Streamlight ProTac HL6

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

Streamlight ProTac HL6 Specifications & measurements

Brand & Model	Streamlight ProTac HL6
Flashlight category	Tactical-use, duty light
Battery config.	2*21700
Switch type	side
Dimensions:
Length	268 mm
Head diameter	57 mm
Weight with battery	586 g
LED & Beam
LED type	Unknown
High CRI	No
Focusable beam	No
Features
Onboard charging	On battery USB C
Power bank	No
Specifications and measurements
Specified output	5300 lm
Measured output (30sec)	5070 lm
Max. measured output (turn on)	5148 lm
Specified beam distance	566 meters
Measured beam distance (30sec)	479 meters
Specified beam intensity	80,000 cd
Measured beam intensity (30sec)	57,400 cd
Overall rating	4.5 stars
Review publication date	August 2024

If you were getting started as a police officer or security guard in the early 1980’s, chances are you were issued either a Maglite, Streamlight, or SureFire product. Maglites were huge and hundreds of thousands were issued to agencies and departments across the globe. My Dad carried a Magcharger (a rechargeable, much higher output version of the 4D Mag) as a deputy Sheriff in the 90’s on his duty belt, and I was always enamored with that thing. It was huge, heavy, and bright (for the time). He also used a Streamlight Stinger rechargeable at his other job as a mechanic, and I was equally enamored with that one. It was nearly as bright as the Magcharger and one-third the size. I was eventually gifted one for Christmas around 2002 (still have it and it works fine).

However, it’s 2024 and halogen bulbs and nicad batteries are stone-age technology. The OG brands were a bit behind the Chinese brands in adopting new tech, but eventually Mag, SureFire, and Streamlight evolved their product line to keep up. A couple years back I reviewed Streamlight’s revolutionary duty light, the Stinger 2020. Now there’s a new one, but it’s not a Stinger. Today I’ll be taking a look at the Streamlight ProTac HL6. This one’s part of the ProTac HL series and represents the highest-performing (for Lumens) Streamlight available. It’s big, bright, and interesting, and should give Mag and SureFire a run for their money. A huge thanks to Streamlight for sending this one out!

What’s in the package

The ProTac HL6 came in a very retail-centric box with a hang tag and bright graphics in the typical Streamlight red and white colors. Inside it’s pretty simple. No padding or foam, and the light sits loosely in the box with the tube sticking through a hole in another box containing the accessories. The charging wall wart was sitting on top of the box. Nice and simple!

• Streamlight ProTac HL flashlight
• Two Streamlight SL-B48Ⓡ batteries (mounted in the light)
• Lanyard
• Charging adapter
• Dual output USB C charging cable
• Manual
• Stickers and promotional leaflets

This is a ready-to-go kit, so you don’t need to buy anything extra. It’s always nice to see USB cables included, and Streamlight throws in their dual-head USB C charging cable so you can charge both batteries at once (more on that later). The two batteries were charged to 3.5 volts, so a good storage voltage, and even with the reduced voltage, the light was plenty bright. The manual has a ton of languages.

The Streamlight ProTac HL6 is a high output duty light, but could also be used as a general purpose light for surveying, inspection, or tasks requiring high output. This is a long light, but the handling is surprisingly nice, with a neutral balance point behind the head that reduces hand and wrist fatigue. The tube and upper part of the head behind the switch are covered with a silicone rubber jacket and the tube has rigid rubber inserts with grippy knobbles. These together afford a ton of grip in all grip positions with excellent control. I found it can be used one-handed easily in the Harries, Neck Index, and even the FBI grip (although your arm would get tired after a while).

The head has anti-roll cuts, and the tailcap has grippy knurling on the periphery with a single lanyard mounting point. The included lanyard has a steel split ring for attachment. I had a rough time getting it to go, and almost split my thumbnail up the middle trying, so I gave up. A tool (knife blade, flat screwdriver) would be helpful for installing the split ring. There’s a single forward clicky switch behind the head. It has a rounded, grippy boot with the Streamlight logo. It’s not lighted, and you have about 2 mm of takeup before engaging the switch, and another 2 mm before it latches, about like the countless Maglite and Streamlight’s own Stinger switches I’ve poked. This is good for reducing accidental activation. 

