Armytek Flashlights

Armytek is headquartered in Berlin, dates its start to 2007 and has run its own factory in China since 2009; it says its lights are sold in 75 countries. Its ten-year warranty on aluminum-bodied flashlights is the figure most buyers know it by. Its lights are built around the same priorities throughout: regulated output with published step-down times, sturdy bodies, and a simple mode set by default with an advanced set available.

The range is organized by job rather than by price. The Wizard is the multi-purpose right-angle light that works as headlamp or handheld: the Wizard C2 Pro and the Wizard C2 Pro Warm on an 18650, and the Wizard C2 Pro Max on a 21700. The Elf headlamps are the simpler, cheaper option, with the Elf C2 at $65 on an 18650 and the Elf C2 Max on a 21700, both charging over USB-C. The Prime C2 Pro and Prime C2 Pro Max are EDC tubes with side switches. The tail-switch tactical family runs from the compact Dobermann Pro through the Viking Pro to the Predator Pro Max, the longest-reaching light here.

Wizard C2 Pro owners say the regulated output and runtimes are figures they can trust, that the light runs for days or weeks on low, and that the magnetic tailcap is strong. Owners of the warm version argue it is the one to buy, because the warmer tint renders skin, soil and wood more accurately and cuts through fog and dust better, at the cost of some lumens. The criticisms are shared by both: the anodizing scuffs at the clip and headband points, and the interface is unusual and the manual barely explains it.

Decide on charging before choosing a family. The Elf lights take a USB-C cable, while most others use Armytek's magnetic USB puck on the tailcap, which is easy to misplace. The 10-year term also has limits: Armytek gives two years on batteries, mounts, headmounts and charging cables, and five years on polycarbonate lights and chargers.