(Reviewers note: This unit provided by the manufacturer for review.)
The market for so-called tactical flashlights gets ever more crowded on an almost daily basis. There is a bewildering array of options, often dominated by a few big names in the market; veritable giants like the much-revered Surefire and one or two others. So when a product comes on the market that can actually challenge these giants of industry and do so at a lower price point, it is hard to not get excited.
As regular readers may know, I've long been a fan of Lumapower Flashlights, a chinese manufacturer that came on the scene a few years back. Their quality has, in my experience, been consistently high, especially given their price point which is always reasonable.
The last light that I reviewed from Lumapower that fit the billing of a typical tactical/duty light was the M-1T, one of Lumapower's very first entries into the market. Things have come a long way since then!
Let's take a look at the current offering from Lumapower, the Signature Tactical.
We'll start with the specifications as per the usual approach.
Overall Length: 139mm (Standard Version)
Body Diameter: 22.5 (Max) 20mm (Flat Surface)
Standard Package: Orange Peel Reflector (Optional Smooth)
Tactical Forward Clicky
4 levels of output via Lumapower SideKick III Digital Switch
Maximum, High, Medium, Low, and High Speed Strobe
Maximum output: 280 lumens
Construction: Type III HA Black over Aircraft Grade Aluminum, Square cut threads, double sided anti-reflective lense, spring steel pocket clip,
Cigar / Rogers Grip ring (removable)
GITD O-Ring (Lens) and Rubber Switch Cover, Lanyard Hole
Anti-roll, Tail Stand Ready
High Circuit efficiency without flickering
Wide Range Input Voltage (Fully Regulated At 4v to 10v, 2.4v-3.9v Semi Regulated)
Just a few years back, 280 lumens in a pocket-sized light, was almost unthinkable, but with the advances in LED technology, this is now more and more attainable. Let's talk about the output then.
Output
The LED in the Signature Tactical is a Cree XR-E R2. While that is no longer the state of the art, I have had this light for some time now and 280 lumens is still a hell of a lot of light!
The tint and output on the LED in this light are really quite nice. Pure white and very bright. It may well be one of the brightest EDC-type flashlights that I have.
The reflector is aluminum with a nicely done orange-peel texture, that produces a nice floody beam. There is a large central hotspot with a very even and artifact-free spillbeam and a smooth transition between hotspot and spillbeam. It's a fantastic utility light for both self-defense and every-day use, although it is not all that great for long distance. Being able to light up a large swath of my yard or the landscape around me does come in handy. It also works great mounted on a rifle, as the large spillbeam prevents you from getting too much tunnel-vision.
The maximum output is listed as 280 lumens. The Signature Tactical can maintain this level for almost 3 hours! It also has three lower levels that are very nicely spaced, with the low being an eye-sparing 15-20 lumens that you can maintain for dozens of hours. There is also, as is becoming increasingly common, an eyeball-searing strobe function, which seems, like the other lights with a strobe function from Lumapower, to be set right in the 13-15 hertz range, for maximum visual disruption.
Build Quality & Design
Lumapower frankly outdid themselves on the Signature Tactical. The build quality is better than I've ever seen from them in the past and so is the design.
The narrow waist on the body of the light makes it sit very comfortably in the hand. Combined with the excellent diamond-knurling, your grip is very secure on the Signature. The knurling is especially nice in that it is quite grippy but not so aggressive that it will tear up your pockets or other things in your pockets.
The tailcap has a two-lobed crenelation that guards the very positive forward clicky switch, which is covered with a textured rubber cap. The switch provides both an audible and a tactile feedback when you depress it all the way to put it in constant-on mode. At the same time, it is also smooth and responsive when used in the momentary mode. I really couldn't ask for a nicer switch!
On the side of the barrel is what Lumapower refers to as their SideKick-III switch.
This is a further evolution of the same switching system you saw on the Lumapower MVP-P7 that I reviewed here: Lumapower MVP-P7
This SideKick switching system is rather ingenious. It allows you to access all the various modes on the light, with a simple press on the side button, completely negating the need for odd sequences of button pushing that you might have to engage in on a different light. Click on the light in the rear, change modes on the side. Brilliant! Now, unlike the switch on the MVP-P7, the switch on the Signature is electronic, not mechanical.
