Speras EST Plus

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Speras EST Plus specifications

Brand & Model	Speras EST Plus
Flashlight category	Tactical flashlight
LED	1*Luminus SFT-40-W
Max. output	1600 lumens
Max. beam distance	726 meters
Max. beam intensity	131,625 cd
Battery config.	1*18650 or 2*CR123A
Onboard charging	USB type C
Main modes	4
Blinkies	Strobe, SOS
Waterproof	IP68
Review publication date	April 2024

Speras isn’t a manufacturer I see getting much exposure in the mainstream flashlight circles these days. Honestly, that’s surprising because I’ve reviewed several Speras lights and found that they’re solid lights competing for market share alongside the bigger brands. They’ve been in the business for quite a while and along the way accumulated an eclectic product lineup, from small to large multicell, multi LED searchlights (the P10R V2), and yes, even a zoomie!

I think their specialty seems to be lights for professional users like first responders, techs, inspectors, builders, etc. and there’s a bunch to choose from! Speras was nice enough to send me one, part of their EST line of duty lights consisting of the EST, EST Max, and this one, the EST Plus. The Speras EST Plus is our test subject today, a long-throw duty light. It’s an 18650 size, dual switch light and resembles the now-discontinued Speras E3 I reviewed many moons ago, but with some nice upgrades. For those not in the know, Speras is officially known as Shenzen Speras Lighting Co. Ltd, and the word speras, derives from the latin word ‘to hope.’ Neat!

What’s in the package

The Speras EST Plus comes in a nice hard plastic carrying case, and this is a nice touch since it’s better than a paper box, easier to open, and weather resistant. It has two locking clamps that flip up. Inside, you have soft foam cut to shape to hold the scope clamp, and two spots for the accessories and a cutout for the light. Here’s what’s inside:

• Speras EST Plus flashlight
• Speras P38B 3800 mAh 18650 (in the light)
• Instruction guide
• ES1 scope clamp mount
• RMC V2 remote switch
• 2 O-rings
• Lanyard
• USB C charging cable

This is a ready to run package. The review light came with the deluxe kit which has the optional scope mount and USB C remote switch. The battery was installed in the light and had an isolator between the driver and battery. Remove that and you’re ready to go. The cell was sitting at 4 volts so you get full output out of the box, but this is a bit high on the storage voltage.

The Speras EST Plus is the lower output of the EST lineup, but boasts a substantially longer beam distance of 700+ meters. This is a dual-switch duty/tactical light, and our readers know that true tactical and duty lights occupy a narrow space of the overall flashlight market. That said, the EST Plus would be at home riding on a duty belt in a holster, clipped to battle rattle, MOLLE gear, or patrolling the glovebox, workbench, or cupboard. I found it to be a nice-handling, versatile light. The switch gear is easy to use and easy to reach in the most popular grip positions (icepick, saber, or cigar), and the small size makes it acceptable (just) for pocket carry, although it isn’t an ideal EDC rig due to the length. There’s deep grooves milled into the tube for grip, and they’re effective. There’s a removable pocket clip, good for bezel-down carry.

There’s a front e-switch mounted on a flat spot behind the head, a rear clicky with a pretty big boot with lots of grippy nobbles. The switch has a soft rubbery coating that enhances the feel and a central LED indicator for on, battery, and charge state. The tailcap has two ears with lanyard mounting holes that also help protect the switch from accidental activation. They’re flat on the bottom, and the light was able to tail stand.

Opposite the side switch is the USB type C interface under a molded rubber cover. It’s from the parts bin since the E3 has the same cover. It fits flush to the flashlight body and has a tab for easy opening. There’s a detachable blackened stainless pocket clip, and it has nice tension and holds the light securely.

You aren’t limited to lanyards or clips with the EST because Speras has optional accessories including a holster and two mounts for mounting to a long gun; the GM1 rail mount or SM1 scope mount, and the RMC V2 USB C remote pressure switch. The test light kit included the pressure switch and scope mount. The mount clamps to the scope on one end, and the other holds the light. The clamp is held by a screw with a large knob for tightening. The mount fits 1 inch scope tubes just fine and holds the light securely even with the pocket clip installed (although probably good to remove it).

