# Your favorite brand of LED flashlights



## tyoda0202 (Oct 14, 2021)

Maybe there's an previous post to this regard, but thought I'd put it out there again.
What's your favorite light brand & why? I'm thinking of criteria like product range, quality, design, real world performance...
I've been a Fenix person for years, have a number of their lights, but haven't really found any other brands to try. I'm on emails for Prometheus (Four Seven), but not sure I like the designs. What are your recommendations to check out?


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## UFO (Oct 14, 2021)

tyoda0202 said:


> What's your favorite light brand & why?


Streamlight. I've used them almost exclusively for 30 years and have never experienced a single malfunction of any kind. I'm sure there are other "illumination tools" out there that are higher quality, but you simply can't beat that kind of track record.

And _for _the record, I'll be getting my first Malkoff shortly, and I'm sure it will live up to the hype. I think it will make a nice companion to my Streamlights.


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## 3_gun (Oct 14, 2021)

By the numbers I own it would be MagLite, Sofirn or Fenix. If it was,"I lost a light what do I buy to replace it?" It's Acebeam as it's the only light I own that if I lost I wouldn't use the opportunity to buy something else from someone else. I'd just buy what I'd lost again


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## wayben (Oct 14, 2021)

Surefire, Malkoff, and HDS for their build quality, style, and usability.


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## vicv (Oct 15, 2021)

Streamlight and maglite. Streamlight for their rechargeable in cradle lights like a stinger, and maglite for their primary powered lights


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## bykfixer (Oct 15, 2021)

Fenix is a good brand. I prefer other brands but I don't scoff at the Fenix.

For me flashlights are tools so I don't really have one "universal lighting tool". I like simple for the most part so my brand preference is mainly based on that principle.

Here in 2021 my really bright and/or long runtime Maglite products get the nod. For fairly bright but downsized Elzetta and Maglite products get the nod.

For everyday carry PK Design Lab lights still go with me nearly everywhere. They were the brightest small lights made when they were available, they fit easily in my trouser pockets and are reliable.


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## Jean-Luc Descarte (Oct 15, 2021)

Convoy. You get a 4ga load for the price of a 20ga shell, if you catch my drift.


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## Olumin (Oct 15, 2021)

Prolly malkoff.


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## beliving (Oct 15, 2021)

zebralight.com is my favorite. They have extremely compact EDC lights with high power. Compare the dimensions to whatever similar power light you're currently carrying.


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## SWF (Oct 15, 2021)

tyoda0202 said:


> Maybe there's an previous post to this regard, but thought I'd put it out there again.
> What's your favorite light brand & why? I'm thinking of criteria like product range, quality, design, real world performance...
> I've been a Fenix person for years, have a number of their lights, but haven't really found any other brands to try. I'm on emails for Prometheus (Four Seven), but not sure I like the designs. What are your recommendations to check out?


Malkoff is my favorite brand. The build quality is unsurpassed. No gimmicks, just absolute reliability and American made.


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## Graylock (Oct 15, 2021)

Another vote for Malkoff. I'd also place Elzetta in that league.


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## likethevegetable (Oct 15, 2021)

ZebraLight and Convoy. Two different ends of the spectrum for different uses. Anything in between feels lost.


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## Jim 1965 (Oct 15, 2021)

wayben said:


> Surefire, Malkoff, and HDS for their build quality, style, and usability.


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


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## Spiller (Oct 15, 2021)

Mateminco


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## Extrasensory (Oct 15, 2021)

Convoy. Bang for the buck. I have an Alpha blue label which is a really nice light, but I carry a Convoy S2 with Biscotti firmware, it's smaller, bright enough and I don't have to care what happens to it.


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## GadgetGeek (Oct 15, 2021)

Surefire and Zebralight are my favorite.


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## Stefano (Oct 15, 2021)

Fenix, Zebralight and some (previous) Armytek models


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## Johnny Ryall (Oct 15, 2021)

Malkoff for all the reasons listed above, I've built up 4 so far and they crush it for my needs.
After years of all sorts of flashlights I've learned lumens and cheaper/budget prices aren't always the best, buy once cry once. The MDC netural xp-l on a short 16350 is by far the best EDC light I've ever had.


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## lion504 (Oct 15, 2021)

Jim 1965 said:


> Can you please tell me what HDS stands for, also where I can find them


Initials of the owner/maker: Henry D. Schneiker. You can find the flashlights at hdssystems.com. Also, a wealth of information here.


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## Ned (Oct 15, 2021)

ZebraLight


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## rabbiporkchop (Oct 15, 2021)

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.


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## wayben (Oct 15, 2021)

Jim 1965 said:


> 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


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## fuyume (Oct 16, 2021)

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.


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## tyoda0202 (Oct 18, 2021)

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.


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## hsa (Oct 18, 2021)

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


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## tyoda0202 (Oct 18, 2021)

hsa said:


> ^ 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!".


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## vicv (Oct 19, 2021)

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


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## marco.weiss (Oct 19, 2021)

malkoff for sure


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## WarriorOfLight (Oct 19, 2021)

Most lights I have are HDS lights or Surefire.


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## FAAbUlights (Jul 23, 2022)

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


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## flashflood (Jul 24, 2022)

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.


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## bykfixer (Jul 24, 2022)

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.


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## brachypelma44 (Jul 24, 2022)

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.


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## NutSAK (Jul 25, 2022)

Malkoff for flashlights, Peak LED Solutions for small flashlights.

Zebralight for headlamps.


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## Eicca (Jul 25, 2022)

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


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