Streamlight and Surefire are leaders in the world of weapon lights. If you’re here to know which is better between Streamlight vs Surefire, you’re about to witness a brand comparison like never before. We’ll have two rounds between the best models from both manufacturers to decide the ultimate winner.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
Table of Contents
Round 1:Streamlight TLR-1 HL vs Surefire X300 Ultra
| Features | Streamlight TLR-1 HL | Surefire X300 Ultra |
| MSRP | $141 | $319 |
| Brightness | 1000 Lumens | 1000 Lumens |
| Beam Distance | 283 meters | 213 meters |
| Mounting System | Compatible with Glock-style rails and to all MIL-STD-1913 (Picatinny) rails | Compatible with Universal and Picatinny accessory rails |
| Maximum Beam Intensity | 20,000 candela | 11,300 candela |
| Light Source | LED | LED |
| Power Source | CR123A Lithium Batteries | CR123A Lithium Batteries |
| Run Time | 1.5 hours | 1.25 hours |
| Material | Aluminum | Aluminum |
| Weight | 4.18 ounces | 4 ounces |
As we can see from the table, the Streamlight TLR1 wins this round via landslide. It has longer run time when at maximum setting, is more lightweight, its beam travels farther, and it costs half the Surefire X300’s price.
Round 2: Streamlight PROTAC HL-X vs Surefire M600U
| Features | Streamlight PROTAC HL-X | Surefire M600U |
| MSRP | $275 | $362 |
| Brightness | 1000 lumens | 1000 lumens |
| Unique Features | Dust-proof, waterproof up to 1 meter | Waterproof up to 1 meter |
| Maximum Beam Intensity | 27,100 candela | 11,300 candela |
| Beam Distance | 332 meters | 213 meters |
| Light Source | LED | LED |
| Power Source | Li-Ion USB-rechargeable battery pack or CR123A Lithium batteries | Rechargeable CR123A Lithium batteries |
| Run Time | 1.25 hours (CR123A) 1.5 hours (battery pack) | 1.25 hours |
| Material | Aluminum | Aerospace aluminum |
| Weight | 6.4 ounces | 4.8 ounces |
In this round, Surefire’s contender, the M600U had a bit of advantage in terms of weight and its material construction. The HL-X is nearly 50% heavier! For us, Surefire’s rechargeable battery option is also better than having to switch to a separate battery pack for rechargeability.
Streamlight vs Surefire: Features Comparison
Mounting System (Winner: Tie)
A weapon light’s compatibility with different types of rails for gun accessories increases its value. Both brands offer versatility in their mounting systems.
Streamlight’s TLR-1 HL can be installed directly to handguns with Glock-style rails and to all Picatinny rails. And the Surefire X300 Ultra is compatible with Universal and Picatinny accessory rails as well.
Durability (Winner: Surefire)
Your weapon light shouldn’t only be super bright, but should also have excellent recoil resistance. It’ll be a huge inconvenience to realign the weapon light every time you fire continuous shots or whenever your firearm gets bumped or dropped.
While Streamlight is fairly durable and reliable, Surefire wins this round because it has proven its strength in combat.
Plus, Surefire is made in the USA, whereas Streamlight products are manufactured in China.
Beam (Winner: Surefire)
The Streamlight may have a longer beam distance, but its beam is a bit more scattered than its rival. This is where Surefire’s premium electronics (hence the price) come in as its beam has less spill and is more focused.
Cost (Winner: Streamlight)
As you’ve noticed from our comparison above, both entries from Streamlight are more affordable than their Surefire rivals.
Activation Switches (Winner: Surefire)
While activation switches from both brands work decently, we prefer the Surefire’s design. It offers easy activation through its ambidextrous momentary- and constant-on switching feature.
Modes (Winner: Streamlight)
Surefire weapon lights only have power on and power off, whereas the Streamlight offers three modes: high, low, and strobe. This function is helpful for when you only want a dimmer light. It also somehow helps in saving battery as the brightness level isn’t always set to high.
Battery (Winner: Tie)
In terms of run time, Streamlight won our first round with its 1.5 hours run time compared to Surefire’s 1.25 hours. Streamlight also features an integrated safety circuit that protects the batteries from overcharging.
But when it comes to battery quality, Surefire brings home the bacon. Surefire 123A batteries are rechargeable while with Streamlight, you’d have to switch to a separate battery pack for rechargeability. Surefire batteries have a 10-year shelf life, wider temperature tolerance, and have built-in protection against short circuits.
Conclusion
In terms of features and cost, Streamlight ticks all our boxes. But when it comes to overall durability and light quality, Surefire offers more value for money. It’s true that it’s way pricier than the Streamlight, but investing in one will guarantee years of reliability.
How critical are your use cases?
If you’re going for home-defense, use a Surefire. If this is for something that isn’t life and death, sure you can get away with the upstart and save some coin with Streamlight.
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Images from Amazon Product API
