Premium Rifle Lights 2023: The Best Are Tested

Introduction

Lighting continues to evolve across handheld, pistol, and rifle segments. Rifle lights are a bit unique because they’re mounted on firearms that inherently can reach out further. Additionally, rifle lights can run hotter without burning an operator’s hands because they’re not meant to be held directly. Finally, rifle lights utilize different activation system. I decided to take a look at 4 of the premium lights in the industry to see which light is the best.

The Contenders

2023 has brought us some new and recent lights that we need to test.

First up, Cloud Defensive has built upon the success of their REIN rifle lights with the REIN 3.0. This light boasts high candela and a smaller head. Additionally, the light comes with Cloud’s durable activation system.

Second, Surefire has released their latest Scout light, the Surefire Scout Turbo. For this test, we selected the 18650 version to keep the playing field as level as possible. I was impressed with the X300 Turbo, so let’s see how the new Scout performs.

A relative newcomer to the market is the HRT AWLS. This light caught my attention with super high advertised candela. As a newer light to the market, I’m a bit skeptical, so it’s time to put it to the test.

Finally, we test against a benchmark, a current production Modlite OKW 18650.

Specifications

Let’s start with manufacturer specifications. All these lights run 18650 batteries and come in a full size form factor.

Manufacturer Specifications	Cloud Defensive REIN 3.0	Turbo Scout Light Pro	HRT AWLS	Modlite OKW 18650
Lumens	1,250	700	1,700	680
Runtime	95 minutes	165 minutes	32 minutes	75 minutes
Candela	100,000	100,000	90,000	69,000
Color Temp	Not specified	Not specified	5500k	Not specified
Price	$399.99	$399.00	$294.95	$309.00
Price Includes	Light, Battery, Charger, Remote Switches, M-Lok Mount	Light, Battery, M-Lok Mount	Light, Battery, M-Lok Mount	Light, Battery, Charger, M-Lok Mount
Included switdching	Remote constant and momentary, plus tailcap	Tailcap	Omni-directional	Tailcap

Lab Test: Lumens, Runtime

We utilize our integrating sphere to measure total light output over time. From this, we can see how the light start, tapers off, then eventually stops producing light at all. First, here is our complete chart:

From this overall chart, two things stand out. First is that the Cloud Defensive light has a significant lead over the other lights for much of the first hour of output. Next, the Surefire and Modlite both extend the curve out for a long time, perhaps because they lag in output versus the competitors.

Next, I want to focus in only on the first 10 minutes, which is arguably the most important time to have maximum output.

This is interesting. For the first 90 seconds, the HRT is the output leader. It should be given its 1,700 lumen rating. It then drops below the line for the REIN 3.0.

From this data, I can determine the “max lumen output” and “ANSI / PLATO FL-1” lumen output (which averages readings from 30 seconds to 120 seconds). I also compare to the manufacturer rating on the right.

First, I see that only Modlite meets their manufacturer rating. The HRT light has the highest output, but it still falls short of the manufacturer rating. It’s entirely possible that different manufacturers utilize different criteria and measurement techniques for their products, so this chart is a good way to relatively compare one light versus another.

From here, I calculate how long each light runs until it dips below 10% of the rated lumens, per ANSI / PLATO FL-1, and I also calculate to 10 lumens, below which I assume the light will be unusable for its intended purpose.

Here, the AWLS does far better than it is rated for. All of these lights provide a high amount of output for a respectable time. I’m not sure there is a lot more to say about this chart.

Practical: Warehouse Lumens / Flood

Here are the long awaited beam shots.

It looks like there are 2 groups of lights here. The first group, consisting of the REIN 3.0 and AWLS, provides a strong hotspot and a reasonable amount of flood. The other group includes the Turbo Scout and the OKW; these lights seem primarily focused on hotspot only. I will tell you that I didn’t enjoy looking at any of these lights; all of them were strong enough to be painful.

Lab Test: Candela

Is candela the most important measurement of a light? No. A good weapon light needs both flood and hotspot. Candela is a measurement of how much light is concentrated into a single spot.

It’s surprising that the newcomer to the game, HRT, has the strongest candela measurements of the lights. Again, I would look at the lights in relative comparison to each other; it’s possible that different measurement methods lead to different results from the manufacturers.

Practical: Candela

For this test, I used my two targets, one at 240 yards, and one at 330 yards. The closer target had degraded, so I put a 5 gallon bucket on it. I then ran the drone out to take some pictures for me. These images are slightly enhanced, each one with exposure and contrast adjusted the exact same amount.

During the test, the REIN 3.0 and HRT AWLS did a great job of illuminating the targets and providing some light to nearby trees and field. The Turbo Scout and OKW concentrated their beams and did get light onto the targets, but were less impressive from my vantage.

Lab Test: CRI, Color Temp

We know that poor color temperature and low CRI can shift what colors our eyes effectively see. Without good CRI, purples can look brown, for instance. Here is the CRI of each.

Here the Cloud Defensive REIN 3.0 had the best CRI, being the only light to break 70. The HRT AWLS had the lowest score.

To put color temperature into context, here are where the lights fall in the spectrum. I typically like to see 5,000K – 5,500K. The AWLS comes closest to my preferred range, and you can see some of it’s warmth in the warehouse beam shots above.

Practical: CRI, Color Temp

As an experiment, we used the camera to show a color chart that is lit by each light. To be honest, I’m not sure what exactly to do with this. The purples happen to look best with the Surefire, but that doesn’t match up with the R7 (purple) readings above, where the REIN 3.0 did the best.

Practical: Mounting

All of these lights provide sturdy and capable mounting. The HRT AWLS stands out with the built-in M-Lok mounting, but all the mounts are good. Surefire also has a nifty feature that allows you to clock the light at various angles, allowing you to set it tight next to your rail. We will see how durable this mount is in our destructive testing.

Practical: Switching / Activation

I find the momentary pressure switch on the Cloud Defensive pad to be a bit harder to press than expected. However, it’s great that Cloud Defensive included switches in their kit. If you don’t want a remote, the HRT AWLS again stands out with the convenient pressure switch on the end of the light, allowing momentary activation with an omni-directional push, or push in for constant. The Surefire and Modlite both allow you to mount remotes, but you’ll pay extra for them.

The Winner(s)

My previous favorite rifle light was the Modlite OKW. But this testing has me thinking I’m going to make a change.

The Cloud Defensive REIN 3 has the right combination of powerful candela and good flood. The switches could be improved, but otherwise the light is excellent. I appreciate that Cloud has “squished” the output curve to the left, providing high consistent output until it drops off after 90 minutes. This is my choice for situations in which I have the rail space for the light and a separate pressure pad.

The HRT AWLS was the wildcard of the group. However, the light impressed me with strong lumen output and the best candela of the bunch. The tailcap switch may be the best compact activation solution — perfect for a rifle that needs white light in addition to an IR illuminator. This light is my second choice.

Coming in third is the Surefire Turbo Scout Light Pro. This is a big step up for the Scout, providing great candela, and it compatible with the whole Scout ecosystem of accessories. However, flood is lacking. And if I can get all the candela with flood, I’m going to take it.

Finally, the Modlite OKW is a good light. However, as with the Turbo, I want more flood if I can get it without sacrificing candela. The top lights in this comparison have both.