Customer Reviews

Duracell Daylite 160-Lumen 4-Watt LED Flashlight with 2-CR123 Lithium Batteries

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For 40 bucks it's a good value. It's very bright, at least for a while, and seems to be pretty well built. If you need something bright for occasional use, you would be hard pressed to find something this small that throws out this much light.

If you are going to use it very much though, you definitely need to find a source for cheap CR123 batteries. With fresh batteries, the light is unbelievable. Compared to a 2 AA Mag LED, they're not even in the same league. But once the voltage falls below 2.7 volts on each cell, or 5.4 volts for the two, the light output falls off sharply. And it does not take long to get to 2.7 volts. At some point I may sacrafice a new set to give an idea of exactly how long we are talking. But once it falls to that level, that little 2 AA LED Mag I mentioned earlier will be brighter. Now, the Daylite may very well hold around 2.6 volts for some time. But the light output will be off so much that you will swap the batteries before you get a chance to see.


Update 12/6/2009:

After owning this light for a year, and buying several other brands over the same time, I can say this light is not that good of a value afterall. I tried to get it replaced, but they merely sent a coupon for a new one. No one in the area sells them, and no retailer online seems interested in a coupon. I can't really blame them.

This thing seems to eat batteries when not in use. I might use it for a minute or two ten times, and leave it sitting in between uses. The battery will be shot in three weeks. Even at $2 a battery, it's far too expensive to use. I bought a Fenix PD30 that uses two CR123 batteries and it mops the floor with the Daylite. With four settings, it is also more useful and does not eat batteries. And if you really want to save money, my Eagletac P100A2 is a far better value. It uses common AA batteries, puts out more light and goes way longer between battery changes...even with regular old alkaline Duracells. No telling what it would do with lithiums. And to boot, it cost me about the same as the Daylite.

This is a sleek compact aluminum flashlight that feels durable, is lightweight and comfortable to hold. It is small and light enough to hold with your fingers. You can rotate the end to adjust the beam focus.
This 2cr123 is the most expensive version of the 3 durcell daylites, and will cost you about $40, the other two AA & AAA versions will run you about $30. So the batteries will be more expensive to replace in this one.
However this is the more powerful version featuring 4 watts and 160 lumens versus the 3 watts 80 lumens of the other two.
This is arguably the best flashlight I've ever owned. I have four other flashlights from compact to full size and this one easily outshines them all. It advertises no dark spots and truly delivers on that. I did a brief comparison between the flashlights and this one put the others to shame. The only one that came close was the maglite. The maglite has its advantages. Its a full size flashlight that is extremely durable, and fairly lightweight considering its size. I've dropped the maglite a few times, on concrete and it still works great, and you could literally use it as club, making it an excellent self defense flashlight. In fairness the maglite is also slightly brighter then the duracell in the center circle of its beam. However, the durcaell is much brighter and consistently so all the way to the edge of its beam.
The only complaint I have about the duracell, is the button on the end is a little difficult to push.

UPDATE 9/5/2009- I didn't use this flashlight all that much before I noticed that it dimmed considerably. I suspected that replacing the batteries would restore its brightness and it did. However, it should not be dimming that much after maybe an hours use. The use was periodic as well, not all at once. I'm not sure if the other battery versions have the same dimming problem. If you are going on a trip with this, make sure, you have fresh batteries and some back ups. Once dimmed, it was significantly less bright then my maglight, which has had the same set of batteries for awhile now and still maintained its brightness.
The beam on the flashlight doesn't extend very far. It's great for use in the home or a car, but not for outside distances.
The head of the flashlight swivels, which is supposed to adjust the focus of the beam, but it appears to do absolutely nothing.
Given these new complaints, I would probably deduct a star or two, although I still remain impressed with its brightness on fresh batteries.

I have owned this flashlight for over six months now, and put it through its paces the entire time. I am a rotary wing aircraft mechanic in the US Army, currently deployed to Iraq. Most of the work I do is under the cover of darkness out on the flightline in the middle of the desert.

