# Best Flashlights from China



## HaileStorm (Jun 3, 2012)

Hi! I'm just curious as to what Chinese light brands people like best? I'm kinda liking klarus at the moment but to everyone else, which one do you think is the best brand? Give me at least your top three as I'd like to try out more Chinese brands. Thanks!


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## run4jc (Jun 3, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> Hi! I'm just curious as to what Chinese light brands people like best? I'm kinda liking klarus at the moment but to everyone else, which one do you think is the best brand? Give me at least your top three as I'd like to try out more Chinese brands. Thanks!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



Not in order...

Thrunite
Sunwayman
Jetbeam


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## shelm (Jun 3, 2012)

not in order:
Fenix
Klarus
Eagletac


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## madecov (Jun 3, 2012)

There really are not that many bad lights. You just need to pick the model that has the features and specifications that fit your needs. Even the lessser known brands are making some nice stuff.


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## skyfire (Jun 3, 2012)

in terms of product quality, i feel most brands from china are very similar.
slight edge going to Fenix because they do much of their own manufacturing, while most the other brands seem to be done by the same 1 or 2 factories. 

in my opinion, the better brands are set apart by their commitment to customer service.
ive experienced excellent first hand service from Fenix.
ive also heard many good things about Eagletac, and Sunwayman customer service.


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## Walterk (Jun 3, 2012)

Spark


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## TEEJ (Jun 3, 2012)

I like Klarus too. Foursevens stuff has been excellent too. The Fenix I have are also good, as are the Olights and Zebralights.

I just got a Crelant 7G5 V2 a month ago, and I've been impressed with it so far. Its my only Crelant, but if it continues to hold up to my abuse from work and as a weapon light...I will get more of them.


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## fishndad (Jun 3, 2012)

the ones that are represented by U.S. companies will tend to have the better build quality.Many of the no name brands
that fook like fenix or jet beam for example, have tended to be poorly pieced together IMO.
Though other than some highend brands or a few budget models most are built in China.Just an unfortunate state of things these days.


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## biglights (Jun 3, 2012)

Most are from China are they not :thinking:


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## TEEJ (Jun 3, 2012)

biglights said:


> Most are from China are they not :thinking:



There are a few American companies, for example Bright Star, Surefire, Pelican, Maglite, and Germans like Lenser or French like Lupine, etc....but VOLUME-wise, the Chinese companies are doing very well. They tend to be able to make the lights cheaply due to their supply chains and labor market, and complete lack of effective regard for patents, etc.



Some of them, mostly named above in the thread, seem to play fair, and make good stuff, and have earned a following. Others seem to be making anything for anyone a la cart.


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## fishndad (Jun 3, 2012)

TEEJ said:


> There are a few American companies, for example Bright Star, Surefire, Pelican, Maglite, and Germans like Lenser or French like Lupine, etc....but VOLUME-wise, the Chinese companies are doing very well. They tend to be able to make the lights cheaply due to their supply chains and labor market, and complete lack of effective regard for patents, etc.
> 
> 
> 
> Some of them, mostly named above in the thread, seem to play fair, and make good stuff, and have earned a following. Others seem to be making anything for anyone a la cart.



Great reply right to the point. There is hope for you after all ROFL.


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## PaleBlueDot (Jun 3, 2012)

Imo and in no particular order-

FourSevens
Fenix
Klarus
Sunwayman
EagleTac
Zebralight

Can't go wrong with any of those. Any between all of that, there's bound to be a light for everyone's specifications!


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## Silgt (Jun 3, 2012)

For me, Sunwayman and FourSevens stands out for their quality while Fenix are able to out out very good lights time and again


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## fishndad (Jun 3, 2012)

Silgt said:


> For me, Sunwayman and FourSevens stands out for their quality while Fenix are able to out out very good lights time and again



Seems like foursevens and Fenix IMO are standing still. Not pushing the envelope so to speak.Of course some may say
if you got a good thing why mess it up.However i think sunwayman,jetbeam and thrunight,just to mention e few.
Are constantly pushing forward.Just my limited observation and ive only recently gottin the Light Bug.


