Speras EST

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Speras EST review

Speras EST specifications

Brand & ModelSperas EST
Flashlight categoryTactical light
LEDLuminus SST40
Lumens1900 lumens on turbo
Beam distance211 meters
Beam intensity11,175 candela
Battery config.1 x 18650
Onboard chargingUSB-C
ModesTurbo, high, medium, low
BlinkiesStrobe, SOS
WaterproofIP68
Review publication dateOctober 2022

Introduction:

Speras is a Chinese company that’s been around for a while, focusing mainly on tactical applications for law enforcement, hunting, and everyday carry. Their products run the gambit from the strange to the barebones essentials, such as a zoomable dimming hunting greenlight to one of the lights I have here, the Speras EST. I’ve never handled one of their lights before, so I’m quite excited! It sits at a nice price point of $54.99

Package quality.

The package is a pretty standard retail box which actually comes factory sealed, a nice touch. It’s pretty bare bones but I think for this light it makes a lot of sense given Speras’s focus on tactical products. On the back is a really nice breakdown of the light’s specifications for each mode and some information on the EST itself. They also include an 18650 with the light. 

  • Speras EST flashlight
  • 18650 3100 mAh battery
  • USB-C cable
  • Lanyard
  • Spare O-rings
  • Manual

Flashlight in use

The EST is an interesting little package. Designed first and foremost as a tactical light with a massive tail switch, it also uses a side electronic switch to actually change modes. With built-in mode memory, this allows the user to select the mode they want to tactically access it with the tail switch, but also permits cycling to a lower output should the situation call for it. This addresses one of the great shortcomings in many tactical lights, which make some sort of compromise between tactical access and usability. 

The light itself contains a lot of things that I really like to see in a light of this nature that aren’t overdone, which I find very common in this market. The knurling is very reasonable, it provides a good grip in both a hand and a glove without being something that would tear up your hand. The crenelated bezel is also there to provide an option for self-defense, but isn’t massively overdone like a certain Manker product. The pocket clip is pretty solid with a nice tongue, it is a little small and the ring does stick out slightly from the side of the light unfortunately. 

My single favorite thing on this light is the rear switch. It is, in a word, perfect. One of the things that bother me most on a light is a poor, mushy switch that can bind up and just feels “meh.” Speras is not messing around here. A massive rubber cover, nicely textured to help you find it, sticks out just slightly from the rear and is slightly protected on two sides to reduce the chance of accidental activation. The switch itself clicks on with authority, it is immensely satisfying. There is zero binding, just down and up. No frills, just perfect functionality.

Build Quality, and Warranty

The EST is made of “aerospace” grade aluminum 6061, which is oddly standard for such an exotic material. Do with that what you will. Regardless, the build quality is very nice. The anodization is a hard coating to protect the metal underneath. There are no sharp edges, and the threads are very well cut and come lubricated. Small heatsink fans are located near the driver to help keep it cool, however likely will not achieve that much. I did have one issue, where the retaining ring around the side switch popped out after being run on turbo. Overall, very nicely built and expertly blends form and function.

LED, Lens, Bezel, Beam, and Reflector

The EST uses a single Luminus SST40 which is a pretty popular LED in lights of this size, especially due to its high output and efficiency. This comes with the usual downside of a low CRI and, depending on your preferences, a very high tint. 

The SST40 is sat under a TIR (total internal reflection) optic which are known for producing a very clean hotspot with not a lot of spill. Speras has chosen one with a quirk, the inner “ring” of the optic, aka the internal reflector, is diffused. This results in a clearly defined hotspot of a large size due to the diffusion, however there is still a pretty sharp transition to the spill which provides “working” light.