The light is very bright, intolerably so if viewed directly, yet casts a very bright beam that is not too tightly focused. When used for obstacle avoidance at night you get about 300 feet of light out of it when focused tightly, 200 when opened to flood. I have dropped the light countless times from a height of over 10 feet off the top of an aircraft to the concrete surface, fearing its demise each time, but all that happens is the case and bezel get beat up. The lens is plastic and scratches, however it has no impact on the light throw itself. On a fresh pair of batteries it lasts about 5-6 hours before the light rapidly fades. The body of the flashlight will get pretty hot, almost uncomfortable, but not quite after prolonged use, say about 1 hour.

The greatest thing I like about this flashlight is its dependability, I have never had to shake, smack, or bash my flashlight to get the light to come back on, unlike many other flashlights I have owned. This is usually caused by corrosion or other materials building up on the positive contact inside the flashlight body.

An added bonus is its brightness. While it can not keep up with a $120 SureFire Incandescent flashlight, it comes pretty damn close, and lasts way longer on a set of batteries. It is not so tightly focused that i get a defined "spot" of light with no fade at the edges like many of SureFires LED flashlights, and at a fraction of the cost.

All in all, if your looking for a durable, low-cost, and bright LED flashlight look no further.

Finally AVAILABLE on AMAZON!

Excellent Product! You will be amazed at how this thing lights up the night. Great for outdoors in pitch black. Using the same batteries for over 6 weeks now. No loss of brightness. More light output than some $150 flashlights. lifetime guarantee! See the night pics I posted here:

[...]

Enjoy!

Edited: 1/13/2010

I still love my CR123 Daylite 160. While the spot to flood "feature" is basically indistinguishable (Both are bright though), it still hasn't left me in the dark, even after numerous drops. (10 of them intentionally from 8 feet onto the floor.) The heat sinking is excellent.
I am still waiting to test the lifetime guarantee (not just a warranty), but it refuses to go bad on me. (Got it in July, 2008) Here is the Guarantee:

[...]

It is the quality of the light output, the durability of the light, the price, and ESPECIALLY the lifetime guarantee that make this light attractive to me. It's not the brightest, the farthest throwing, or have the most modes, but it's a dependable, bright white light that fits in my pockets.

The CR123 batteries are not that expensive. You can get a box of 12 Surefires for about $[...]. That many will last a very long time. You can even get them cheaper at battery station.com (About $[...] each)

I have not had any problems with the batteries going bad when not in use as another reviewer has said. Perhaps he got a defective unit. And to the person who got a coupon to replace their defective unit but could not find it for sale locally, I would call Duracell and let them know about your plight. I am sure they would make it right for you.

No, I don't work for Duracell, even if I sound like a commercial for them. I just think credit should be given where it is due. So much bad crap is being made these days, it's nice to find a product that lives up to (and surpasses) expectations.

I purchased this flashlight for use on my bicycle. I commute to and from work via bike and need something that will adequately light the road for the trip home after dark. I thought about using one of my Surefire flashlights but couldn't justify seeing a $100+ flashlight getting covered with grime. So, after reading numerous other reviews, I purchased this. The flood pattern is perfect! The throw is perfect! I am thoroughly impressed with this flashlight. My only complaint is not with the flashlight, but with the cost of the CR123 batteries. Ten dollars for 2 batteries? Come on!

Nice light, good size, and very bright. The focus thing is pretty worthless, but doesn't really matter, still puts out good light. The beam is almose as good as my SureFire E2D LED Defender!

I have had this light for a year now and I think it is great. I have a couple fancier lights - but when I really want a bright light I reach for the Duracell. I have not used it too much, and in fact I am still on the same set of batteries that came with the light. That contradicts the experience of a few other reviewers who thought the batteries died prematurely. I do wish it had a strobe setting. And a variable setting would be good too. But for the price, it is great.

This flashlight has met and exceeded my expectations to date. It puts out a strong beam of light and I have not (yet) noticed any of the dimming problems others have previously posted. I have even dropped it twice with no ill effects. It is doing the jobs that I had in mind when I purchased it.

I was quite surprised when I received this flashlight. It is well made and reminds of a maglite. Very bright and I expect years of use. I plan to order a couple more, don't hesitate.

Incredible, it's hard to believe that so much light can come from something that small. It's small enough that I can carry it with me all the time. I love it.