Is the Surefire X300 Still King? | 5 Pistol Light Comparisons 

This is the most detailed and comprehensive light comparison I've ever seen. You guys are awesome!

Streamlight has been my in edc and wml for years now. I used to buy other brands like surefire and a few chinese, but streamlight's value, performance and reliability won me over.

This was a great production and effort. It was made in such a way to be a timeless video and didn’t even advertise your own holster. Impressive!

Best review of weapon lights I've seen on youtube. Thanks for not just saying "oh, this one allows me to see 200 yards away" and picking that. Flood, switches, batteries/charging and light color are all critically important.

The Olight PL-Pro is on my EDC and I love the way the side buttons feel. The charging and not needing to buy expensive 123 batteries. Plus with a price of $80-$100. It really is the best choice in my opinion. With it's strobe, highest flood volume. It's just perfect.

The X300U was the first light i bought and really enjoyed it. However, when the PL-Pro came out, i bought one and found i liked it slightly more than the 300. And....given the cost....it was a no brainer what i was going to buy for my other firearms. The warmer light on the Pro doesnt cast a bright reflection off my walls as much as the 300 and i like that all i need to do is slap the magnetic charger on the Pro and no longer need to change batteries.

Im buying wekz holsters just because of this video. The amount of work you guys put in this video is commendable.

I greatly appreciate the research/showcasing you guys do. It's hard to find solid info on a field as populated in competitors and specific accessories as weapon mounted lights and holsters. You do an excellent job of presenting these products and backing them with hard science. You convinced me to purchase a nightstick TSM-13G along with one of your holsters. Keep up the good work!

wow, choosing the TLR at the end, normally everyone goes surefire. I've used both, and I really like the TLR 1 HL. Great video.

I am extremely impressed with your design of experiments and the presentation of the results. I never considered all the factors that go into selecting a weapons mounted light. I own two O-Light products and purchased them because of the advertised high lumen output and ease of recharging. I did reach out to their customer service to inquire about laser light combo and noticed they upgraded the mounting part. I called and left a message without a call back. Later I sent an email and they finally reached out to me. When I was talking with them the phone call dropped, but they never called back. You might want to consider the full stream value by calling each vendor and see how they respond to you or if they actually take your call.

I’ve been running the BALDR Pro from OLIGHT. 1350 lumens and a green laser on my Sig P227. I absolutely love it!

Used SureFire while in Iraq. Great product but like Trijicon -even though it’s battle proven, it’s wayyy too expensive for the average citizen. My edc at the moment is a Glock 19 Gen5 mos with a Streamlight TLR8-AG & it’s awesome. My next handgun will most likely be either a Glock 34, Glock 17 or a full size FN. I’ll definitely put a Streamlight TLR-1HL on it. I’ve used Olights on my ARs and they’re great as well.

I like the brightness and flood of the Olight. The need for adequate flood cannot be overstated when the target is moving or there's more than one target you have to focus on. The USB charging can take some getting used to, but portable power banks are small enough to fit your pocket so it's not that big a deal.

Streamlight ftw. Why spend over 300 bucks on a flashlight that works when i can spend much less and get a flashlight that absolutely kicks ass? Great video! For a holster company you seem to put out great firearm content all around.

The Surefire X300 may not be the king of pistol lights, but Werkz is the king of light reviews.

Your light videos are amazing. The best. You cover virtually every possible aspect, such as how short you can actually do a momentary-on based on the switch type. Not to obviously mention the actual lab-quality measurements. Kudos. The TLR HLs are top of the line if you want reliability, run time, and subject control. I wish I could fit one on a 365XL. Come on, Icarus!

Thank you for actually giving a “Real” review and giving your opinion at the end. Your videos are very informative and well made. A big Thank You to you and your team!

I was going between the olight and the tlr1hl. I ended up getting the olight because I love the idea of having my battery at full charge if something goes bump in the night. I can practice with it on a regular basis without spending a fortune on making sure I have fresh batteries

Great to know that my local gun dealer guidance on gun mounted lights was spot on.

This is absolutely the best! Thank you! People need to see this to understand flashlights better! I like it!

Just ordered a TLR-1 HL 1000 lumen variant. I’m ashamed that I didn’t research it before purchasing it. This video made me exponentially more confident in that purchase. Just blows my mind that they charge so much for the X300-U when it doesn’t compete with other lights in all areas. Saved me a pretty penny and it looks like I got lucky.

The best clearly depends on the users philosophy of use. My pistol light to me is an emergency light, its for dealing with known targets outsideof my house , for very limited amounts of time. I would not use my pistol to clear my house, I'm going to use my rifle full sized lights are way different story. So for me and my circumstances olight is the best choice, for a duty officer that's an entirely different story. As a civilian I hope to God I never end up in a gun fight at night for more than 40mins end of the world situation lol.