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## davyro (Jun 3, 2012)

The best quality flashlight i own from a Chinese company is my Dereelight DBS,it's very robust & well built.After that i'd say Jetbeam was in second place followed by Thrunite in 3rd place


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## HaileStorm (Jun 3, 2012)

skyfire said:


> in terms of product quality, i feel most brands from china are very similar.
> slight edge going to Fenix because they do much of their own manufacturing, while most the other brands seem to be done by the same 1 or 2 factories.
> 
> in my opinion, the better brands are set apart by their commitment to customer service.
> ...



Does 4sevens have their own manufacturing? Everyone seems to have good feedback with 4sevens... Just skimming through this thread, it seems 4sevens, fenix and sunwayman have the edge.

Any feedback on Niteye? The eye10 seems like it's built well. 

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## Silgt (Jun 3, 2012)

> Any feedback on Niteye? The eye10 seems like it's built well.



I have a couple of EYE30s and they seems very well built..but would like to see a few more of their offering before I can jump into any educated conclusions. 

I also thot Xeno to be the up and coming brand but their quality seems to be inconsistent (but their accessories are very nice tho) so my comments are based on a series of lights from any one company


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## HaileStorm (Jun 3, 2012)

Silgt said:


> I have a couple of EYE30s and they seems very well built..but would like to see a few more of their offering before I can jump into any educated conclusions.
> 
> I also thot Xeno to be the up and coming brand but their quality seems to be inconsistent (but their accessories are very nice tho) so my comments are based on a series of lights from any one company



I've also heard of this brand, a friend has one. It seems okay but not yet in the same ranks as fenix and klarus, imo.

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## Kevinkw1 (Jun 4, 2012)

I like Jetbeam and Sunwayman. Jetbeam a lil more expensive than SWM. SWM is very responsive to the market and gives great customer services. Even with the v10r ti and v11r issues, they really seem to try and resolve issues. I know some people will say that they didnt release a perfect product, but I'm a lil forgiving to those who try to push the edge a lil.


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## shelm (Jun 4, 2012)

PaleBlueDot said:


> Imo and in no particular order-
> 
> FourSevens
> Fenix
> ...


If we're allowed to name more than three than we could name the full list of Top10 Chinalamps, in no order:
1. fenix
2. jetbeam / nitecore (they are the same)
3. klarus
4. olight / itp (they are the same)
5. four sevens
6. zebralight / spark (they are the same)
7. eagletac / eagtac (they are the same)
8. sunwayman
9. solarforce / romisen / tank007 (established non-premium)
10. xeno (emerging brand)


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## RI Chevy (Jun 4, 2012)

fishndad said:


> Seems like foursevens and Fenix IMO are standing still. Not pushing the envelope so to speak.Of course some may say
> if you got a good thing why mess it up.However i think sunwayman,jetbeam and thrunight,just to mention e few.
> Are constantly pushing forward.Just my limited observation and ive only recently gottin the Light Bug.



I think the Surefire law suit may have something to do with the status quo of these companies.


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## madecov (Jun 4, 2012)

RI Chevy said:


> I think the Surefire law suit may have something to do with the status quo of these companies.



Valid point. Some of the manufacturers have stopped doing lock out tail anodizing.


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## BLUE LED (Jun 4, 2012)

With over 360 lights. I think the Thrunite and Sunwayman are very good. Although I do also like my Xeno G42 U2.