I am frankly not entirely sure that I like this change, but I can understand why they did it, as the innards of the Signature are considerably smaller and making a purely mechanical switch that would also be durable in such a small space, might have been very difficult if not outright impossible.
Why don't I like this, you might ask. Well, the mechanical switch allows you to set the level of the light without actually having to turn on the light first. I found that to be a handy feature several times on the MVP. With the electronic switch on the Signature, the light does have to be turned on first before you can use the SideKick switch to change modes. One major reason, other than space constraints, that I can see for making this kind of design choice, is that with a light that you carry in your pocket, it is quite possible to accidentally switch the setting on the light. This could be problematic in some circumstances, so it may well be for the best in the long run. That all being said, if you depress the SideKick switch, and lightly press the tailswitch, you can change the modes rather quickly on the Signature with ease. You don't actually have to turn the light on first and then change the modes. And realistically, the mode switching is one of the better ones I've seen on any other light in this format.
Moving on to other parts of the light, the bezel is also crenelated but in a somewhat more aggressive fashion than the tailcap. It is not however, so aggressive that it looks weapon-like, which has been a complaint with other lights in the past. That is not to say that you could not effectively rake the living daylights out of an attackers face if you had to. Theoretically, that is.
The machining quality is overall excellent and the little touches that Lumapower added really show off their level of forethought. For instance, all the threads on the Signature are of the square-cut variety. This type of thread is significantly more durable than conventional threading, which bodes well for the longevity of the Signature, especially when you add in the extra durability provided by the Type III anodizing that covers the entire light. All the machining is exceptionally crisp, with the subtle logos and other legends that you find on the light being also very crisp and not overly glaring. Towards the head of the Signature, there is a small diagram that shows the two types of batteries that can be used in the Signature and the proper orientation of these batteries. A very nice little touch.
Another nice touch is the anti-roll ring that is mounted under the tailcap. This ring also helps to facilitate the use of the light in the so-called cigar-grip, which is commonly used in conjunction with a firearm.
This ring is easily removable, although that does leave a gap and would make the pocket clip rather loose.
Said pocket clip, by the way, is fantastic! I've raved about the clip on the First Light Tomahawk before, and the Tomahawk clip is in its own class, but for a more typical light, similar in shape to many Surefire lights and others, this is possibly one of the best pocket clips I've ever seen. It holds the light just right in the pocket, making it easy to access and it does so without ripping your pants to shreds as Lumapower was prescient enough to machine two flat areas into the barrel, that are devoid of knurling. This is such a great design touch, it really made my day when I discovered it. It is also very secure and I've never had an issue with the light coming out of the pocket without me wanting it to.
And, as always, the Signature is designed to be easily upgradeable and modular.
There are several different accessories available for it, everything from smooth reflectors to Turbo Heads for more throw, to dedicated low-profile Tele-Force heads.
Overall, I have nothing to complain about when it comes to either the design or the build quality of the Signature Tactical.
Accessories
The accessories included with the Signature Tactical are pretty standard. A basic set of extra O-rings, an extra tail switch cover and that's about it. I don't really mind that it doesn't come with a holster, as I dislike using a holster for a light that size and the clip does such a great job.
Conclusion
I have been using the Signature Tactical for something close to a year now. It has worked absolutely flawlessly during that time. I have run it with both primary CR123 batteries and with rechargeables, but my daily carry is conducted with an 18650 Lithium-Ion battery in it. I use an Ultrafire 3000 mAH battery and it is admittedly a very snug fit, but any regular capacity 18650 should fit with no trouble.
The form-factor really works well for me, and the implementation by Lumapower is just phenomenal. Given that these lights routinely sell for quite a bit less than 100 dollars, they're an amazing bargain, given their features and quality. I can't recommend these lights enough, especially considering that there is a new version out, identical in size and shape, that pushes 580 lumens worth of output! I am not aware of any other light on the market in the same price range that gets even close to that.
If I were to complain about anything, it would be that there just aren't enough accessories available. I would dearly love to see an accessory tailcap with a tapeswitch for mounting on a rifle. I have used the Signature Tactical on an M4 and it works great for that. No problem handling the recoil at all. But having a tapeswitch available would make it work even better, especially for me with the way I tend to run an AR.
But other than that, I have zero complaints. Go get one!