The pressure switch plugs into the USB C port and has about a 1.5 foot coiled lead, so plenty of reach. The switch itself has a rubberized pad with 3 contact switches under the cover. From front to back, the top switch controls on/off and momentary on, the middle switch handles mode changes, and the last is for instant Strobe. I would have liked to have seen some zip ties, double-sided tape or Velcro included for mounting the switch to the rifle stock grip. Overall, the switch works great! The buttons under the rubber are a bit hard to find by feel, but once you get muscle memory, it’s easy-peasy. 

Build quality for the EST Plus is great! Nice and tidy on the machining, fit, and finish. I didn’t notice any issues with ill-fitting parts or other anomalies. Overall, this is a very well-built light. It’s competitively priced as well, coming in around $80 US for the standard loadout and $90-$100 for the kit. The light is milled from the typical 6061-T6 aluminum alloy. It’s blemish-free and there’s no sharp edges anywhere on this light, which I expect for a holster-ready light. The finish is black type III HA hard anodizing, and it’s also well done. It’s a much-improved semi-matte finish and feels high quality.

The laser etching and silkscreen text are also sharp and have great contrast. I tried unscrewing the bezel and head, but they’re (not surprisingly) glued. The tailcap comes off though for access to the battery. The threads are fully anodized The tailcap It’s o-ring sealed also, and Speras gives the EST Plus an IP68 rating for 2 meters of immersion and 1.5 meters of drop/impact protection.

For the warranty, Speras has you covered! From Speras.com: 1. Within 30 days, free replacement. SPERAS will provide 30 days free replacement service of purchase for any manufacturing defects if problems come into being in normal use; We will replace it with the same model. If the model has been discontinued, customers will receive a product with similar or improved model. 2. Within Warranty time: Usually we provide 5 years warranty, some may provide lifetime limited warranty( for example E1). Within the warranty time, any defects please contact local dealer or distributor for warranty support. We will repair or we replace a new product for you according the defects. 3. The free warranty does not cover any damages or failure caused by: Normal wear, rough operation, battery leakage

The LED choice isn’t surprising at all, and Speras will happily tell you what it is (hint, hint Olight) and keen-eyed readers will instantly recognize this one. It’s none other than the premier, high intensity, high output cool white flashlight LED: The Luminus SFT-40-W. This LED has become prolific since making its way onto the flashlight scene. It’s superior to the SST40 in every metric, and while not rendering it completely obsolete (thanks, Fenix, Wuben, Acebeam), it relegated it to the has-been pile. This is a domeless 5050 size LED.

While you can get this one in 5000K and even 3000K these days, the most-used variants are the 6000-6500K. The reflector is a SMO (smooth) unit meant for a tight hotspot and maximum beam distance, and that’s what you get: A lot of throw with lots of bright side illumination. The beam is pretty clean as well. The bezel looks to be PVD coated blackened stainless steel, and it’s got some tall crenulations (about 6 mm) to protect the (lightly) AR coated hardened mineral glass lens. The beam is pretty versatile, with a wide bright spill and a focused, intense hotspot. There’s a ton of beam distance at your disposal here. It’s clean also, with no obvious rings or aberrations. 

Spectral measurements: 

I used the Opple Lightmaster Pro to measure the flashlight at 3 meters from the sensor. 

Mode:	CCT:	CRI Ra:	duv
Turbo	6744K	68.3	0.0030

Dimensions: 

Speras EST Plus	Millimeters	Inches
Length	140 mm	5.5 in
Head diameter	40 mm	1.6 in
Body diameter	25 mm	1 in

Dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter and the nearest tenth of an Inch.

Weight: 

Speras EST Plus	Weight in grams	Weight in oz
Without battery	120	4.3
With battery	171	6
Without battery+scope mount	206	7.2
With battery + scope mount	254	9

Weight is rounded to the nearest gram and tenth of an Oz.

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Compared to some of the best tactical flashlights.

Group 1 left to right: Speras EST Plus, Speras E3, Acebeam L17, Cyansky K3 V2

Group 2 top to bottom: Olight Warrior X4, Speras EST Plus, Thrunite BSS V4, Olight Warrior 3S Ti Limited Edition

Group 3 reflectors left to right: Speras E3, Speras EST Plus, Cyansky K3 V2

Speras lights usually have fully regulated drivers, either boost or buck drivers. The EST Plus features a buck driver capable of handling up to 6 volts (for the 2xCR123A cells). These are superior to the cheaper FET or linear drivers since output isn’t dependent on battery voltage until LVP kicks in, so you get constant output that doesn’t drop as the battery discharges. 

