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Streamlight vs SureFire

The two American duty brands, with opposite answers to the same question: Streamlight publishes everything, SureFire removes everything.

By Scooter M. · Published · Updated

Streamlight vs SureFire — ranked picks, with live prices
#ProductBest forOutputPrice
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Streamlight ProTac HL-XTop pick1,300 lumens, 35,000 candela, 374 m, 1.5 hours, IP68, on either a rechargeable pack or two CR123A cells. Every figure published per mode.
Duty use, and the best-documented light on this site1,300 lm
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SureFire G2X Pro600 lumens, 8,700 candela, 1.5 hours, and two modes. The specification is modest; the point is that nothing on it can go wrong.
A simple two-mode light that will outlive you600 lm
Check price#ad
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Streamlight Stinger 20202,000 lumens, 315 m, two hours on high, and a charger in the box. Built for a shift, not for a pocket.
A patrol light that lives in a charging cradle2,000 lm
Check price#ad
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Streamlight PolyTac600 lumens, 214 m, 2.75 hours, IPX7 and 3 m impact resistance in a nylon polymer body. The one you leave in a truck.
A polymer duty light you will not worry about600 lm
Check price#ad

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A figure with a light on a dark street
Licensed stock photograph, for illustration. It is not a photograph of any product on this page and we have not handled any of them.

Both of these companies sell to people whose work depends on the light. They have arrived at genuinely different philosophies about how to earn that, and it is the most interesting comparison on this site.

The documentation difference

Published specifications
Streamlight ProTac HL-XSureFire G2X Pro
Output1,300 / 420 / 70 lm600 / 15 lm
Candela35,000 / 11,000 / 1,8008,700
Beam distance374 / 210 / 85 mnot published
Runtime1.5 / 3.75 / 25 h, and separate CR123A figures1.5 h on high
Weight162 g with CR123A, 176 g with packnot published
Ingress ratingIP68not published
Impact resistance2 mnot published

Streamlight publishes every ANSI FL 1 measurement, per mode, for both power options. SureFire publishes output, candela and a high-mode runtime. On the test that runs through this site, Streamlight wins clearly.

SureFire's counter-argument

It is a real one and worth stating properly. SureFire's design philosophy is subtractive: fewer modes, fewer settings, no programming, nothing to configure and therefore nothing to misconfigure.

A G2X Pro has two modes. Low, then high. There is no sequence to remember, no mode memory that might have moved, and no strobe to land on. On a light you might reach for in a hurry after not touching it for a month, that is a genuine design position rather than a shortcoming.

Streamlight's answer is Ten-Tap programming, which lets you choose between three sequences and effectively remove the strobe. It solves the same problem by addition rather than subtraction, and it requires reading the manual once.

Power strategy

How each handles power
StreamlightSureFire
Primary approachSL-B26 rechargeable packCR123A lithium primaries
Alternative2 x CR123A on the ProTac HL-XNone
Shelf lifeMonths on the pack; about 10 years on primariesAbout 10 years
Running costNear zero on the packRoughly two cells a month with regular use

The ProTac HL-X accepting either is the strongest single feature in this comparison. It gives you the running cost of a rechargeable and the shelf life of a primary, and it removes the flat-battery failure entirely.

Beam philosophy

Which to buy

For most people, the Streamlight. The ProTac HL-X publishes everything, is IP68 with a 2-meter impact rating, runs on a pack or on primaries, and costs less than the SureFire.

The case for the SureFire is narrower and real: you want two modes and nothing else, you value a wide spill beam over reach, and you are buying a light that will sit unused. If that describes you, it is not a bad purchase, and neither is a Streamlight PolyTac at a fraction of the price.

Flashlights for police and duty covers the working context in more detail.

The picks, in full

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Top pick · Duty use, and the best-documented light on this site

Streamlight ProTac HL-X

1,300 lumens, 35,000 candela, 374 m, 1.5 hours, IP68, on either a rechargeable pack or two CR123A cells. Every figure published per mode.