One of the best comprehensive light reviews I've seen yet. Thank you!

I have been running a TLR-1 HL for years and love it. I became a huge fan of Streamlight years ago when I all my maintenance technician coworkers were raving about the Streamlight headlamps for working in a production warehouse. Streamlight knows how to make a great light at an affordable price. Their hand held flash lights are also really great!!

Surefire is battle proven and I have trusted my life to an x300u and Glock 45 for edc and duty. You get what you pay for, qc, customer service, and durability. I will however say I would do anything to have an x300u with tlr1 switch function.

My go-to nightstand gun has been a G22 with a TLR1-HL for the past year or so. No complaints. Love the light. Best overall value, IMO, and I think that can be said for just about all of Streamlight's products.

I have the X300U and the OLIGHT. after seeing this video, I’m getting the Streamlight for my new Glock 19x

Thanks for this video! I bought an olight baldr RL for my p320c a few weeks ago before seeing this video for 81 dollars and it came with a key chain light and small edc light as well. I’m very happy with my purchase and to be really honest, I really think if anyone ran any of these lights. They would all be great options. The real key to see your target, and the best light output and throw is very important and these all hit those points. Some better than others, but any of these will definitely get the job done. Now I’m off to order a holster from you because I need something to hold my p320c with the olight.

The best light comparison video from a holster company, who would have thought.

By far one of the best light comparisons I’ve seen! Just bought a TLR-1 HL this morning and I’m happy with my choice. I was second guessing it wondering if I should of got a surefire but now I’m extremely happy with my choice. Again great video 👍🏻

You guys exceeded RU-vid. This is the best review I have ever seen. DEFINITELY a sub now

Best light video I’ve ever seen.

That is really cool that you shine the light through the crack of the door after opening it. However, anything the badguy is shooting will go straight through the door. Also straight through that wall you are hiding behind slowly screwing around with the light and looking awesome shining the light through the crack...

I see i’m not the only one who clears my empty house with a pistol every once in a while

This was a great video. Very comprehensive comparison between the different options on the market. Id love to see a similarly detailed video but more towards the durability and reliability of those same lights. Appreciate the great content.

the first person clips were so good

This was a great seemingly unbiased review which is hard to find on youtube. So many reviews are heavily biased towards one brand or another, and this cut that out. You still stated your favorite at the end which I think most people saw coming, but you gave positives for basically every light and showed them in reasonable conditions. Thanks for the excellent video.

Saw this on my recommended vids for days and assumed it was some random meh review, finally clicked on it and I'm glad I did. Very comprehensive, hope to see more in the future. Maybe rifle lights next?

Olight is pretty bright, the fire gives a really nice warm look.

Excellent comparison! I agree Streamlight takes the cake.

Insanely, outstandingly, thoroughly detailed review! Definitely sticking to my Streamlight TRL-1 HL for total home protection

Best video for someone trying to decide on a light. I’m honestly impressed with the Olights performance. I bought an x300 recently to replace my olight pl pro but I’ll admit I was not extremely impressed by the surefires performance, maybe my expectations were too high because of how reputable the x300 is. Either way I’ll be keeping both.

Impressive production quality and education value in this video. Excellent job guys!! This video has helped me make the decision for my next purchase... the Streamlight.

For me personally, the TLR-1 HL is the best option for a pistol light. Surefire is taking 90 years to release their Turbo series, and the Modlite PL350 has several issues that make it a no-go for me. Hence, I'll settle for 20k candela until Modlite decides to actually listen to their customer feedback and/or until Surefire decides to actually make something with more than 12k candela. Thank y'all for the fantastic overview! These types of videos are exactly what we need more of.

Surefire X300A on the 17/ Streamlight TLR7-A on the 19.

Hands down the best light review for defensive use I've ever seen! Thanks for putting out the hard data as well as experiential information. I just recently purchased an x300u, but also have the Streamlight TLR 1 HL and others, and will definitely reconsider which lights go on which guns. Would love to see a similar video for rifle lights! Streamlight vs Surefire vs Arisaka or Cloud Defensive or something. Regardless, thanks for putting this together!

This video is the only video anyone needs to watch when it comes to comparing or learning about these weapon mounts. This was great. Thank you. I went with tlr today

Never seen such a perfect and deep explanation on anything! Thanks a lot from Italy!

This is how comparisons should be done! Well done and thank you!

This video was extremely detailed and you didn’t cram a particular brand at us which is appreciated. I’m “newer” to pistol lights and found this video while researching a dedicated nightstand pistol light. This would only be used for a “what was that outside” light. TLR-1 HL was my pick as well but I noticed that NightStick just came out with a new TWM-30 that’s their big boy now. Really curious how it would hold up against this test.. again, thank you for such great content 🤙🏼

I would never have looked at the PL-PRO without this video. Genuinely interested to try one out now.