The UI is commensurate for a light like this, a dead simple 4-mode affair with nicely spaced modes plus two blinkies. The rear forward clicky is for momentary use and on/off. The e-switch controls modes switching.

Available modes: 

• Low, Medium, High, Turbo

Available blinky modes:

• Strobe, SOS

From OFF:

• Single click tail switch: Turns on in last memorized brightness level
• Double tap tail switch: Momentary Strobe. Fully depress switch for constant Strobe
• Tap tail switch: Momentary on in last used mode

From ON:

• Single click tail switch: Turns off
• Single click side switch: Switches modes
• Triple click side switch: Strobe. Double click in Strobe for SOS

Mode memory:

• Remembers the last brightness level. All main modes are memorized

Shortcuts:

• To Strobe: Triple-click e-switch
• To SOS: Double click e-switch in Strobe

Low voltage warning/protection:

• There’s LVP on board that steps down the output to roughly Low mode when the cell hits about 10%. The switch LED also indicates battery condition, and stays lit for 5 seconds after turn-on: Solid green for 100% to 70%, solid orange for 70% to 30%, solid red for 30% to 10%, and flashing red for 10% down to 1%. 

Strobe/blinkies

•  Strobe, SOS

Lock-out mode: 

• Mechanical lockout by unscrewing the tailcap ⅛ turn

PWM

• None visible

Additional/summary info on the UI: 

• There’s absolutely no place for a complicated UI on a duty-ready light, and I’m glad Speras is enlightened enough to realize that not every flashlight user is an enthusiast/expert and some of us use our flashlights for actual work. This UI is similar to ones used By Cyansky, Nitecore, Acebeam, Klarus, and Olight (on their dual switch lights), and Speras did a great job with it. The mode spacing is good and the modes are easy to memorize. While you don’t get dedicated modes for instant Turbo or Strobe like I expect on this type of light, you can set it up to do so using the rear clicky with mode memory (turn it off in Turbo), and Strobe is a quick double tap from off with the clicky.

The EST Plus takes a single 18650 cell by default, but it can also accommodate two CR123A li-ion primary cells. This is a fairly standard configuration for these types of lights, but you take a serious output and runtime hit on the CR123As vs the 18650. The upside is no fiddling with rechargeable batteries. Toss ‘em (responsibly, please) when they go flat and pop in new ones. Speras includes their branded P38B 3800 mAh button top 18650. It’s fully protected with a PCB and on the higher end of 18650s capacity-wise.

For fitment, the light digested every cell I had, from standard flat tops to long, protected cells with USB charging. It also took the two CR123A batteries also, although they’re a bit loose in the tube, but not overly so and didn’t affect function.

You get onboard charging of the USB type C variety, good for about 1 amp per Speras, so only 5 watts. That’s slow when you consider that 10 watts is bog standard these days, even for 18650s. I saw 5 volts and about 1200 mA on my Ruideng AT35 USB A tester and roughly the same on the Hidance USB C tester.

Charge type	Fits	No fit	Charge time
Flashlight with onboard USB-C	18650 flat top, button top, protected, standard length. two CR123A li-ion primaries	None!	4 hrs to add 3620 mAh

Lumen measurements

How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards How Lumens are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards: The ANSI FL1 standards specify that output in lumens should be measured 30 seconds after turning on, as this is the standardized time for measuring brightness according to the industry standard. This is why we focus on this part in our measurements. The ANSI FL1 standards require an ambient temperature of 22 ± 3°C. We record the ambient the ambient temperature to identify potential reasons for any observed discrepancies.

Lumens are measured in my 50 cm integrating sphere with a Digi-Sense 20250-00 data logging luxmeter. The sphere has been calibrated with a Convoy S2+ measured to 260 Lumens and the figures are within 10% of actual. Current is measured with my Thinsinde B18B+ multimeter with 12 gauge wires on banana plugs in the meter and my Fy219 clamp meter for current over 200 mA. Measurements taken with the fully charged Speras P38B battery.

Mode	Amps at start	Specified	Turn on	30 sec.	10 min.
Low	33 mA	10	13	13	–
Medium	192 mA	100	128	128	–
High	1.5 A	500	590	565	541
Turbo	7.7 A	1,600	1660	1562	676

Ambient temperature during testing:

•  19.5°C 

Parasitic drain:

• N/A (it has a clicky switch)

The outputs look great and track close to Speras’s numbers (i’m coming in a bit high). No issues here.