35,000 candela and 374 m reconcile exactly: the square root of 35,000 divided by 0.25 is 374.2 m. Streamlight's numbers are internally consistent across all three modes, which is the strongest signal of a maker publishing real measurements rather than marketing figures.

1.5 hours at 1,300 lumens implies roughly 6 to 7 watt-hours of usable energy — consistent with a single 18650-class pack and with the CR123A alternative.

IP68 with 2 m impact resistance is the toughest rating in this roundup, and the reason this light shows up on so many duty belts.

What works

  • Full ANSI FL1 table published per mode, and it reconciles
  • Runs on a rechargeable pack or on shelf-stable CR123A lithium cells
  • IP68 and 2 m impact rating

What does not

  • The programming interface takes reading the manual to understand
  • 162 to 176 g is heavy for pocket carry
  • CR123A cells are expensive if you use it hard

Skip this ifyou want a pocket light. It is a duty-belt tool and the weight and length are built for a holster.

Published specification

Output
1,300 lmHigh. Medium 420 lm, low 70 lm.Streamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Peak intensity
35,000 cdHigh. 11,000 cd medium, 1,800 cd low.Streamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Beam distance
374 mHigh. 210 m medium, 85 m low.Streamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Runtime
1.5 h high / 3.75 h medium / 25 h lowOn the SL-B26 pack. On CR123A: 1.25 h / 3 h / 20 h.Streamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Battery
SL-B26 rechargeable Li-ion pack, or 2 x CR123A lithiumStreamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Weight
162 g with CR123A, 176 g with the packStreamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Ingress
IP68Dust tight, waterproof to 2 m; 2 m impact resistance testedStreamlight ProTac HL-X — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
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Pick 2 · A simple two-mode light that will outlive you

SureFire G2X Pro

600 lumens, 8,700 candela, 1.5 hours, and two modes. The specification is modest; the point is that nothing on it can go wrong.

8,700 candela works out to a 186 m FL1 beam distance, which SureFire does not print. That is well short of the ProTac's 374 m on similar output, because SureFire deliberately builds a wider beam with more usable spill.

Two modes, low then high, with no strobe and no programming. On a light you might need in a hurry, that is a feature.

CR123A primaries hold their charge for a decade on a shelf. For a light that lives in a drawer against the worst night of your life, that matters more than rechargeability.

What works

  • Two modes, no menu, nothing to misconfigure
  • CR123A lithium cells with a ten-year shelf life
  • The most durable reputation in the category, earned over decades

What does not

  • 600 lumens and 8,700 candela are modest for the price in 2026
  • No published weight or ingress rating on the page we read
  • CR123A cells cost real money to run

Skip this ifyou buy on specification. Almost everything here beats it on paper; you are paying for reliability and simplicity instead.

Published specification

Output
600 lmHigh. Low is 15 lm.SureFire G2X Pro — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Peak intensity
8,700 cdSureFire G2X Pro — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Beam distance
not published(SureFire publishes candela, not distance)
Runtime
1.5 h on highSureFire G2X Pro — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Battery
2 x CR123A lithiumSureFire G2X Pro — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Weight
not published(Not stated on the page we read)
Ingress
not published(Not stated on the page we read)
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Pick 3 · A patrol light that lives in a charging cradle

Streamlight Stinger 2020

2,000 lumens, 315 m, two hours on high, and a charger in the box. Built for a shift, not for a pocket.

Two hours at 2,000 lumens is the standout number: that is a whole traffic stop at full output rather than the ninety-second burst most 2,000-lumen lights give you.

350 grams is heavy in the hand and irrelevant on a belt. This light is designed around a duty rig and a vehicle charger, and the mass buys the runtime.

315 m from 2,000 lumens implies about 24,800 candela — a broader beam than the ProTac's, which is the right call for searching a room rather than a treeline.

What works

  • Two hours at full 2,000 lumens, which almost nothing else here can claim
  • Full per-mode runtime and distance table published
  • Ships with a charger designed for a vehicle cradle

What does not

  • 350 g, so pocket carry is out
  • IPX7 rather than the ProTac's IP68
  • Proprietary battery pack

Skip this ifyou do not have somewhere to dock it. A cradle light without a cradle is a heavy flashlight with a proprietary cell.

