft scissor lift but not at full height) still going. Still bright. Only complaint I can say which isn't even really a complaint just lately noticing it is starting to get a slight flicker if it's been on for a few minutes. Given its not 7 years old and still going I'm happy and would buy it after. Have a Fenix pd35 as well which I'm happy with for camping and an olight headlight (removable light with a magnetic base) happy with all of them. One thing I wish more companies did though was a red light option built into it. Only ones I've seen with it the one or two times I looked for one was from nitecore

I love my olight seeker. It is the most expensive flashlight I own but not by much. (Quite a few $50-75 lights). I love the size and can do very dim to light up a large room super bright.

Wow the warrior mini2 is impressive! i was in fear for my purchase integrity after seeing this in the lineup at the beginning but now am satisfied knowing my intuition was not unfounded. Thanks for all the testing you do. i know a lot of people really dislike olight especially in the firearm scene but clearly it depends on comparing individual model to model vs brand reputation.

"Infinity high" does not mean that it stays at that level until the battery dies. The "infinity" system is the hold button ramping from low to high. It just means that's the highest mode in the "infinity" ramping range, and then turbo is a separate input. Most flashlight people's main issue with olight is that they do not often offer any options for warmer or high cri emitters, and their magnetic rechargers required their proprietary batteries. It's a shame since the build quality seems on point. Hope you get a chance to test some Emisars soon.

good to see that olight is really as good as they feel , have some from them myself not the warrior but the baton and i am more than happy with it, though i almost always have it on the middle brightness setting since it is more than enough for everyday life and runtime is way longer than on high this way i even think the highest setting is sometimes too bright to look at things since they get blurred by the brightness this way

I’ve got an eagletac tc25c2 mk2 that would sit in this category nicely. It’s probably one of the brighter of the bunch, (like, washout galore) but it’s build is comparable, and price is too. It doesn’t have any zoom though, only voltage steps. I’m pretty happy with it, and looking to expand my 18650 library

I don't buy expensive flashlights, but I did end up with an Olight S1R Baton, I've gone through a half dozen different pen type lights in the time I've had the Olight, so it has definitely held up well, the only knock I have on the light is it just stops working outdoors if the temp drops much below 40F. I'm sold the magnetic light charging system, the micro USB connections are much more prone to damage, and if used enough they just get loose and have trouble charging.

I EDC a surefire EDCL2-T(about $100 less than the one tested here^^^), been using it for about 5 years. Super durable, very bright, high color temp(4300K?). It's almost a perfect EDC light but surefire has been way behind and resting on its previous successes and the power source shows. I have to use LiFePo4 aftermarket batteries since it only takes Cr123a batteries.

Love my olights. All ill buy for flashlights. Have had them for probably 5 years now and still no issues. I have my seeker 3 pro light in my truck on a magnetic charging mount. Can't stress enough how happy I've been with these lights.

"Maybe I'm just a flashlight casual" Yeah right bro lmao. You're like the flashlight legend at this point.

i have been running a baton 3 as my main edc light for about a year now and its been very solid. its small enough it fits in the pocket easily and can double as a head lamp by clipping to my hat. it also has more of a flood light than the warrior series and i think strikes a nice balance

Surefire tactician is pretty bullet proof. Their G2X’s are big for pocket carry but for ~$55 they're super dependable general-use light. I’ve had a few Streamlights to, not quite as robust and the quality of illumination is quite surefire but they’re a reputable company with great service. I’ve had a couple pro tac 2L’s, nice EDC size. Streamlight’s older weapon lights were not nearly as robust as Surefires. Later ones like the TLR7 are pretty rugged and rival what surefire can offer for a compact high-lumen WML. With options from surefire and streamlight (both really reputable) I have little use for the amazon specials out there… Olight included.