The market for so-called tactical flashlights gets ever more crowded on an almost daily basis. There is a bewildering array of options, often dominated by a few big names in the market; veritable giants like the much-revered Surefire and one or two others. So when a product comes on the market that can actually challenge these giants of industry and do so at a lower price point, it is hard to not get excited.
As regular readers may know, I've long been a fan of Lumapower Flashlights, a chinese manufacturer that came on the scene a few years back. Their quality has, in my experience, been consistently high, especially given their price point which is always reasonable.
The last light that I reviewed from Lumapower that fit the billing of a typical tactical/duty light was the M-1T, one of Lumapower's very first entries into the market. Things have come a long way since then!
Let's take a look at the current offering from Lumapower, the Signature Tactical.
Pretty, is it not? In a manly way, of course!
We'll start with the specifications as per the usual approach.
Overall Length: 139mm (Standard Version)
Body Diameter: 22.5 (Max) 20mm (Flat Surface)
Standard Package: Orange Peel Reflector (Optional Smooth)
Tactical Forward Clicky
4 levels of output via Lumapower SideKick III Digital Switch
Maximum, High, Medium, Low, and High Speed Strobe
Maximum output: 280 lumens
Construction: Type III HA Black over Aircraft Grade Aluminum, Square cut threads, double sided anti-reflective lense, spring steel pocket clip,
Cigar / Rogers Grip ring (removable)
GITD O-Ring (Lens) and Rubber Switch Cover, Lanyard Hole
Anti-roll, Tail Stand Ready
High Circuit efficiency without flickering
Wide Range Input Voltage (Fully Regulated At 4v to 10v, 2.4v-3.9v Semi Regulated)
Just a few years back, 280 lumens in a pocket-sized light, was almost unthinkable, but with the advances in LED technology, this is now more and more attainable. Let's talk about the output then.
Output
The LED in the Signature Tactical is a Cree XR-E R2. While that is no longer the state of the art, I have had this light for some time now and 280 lumens is still a hell of a lot of light!
The tint and output on the LED in this light are really quite nice. Pure white and very bright. It may well be one of the brightest EDC-type flashlights that I have.
The reflector is aluminum with a nicely done orange-peel texture, that produces a nice floody beam. There is a large central hotspot with a very even and artifact-free spillbeam and a smooth transition between hotspot and spillbeam. It's a fantastic utility light for both self-defense and every-day use, although it is not all that great for long distance. Being able to light up a large swath of my yard or the landscape around me does come in handy. It also works great mounted on a rifle, as the large spillbeam prevents you from getting too much tunnel-vision.
Here you can see the rather well-made reflector. This provides a very useful beam profile.
The lens is also coated and uses UCL glass.
Build Quality & Design
Lumapower frankly outdid themselves on the Signature Tactical. The build quality is better than I've ever seen from them in the past and so is the design.
The narrow waist on the body of the light makes it sit very comfortably in the hand. Combined with the excellent diamond-knurling, your grip is very secure on the Signature. The knurling is especially nice in that it is quite grippy but not so aggressive that it will tear up your pockets or other things in your pockets.
Note in this picture that my pinky finger is resting on top of the SideKick switch. It is very easy to switch modes.
The tailcap has a two-lobed crenelation that guards the very positive forward clicky switch, which is covered with a textured rubber cap. The switch provides both an audible and a tactile feedback when you depress it all the way to put it in constant-on mode. At the same time, it is also smooth and responsive when used in the momentary mode. I really couldn't ask for a nicer switch!
Here you can see the guarded tailswitch. There are also two small lanyard holes. Not large enough to be used with paracord, unfortunately.
The inside of the tailcap. Note that the guts of the switch are easily replaceable.
This is a further evolution of the same switching system you saw on the Lumapower MVP-P7 that I reviewed here: Lumapower MVP-P7
This SideKick switching system is rather ingenious. It allows you to access all the various modes on the light, with a simple press on the side button, completely negating the need for odd sequences of button pushing that you might have to engage in on a different light. Click on the light in the rear, change modes on the side. Brilliant! Now, unlike the switch on the MVP-P7, the switch on the Signature is electronic, not mechanical.
I am frankly not entirely sure that I like this change, but I can understand why they did it, as the innards of the Signature are considerably smaller and making a purely mechanical switch that would also be durable in such a small space, might have been very difficult if not outright impossible.