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## skyfire (Jun 4, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> Does 4sevens have their own manufacturing? Everyone seems to have good feedback with 4sevens... Just skimming through this thread, it seems 4sevens, fenix and sunwayman have the edge.
> 
> Any feedback on Niteye? The eye10 seems like it's built well.
> 
> Sent from my GT-S5830 using Tapatalk 2



Foursevens contracts their manufacturing. also, David Chow, founder of Foursevens is the president of Olight.
Xeno brand belongs to one of the larger flashlight manufacturers. who are the makers to many brands.
i dont think Zebralight and Spark are affiliated. but they could be contracting the same manufacturer.
founder of Sunwayman use to design for jetbeam. i think its safe to say he was the reason for jetbeam's early success, and also jetbeam's declining line-up since his departure.


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## HaileStorm (Jun 4, 2012)

skyfire said:


> Foursevens contracts their manufacturing. also, David Chow, founder of Foursevens is the president of Olight.
> Xeno brand belongs to one of the larger flashlight manufacturers. who are the makers to many brands.
> i dont think Zebralight and Spark are affiliated. but they could be contracting the same manufacturer.
> founder of Sunwayman use to design for jetbeam. i think its safe to say he was the reason for jetbeam's early success, and also jetbeam's declining line-up since his departure.



Wow, you really know your lights! So in this sense, olight is somewhat affiliated with foursevens? 

I'm not sure about jetbeam. Never had one but their rrt-01 has got me itching. 

Currently looking for a very small edc but I'd like to prioritize quality this time so I could conpare it to my other lights. Quite expensive though for $80++. SWM's Mr. Elfin also looks nicely built. 

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## skyfire (Jun 4, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> Wow, you really know your lights! So in this sense, olight is somewhat affiliated with foursevens?
> 
> I'm not sure about jetbeam. Never had one but their rrt-01 has got me itching.
> 
> ...



well...i am a proud flashaholic 
olight and foursevens does have the same person calling the shots... but david chow only became president recently. no more than a year ago.
olight was already established by then, and was one of the first high end brands from china.
i think olight's original founder had to step down, maybe health reasons? im not certain.

mr. elfin looks like a very nice light, i have their v10r ti. and feel the control ring UI is best without the tailswitch. which surefire already perfected many years ago with their titan.
actually, mr. elfin is maybe the only made in china light thats on my buy list. im a sucker for that tan finish.


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## kramer5150 (Jun 4, 2012)

Fenix, ET, 47 are my faves... OOPS forgot about Zebralight
I have my share of ultrafire, trustfire, MXDL types and these lights aren't in the same league... at least not out of the box. With a little DIY efforts they can be made to go toe to toe with the better brands though.


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## Kevinkw1 (Jun 5, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> Wow, you really know your lights! So in this sense, olight is somewhat affiliated with foursevens?
> 
> I'm not sure about jetbeam. Never had one but their rrt-01 has got me itching.
> 
> ...



I have the rrt01 and can say that its a really nice edc. Its quite small being a twisty only and can easily turned off and on to full with one hand. The build quality is really good and the stainless steel bezel and titanium clip helps this. Solid dark grey annodizing that is slightly better than the SWM imo. Has a lanyard, but no holster. 

You can get around 500lumens with a RCR123, but the beam is bit ringy. I dont find this an issue but.


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## ericjohn (Jun 5, 2012)

None Period. The only good ones were those that were made in Hong Kong and Macau BEFORE 1997. Those two states weren't under china's control back then. For example; my Garrity R300G was made in Macau sometimes between 1994 and early 1997. When I was 17 (2004) I bought another version of it (probably chinese) and it couldn't hold a candle to the original. A very kind stranger I met on here gave me another Garrity Mini Rugged Lite (R300G). I keep it safely in my safe deposit box. That is how much it means to me.


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## mossyoak (Jun 5, 2012)

ericjohn said:


> None Period. The only good ones were those that were made in Hong Kong and Macau BEFORE 1997. Those two states weren't under china's control back then. For example; my Garrity R300G was made in Macau sometimes between 1994 and early 1997. When I was 17 (2004) I bought another version of it (probably chinese) and it couldn't hold a candle to the original. A very kind stranger I met on here gave me another Garrity Mini Rugged Lite (R300G). I keep it safely in my safe deposit box. That is how much it means to me.



