LED Flashlights

The SureFire L1 Lumamax and the Tektite Expedition Star take Best Buy honors. Incandescents may not pale in comparison, but they're fading fast.

LED lights. Top row: Streamlight 3C, SureFire L1, Tektite Expedition Star, SureFire E2o+KL1, Streamlight Twin-Task 2D, SureFire L4, Browning Odyssey 3000, Inova X5. Bottom Row: Golight Epoch 4, Inova 24/7, EternaLight 3M.

At the end of our last review of LED flashlights, only about three and half years ago, (March 2000) we said that the development of these lights was in its infancy, that we expected to see brighter white LEDs in the near future, and more entrants in the field. In the interim we've looked at low-draw LED masthead lights (May 15, 2000) and other developments like LED navigation lights, "SmartLytes," and nav station penlights (January 1, 2003). In an upcoming Chandlery we'll talk about some tough-as-nails LED trailer lights from SeaSense.…