I’m really surprised you didn’t include streamlight. I love my rechargeable short version that has high and low. It’s so small and light compared to most and I have been carrying it with me everyday for almost 2 years with no issues

I have several Olight M2R Warrior lights.... What they don't tell you is, #1, the battery is proprietary... So, if you thought you were going to throw one of the other 21700's from your pile in the light?? You're NOT. does not work... Also, the "proprietary" 21700 DOES NOT CHARGE in any of your other chargers.... it will ONLY charge IN THE FLASHLIGHT. So it would be quite a process to get a handful of charged batteries charged up.... ALSO, these "proprietary" batteries last like 18 months MAX. Some people report 24 months, but literally everyone says buy all new batteries every 18 months...... Now, sadly, I did not know any of this... I thought I bought premium flashlights that would take any 21700 battery, which I have piles of, so, hey, I'm good!!! At that price point, I expect goodness.... which is why I have found, that channels like yours, are priceless... Paying the big money, doesn't necessarily get you anything.... Hahah! You paid big money?? You will enjoy a premium flashlight??? No you won't. Power is out? Welcome to the darkness. So when Hurricane Ian hit my house, I thought I had flashlights.... Nope. The Olights died in ten minutes. Shortest tactical op on recorded history..... The cheapos I had laying around are what kept me in the light for ten days while I waited for the power to come back on..... So, sadly, I cannot recommend an OLight product to anyone... And I will not buy anymore. Now, unless, big unless, you are willing to do a deep deep dive into all the little intricate quirks & oddities of their product.... and be willing to pay big money over & over for their "proprietary" batteries that die in 18 months..... I'm just saying, be careful, and make sure you are going into any OLight purchase with your EYES WIDE OPEN to their oddities & quirks..... Ohhh, you have a whole pile of 21700 batteries on your workbench, and a big charger that charges them 8 at a time??? So that'll be fine??? Negatory. Not happening. Trust, is the most precious commodity (and the rarest) on this planet.... TTC is not wrong, their "Apple Influenced" packaging literally says nothing. Nothing. zilch. If you have these 1 use only batteries, and a built in 18 month death, THAT SHOULD BE DISCLOSED!!!! There should be FULL DOCUMENTATION PRESENT in that box, that hey, your other 21700's won't work in this light... And, it doesn't need to be said, but , FOR WHAT THEY ARE CHARGING, uhhh, yeah, let's call that "a big disappointment", to be as kind as possible to the precious OLight Corporation..... So, my trust in OLight is gone.... No more for me. I loved you, I thought our love would last a lifetime, but you cheated on me, and it's over.....

Olight tends to catch a lot of crap. But I have to say I have several and when compared to Thurnite, Nitecore, Acebeam, Lumintop, and several others Olight consistently outperforms. Just buy them during flash sales. I have 3 Warrior Mini 2s and paid $58 for each on a flash sale. At $90 it's a stellar light. At $58, there just isn't much of anything that offers that bang for the buck. Thanks for the great and unbias review. It's great to get true confirmation of my impressions and experience. And I also have to agree that Olights feel much more premium than others.

Im a mechanic. I have that exact model of Olight. Sucker is almost indestructible. I’ve had it for 2+ years. It’s been through water, oil, gas, brake fluid, brake cleaner etc. Only thing wrong with it is that the tail switch no longer works. Switch on the side tho still works like a dream. 10/10

Great, helpful video. I would like to see Candela and throw stats and how well a flashlight and punch through photonic barriers. Thrunite TN12 Pro, Modlite OKW/PLHv2, SureFire Turbo, etc.

I have that exact Olight. It has served me great, but the charger does have issues. first the battery died so they sent me a new one, but then the charger started randomly changing red to green, not like an error code but more like it couldn't decide if it was fully charged or not. I have a few Olight "mcc" chargers that go from 1.5A-2.4A for different lights and the warrior mini2 is the only one with the issue. also if debris get in the circle between the rear charging connections, it can have problems fully charging.

1st thought was this was done like project farm. 2nd thought was heck yeah! Can't get enough of this type of comparison testing. Hope to see some tools done in this same way!

I dropped an olight baton 3 from 4 feet and it died. We use them at work because of their small head diameter size for getting into tight spaces and being super bright. I actually hold one when I'm TIG welding very small diameter stainless tube and I am able to see the part while I'm welding at low amps. As far as I know, only 1 out of 10 died by dropping. What I dont like: the magnetic charging base setup. It will pick up small wires on the end of the light and cross the terminals, so that means a super hot metal wire may be in your palm at that time.

Thank you very much for your detailed review On the Olight Warrior Mini, I like the Moon-Mode (1 lm, 45 day), two switches spot focused beam.

