Duracell Daylite Series of LED Flashlights

We recently had the opportunity to try out the newly introduced Daylite series of LED flashlights by Duracell. The new flashlight's big claim is to provide more light, and without the dark spots typically seen with other brands.

The Daylite line of flashlights use a 4 watt, white, superbright LED coupled with a unique reflector system and lens to reflect and focus a bright, even beam. In our test we immediately noted that the flashlight is very bright and that, as advertised, the beam was even and without dark spots.

The flashlight also has a flood to spot focus feature. At first, in our test, we had some difficulty seeing the difference between the modes. However, this is primarily owed to the fact that the beam is so even and bright in the flood setting that you hardly need the spot focus.

The line of flashlights come in three models based upon battery size; AA model, AAA model and the most compact, CR123 model. The CR123 battery is a short and slightly fatter battery than a AA, which allows for a very compact size (the CR123 flashlight fits comfortably in a pocket).

The LED bulb should allow for more usage time per set of batteries. The flashlight is compact and durable; we dropped it from 8 feet several times and it continued to function without any apparent damage. With its bright and even beam, this is a flashlight we'll keep in our toolbox and bed table.

The single drawback for us is the price. The AA and AAA models list for $24.99 and the CR123 (the model we tested) lists for $34.99. While that includes the batteries, the price seems steep compared to other high-quality, compact flashlights. We like the product and can say that in our initial review, it is one of the best we have tried. However, at the current price, we aren't sure that we would be willing to pay the premium this flashlight carries. We hope to see discounted pricing in the future.

[Sept 2008]