Best Flashlight Brands... 2015!

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

Hello Everyone,

I was searching around to see if there have been any recent threads with this topic, but all of them seem outdated. This is really a thread to find the most reliable flashlight manufacturers today!

I have heard of Fenix, Surefire, Nitecore... Any other reliable companies out there?

Many people say fenix is the best because they manufacture all their parts, but the TK76 doesn't look like a very impressive light compared with the TK75. Not to mention nitecore has improved upon the TK75 with their TM16!

I currently own a nitecore Tm26, so feel free to ask me any questions about it while you are on this thread.

kj2 · Jul 19, 2015

The TK76 was a way different light, than others. Fenix updated the TK75 to 4000 lumens. Called the TK75 2015. The TK76 has been discontinued because it didn't sell well. Probably because of the design, although I personally really like it. Other 'reliable' brands, you can think of ArmyTek, Olight, Zebralight

WalkIntoTheLight · Jul 19, 2015

My favourite brands this year:

Zebralight: great UI, small, bright, nice moonlights, and offered in neutral white. Innovative designs. Seem pretty well built.

Sunwayman: good for bright lights, offered in neutral white, great looking, seems solid.

Armytek: seems extremely solid and durable, nice mode spacing, simple and decent UI, nice option of warm tints.

My favourite from yesteryear, but no longer:

4sevens: Used to have a nice interface and innovative designs, but seems to have strayed off-course lately. Doesn't offer any tints but cool white. But supposedly great customer service and warranty.

Brands I'd consider:

Fenix: great for very bright lights, but unfortunately doesn't offer much in anything other than cool white.

Brands that might be good, but are overpriced:

Surefire
HDS

Brands I don't have any experience with, but have read too many complaints to consider:

Nitecore

Cheap brands I'd consider:

Convoy, just because they offer a whole range of tints.

Brands I laugh at:

Maglite.

Parrot Quack · Jul 19, 2015

I was a JETBeam fan. I'm currently a Nitecore fanboy. Looking at Armytek and Nitecore for a headlamp.

RollerBoySE · Jul 19, 2015

Used to like 4sevens, but nowadays they are overpriced with bad tints.

Current favorites:
EagleTac
Nitecore
Olight
Noctigon (M43 is mind blowing)

Phry · Jul 19, 2015

Good Brands

Zebralight
Klarus
Peak
Armytek

Bad Brands

Surefire
Maglite
Lots of "cheap" makes

Brands with good and not so good

Fenix
Jetbeam
Olight
Sunwayman

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

kj2 said:
The TK76 was a way different light, than others. Fenix updated the TK75 to 4000 lumens. Called the TK75 2015. The TK76 has been discontinued because it didn't sell well. Probably because of the design, although I personally really like it. Other 'reliable' brands, you can think of ArmyTek, Olight, Zebralight

Yes, it certainly was. But the TK75 and TM16 seem almost identical. I can't find the 4000 lumen TK75 anywhere, can you post a link to that one? On the Fenix website I still found the TK76.

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

WalkIntoTheLight said:
My favourite brands this year:

Zebralight: great UI, small, bright, nice moonlights, and offered in neutral white. Innovative designs. Seem pretty well built.

Sunwayman: good for bright lights, offered in neutral white, great looking, seems solid.

Armytek: seems extremely solid and durable, nice mode spacing, simple and decent UI, nice option of warm tints.

My favourite from yesteryear, but no longer:

4sevens: Used to have a nice interface and innovative designs, but seems to have strayed off-course lately. Doesn't offer any tints but cool white. But supposedly great customer service and warranty.

Brands I'd consider:

Fenix: great for very bright lights, but unfortunately doesn't offer much in anything other than cool white.

Brands that might be good, but are overpriced:

Surefire
HDS

Brands I don't have any experience with, but have read too many complaints to consider:

Nitecore

Cheap brands I'd consider:

Convoy, just because they offer a whole range of tints.

Brands I laugh at:

Maglite.

I don't mean to be rude, but what makes you think nitecore makes bad lights? I bought a tm26 and it is an insane amount of light. The anodizing is perfect in all the heat fins, and there is no dust on the inside of the reflector. All the LEDs are centered, and it's super solid. If I were to be mad at nitecore about anything, it would be the heat problem with the TM26. They heat fins are not large enough to dissipate the heat, so it needs to step down.

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

Parrot Quack said:
I was a JETBeam fan. I'm currently a Nitecore fanboy. Looking at Armytek and Nitecore for a headlamp.

Jet beam use to catch my attention, but they seem to be made in a generic factory in China. Ace beam and jet beam were the same, and I could never figure out who was manufacturing the lights.

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

RollerBoySE said:
Used to like 4sevens, but nowadays they are overpriced with bad tints.

Current favorites:
EagleTac
Nitecore
Olight
Noctigon (M43 is mind blowing)

I gotta look up the M43, sounds like a very good light!

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

Phry said:
Good Brands

Zebralight
Klarus
Peak
Armytek

Bad Brands

Surefire
Maglite
Lots of "cheap" makes

Brands with good and not so good

Fenix
Jetbeam
Olight
Sunwayman

First person that has said Fenix and Surefire makes bad lights! What drives your opinion? Surefire makes flashlights for the military, so I thought they were good...? Everyone has said Fenix does their own manufacturing, and they are one of the best Chinese manufacturedights.

kj2 · Jul 19, 2015

Lantern32 said:
Yes, it certainly was. But the TK75 and TM16 seem almost identical. I can't find the 4000 lumen TK75 anywhere, can you post a link to that one? On the Fenix website I still found the TK76.

