I have always had a long-standing dislike for a lot of the cheap Chinese crap that is imported to the U.S. The flashlights from the Chinese manufacturer Fenix are a whole different story and maybe are a little peak at what the future holds?

The first light on the left is the T-1 Tactical. It uses (2) CR123 lithium batteries and has two modes – 225 lumens (with about 1.5 hour battery life) and 60 lumens with about a 10 hour life. With a thick stainless steel head and anodized aluminum body, this thing is built like a tank. The illumination comes from the new Cree C-5 LED and features a 50,000 hour life. It weighs in at 6.7 ounces with battery and has a recessed push button tail cap switch and the end is scalloped for CQB use. And trust me when I tell you that 225 lumens is absolutely blinding!

The L1D light in the middle uses one AA battery and also has two modes. The general mode has settings for 9, 40 and 80 lumens as well as SOS. The turbo mode has 90 lumens and a strobe mode. I used this strobe mode in FOF house clearing scenarios and I can tell you it’s very disorienting for the bad guy. It only weighs 2.1 ounces with battery. It utilizes the Cree 7090 LED.

The little P1 on the right uses one CR123 battery and has settings for 12, 72 and 135 lumens as well as a strobe and SOS. This tiny little light only weighs 1.2 ounces with battery and is small enough to put on your keychain and also uses the Cree 7090.

Each one of these had their own little niche. My T-1 is parked in my truck door, I’ve added the L1 to my duty belt as a back up and the P1 is always in my pocket. These lights put out a lot more light than anything Surefire or Streamlight offers in a comparable size and are priced in the $50 to $80 range. As a bonus they come with a nylon holster, lanyard and extra O-rings. If they turn out as durable as I think they are going to turn the whole handheld flashlight industry on it’s head.