ThruNite TN12 V4 1100 Lumens Handheld Flashlight, CREE XP-L V6 EDC LED Flashlight, Indoor/Outdoor (Camping, Hiking, Security and Emergency Use) - Cool White (CW)

I tried hard to dislike this flashlight. First, it's not a Surefire and I've relied on that brand for years. I used a Surefire 6P with a LED mod in the desert and I use one now* to carry out interior and exterior inspections on aircraft. Second, the ThruNite has, in my view, a couple of design flaws. It lacks the hexagonal ring Surefire mills into the back of the 6P bezel, so the ThruNite will roll off any sloped surface. And, the mode selector switch at the front of the ThruNite is unprotected plastic. It's going to break, eventually. Why not protect it with a rubber cover as was done with the tail switch? And, who needs 5 levels of brightness anyway?Despite my initial observations, I've been carrying the ThruNite on the job for a couple of weeks and I like it. I attached the pocket clip so it's not going to roll away. Five levels of brightness? That's really pretty nice. Full bright matches my 6P and illuminates the top of an aircraft tail. Level 3 is perfect indoors. The rechargeable battery rocks and seems to last longer than a pair of disposable 123As in the 6P. The ThruNite is skinnier so it fits in a pocket a little better, and it's lighter at 4.9 oz versus 5.35 for the 6P.Surefire can certainly justify the 2x price for the 6P. It's a beefier light, it accepts filters and there's nothing on it that is going to fail in normal use. That mode button on the ThruNite is eventually going to break and I'm going to be peeved when it does. But it's a great light at $45. I just ordered a second one.

Update: July 2019Light is still going strong. No issues after 2 years. They lowered thr price since I bought my two light. They are down to $39 each. Avery good price for what you get.This review is for the ThruNite TN12 2016 XP-L Neutral White EDC LED Flashlight...For the price this is the best deal going. It performs as good as lights costing twice as much.Color Tint: I prefer neutral white (NW) and thus one is truly NW.Brightness:-I do not have a way to test actual lumens, but from my experience with other lights verified by those that do have the means to verify lumens, this light is definitely a +1000 lumen light.Output Levels: -are well spaced from 2-5. 1 to level 2 jumps quite a bit due to level 1 being firefly mode. Firefly is truly a low level light that is very useful for getting up in the middle of the night for a munchy or latrine break. I have other lights with low level outputs that are brighter than they need to be. This one is just perfect when going from just woke up, to you are now in the bathroom.Throw/Flood/Spotlight: -the beam throws a nice hot spot with a good deal of flood light. It makes searching an area much easier than lights which use a spotlight with minimal flood. -the beam cannot be adjusted but thanks to the design of the reflectors, you get good center brightness and the flood covers your peripheral vision areas quite nicely.Build Quality/Strength:-the quality of the metal is obviously very good. The knurling could be a bit more aggressive. I plan on putting non-skid tape on several contact spots --Tail cap has flanges that protect the on/off button and also allow the flashlight to be stood on its end. The flanges also have slots for attaching lanyards/wrist straps if desired. The flashlight comes with one that I like. NOTE: the tail cap appears to be the weakest link with this flashlight. I am comparing the TN12 against the Fenix PD35Tac. The TN12 rubber cover seems a little thinner and the button not as robust. Not a deal breaker by any means. I am trusting the warranty to have my back on this point.--The threading on both ends of the body are well machined and thread smoothly. O-rings are snugly fitted. --The lens material is very sturdy and should withstand very rough treatmentErgonomics: -I find the length of the light to be a perfect fit in MY hand. When gripped, the level change button is directly under my thumb. -The ribbed areas are right where they need to be to feel comfortable and to provide additional grip -I do not use the clip that came with the light. They tend to make flashlights uncomfortable to hold.I read several reviews where the owners had trouble with the light build/defects. I will update this review if I have any troubles or discover more positives.The old saying "you get what you pay for" does not apply as much these days. Many American products are over priced or crippled so you have to buy the next more expensive version. I am talking minor improvements, not evolutionary improvements. Many lights such as SureFire sell lights with only one level of brightness and have the nerve to charge as much as other lights having at least 3 levels of lighting. If I received value for the money I spend, I would buy more American products. I do not see the value for the dollar spent for many (not all) American products.This light is in the quality and brightness levels as the Fenix PD35 TAC for almost half the price. I own the PD 35 Tac and like it, but would have bought the TN12 2016 had I discovered it first. This light does not have a tactical mode but most users do not need or use this mode.

