Hands down best quality single cr123 light.

I want your honest opinion on a light taking EVERYTHING into consideration. Build quality, materials, user interface, beam profile, output, runtime, the way it feels, ease of use. I'm going to try to keep this thread dedicated to single 123 lights. I know there's a lot that goes into making a perfect light and some lights do things better than others. I just want to know what is your grail 123 light and maybe a short description of why. I know we will have a lot of different answers and that's fine it is your opinion. I'd like to see a list of lights ppl can go to that simply want the best with money being no object to start their search for a new 123 light. Thanks. I'll start it off by recommending the mcgizmo haiku.

I would have to say HDS Rotary. Toughest built light I own.

HDS Rotary 200. I got one a couple weeks ago, and I have to say that I'm loving the rotary control. I can always select just the right amount of light for the situation, and the high seems like much more than I was expecting for 200 lumens. But I guess there's no need to say anything about HDS lights, as there are literally thousands (tens of thousands?) of posts about them already!

Sorry for the echo in here but - Own about 25-30 "grail" lights (for most people) and I EDC my 200 rotary (own 4 HDS's) but....
I was just outside tonight and my Son (who has benefited from my Hobby ) even said, Wow that is a nice beam.
I taught him well!

He exclaimed about not only the Brightness but the fact that the balance of throw and spill was inmpressive and the seamless transition between the two zones was amazing. I then let him hold the light and interact, closing with "and that is still the original battery"


It is an amazing light.

Another vote for HDS Rotary... but in terms of toughness, I think the Clicky might be better.

HDS HICRI Clicky. I have not have a chance to try out a HDS Rotary. I have a McGizmo Haiku, but the low is not low enough for me in certain situations. I used the low mode on the Haiku to assist my niece in the movie theater. It distracted a lot of people. The low on the HDS clicky works fine in movie theaters.

Hds was my second choice a very close choice actually. After all is is my avatar lol.

I prefer the McGizmo Ti mule, myself. I also have an HDS Clicky and a McGizmo Haiku for reference.

Another vote for the HDS Rotary. I like having the ability to custom program it, the smooth rotary adjustment for brightness, the ability to use either CR123 or RCR123 (rechargeable) batteries, and the great build quality. It fits in the hand very well and has an excellent beam with nice hot spot and good spill. There truthfully isn't anything that I DON'T like about my HDS Rotary!

McGizmo Haiku

HDS Nichia hi cri Clickie, Mcgismo Ti, Mac's Customs Tri Edc, DarkSucks Alpha shorty. Surefire EB1 is sturdy, and I like the clip, but the UI is the simplest of the bunch


My Hds120 hi cri, is my personal favorite. I can pick and program four different modes. Awesome warranty, and incredibly sturdy

It will come down to personal preference, but the tops will be McGizmo, Mac's customs, HDS, Darksucks, Peak, Malkoff.

Get one of each, try them and sell the rest....

I'm gonna say my HDS Clicky is pretty much perfect for EDC. UI is perfect as it can be tailored to your specific needs, crazy durable, fully regulated with low battery indicator on CR123 or Li-Ion, good throw for its size, and if you go for the 120 surprisingly inexpensive. Really the only flaw IMO is the pocket, which is easily remedied.

ive come to realize that my surefire L1, and E1L are my perfect single CR123 lights. ive swapped in emitters of my preference though.
ideally, 2 modes is perfect for me. a narrow beam pattern produced by an optic, and great ergos.
the UI are different, L1 is a dual-stage momentary, and the E1L is a low/high clicky. for my EDC use, nothing has been better than the L1.
some have complained about its clip design and function, but i carry them deep pocket, bezel up. so it doesnt matter to me, ive even taken the clip off the E1L cause it seems useless. actually it functions well as an anti-roll stop.

ive owned a hds clicky before, i do miss it, but i like my L1 and E1L more. i prefer a mechanical switch more. and the hds clicky was a little short for me. im not a big fan of having to program it and all the clicking, its a little more complicated than i want. im really just nit picking though, its a great light.
never tried a rotary, not by choice. but the new XP-G versions have a more floody reflector based beam that i know i wont love. i think i would prefer the older GDP emitters, or even the high CRI P4.
ive never tried a mcgizmo. but i dont like cycling through 3 modes much, and i really dont like mode memory. or at least that what i tell myself, since i cant afford them. a mcgizmo, with the guts of a E1L, and some type of narrow optic would trump everything for me. its not impossible to do either...

I like Gatlight Ti. One of the first lights with variable output I believe. Great build quility and a unique design, which I like. I don´t EDC the Gatlight, it´s too expensive for that. I have a HDS rotary incoming, so perhaps it will take over the throne when it arrives. The HDS will become my EDC light.

Surefire T1A - you won't know till you try one. It is the " Everyday " light at a reasonable cost. On the other side is my SWGG Xml2 Spy 007. From the lowest low to an awe inspiring, field searching high (only for 60 seconds ) in the palm of your hand!

The Zebralight SC600...
Now before I am stoned for saying this ...
UI is perfect in my opinion. Instant High and Low with "dual" output options on all three levels. (My normal usage requirements are generally all out blazing or very low) Nice floody beam. Small size. Fairly robust.
Yes, the serious negative is the atrocious tint. Well, on my examples that is. But that is easily solved by replacing the emitter with something decent...

Marten said:

The Zebralight SC600...
Now before I am stoned for saying this ...
UI is perfect in my opinion. Instant High and Low with "dual" output options on all three levels. (My normal usage requirements are generally all out blazing or very low) Nice floody beam. Small size. Fairly robust.
Yes, the serious negative is the atrocious tint. Well, on my examples that is. But that is easily solved by replacing the emitter with something decent...

Click to expand...

Whoah, you can run that on a single cr123, with a spacer or something? I was under the impression you couldn't even use 2xcr123a instead of the 18650 rechargeable.

EIther way the zebralight UI seems like the best shot at a multimode light, instant high or low. Quality aside. I'm sure the mcgizmo, hds, or sf are tops in that department.

I don't think that there's a simple answer to this question. It all depends on how you plan to use it. If you want a basic, one cell light that everybody who touches will intuitively understand and enjoy using, I'd give it to the Surefire L1/EB1T.

I'm very happy to see some love for the T1A on here, which never gets the respect it deserves because of the high stakes tint lottery Surefire plays with us.

My early SF E1b Backup has been my 24/7 EDC companion for years - and was starting to show it earlier this year. I didn't mind the wear - it was an old friend. Still, there is no known cure, save an empty bank account, for flashlight, knife, or revolver gluttony. I satiated my LED flashlight desires earlier this year with a newbie - the EB1C Backup. Nearly two hour run time on ~200L. It almost tailstands - great for middle of the night bathroom visits on low. My old Backup tailstands due to a damaged E2DL's tailcap which I reprofiled and repurposed. That is such an important feature - I still can't believe SF hasn't included it - especially in the newest Backup. Still, pricey - but functional - after trying some other single CR123 cell flashlights, I'll take my SF Backups. Stainz