What was your favorite/best flashlight of 2018

We are nearing the end of 2018 again, and I always enjoy looking back and seeing the actual improvements/changes in the flashlight world.
So what is/are your best flashlight(s) of 2018.

Here are the ones people liked from past years.

Best of 2017

Best of 2016

Best of 2015

Best of 2014

Best of 2013

Best EDC of 2012

Ok, I'll start:

-mine is probably the Astrolux MF04S (XHP70.2)

My best flashlight 2018 is Nitecore Concept 2

Thanks for including links to previous years.

I really didn't obtain anything ultra modern this year. I usually pick up something new by Streamlight but did not this year. So some classic stuff and a couple of builds were my favorites.

Again, PK's FL2 was my benchmark, with a 1 cell SureFire Aviator clad with an incan head, an E2D tail, and singLED output was favorite. My PKDL PR-1 was most used with a PL2 not far behind as they both go where I go every day. A Fenix E01 was added to my favs this year and got used a lot.
Maglite 2C and 3D were the work horse when runtime was the goal and my Elzetta Bones lit up shadows in daylight conditions.
My 2C BrightStar clone from the 80's was the incan of the year again this year. Yet a SureFire E2 with a lumens factory bulb got in some playing time.

I did some stuff with a Pelican 2320 that had broken so it's now in the 2x123 rotation and the Peli 2360 was an often used 2xAA light. Rayovac reintroduced the Sportsman in 2017 in a much smaller platform and that one got some playtime. Those Icon's also got some use during the early part of 2018. My 2C ROP got some "wow" time when I wanted to show off some.

Having a few G2x Pro lights sitting around the house, the family picked those most often. And my EB1c was the one used to peer into narrow tubes day or night.

Well this question got me thinking. So many ways I can look at it. Most used this year was a lumintop tool ti. Ive found it great for edc with it coming on with a useable but not too high 18 lumens with the nichia. Its ability to tailstand and reverse the clip have also been assets many times this year. But objectivly it is far from my best and it cant fully take favorite either. Ive also enjoyed my acebeam ec65 in nichia as well. Never really had a flooder but ive liked pretty much everything about it from the beam and brightness as well as form factor and even ui, to the 21700 charged by usb-c. However it's relative heaviness has kept it from being carried and there when I need light. I like my new v11r a lot. Love the ring for brightness control paired with a forward clicky. But I got it in cool white becuase it was a great deal and pretty much just something I'm going to play with rather than edc. At least for now. So what does that leave me with for a favorite? A light a bought last year but didnt actually connect with until this year. An olight s1a neutral white. When I bought it it was on sale and I figured what the heck but at the time I was still edcing an sc52w and when I compared them at the time the zebra came out the winner. However over the course of this year ive come to greatly appreciate the olight. The neutral white is actually beautiful indoors and out. The remebered one click or press and hold moonlight has kept it by my bed. The magnet been surprisingly useful in my new line of work. And the clip is a non issue when clipped to my jumpsuit pocket at work not activating accidentally even once while being used on a cap a couple of times. Put a 14500 in a bam, as bright as I'll ever need. Its shame its been discontinued, at least as far as I can tell. I bought a s1r as well which is on its way becuase even though I will loose the NW I think for what I'm doing the convinent recharging at work will be a bigger benefit. But we shall see. The fact that I wrote my longest winded post ever should be some inditication thst it will be hard to unseat the s1a neutral white from my favorites list.

ROT66 SST20 4000k 95cri

HDS rotary 4500k. My favorite UI and has a very useful beam.

Probably any of the Zebralights I bought this year: SC600w MkIV HI, SC600w MkIV Plus, and SC64w HI. All great lights, for slightly different purposes.

I have no idea why I like Zebras so much. I admit they're a bit overpriced. But something about how small they are, with good regulated output and plenty of modes to program.

Oh well, 2019 will probably be the SC700, though I'm trying to resist.

I don't have one (yet), but the 4D Mag ML300 is the light I am most interested in that came out in 2018.

The only new one I bought this year was the surefire EDCL1-T. I love it.

Lumen83 said:

The only new one I bought this year was the surefire EDCL1-T. I love it.

Click to expand...

That one gets my vote too. I'm mostly sure it's a 2018 model.

Emisar D4 probably I still get as big a kick from it as ever!

I am also crazy for the Milwaukee aaa penlight with the bite grip.
Cheap and simple snd dead reliable for me and has earned a place with the SC52 as an EDC too!

Who would have thought?[emoji85]

Ha! That's like asking me which is by favorite/best child. However, having to choose I'm a gunna say the twins; brothers from different mothers.





The blue was delivered by Matt at Adventure Sport Flashlights. The red was adopted and came from the labor of KYfishguy.

~ Chance

I love that blue maglite. I also have one, without the internals of yours. Mine is only a little different because I did some handfiling on it... and added a silver bezel and tailcap

No special order:


Jaxman M8 XP-L HI 5K Smooth Reflector (1-Mode)
Emisar D4 XP-L HI 5K 10623 Flood Optic
Noctigon M43 XP-L HI 5K
Fireflies ROT66 219B-V1 R9080


Fireflies PL47L-Shape 219B, and Sofirn C01 3200K are on the way. Hopefully one of these can impress me enough to give it a nod.

Seems like things slowed down a lot in 2018, but my favorites of the past year were ...

(Budget category) = Emisar series

Lots of bang-for-buck value. Some limited modularity. Choices in material, finish, emitters. Modded versions. Excellent UI. Remarkable performance available, whether wanting lumens or lux, let alone at their very modest price point.

(Custom category) = McGizmo Mahi

Added another titanium line of compatible parts to expand the classic system. Increased the options for useful throw, along with a slightly edgier style aesthetic.

It is/was a slow flashlight year for me. Didn't purchase as much as I did before. The light that I used the most is my SF P1R.

archimedes said:

Seems like things slowed down a lot in 2018, but my favorites of the past year were ...

Click to expand...

Sadly yes. As far as offerings go, things have definitely plateaued. Very little is different, with the exception of some odd-ball lights being introduced here & there. Designs, available materials, all been done before.

2018 was the year I saw the light, courtesy of Gene Malkoff.

kamagong said:

2018 was the year I saw the light, courtesy of Gene Malkoff....

Click to expand...

Nice photo