For the TN12 2016:Tough, durable flashlight with a rechargeable battery (18650) with an excellent selection of modes and excellent battery life.I also have a Wowtac A1S flashlight light which uses the same LED and is nearly identical, but costs less, so here's my completely non-technical comparison:1. Physically, they are damn near identical. The A1S comes with a special 18650 battery that has a charger built into it, reducing it's capacity to a 2600 mAh, according to its label, vs the 3400 mAh ORBTRONIC battery I'm running in the TN12.2. The modes are different: TN12 modes: 0.4, 11, 145, 370, 1050 lumens - 800 strobe. A1S modes: 24, 140, 460, 1150 lumens - 1150 strobeI much prefer the dim modes of the TN12 for subtle light outside at night. The A1S may claim 100 more lumens, but when both lights are on max setting with a fully charged battery, the TN12 is definitely brighter.The tailcap switch on the first A1S had failed within 2 hours and had to be replaced. The TN12 has had no issues.Overall, I prefer the TN12's modes, but the A1S is cheaper. Perhaps it was a fluke my first A1S failed, or maybe it won't last. We'll see.

Does not include battery. User manual does not say what kind of battery it takes. No markings on the flashlight itself say what kind of battery it takes. It isn't until the 7th section of the product description that it actually says, implying that the battery is included. But if you keep reading until the 10th section, it finally says that the battery is not included. Ok. Missed that part. So search for a LI-ION 18650 on Amazon, and there's lots of off-brand AA's available, which is not helpful. I didn't know getting a flashlight would take this much time. It's a flashlight, right? I don't mind buying the battery separate, but don't make me jump through hoops to get one.

Decided to upgrade to a 18650 flashlight but didn't want a USB charging port protected by a rubber bung. Have a few other Thrunites and its hard to fault the combination of performance, quality of construction, easy user interface and value. The TN12 (2016 edition) is going to replace my 2xAA carry and provides greater maximum output in a slightly shorter length.Its 3rd (of 5) settings matches typical 2xAA flashlight maximum output with high and turbo in addition. Has the usual Thrunite well spaced outputs including Firefly (or moonlight) accessed via a no-nonsense (pay attention other brands) side-switch. Single click to cycle through the outputs starting with the memorised last used setting. A long press for strobe which is not memorised. Could not be easier. A forward-clicky tail-switch for momentary and on.

Having previously bought a ThruNite torch and been delighted with it, I didn’t hesitate to buy the same brand again. However I failed to notice that this needs rechargeable batteries like those used for vaping, so it cost a lot more to buy the batteries and charger.Torch, however, is excellent!

There is nothing negative to say about this torch. Nice to hold with a good range of light options and strong . I have dropped it on several occasions and it's still going strong

Got this for someone else for their tent and for protection. It's easily bright enough to disorientate an assailant and the dimmest couple of settings are good for tent use. When switched on with the button at the end, it turns on at the brightness it was previously set at.Tested it for a couple of weeks with my 2 year old and he threw it about the place. Still works fine. Feels good quality too.Comes with a soft carry case and a string to dangle it with. I used an old string I had from a camera instead, which had a better loop for holding but otherwise this was a nice touch.

Brighter than I was prepared for, and with a much wider beam than my old torch. This thing CHUCKS out light. Most impressive. The "natural white" LED in this model is also rather pleasant compared to the bluish tint I've come to expect. Top marks.