Why don't I like this, you might ask. Well, the mechanical switch allows you to set the level of the light without actually having to turn on the light first. I found that to be a handy feature several times on the MVP. With the electronic switch on the Signature, the light does have to be turned on first before you can use the SideKick switch to change modes. One major reason, other than space constraints, that I can see for making this kind of design choice, is that with a light that you carry in your pocket, it is quite possible to accidentally switch the setting on the light. This could be problematic in some circumstances, so it may well be for the best in the long run. That all being said, if you depress the SideKick switch, and lightly press the tailswitch, you can change the modes rather quickly on the Signature with ease. You don't actually have to turn the light on first and then change the modes. And realistically, the mode switching is one of the better ones I've seen on any other light in this format.
Moving on to other parts of the light, the bezel is also crenelated but in a somewhat more aggressive fashion than the tailcap. It is not however, so aggressive that it looks weapon-like, which has been a complaint with other lights in the past. That is not to say that you could not effectively rake the living daylights out of an attackers face if you had to. Theoretically, that is.
The crenelated bezel. Quite subtle but useful. Also note the diagram on the side.
Another nice touch is the anti-roll ring that is mounted under the tailcap. This ring also helps to facilitate the use of the light in the so-called cigar-grip, which is commonly used in conjunction with a firearm.
This ring is easily removable, although that does leave a gap and would make the pocket clip rather loose.
Said pocket clip, by the way, is fantastic! I've raved about the clip on the First Light Tomahawk before, and the Tomahawk clip is in its own class, but for a more typical light, similar in shape to many Surefire lights and others, this is possibly one of the best pocket clips I've ever seen. It holds the light just right in the pocket, making it easy to access and it does so without ripping your pants to shreds as Lumapower was prescient enough to machine two flat areas into the barrel, that are devoid of knurling. This is such a great design touch, it really made my day when I discovered it. It is also very secure and I've never had an issue with the light coming out of the pocket without me wanting it to.
Note here the square cut and anodized threads. The Signature Tactical has a single O-ring as the seal. It does its job quite well.
The pocket clip. I know it looks unassuming, but it works so bloody well. Note also the "cigar ring" at the top of the clip.
Plenty of clearance for even heavy fabrics. The clip is made of spring steel and is very strong!
The gap left behind if you remove the clip and the "cigar ring". I would like to see the light come with a spacer to replace this for those customers that prefer to use a holster and thus have no use for the clip.
The LED engine. As you can see, it is also easily replaceable. This is one of the great selling points of the Lumapower light compared to many other big name makers.
Even the reflector can be readily replaced. It is machined from solid aluminum.
The inside of the battery compartment is also anodized, a good way to get around using other types of non-conductive coatings that aren't as durable.
There are several different accessories available for it, everything from smooth reflectors to Turbo Heads for more throw, to dedicated low-profile Tele-Force heads.
Overall, I have nothing to complain about when it comes to either the design or the build quality of the Signature Tactical.
Accessories
The accessories included with the Signature Tactical are pretty standard. A basic set of extra O-rings, an extra tail switch cover and that's about it. I don't really mind that it doesn't come with a holster, as I dislike using a holster for a light that size and the clip does such a great job.
Conclusion
I have been using the Signature Tactical for something close to a year now. It has worked absolutely flawlessly during that time. I have run it with both primary CR123 batteries and with rechargeables, but my daily carry is conducted with an 18650 Lithium-Ion battery in it. I use an Ultrafire 3000 mAH battery and it is admittedly a very snug fit, but any regular capacity 18650 should fit with no trouble.
The form-factor really works well for me, and the implementation by Lumapower is just phenomenal. Given that these lights routinely sell for quite a bit less than 100 dollars, they're an amazing bargain, given their features and quality. I can't recommend these lights enough, especially considering that there is a new version out, identical in size and shape, that pushes 580 lumens worth of output! I am not aware of any other light on the market in the same price range that gets even close to that.
If I were to complain about anything, it would be that there just aren't enough accessories available. I would dearly love to see an accessory tailcap with a tapeswitch for mounting on a rifle. I have used the Signature Tactical on an M4 and it works great for that. No problem handling the recoil at all. But having a tapeswitch available would make it work even better, especially for me with the way I tend to run an AR.
But other than that, I have zero complaints. Go get one!
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