I own the Thrunite TC15 and I’ve been very happy with my purchase. It has 2300 Lumens and runs on an 18650. I got it during one of their sales 3-4 years ago and it’s held up extremely well. I like a lot of the Olight products as well, just haven’t had the need to pick one up yet though.

Heyas,just curious but do UV lights use lumens or another system of rating thier brightness? What brightness is most useful for diagnosing leaks using UV dye/ lights?

I've got a few Fenix and Streamlight torches, all pretty decent to be honest, but for some reason the Streamlight/SureFire/Maglite/etc. legacy brands just haven't kept up with performance.

I've actually been looking to pick in an EDC inspection light for work (I work as a detailer). Looks like I'm gonna go with that Olight! good enough light beam but it's the durability I want.

I bought a warrior mini 2 in 2021 and the side button stopped working after about a month and olights customer service wouldn’t get back to me. Tail cap still lets me use low and high though and the light still works pretty good. Sometimes the magnetic tail cap charger doesn’t want to charge and has to be jiggled around till it starts charging. It’s ok but I wish I had bought a streamlight or surefire

Okay I finally subbed. I own more flashlights than I care to admit. Olight has SOME problems occasionally but for the most part they've been great quality. The trick with Olight is to buy them when they first launch so that you get a good price and selection of finishes. They are marketing geniuses almost to a fault. I'm also a big fan of Fenix and 4sevens.

Thank you for this. My favorite brand, formerly Thrunite, is currently Convoy. They have an Aliexpress store and the owner is apparently a light enthusiast. This has a downside in the form of an overabundance of choice and a dearth of clear information for ordinary folks to make a selection by. Probably a non-issue for an LED light expert, but I'm not one. The quality and design seem sound, which I appreciate, and the prices are attractive. Olight's aggressive and manipulative marketing don't endear them to me, good though their quality is. Grab a Convoy in whatever category you check out next and see what we get.

Highly recommend the imalent ld70 for someone wanting a powerful and tiny light. Perfect for keeping in work pocket.

As an absolute flashlight mega nerd, I give you mad props for testing Wurkkos and Sofirn, they're two of my favorite brands and are likely the best budget lights on the market. I also have a few Olight and Imalent, both very decent. Imalent are of course, stupid bright.

Would love to see you include the Powertac line of lights in your testing. I have several of them and carry the E9R-G4 as an EDC which claims 2550 lumens, and though I don't have a way of testing outside of a dark field in the Georgia mountains, it would appear to me to be as advertised. And I'm not so much interested in the engine bay test, but I personally like the Ray Charles test. My lights are carried for a variety of reasons, but most important to me is the ability to turn someone into Ray Charles should they appear to be threatening myself or my family. Another reason I like the Powertac E9R-G4. It is like having a roll of nickels in your hand, an end cap switch that makes you bring your hand up into a defensive position, and a sharp crown bezel that is useful should someone get close enough for a DNA sample. These light also have a lifetime warranty and are very reasonably priced for a tactical light.

I have an o light warrior mini 2 and it’s awesome. Only issue is my tail switch wore out after about 8 months but I do use it a lot at work.

I have to stick with olight. Forgot one attached to my transmission under my truck. I drove all the way home got out of the truck. Realized my flashlight wasn't in my pocket. It was still stuck to the same spot. After potholes and everything. Dropped it many times. Do an electrical ice dropped it in sub pumps, Pits, and mud everything. They all still work

I have owned several olights been thoroughly impressed. Even after kids have flushed them when retrieved they still work. The most impressive is when they have failed, olight replaces them so quickly and easily. Their customer service is amazing.

My favourite EDC is the Olight Perun 2 - 90 degree light, spread beam, lasts for ages, magnetic base etc

I have a sofirn SP35, and it is my favorite, I've used it for cave exploration, I use it in the shop I work in everyday, it just keeps going. I've had it for over a year now and have only had to charge it 3 times with daily, sometimes extreme use. Best $40 I've ever spent.

I EDC the Thrunite BSS v4 daily and love it. Glad to see them get some love for once, also the threads are like butter on mine.

I have the imalent ld 70. Great light for the price. Very tiny design (what I needed) and very powerful. I run it on the 900 lm setting regularly and it works well for most of a work shift. I also have a backup nitecore T4k if my Ld dies during the workshift. I charge it nightly and never have a problem with the charging port

Just a warning about the Olight MR2 warrior if youre thinking about it (not sure about the other models). The magnetic charging base is also an on/off button and while i was a mechanic i got metal shavings on it a lot. This not only turned it on but engaged the turbo which was hot enough to burn through my shirt pocket. I did love it otherwise, very bright and the build quality was excellent.