Tlr1hl is the best balance for the price imho 1000 lumens 20k candella for 120-130 bucks

This channel has the most informative info i’ve seen. No unnecessary filler as well. It’s nice.

The Streamlight has a fatal flaw: a plastic battery door that breaks. I bought my father a full-sized S&W M&P 9mm pistol for home defense several years ago. I also bought him a Streamlight TLR-1 for it back in 2016 so that he doesn't accidentally shoot someone in the middle of the night. He never shot the gun even once. And the only time that he used the light was the day that I bought it for him in order to make sure that it works. Fast forward to last week when he finally decided to test fire his home defense pistol with me at the range. The damn plastic battery door snapped in half after shooting about 100 rounds of 115 grain Winchester. And so simply sitting in a safe for 5 years + putting 100 rounds through it was enough to defeat the Streamlight. Hard pass from me. I'll only use weapon lights with full metal housings now.

Very detailed comparison. Can't wait for the other postings on the channel.

I have the PL-PRO and the Baldr mini. The two things I wish you had mentioned (if you did, I apologize I must have missed it) is the Locking swing arm which makes them super easy to install and uninstall, and the sliding rail mount which makes it a custom fit for any barrel length. I’d have to say though, the PL-PRO is my favorite. The hot spot /flood brightness combo is one I haven’t found with other lights.

I can hear OLight Schils “Reeeee just as good Reee”

Jammed pack with information to help everyone make the best choice for them. I go with the TRL 1-HL on my bed side Glock and this video made me feel vindicated, and I even shared this video with a friend who's new to firearms!

Just love your detailed review - never seen anything even close to it from other "light experts" on YT. Felt vindicated since I have got the Surefire X300u but settled on the TLR2 HL with a green laser instead. Don't know why anyone would not want to add a laser pointer (especially with the power of the green ones) - what is the logic NOT to add one?? You can always turn it off with the toggle switch. However the capability of the laser gives you "point of impact" confidence to keep your eyes completely "downrange" on the perp and what they are doing instead of going into "the tunnel vison of iron sights". This gives you an Order of Magnitude increase to you Full Situational Awareness - especially if there are multiple people involved. Why Not use a laser pointer? My weapon is a SIG P229 so the metal rail portion is rock steady and the clamping design of the TLR2 ensures there is no drift during or after shooting. The rigidity on my Glock (gen 4) polymer front rails are a joke and do shift (a little) over time (even from drawing and reholstering) so that can be a factor with a laser on some polymer frames. But... How do I check my laser alignment for shift without firing my gun?? Simple - I put a "thru the bore" red laser cartridge inside the barrel and then check if the red laser and the green laser beams still perfectly converge at 40 feet (my chosen distance for the aiming point in my backyard) at night. Its that simple and quick to verify. Used to stare at the iron sights and look where the laser landed (crude at best) but found the two laser method is so much more accurate, easier and REPEATABLE. I also marked/scratched a line on the red laser "brass casing" so I insert it in the same orientation each time I do an alignment test - never seen this "two laser beam alignment" done anywhere else but it is the best way I've found so this give it a try and see what you think. BTW bullet drop at 40 feet is nothing - for all you nit pickers out there

Honestly this is one of the best kit comparison video's I have ever seen, I'm buying one of your holsters.

I got an Olight few years back for a gun build. Was so impressed with the quality and price I put one on every gun I own. I own like 4 different models, a few of each. Never had the model they tested though. Big lights for big guns smaller ones for smaller framed guns. I love them. Never had an issue. I know all their lights do that step down thing but if you want it bright again just tap the switch it will reset. I guess it's a battery conserving thing. I don't dislike any other brands just not a lot of experience with them. May get a Streamlight after this though. I have one on an AR and it's flawless too.

Best comprehensive Pistol light video I have watched yet. Well done!

The most comprehensive and detailed weapon light video. Great work. Thanks!

Lumens vs time chart is cool. Nice to see someone actually doing the work and providing valuable metrics

Hands down, the best pistol light review out there. Great job and thank you!

Well, that answers that. I have 5 TLR-1HL's, and was gonna grab an O-Light or two. But I may just keep with what I've got. The switches were the main reason for my hesitancy before discovering this video.

Streamlights have been my go-to for a decade.

This is the review that answers everything most need to know.

Masterful review!!! I only wish all product reviews presented this level of detail, fact, and context! Would y'all be willing to do a similar video comparing rifle lights? Surefire M600, Streamlight HLX, etc?

Standard disposable batteries are a non-negotiable for me. I don't want to be left in the dark because I forgot to charge my gun.

I hate to give any criticism to this absolutely amazing review, because I do think it's the best performance review of the pistol lights that there is. But, I can't help but feel like durability is also a huge part of the performance of these lights. There is no ability that beats availability.