Speras EST Plus Battery Life: Runtime graphs

How Runtimes are Measured: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About ANSI FL1 runtime standards: The runtime is measured until the light drops to 10% of its initial output (30 seconds after turning on). This does not mean that the flashlight is not usable anymore. The last column shows how long the light actually works till it shuts off. If there is a + symbol, it means that the test was stopped at that particular point, but the light was actually still running. This happens on certain occasions, with certain drivers, firmware, or batteries.

Lumens are measured in my 50 cm integrating sphere with a Digi-Sense 20250-00 data logging luxmeter. The sphere has been calibrated with a Convoy S2+ measured to 260 Lumens and the figures are within 10% of actual. I use a Digi-Sense 20250-92 data logging thermocouple for the temperature measurements. The probe is affixed to the head using kapton tape and uses the same 5 second sampling rate for logging.

I tested High and Turbo modes because Medium runs for 22 hrs. The P38B battery was allowed to fully charge before each test.

Mode	Specified	Runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off
High	4h	4h 3min	4h 50min+
Turbo	2h 45min	2h 21min	2h 59min+

*The light was still running at a very low level when the test was terminated.
The graphs don’t show that the output is regulated all that well, which was surprising, but it might be that it operates in buck mode when the 6 volt input is detected? I’m not sure. Turbo’s high output lasts roughly 2 minutes, then a deep step down to about 750 Lumens. High starts off around 550 Lumens and holds that for a good long while.

Both runs stepped down very low (looked like Low mode), and camped there for a good while until I ended the test. Sustained output for Turbo and High were above 500 Lumens for an hour. For LVP, the light output drops very low and sits for a long time. The light was still running when I ended the tests. The thermal regulation is great, with no variations in output.

Temps were kept well in check, never getting too hot to handle the light. The battery was discharged down to 3 to 3.1 volts. For the comparison graph, I put the EST Plus against the now-discontinued E3 (which this light roughly resembles) and picked some other SFT-40-W tactical-style/duty lights and they all performed about the same. The E3 is beaten soundly in initial output, and regulates with a see-saw pattern, same as the Fenix and the (longer-throw) Speras T3R.

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

About Peak beam intensity: Understanding ANSI FL1 Standards About peak beam intensity The calculated value of distance in meters at which the flashlight produces a light intensity of 0.25 lux. (0.25 lux is about the brightness of a full moon shining on an object). This means that the intensity has decreased so much, it becomes difficult to see darker objects, or objects that don’t reflect light. The columns ‘Meters’ and ‘Yards’ use rounded numbers.

Beam distances are measured using a Uni-T UT383S luxmeter measured indoors at 5 meters using the included fully charged Speras P38B battery. Measurements taken at 30 seconds. The light was recharged and allowed to cool between the High and Turbo tests.

Mode	Specified	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
Low	942	950 cd	62 m	68 yd
Medium	8450	9375 cd	194 m	212 yd
High	42,250	42,000 cd	410 m	448 yd
Turbo	131,625	118,750 cd	689 m	753 yd
Turbo at turn-on	?	130,325 cd	722 m	789 yd

Ambient temperature:

•  19.6 °C 

There’s lots of beam distance even at lower modes. High nets 400+ meters, which is more than enough for most tasks, and nearly 700 meters is great from a 40 mm head, and more than you’ll need for just about any urban mission.

Camera settings and distance: Photos taken with a Canon EOS R100 with Canon RF-S 18-45 mm STM lens. The camera is set to 0.3s, F5 ISO1600 and 5000K WB. The fence is 95 meters away.

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Speras EST Plus
• Speras E3
• Cyansky K3 V2
• Fenix PD35 V3
• Thorfire C8 (SST 40)

Please note that the following beamshots are mainly intended to showcase the beam pattern and beam quality, rather than overall performance. These images are typically taken directly after activation, and in different seasons or weather conditions, and therefore do not fully represent its overall performance. For accurate performance metrics, such as output, beam distance, and runtimes, you need to look at the performance section of this review.

Disclaimer: This flashlight was sent to us for review at no cost by Speras. We have not been paid to review, nor have we been holding back on problems or defects.