What goofy feature sets do they have that makes you not be able to take them seriously?
Since I posted such a provocative statement, it's only fair I explain it.
A few notes to start;
- As a point of reference, my "serious use" definition centers around the use of a handheld light as a means to enhance situational awareness, personal safety and self-protection (with or without a firearm)
- Therefore my comments below are directed at flashlights marketed as "tactical" - a label that IMO is over used and misapplied solely for marketing purposes, especially by Asian flashlight makers
The use of flashlights for the purposes stated above is based on techniques that have been long-established in the field of LE. These techniques very much
drive the design of the products intended for this specific use -
not the other way around.
The design and feature sets of most Asian "tactical" lights rarely align with these
well-established techniques for defensive use of flashlights. They seem to design their products in a vacuum from real world application, then develop their marketing to promote the misplaced design. I will use the Olight Warrior
from this page as an example;
Warrior X 4 USB-C and MCC Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight With Holster
● Defy The Darkness: Featuring max 2,600lm output and 630m beam distance, the X4 balances the spot and spill well with a peak beam intensity of 99,310 candela, and is equipped with a dazzling strobe, making it born for warriors.
● Strikingly Impressive Looking: The Warrior X 4 exudes a commanding presence with its concise yet powerful design. The eye-catching harpoon-like logos on the head and tail further enhance its aggressive aesthetic, giving the impression that this tactical companion is ready to conquer any darkness that lies ahead.
Other than the actual light output specs and beam description in the first point above, the rest tells me nothing about the light and its "tactical" applications. Phrases such as
defying darkness, born for warriors, commanding presence, eye-catching logos, etc. amount to nothing more than amusing marketing hype used in an attempt to convey the product's alleged value proposition.
Warrior X operation -
user manual here
The most important attribute of any device that must be used under stress (when one might be relying only on gross motor skills) is a
simple user interface.
For flashlights, the universally accepted UI for "serious use" is a tail cap switch that when pressed gives
maximum output every time and without fail - regardless of how the switch is manipulated - and turning off as soon as the switch is released as epitomized by the classic Surefire "twisty" tail caps.
Complete and intuitive control of the light is essential for this application: turning it
off on time can be as important as turning it on (at maximum output) precisely when needed.
Under the stress of imminent violence there will be no bandwidth available to control multiple output modes via
tap, tap and hold, press, press and hold, etc. Additionally, having an inadvertent "tap" of the switch unexpectedly turn the light constant-on into bullet magnet mode is something I see as especially problematic;
3.1 Regular Mode
3.1.1 Turn on/off Low mode (1):
Tap to turn on Low mode, tap again to turn off, see Figure 3
Cool electronic switch technology is great for mundane EDC use, but as configured above a liability for serious risk ("tactical") applications.
Lastly, I don't know what it is with the Asian flashlight makers, but they seem to think their "tactical" flashlights need to look like something from a Hollywood Star Wars set (but that is admittedly an entirely subjective observation).
So to summarize my response to your question: between the laughable marketing hype, inappropriate user interfaces and over-the-top styling, I find it difficult to take the typical Chi-com "tactical" flashlight seriously.
Just my 2-cents, YMMV.