Thank you for clearly explaining each phase of your testing, giving your methodology, and showing the results visually as well as explaining them. Very thorough review. I almost bought the Surefire, but I'll probably wind up with the Streamlight instead.

I really appreciate the amount of details in your work. This was so comprehensive for these lights, learned all i was looking fo, and then some. Awesome yall!!!

Wow. This is one of the best gear videos I've seen on RU-vid in AGES. Excellent job. Keep it up.

This is light testing of the quality that I have not seen in a long time. Thanks for doing this. I think you've earned a subscription.

Being the filthy peasant I am, I had always considered Streamlight the king of pistol lights and the Surefire to be for people who wanted a Streamlight but also had 200 extra dollars they didn't want anymore. I was shocked to see someone on Reddit who didn't even consider Streamlight to be a name brand. I've had very good experiences with all the Streamlight lights I've had, with the exception of some slightly dodgy beam distance ratings for the TLR-1 HPL. Very thorough test. I appreciate both the empirical and subjective test methods.

Thanks for the most informative and objective weapon light video on RU-vid.

I very rarely leave reviews, but you deserve one. Super detailed and informative, keep it up! Subscribed

Excellent comparison. By far the best detail of any of the videos I've seen. Thank you! Would love to see you do a comparison of the lasers with lights that are out there

Great video. I came to the same conclusion. Switch’s and less candela are dealbreakers for me. Streamlight for the win.

Great job guys! that's one of the best independent data driven light comparisons I've seen to date! Keep up the work! I'm subbing!

This was excellent! And I agree with your findings. I just wish I liked the looks of the streamlight. Ps I am happy with your holsters keep up the good work and keep expanding.

The detail and presentation of this was spot on… (pun intended)

This was absolutely amazing! Wow is all I can say. Literally everything you’d ever want to test that is real life and practical. Superb job team! Instant fan

I experimenting with a new full size EDC gun and I am in the market for a new light to compliment it, but there were not many good videos that showcased all the NEW lights. Most videos either showed individual lights or just a coupled comparisons. Thanks to your style of testing, I felt like I was able to get a demonstration of all the lights and feel like I'm confident in what I want! Definitely feel like for the money and what you get, Streamlight has (once again), got my business. I would love to enjoy Inforce because they are king of cool light intensity, but they have too much of a bad reputation of having lights that fail (my APLc did not preform good, would not respond to controls every time and flickering) and as this demo showed, little to no flooding. Feel like Streamlight does a good job providing an average person like me with good lights at affordable prices!

Streamlight for the win here. I've been running the TLR-1HL for 3 years or more now and put one one every pistol I can. I'm not shocked in the least bit that Olight was one, if not the overall worst performers.

This is the best light review I've ever seen. And by a wide margin.

Thanks for this, I have been using the TLR-1 for a long while, but keep getting tempted by the X300 - after this, I know that I can stick with the TLR-1 and I am not missing out!

Excellent breakdown and comparison. This type of content is the entire reason I bought one of your holsters

I just got my Streamlight TLR2 HLG a couple hours ago, I didn't see this video before I bought it and I'm glad I made what seems to be the right choice, from the little I've seen so far the Streamlight seems to take the cake. I really do like the controls and tool-less nature of the light, I've always hated having to bust out the Allen wrenches just to change a battery or remove the light from the gun, it makes things really convenient.

I have a TLR 1 on my duty weapon. And I’ve it clearing dark areas. It has been really good for me given the # of challenges faced on a regular.

Biggest reason the TLR is not my choice is the high likelihood of ND from holster. They may have improved the spring tension in recent years, or its more of an issue with a properly "broken in" switch, but light NDs were very common a few years ago.

This channel has become my go to source of review and comparison. Great content!

This channel is great. Love your reviews and comparisons. Very helpful for research and making purchase decisions.

I am switching from Olight to Surefire or Streamlight but I would just like to mention the Olight Baldr Pro does have tool-less change of 2x cr123 batteries. I have way more Olights but I'm just sick of Chinese products. They did get me in the game quicker but its just really hard to find holsters for those. I would however be interested in a side by side comparison with these and Baldr Pro using the light mode only, or/and Baldr Pro with TLR-2 and surefire equivalent +others Great video, part of the reason I'm switching. Mainly holster selection.

finally someone done runtime graph for weaponlight, please do it on every light u review

Wow that was some thorough work! Thanks for the review

What an incredibly well-done video! Thank you so much.

Can you please do rifle lights? You guys are the only ones that have done a real test that provided genuine information, I need this standard of testing applied to rifle lights

This video is outstanding. As a flashlight nerd and ccw holder I can't say how overjoyed I was with this wealth of knowledge, tests and facts that you went through the effort to produce. You have a new customer 👊🔥🔦