Ever since I started this job in 2001, I’ve been fascinated by flashlights. Before that it had been years since I had touched one and the only flashlight I owned was a AA Maglite with an incandescent bulb that I bought before a 1991 hike. So back in 2001 I was amazed at how bright LED-powered flashlights had become.

Nearly two-dozen years later, I’m testing the Streamlight ProTac HL 6. And I’m gobsmacked by its power. I used to think 100 lumens was bright, which is now hilarious. On high, the ProTac HL 6 produces 5,300 lumens and 80,000 candela of light. I turned this thing on at night in a dark area, and I could see details out to 300 yards, and that’s with my 65-year-old eyes. Streamlight says the HL 6 has a beam distance of 556 meters.

Of course, there are actually few circumstances where you really need 5,300 lumens (search and rescue, for example), so the HL 6 has multiple settings. Medium is 1,500 lumens and 23,000 candela, and low is 450 lumens and 6,700 candela. There’s also a strobe.

Like many Streamlight products, the HL 6 features Ten-Tap programming, so you can set up the light to activate on high or low when you turn it on. I have my evaluation model set up to come on low. Thanks to the size of the head and lens, that low beam is very effective. It gives me about 150 yards of detailed vision when pointed down a road at night that is partially lit by home and streetlights. The low setting also doesn’t reflect back the kind of glare that you get using the high setting on a street full of signs and car taillights. If you need more light without triggering the high setting, I’d recommend the medium. It has a beam distance of 300 meters.

All this power is generated by two Streamlight SL-B48 lithium ion USB-C rechargeable batteries. The batteries and the charging cable come with the light. You have to take the batteries out to charge them and each battery has a USB connector port and a charging light that turns from red to green. I charge mine overnight and that does the job.

Run time is variable depending on setting, but you get a good two hours on high, 3.75 hours on medium, and 12.5 hours on low. I can’t imagine anyone running the strobe until it drained the batteries, but if you plan to do that, you can get four hours.

Ergonomically, the HL 6 is a hefty tool. It’s more than 10 inches long and weighs more than a pound. The head diameter is 2.35 inches with a crenelated bezel to protect the lens, and an anti-roll design. There are some serious heat sinks on the head, and they are needed. If you run the HL 6 on high, the lens gets hot. A rubber sleeve on the light’s tube gives you a good grip and provides thermal insulation.

The Streamlight HL 6 is an impressive and powerful illumination tool. I plan to keep mine in my vehicle, and I could see it being a duty light or a backup duty light for law enforcement. It has a suggested retail price of about $250, but you can find it at a lower price at numerous stores and websites.

Streamlight

ProTac HL 6 Flashlight

Length: 10.5 inches

Weight: 1.3 pounds

Output:

    High: 5,300 lumens

    Medium: 1,500 lumens

    Low: 450 lumens

Case: Rubber sleeved aircraft aluminum

Head: 2.3 inches

Lens: Glass with anti-reflective coating

Battery: Two Streamlight SL-B48 lithium ion USB rechargeable

Runtime:

    High: 2 hours

    Medium: 3.75 hours

    High: 12.5 hours

    Strobe: 4 hours

Features: Head-mounted push-button switch, Ten-Tap programming, anti-roll design, waterproof to 1 meter for 30 minutes, and sure grip rubber sleeve.

MSRP: $247.78

www.streamlight.com