Dimensions and size comparison

Dimensions: 

MillimetersInches
Length120 mm4.72 in
Head diameter25.4 mm1 in
Body diameter25.4 mm1 in

Weight

Weight in gramsWeight in Oz.
Without battery:81 g2.85 oz
With battery126 g4.44 oz

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Speras EST, Convoy S2+, Acebeam E70

Driver & User Interface:

Available modes: 

  • Low, medium, high, turbo

Available blinky modes:

  • Strobe, SOS

Rear Switch

From OFF:

  • Slight click: Momentary on
  • Single click:  On
  • Double click:  Strobe

From ON:

  • 1 click:  Off

Side Switch

From ON:

  • Single click:  Changes mode
  • Double click: Strobe

Mode memory:

  • Yes

Shortcuts:

  • To Strobe: Double slight click rear switch

Low voltage warning:

  • Side switch glows red

Strobe/blinkies

  • Strobe, SOS

Batteries & Charging

The Speras EST shipps with a Speras branded 3100 mAh 18650 included which has a protection circuit installed. I tested with Samsung 30Q and it appeared to work just fine. Speras indicates it should take roughly 4 hours to charge, mine was charged up in 4 hours and 15 minutes, so not bad.

Performance test

Lumens were measured using my homemade integrating tube with a Tripplet LT68 datalogging lux meter. I used the included 3100 mAh EB31 battery by Speras, fully charged. 

Lumen measurements (for each mode)

ModeSpecs@turn on@30 sec@10 minutes
Low109.8 lm9.7 lm9.7 lm
Med10082 lm82 lm80 lm
High400255 lm250 lm240 lm
Turbo19001134 lm1090 lm345 lm

(Note from Marco: these lumen measurements may differ from actual measurements. The lumen measurement setup will be finetuned in the upcoming reviews)

Speras EST battery life: runtime graphs

Runtimes were measured with the same tube and meter, again with the fully charged EB11 battery. The low and medium runtime tests had to be aborted as the memory on my luxmeter became full, and the specified runtimes are well over what can be reasonably verified.

ModeSpecified runtimeMeasured runtime ANSITime till shut off
Low157h9h+9h+
Med22.5h9h+9h+
High5.25h4h 45min4h 49min
Turbo4h3h 48min4h 24min
  • (Aborted due to data logger memory overflow and no significant dropoff)

ANSI FL1 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.

Peak beam intensity and beam distance measurements

All measurements were taken at 5 meters with a fully charged EB31 3100 mAh 18650 battery. 

ModeSpecsCandela measuredMetersYards
Low20m9719.621.4
Medium55m73254.159.2
High100m214892.7101.4
Turbo211m10,172 cd201.7220.6

Extra info: Peak beam distance according to ANSI FL1 standards: 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).

Beamshots

Camera settings and distance: Canon EOS Rebel, 1/20s, ISO 200, F5.6, 5m

Beamshots compared to the following flashlights:

  • Acebeam E70 High CRI Version

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

Final Verdict

Pros

  1. Very good runtimes and nice regulation
  2. Very nice build quality
  3. High runtimes with a 3100 mAh battery
  4. Excellent switch design for easy actuation and mode switch

Cons

  1. Output is lower than advertised
  2. Charge port cover presents a weak point in the light
  3. A little longer than it needs to be
  4. Pocket clip could be a bit better

Explanation on star ratings:

1: Avoid: a match would be a better choice – 2: Poor: significant defect or issues; almost unusable – 3: Average: some defects or issues; but still usable 4: Good: recommended (minor issues) – 5: Great: highly recommended

Reviewer Max
Author: Max

4.5 stars: ★★★★⋆

Speras really surprised me with this one, for 55 dollars it is an extremely impressive light. Boasting strong runtimes, though lower outputs, along with a nice 18650 formfactor, makes it very appealing. As a tactical light, it shines bright, with what is my favorite clicky switch to date. While the output is notably lower than advertised, it is still quite usable, though something that should be noted. What I like most about it is that it’s a very “usable” light, it doesn’t have any crazy features or absurd output, and it feels like a light that you could depend on when you need it most. And that’s exactly what it’s meant to be.

Buy your Speras EST here:

1lumen selects and reviews products personally. We may earn affiliate commissions through our links, which help support our testing.