It’s a big EDC market out there, and tons of awesome gear is released all the time. We made The Drop to help you discover the latest and greatest essentials worth a spot in your EDC.
The new Streamlight Stinger Color-Rite flashlight breathes fresh air into the tactical EDC flashlight market by focusing its design on a high-CRI LED emitter. That’s because most tactical everyday carry lights focus on maximum brightness using the cooler-tinted temperatures of LEDs, and as a result, cast an unusual color onto objects. That’s frustrating in situations where being able to identify color is essential, like when you’re dealing with colored wires in electrical panels. It also lets you identify tiny details in the dark that a regular tactical flashlight might miss.
The Stinger Color-Rite comes with a 3000K, 90 CRI LED pushing a max of 500 lumens and throwing up to 265 meters (869 feet) for up to 1.5 hours, with a low end of 140 lumens running up to 5 hours. Its four main modes are controlled with a single side switch, and the light runs off of a 3-cell, 2.6Ah NiMH sub-C battery.
Another standout feature of the Stinger is USB rechargeability. It’s also compatible with the Stinger PiggyBack chargers that Streamlight has previously developed for this line of EDC flashlights. The Stinger Color-Rite also features anodized machined aluminum construction with a polycarbonate lens that’s unbreakable and scratch-resistant. The Stinger Color-Rite is a heavy-duty EDC flashlight designed for long service life, and you’ll want to take it everywhere you go once you have it.
What we like: A focus on high-CRI makes this tactical flashlight unique. Even if you don’t require high color accuracy from your EDC flashlight, its warm white tone will be more pleasant than most EDC flashlights. There are also very few flashlights left being made in this iconic, extra-large, emergency-oriented form factor.
What to watch out for: If maximum brightness is your primary focus, other tactical lights outmatch the 500-lumen high mode this light provides, but note that it still has a respectable 17,500 candela behind it, along with the useful beefier size.
Final verdict: If you’re looking for a bombproof tactical light but want to maintain your ability to see detail and color in the dark, the Stinger Color-Rite is a solid choice.