Ignorance has no bounds...


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## dc38 (Jun 5, 2012)

mossyoak said:


> Ignorance has no bounds...



For a better pun, "Ignorance KNOWS no bounds"


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## LGT (Jun 5, 2012)

I really don't know what the best lights from China are. But I think my Zebra lights, ,EagleTacs, Jetbeams, sunwaymans and others are good lights that work the way their supposed to. It's all a matter of opinion as to which the best light is. This broad question will probably give you ten different answers, but this is the best place to ask.


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## Lou Minescence (Jun 5, 2012)

The three Chinese brands I like best.
1) Sunwayman 
2) 4sevens (made in China)
3) Jetbeam

It seems I always go for these brands of lights the most when I go out. The reason I like them is they feel good and work well. None of my five 4sevens lights has ever quit or gave any trouble.


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## HaileStorm (Jun 5, 2012)

I think I'll just have to try them one by one and sell those I don't like... 

I already have a thrower, a bunch of mid-range lights and an edc. I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do with all of them  

Most of the brands stated here have really good offers with jetbeam topping the lumen ratings and, correct me if I'm wrong, sunwayman, olight and 4sevens topping the quality segment. This is for small edc's, of course. 

I can't decide between the rrt01 and mr. Elfin. It's quantity (of lumens) vs quality respectively.

Maybe we should segregate these chinese brands in this regard, quality vs quantity. Would help newbies like me a lot, hehe! I wonder where klarus fits in as they seem to be a mix of both?

As for those biased against chinese lights, i guess it's just a matter of opinion and being open-minded. I honestly can't justify spending $200 or more on a quality light. Budget restrains me from doing so. 

Hence, the better alternative for me and for other flashaholics in cpf who can't really shell out that amount of $$$ on a light (or would rather direct those extra funds elsewhere) are these affordable lights from china. They seem to hold up well, if not just as well, as those really expensive lights. Okay, well maybe not but you're not exactly going to retrieve your light if it falls from the tip of mt. Everest, right? 

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## Bigpal (Jun 6, 2012)

I like Fenix and Jetbeam. Check out EagleTac especially because they've got some high power, compact lights (D25LC2, D25C2) for excellent prices (around $60).


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## LightWalker (Jun 6, 2012)

ericjohn said:


> None Period. The only good ones were those that were made in Hong Kong and Macau BEFORE 1997. Those two states weren't under china's control back then. For example; my Garrity R300G was made in Macau sometimes between 1994 and early 1997. When I was 17 (2004) I bought another version of it (probably chinese) and it couldn't hold a candle to the original. A very kind stranger I met on here gave me another Garrity Mini Rugged Lite (R300G). I keep it safely in my safe deposit box. That is how much it means to me.



The Fenix LD12 is rated at 3 lumens for 97 hours and 115 lumens for over 2 hours on one AA sized battery, the Zebralight SC80 is rated to run 29 days on low and 200 lumens on high on a single AA sized battery.

There was nothing close to this in 1997, not even 2007. It's time to upgrade from the Garrity.


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## nightb (Jun 6, 2012)

My favorite is Ray Bow.


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## pounder (Jun 6, 2012)

I own zebralight and sunwayman and they are amazing lights..I own solarforce lights and they are very very good for the price..


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## Bwolcott (Jun 6, 2012)

My favorite right now is probably Sunwayman because of the diversity of what they offer, quality is very good as well.

I also like Fenix for the little details they put into their lights but I agree with them being kind of at a stand still and they really need to push forward.

I recently have been buying xenos and I have impressed with all of them so far especially for the great prices they offer as well as the tests they perform on their own lights


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## HaileStorm (Jun 6, 2012)

Sunwayman seems like a very interesting brand. I also like the quality of fenix lights, it's just that they do seem to be falling behind in terms of power. I really wish they'd move that mode button somewhere near the tailcap, though. This is the reason why I really love what klarus offers. That two-button interface is just really convdnient. I wish fenix would do the same if not something like it. And add more "oomph" to their lights. 


