Hello all, this it my first post, but I have lurked a small amount. I’m looking for a compact led flashlight with tail switch to replace and be smaller than my Thrunight tn12 2016 for EDC. I also want it to be of similar brightness and throw.My budget is around $60, The light will accompany my concealed carry pistol, so I need to be able to trust this light, any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
Welcome to BLF!
The On the Road i3 is cute, small and versatile.
But with your budget I’d say a small Olight could just do what you want.
Check reviews on the Klarus XT1C ;)
700 lumen, end (not reverse) clicky with a secondary paddle switch for strobe.
Worth checking out.
I guess I should have mentioned that I have a large number of 18650s and prefer this power source to others but I do really like the paddle switch on my klarus xt11s.
You are going to have a tough time satisfying all of those requirements. First, to clarify, in which ways do you want it to be smaller? Is diameter the most important dimension to be small? Or, how do you want to carry it?
You might first look at some of the eagletac lights. I think they make some of the smallest diameter 18650 lights, and also they make 2x16340 lights I think as well. These might have similar output and throw to your current light.
If you want smaller diameter still you will need to move to AA/14500 sized lights. There are some lights with pretty good output like the utorch ut01, but it is side switch only and it’s not very small in diameter. In small lights it’s more difficult in general to have high output and throw.
I actually was searching for a light with similar requirements as you, and I settled on modifying a thrunite T10. It’s small and has tail switch only, but the stock output and throw are not impressive. I used a dedomed XPG2 and FET driver, and it gets hot fast on high mode. See the mod here.
I carry on the pocket clip button up. I know I can’t go very much smaller diameter but I figure without a forward switch I can go shorter, although it will not be a huge amount. A friend has a nitecore I Believe but am not positive that runs on 18650s or cr123 cells and is what I consider a great size however it will not reliably function with the 18650s (it flickers on and of as you move or shake it) it also has the paddle switch that I like, but I cannot trust it.(I finally got a response from my friend it was a nitecore p10gt if any one knows of a similar light possibly double sprung to improve reliability maybe it would be helpful).
The Convoy S2+ is ~12cm long, so quite shorter than Thrunite TN12.
But would need to be modded with SMO reflector and XP-L Hi emitter, if possible?
And a forward clicky for momentary on. Maybe a custom driver that has only max brightness?
Nitecore P10GT. But it is not so short.
Actually it can not have good throw,to be tactical,to use 18650 and to be short.
Nitecore MH20GT is short one but has side swich which can not be call tactical.
Check out also BLF X5. You can program to start always on high mode.