Your favorite brand of LED flashlights

[rabbiporkchop]

I like the various versions of the Manta Ray C8.2. It's easy to modify and get replacement parts for and it's also dirt cheap.

 

[wayben]

Hi I haven't heard of HDS until now. But I have only been in the Flashlight scene for a year in December. Can you please tell me what HDS stands for, also where I can find them

Yes, what @lion504 said above. Sorry, I haven't been on all day and he beat me to it.
Wayne

 

[fuyume]

Fenix for me. Because they make the units I want.

I want a 1xAA EDC light with a simple interface. E12 v2.0.
I want a 1xAA headlamp for backpacking with a simple interface. HM23.
I want a 1x21700 tactical light with a simple interface and a mechanical lock. PD36 TAC.
I want a 1x21700 bicycle headlamp with a simple interface and long runtimes with a flat brightness curve at brightness levels that make sense for bicycling. Again, PD36 TAC. Over 18 hours at 150 lumens and over 10 hours at 350 lumens.

 

[tyoda0202]

I'd like to get my hands on a USA domestically made light one of these days. Too bad a lot of these folks might be fantastic machinist & engineers, but wow, a lot of work to be done on the websites, yikes...lol! Sorry, not intending to offending anyone.

 

[hsa]

^ Maybe try a Maglite. It's not just American it's well made in america.

 

[tyoda0202]

^ Maybe try a Maglite. It's not just American it's well made in america.

Maglite huh? That's so nostalgic, like back in the 70's and 80's, if you happen to be old enough. We knew them as the security guard's clubs, and bright for their time. Can't disagree on the robust build, and today they have some newer tactical designs, but wow, still doing the original D and C cell bodies! I guess if you all mention it in 2021, it's a case of "...if it ain't broke, don't fix it!".

 

[vicv]

Xl50, xl100, Xl200, all 3xAAA lights and very good.
Magtac. 2x cr123a
Magtac rechargeable. Same size but a proprietary lifepo4 18650 inside and cradle charging.
Not just c and d size lights

 

[marco.weiss]

malkoff for sure

 

[WarriorOfLight]

Most lights I have are HDS lights or Surefire.

 

[FAAbUlights]

Zebralight has become my favorite LED flashlight brand over the years.

 

[flashflood]

I'm a longtime fan of Fenix and Thrunite, and have recently been impressed by Acebeam. They are offering well-built, solid-feeling flashlights in a wide choice of materials and emitters, including high-CRI. I appreciate the mix-and-match approach.

Popular brands I have *not* liked include Zebralight (had two, both switches broke), FourSevens (cheap build quality), and Olight (awful tint, proprietary cells/chargers, and claims "USB-C" charging but in fact doesn't support USB Power Delivery).

I also have several custom lights dating back 10+ years from Mac's Customs, ElektroLumens, Matchbox, Peak, and others. I haven't found any of these niche brands to be as life-changing as their biggest fans suggest, but they're solid.

Finally I have to give a shout-out to Skylumen (aka V54 aka Vinh Nguyen), who can turn any well-made factory light into pretty much whatever you want. I've had about a dozen mods and purchases with Vinh, all with stellar results -- including not just the end product, but also communication, timeliness and transparency.

 

[bykfixer]

My favorite brand ever is Franco but they've been gone since around the 1920's. Formerly French Flasher then Ray-o-Lite, now Rayovac is maybe my favorite legendary brand. Bright Star (now Bright Star-Koehler) is also high on my list of brands.
Bianchi's B-Lite is my favorite brand of early alluminum cop light nudging slightly past Kel-Lite on the list. I'm a fan of anything Don Keller built but his B-Lite is my favorite.
LED lights would be PK Design Lab products with Maglite being second. Streamlight also gets a podium finish.

 

[brachypelma44]

I started getting into LEDs several years ago with Zebralights, but the exaggerated green tint and low CRI make for a fairly ugly beam, and I have become something of a tint snob.

Nowadays, my favorites are Convoy, Acebeam, Hanklights, and Sofirn, but if you're going by the brand that I've bought the highest number of lights from, it's Convoy by a landslide. Good to excellent quality lights for low prices. Its only real weakness is the long shipping time.

 

[NutSAK]

Malkoff for flashlights, Peak LED Solutions for small flashlights.

Zebralight for headlamps.

 

[Eicca]

Fenix for me. Solid quality, decent prices, good form and function. Always a safe buy.