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## JohnnyBravo (Jun 8, 2012)

I like JetBeam, Balder, and Olight. I know lots of folks like Fenix and Sunwayman; but strangely enough, I don't like/want any of em...


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## jezdec (Aug 30, 2012)

I like 4Sevens, Fenix, Thrunite....they are all very good lights. I use 4Sevens and Fenix all the time
and they have never left me in the dark.
I think that there are many hi-end CHINA lights, which you can get for normal price, and
I also think that there are many USA, French, German,....lights that are also very good, but too expensive....


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## HaileStorm (Aug 30, 2012)

The foursevens quark123 is on my wish list. Foursevens have nice lights although I can't understand why they can't stick with 18650s. They had to go with the 26650/25650 route which seems to me like they're trying to rake in all the cash they can get from their consumers... Correct me if I'm wrong but these battery sizes are proprietary sizes of foursevens, right?

They're like Sony with memory stick duos which made people who invested in their cards stick to the brand. Well, at least now their devices accept SD cards and I'm drifting ot already, hehe!


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## mossyoak (Aug 30, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> The foursevens quark123 is on my wish list. Foursevens have nice lights although I can't understand why they can't stick with 18650s. They had to go with the 26650/25650 route which seems to me like they're trying to rake in all the cash they can get from their consumers... Correct me if I'm wrong but these battery sizes are proprietary sizes of foursevens, right?
> 
> They're like Sony with memory stick duos which made people who invested in their cards stick to the brand. Well, at least now their devices accept SD cards and I'm drifting ot already, hehe!
> 
> ...



less about proprietary more about 4000Mah capacity. 

They dont gouge you on price for the cells so I think they just use em because they are better.


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## Norm (Aug 30, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> They had to go with the 26650/25650 route which seems to me like they're trying to rake in all the cash they can get from their consumers... Correct me if I'm wrong but these battery sizes are proprietary sizes of foursevens, right?


Wrong

Google 26650 Flashlight.

Norm


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## yliu (Aug 30, 2012)

Fenix, Olight, Sunwayman.

Although the other brands are just as good in terms of quality and performance.


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## HaileStorm (Aug 31, 2012)

Norm said:


> Wrong
> 
> Google 26650 Flashlight.
> 
> Norm



I stand corrected. Always thought 26650s were produced only by foursevens but I guess you learn something new everyday, hehe!

On a sidenote, though, they still aren't as easy to find as 18650s so I don't think I'll be getting their maelstrom series which sucks since the features of the maelstroms are very attractive. 


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## Landshark99 (Sep 11, 2012)

So far my favorites are EagleTac, Fenix, OLight, Nitecore, Thrunite, Sunwayman and Zebralight


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## jdhermit (Sep 12, 2012)

foursevens??


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## mossyoak (Sep 12, 2012)

You really only have to buy them once. whats the problem?





HaileStorm said:


> I stand corrected. Always thought 26650s were produced only by foursevens but I guess you learn something new everyday, hehe!
> 
> On a sidenote, though, they still aren't as easy to find as 18650s so I don't think I'll be getting their maelstrom series which sucks since the features of the maelstroms are very attractive.
> 
> ...


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## HaileStorm (Sep 13, 2012)

mossyoak said:


> You really only have to buy them once. whats the problem?



Buy the rechargeables once? There's a big problem there. I intend to purchase more batteries in case one breaks down and those aren't as widely available as 18650s in my area. 


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## LightWalker (Sep 13, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> Buy the rechargeables once? There's a big problem there. I intend to purchase more batteries in case one breaks down and those aren't as widely available as 18650s in my area.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



Another advantage of lights that take 18650's is that they usually will run on CR123 primaries also.