Published specification

Output
2,000 lmHigh. Medium 850 lm, low 100 lm.Streamlight Stinger 2020 — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Peak intensity
not published(Streamlight lists candela per mode; no value on the page we read)
Beam distance
315 mHigh. 200 m medium, 70 m low.Streamlight Stinger 2020 — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Runtime
2 h high / 4 h medium / 24 h lowStreamlight Stinger 2020 — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Battery
SL-B26 rechargeable Li-ion packStreamlight Stinger 2020 — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Weight
350 g (12.3 oz)Streamlight Stinger 2020 — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Ingress
IPX7Waterproof; 2 m impact resistance testedStreamlight Stinger 2020 — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
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Pick 4 · A polymer duty light you will not worry about

Streamlight PolyTac

600 lumens, 214 m, 2.75 hours, IPX7 and 3 m impact resistance in a nylon polymer body. The one you leave in a truck.

2.75 hours at 600 lumens from two CR123A cells is a very efficient result — that is roughly 6 watt-hours doing real work rather than being thrown away as heat.

3 m of impact resistance is the highest figure in this roundup. Polymer absorbs a drop that would dent an aluminum body.

119 g with cells installed makes this the lightest full-size duty light here.

What works

  • Full per-mode table published, all three modes
  • 3 m impact resistance and IPX7
  • 119 g, with a ten-year shelf life on its cells

What does not

  • 600 lumens is modest against the rechargeable competition
  • CR123A running costs add up
  • We could not pin a current ASIN for it, so the buy link is a tagged Amazon search

Skip this ifyou use a light daily. CR123A primaries are the wrong economics for frequent use; buy a rechargeable instead.

Published specification

Output
600 lmHigh. Medium 260 lm, low 35 lm.Streamlight PolyTac — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Peak intensity
not published(Listed per mode; no value on the page we read)
Beam distance
214 mHigh. 140 m medium, 52 m low.Streamlight PolyTac — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Runtime
2.75 h high / 5.5 h medium / 34 h lowStreamlight PolyTac — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Battery
2 x CR123A lithium (included)Streamlight PolyTac — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Weight
119 g (4.2 oz) with batteriesStreamlight PolyTac — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)
Ingress
IPX7Waterproof to 1 m for 30 minutes; 3 m impact resistance testedStreamlight PolyTac — manufacturer spec page (retrieved September 1, 2026)

Questions people actually ask

Is Streamlight or SureFire better?

Streamlight, for most buyers: the ProTac HL-X publishes a complete per-mode ANSI table, is IP68 with a 2-meter impact rating, runs on either a rechargeable pack or CR123A primaries, and costs less. SureFire's case is simplicity and a wider spill beam.

Why is SureFire more expensive with lower specifications?

Because the design priorities differ. SureFire builds subtractively — two modes, nothing to configure, nothing to misconfigure — and around primaries with a decade of shelf life. That is a genuine position rather than a shortcoming, but it is not a specification advantage.

Which has the better interface?

A real preference. SureFire gives you two modes and no options. Streamlight gives you Ten-Tap programming with three selectable sequences, which lets you remove the strobe entirely — the same goal reached by addition rather than subtraction.

Which is more durable?

We can only say what is published. Streamlight publishes IP68 and 2 meters of impact resistance on the ProTac HL-X, and 3 meters on the polymer PolyTac. SureFire publishes neither figure for the G2X Pro.

Should I use rechargeable or CR123A batteries?

Rechargeable for daily use, primaries for a light that waits. The ProTac HL-X accepts both, which is the strongest single feature in this comparison and removes the choice.

Why does the SureFire throw so much less?

Deliberately. Its 8,700 candela from 600 lumens is 15 candela per lumen against the ProTac's 27, meaning a wider beam with more usable spill. Better for close-range work indoors, clearly worse in open ground.

Sources

Every figure on this page came from one of the documents below, read on the date shown. We do not cite other review sites, forum posts or video reviews as sources of fact.

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Found a number that is wrong? Tell us and we will fix it and say so. Our methodology shows every formula on this page.