I got an Olight as my EDC to replace a Fenix PD35 due to a reduction in size but using the same batteries. I put the Fenix on my AK, shot it at night, and it flickered and died after about 10 rounds of 7.62. I don't know if y'all have guns, but some weapon light reviews for water resistance, drop/bump durability, and ability to run during recoil. Basically, I'm curious how much I have to pay for my bedside gun's flashlight. I stopped using my AK as a bedside due to this alarming lack of reliability and use my Glock 45 with Streamlight TLR-1 HL since that light has been nothing but reliable (but is also double the price and half the size of the other two)

Waiting for you to test the Streamlight Stinger. This model is easily the most popular flashlight among automotive techs. Every shop I've worked at, every tech had one. Probably because most of the tool trucks sell them. Would love to see you add it to the mix on the next round of testing.

Wondering if we'll see any of the Modlite or Cloud Defensive options on these EDC style light comparisons! Curious to see how they stack up in your testing regiment. Great video as always!

Thank you for posting this video. I had ordered the SureFire 6PX Pro for my dad for Christmas. I wanted to get something made in USA and of superb quality. I have an older SureFire that is built like a tank and an Olight. Between the 2 models I have, the SureFire seems to be much better quality ($4X the cost). However after seeing these comparisons and the poor quality threads on a much more expensive SureFire than the 6PX, I am concerned. Just cancelled the order for the SureFire and ordered the Olight Warrior 3S. Hopefully I made the right choice!

The lack of efficiency on the Wurkkos isn't due to the hue of the chip (although higher CCT do tend work more efficiently). It's due to regulation from the driver. That Wurkkos is has a simple FET driver so the battery voltage greatly affects the output. The Sofirn, Olight, Thrunite and Surefire all have some kind of constant current driver (I know the Sofirn is a buck driver, not sure about the other ones) so they maintain steady output until they don't.

Excellent comparison. Your channel is the closest thing I can find to Project Farm for flashlight testing. After 6 years of straight-up abuse, my trusty Streamlight finally gave up the ghost. I already have an Olight S2R for home use that I love, but it was ultimately the drop test on the warrior mini that sold me on it. The brightest, longest lasting flashlight means absolutely nothing if it can't withstand some abuse. It's why I've shied away from Thrunite as their 26650-powered lights have abysmal durability.

Now you just need to test an Elzetta Bravo B331 to put the competition in their place...the bin. The Bravo B331 is the best. Surefire is nice too, especially the E2T-MV Tactician. I'm done wasting my time with Olight though, they were never the best but used to make nice lights. They sure do suck now though.

As a "tactical" light user myself, I've never understood why surefire has such a high reputation. This test mirrors my experience with them, and they are just SOOOOOOO much more expensive than equivalent or better lights from other brands. Streamlight is my go-to, but I also have an Olight that I'm relatively pleased with. The one thing Surefire SOMETIMES has going for them is a better feature set (like switch-ology) or unique products. They are the only one I'm aware of that makes a combo visible and IR light, which they make you pay dearly for and I'm SUPER pissed I have lost mine.

Been a big fan of Olight lately. Build is good, recharging is easy and price is good. With Surefire you are mostly paying for warrenty as I've had more problems with my surefire lights then Olights. But no questions asked they will send you the parts. Olights are my carry lights, SF for weaponlights.

Out of all those I think I'd pick the Imalent LD70, perfect size to fit in my pocket, not too expensive and the spread pattern is the most useful in close quarters.

Still love my Singfire 1xAAA. Smooth, on/off, clip. Does everything I need an EDC flashlight to do.

Very nice comprehensive comparison. Thanks.

Thank you for a great review with very useful information! I purchased a Sofirn (same basic model as you tested) & also think it’s an outstanding value. I prefer not buying the “best” in flashlight only because the technology changes so rapidly that they quickly depreciate. At least with a $30 light, you’ve only got $30 to lose! 😉

Don't forget those Olight's go on sale about once a month as well. Should be able to easily find one for 30-35% off.