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## mossyoak (Sep 14, 2012)

HaileStorm said:


> Buy the rechargeables once? There's a big problem there. I intend to purchase more batteries in case one breaks down and those aren't as widely available as 18650s in my area.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD



You completely missed what I meant. Im saying they are REchargable, so buy your set up and you dont need to buy more like you would with primary cells when theyre used up. 
or be content with the smaller 18650 cell.


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## Torpedo (Sep 14, 2012)

Sunwayman, Fenix and Klarus have held up well for me.


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## 1215 (Sep 15, 2012)

The four sevens detractors.. hahaha.

Bought 3 for myself and family with 2 more on the way. Have had first lot over a year without any problems from either of them, been freediving, out and about, caving, exploring, dropped, sand, salt all the worst... but managed to loose my G5 and my swissy on new years >_>

Only failure was the malestrom g5 holster ripping, but that could be due to me catching it on trees and rocks. Internally they have acceptable build quality, reasonable soldering and the cases are tough. For the quality, price, moonlight and functionality I can't beat them. I do see lack of new models though too.

But lets face it, led tech only gets about 15-20% per year usually.


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## kengps (Sep 15, 2012)

I've owned about every brand out there. 4Sevens is nothing special, plus they take forever to get a new design out the door. By the time it's shipping it's already behind the curve. JetBeams have always been pretty on the outside, and full of bugs and problems on the inside. Not to mention I have found them to be un-ethical in Warranty issues. I am currently most impressed by the product lines of Thrunite, Sunwayman, and Zebralight. They are simply the highest quality builds out there. They are also the absolute cutting edge in innovation and concept.


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## interloper (Sep 15, 2012)

Of the Chinese companies have any of them been around significantly longer than some others?

Thanks,

James


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## nbp (Sep 15, 2012)

Fenix was probably the first good brand to come out of China probably 6 years ago or so.


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## nicho (Sep 18, 2012)

Just use one brand, Fenix 

Fenix TK


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## Obsessed (Sep 18, 2012)

+1 for Sunwayman. Great customer service, and their lights are awesome performers and they look decent. Hold up well too. I have a friend who has a Fenix and he likes it, but I've never been as attracted to Fenix Lights, although I do love the name. I wonder if they were thinking of Arizona when they named their company? :nana:


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## Brisse (Sep 18, 2012)

Why is there no mention of Wolf-Eyes in this thread?


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## HaileStorm (Sep 18, 2012)

mossyoak said:


> You completely missed what I meant. Im saying they are REchargable, so buy your set up and you dont need to buy more like you would with primary cells when theyre used up.
> or be content with the smaller 18650 cell.



I know they're rechargeables but what I'm saying is that I can't find 26650s anywhere. 18650s are just more accessible to me locally.

Anyway, I never said I didn't like foursevens, I in fact, would like to purchase the maelstrom had they made it run on 18650s instead of 26650s. It's a matter of accessibility for me.


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## reppans (Sep 18, 2012)

I prefer the ones that stand behind their products with a long warranty, good customer service, and a return location not halfway around the world from you,


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## DaDoWL (Sep 18, 2012)

I'm glad I'm seeing a lot of foursevens in the lists here. That is the brand that got me started on lights. I usually have two of their torches on me at all times. Love the look, build quality, feel, and UI of this brand. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to try out these other fine brands. My wife already harps on me about spending the money on the ones I already have haha.


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## Sparky's Magic (Sep 18, 2012)

Build quality, price and high performance in EagleTac Flashlights matches (some) customs - These really are beautifully made and their white wrapper cells (new) are superb!


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## bladesmith3 (Sep 20, 2012)

sunwayman
klarus
jetbeam
fenix
foursevens


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## bonbonbin_ (Apr 27, 2015)

:naughty: AGREE!


bladesmith3 said:


> sunwayman
> klarus
> jetbeam
> fenix
> foursevens


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## hbk_rey (Apr 28, 2015)

Olight missing?


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