Post #509
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...5-product-catalog*-lots-of-new-lights!/page17

Amelia · Jul 19, 2015

I'm not really "brand loyal" - if a light has what I want, I don't particularly care that much about who makes it.
Having said that, for this year:

EagleTac is really rocking! Great new lights and really loving the HI emitters!
Zebralight continues to make GREAT headlamps and high-CRI handhelds with a great UI.
If Nitecore ever releases the EC4S, they will be my HEROES!

Sunwayman continues to go the way of Fenix - no moonlight modes, poor design decisions with emitters and clips... they used to be my favorite brand, but the way they're going I doubt I'll be buying any more Sunwayman any time in the future.

Armytek has forever lost my business with the removal of their programmable UI. BAD decision, you marketing meatheads!

Other than that, it's the usual. Brands rise and fall, but somehow we all end up with a huge variety of wonderful lights to choose from! Capitalism is pretty awesome!

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

kj2 said:
Post #509
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...5-product-catalog*-lots-of-new-lights!/page17

Wow that's amazing! Can't wait for them to start selling those! I heard that the fenix steps down when it gets too hot, but you can override that by putting it in turbo again. Do you know anything about that?

kj2 · Jul 19, 2015

Lantern32 said:
Wow that's amazing! Can't wait for them to start selling those! I heard that the fenix steps down when it gets too hot, but you can override that by putting it in turbo again. Do you know anything about that?

Timed step down. Just press the mode switch to enter the highest mode again. Works with the current TK75 also, AFAIK. As long it doesn't get too hot, and the batteries can handle it, your good.

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

Amelia said:
I'm not really "brand loyal" - if a light has what I want, I don't particularly care that much about who makes it.
Having said that, for this year:

EagleTac is really rocking! Great new lights and really loving the HI emitters!
Zebralight continues to make GREAT headlamps and high-CRI handhelds with a great UI.
If Nitecore ever releases the EC4S, they will be my HEROES!

Sunwayman continues to go the way of Fenix - no moonlight modes, poor design decisions with emitters and clips... they used to be my favorite brand, but the way they're going I doubt I'll be buying any more Sunwayman any time in the future.

Armytek has forever lost my business with the removal of their programmable UI. BAD decision, you marketing meatheads!

Other than that, it's the usual. Brands rise and fall, but somehow we all end up with a huge variety of wonderful lights to choose from! Capitalism is pretty awesome!

I don't think too many people are disappointed with Fenix. They are keeping up with the pack, and this 2015 TK75 is a good example! I don't know the cd of the new light, but 4000 lumens is really good! They have the 2 buttons to change modes too! I know that eagletac is pretty fancy with their user interface, but when you are in an emergency- you are not going to need those fancy functions! However, us flashaholics love turning lights on and off haha!

Lantern32 · Jul 19, 2015

kj2 said:
Timed step down. Just press the mode switch to enter the highest mode again. Works with the current TK75 also, AFAIK. As long it doesn't get too hot, and the batteries can handle it, your good.

That's a really good feature. If you are in an emergency, it is a good idea to be able to run the light as long as you want in turbo. Does it keep stepping down, or does it only step down once? My TM26 is too smart, and it steps down at a certain temperature without an override.

Amelia · Jul 19, 2015

Lantern32 said:
I don't think too many people are disappointed with Fenix. They are keeping up with the pack, and this 2015 TK75 is a good example! I don't know the cd of the new light, but 4000 lumens is really good! They have the 2 buttons to change modes too! I know that eagletac is pretty fancy with their user interface, but when you are in an emergency- you are not going to need those fancy functions! However, us flashaholics love turning lights on and off haha!

Yeah... let me clarify.
I love Fenix lights, the build quality is fantastic and they usually get the UI and mode spacing right.
I only own 2 Fenix lights though... both AAA keychain lights. Why?
My main problem with Fenix is that they have something against sub-lumen (moonlight, or "firefly") modes. Since I use moonlight about half the time I have a typical flashlight on, this pretty much kills the Fenix brand for me. My other problem with Fenix is their emitter choices, in general they tend toward cool whites and don't offer warm or neutral in most of their models.
That is what I meant by "Sunwayman is going the way of Fenix" in my post.

ForrestChump · Jul 19, 2015

Im anti-brand. Or at least try to be as objective as I can. Some brands transend that as near everyithing they put out is excellent.

That said:

Malkoff, HDS, McGizmo, in my experience, are head and shoulders above anything else.

Truly a different league of lights.

kj2 · Jul 19, 2015

Lantern32 said:
That's a really good feature. If you are in an emergency, it is a good idea to be able to run the light as long as you want in turbo. Does it keep stepping down, or does it only step down once? My TM26 is too smart, and it steps down at a certain temperature without an override.

It keeps stepping down. Most Fenix lights, also have a over-heat protection.

Amelia said:
Yeah... let me clarify.
I love Fenix lights, the build quality is fantastic and they usually get the UI and mode spacing right.
I only own 2 Fenix lights though... both AAA keychain lights. Why?
My main problem with Fenix is that they have something against sub-lumen (moonlight, or "firefly") modes. Since I use moonlight about half the time I have a typical flashlight on, this pretty much kills the Fenix brand for me. My other problem with Fenix is their emitter choices, in general they tend toward cool whites and don't offer warm or neutral in most of their models.
That is what I meant by "Sunwayman is going the way of Fenix" in my post.

Fenix should, IMO, offer more lights with moonlight modes. About the emitter choice, they target the general market. Most people want more and more lumens and don't look at color rendering.
Lumens sell. David from FourSevens says warm, neutral and Hi-CRI don't sell enough to be profitable. Sure as manufacturer you can have a couple of these lights, but they can't be your whole line-up. Not if you want to keep, the price low.

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