Streamlight products are designed in the USA and assembled in China. The build quality is always good and what I expect with a professional grade tool. These are high-quality lights and undergo lots of quality control before being sold, and each part is serialized. There’s no alarming gaps, blemishes, or other issues with the build quality, and it feels like a solidly built item. Expect to pay for that quality, and this isn’t a budget light, retailing for around $160-$170 US.

Per the specs, the HL6 is milled from 6000 series aluminum. The visible machining is very nicely done. While the edges of the heatsink fins are a bit abrupt, those are out of the way, and all of the exposed edges are otherwise chamfered and smooth. The finish isn’t specified, other than ‘anodized aluminum.’ It’s well-done, and is a more slate-like version of anodizing, but affords a lot of grip and seems really durable. 

Surprisingly, I could unscrew the bezel by hand and expose the TIR optic and diffuser cup, which comes out easily. The tailcap has a unique, upside-down spring (larger on the contact part) that’s gold-plated and sufficiently thick. The driver doesn’t have a spring, which is unusual on a light like this. The threads for the bezel and tailcap are triangular cut and a bit thin. They were either unlubed or had very little. I recommend some silicone paste or non-petroleum lube here. I found myself being careful with threading the tailcap to keep from cross threading it, and this is an issue. I think thicker threads would be preferable here since you’d be taking off the tailcap to recharge the light. Every joint is gasketed with an o-ring.

The bezel has a flat o-ring seal, which you don’t see much on portable lights. Streamlight gives the HL6 an IPX7 rating, which isn’t the desired IP68, but should afford 1-meter water resistance for 30 minutes and 1-meter drop protection. I am sure Streamlight tests this, so you can be confident in the rating! For the warranty, it’s Streamlight’s limited lifetime protection, which is excellent and even covers batteries to 24 months, as follows: Streamlight warrants this product to be free of defects for a lifetime of use except for batteries and bulbs, abuse, and normal wear. We will repair, replace, or refund the purchase price of this product should we determine it to be defective. This limited lifetime warranty also

excludes rechargeable batteries, chargers, switches, and electronics which have a 2-year warranty with proof of purchase.

The ProTac HL6 doesn’t specify what LED it’s using, but I was able to get a peak at it when I first opened the head up. It’s most definitely a Cree XHP70.3 HD. This is the 3rd gen of Cree’s quad die, high output XHP series LED. It’s built on the 7070 size SMD footprint and is a flip-chip CSP type LED (bond wires under the dies). It runs on 6 or 12 volts depending on the MCPCB, and can get really bright, while being efficient with very good lm/watt. This one’s domed for higher output and a less-throwy beam.

No tint is specified, but it’s definitely cool white and low CRI, which is totally fine. The LED sits under a large PMMA TIR optical lens. This TIR is roughly 50 mm wide. It’s a flat optic and gives a balanced flood/throw beam. There’s a diffuse hotspot with a lot of side illumination. The angular tint shift present with XHP LEDs is minimized here, and the beam looks great! Nice and clean with a great general purpose profile. The optic is protected by an AR coated hardened mineral glass lens, and the large bezel extends over the lens a bit to protect it from bezel-down drops. 

More details: 

• LED Type: Cree XHP70.3 HD
• High CRI: No
• Focusable beam: No

Spectral measurements: 

I used an Opple Lightmaster Pro to measure the flashlight at 2 meters distance. 

Mode:	CCT:	CRI Ra:	duv
High	5765K	67	0.0065
Low	5515K	66.6	0.0086

Dimensions: 

Streamlight ProTac HL6	Millimeters	Inches
Length	267 mm	10.5 in
Head diameter	60 mm	2.3 in
Body diameter	32 mm	1.2 in

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

Weight: 

Streamlight ProTac HL6	Weight in grams	Weight in oz
Without battery:	586 g	20.6 oz
With battery	431 g	15.2 oz

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

Flashlight size comparison with its competition:

Group 1 left to right: Speras T50, Acebeam P20, Lumintop PK21, Streamlight ProTac HL6, Nitecore MH40S

Group 2 left to right: Fenix TK20 UE, Acebeam P17 Defender, Streamlight ProTac HL6, Streamlight Stinger 2020, Olight Warrior X4, Olight Warrior 3S Limited Edition Ti, Klarus XT11GT Pro v2

Group 3 left to right, old to new duty flashlight comparison: Maglite 3D, Magiite Magcharger, Streamlight Stinger, Streamlight Stinger 2020, Acebeam P17 Defender, Streamlight ProTac HL6

Group 4 left to right reflectors: Speras T50, Streamlight ProTac HL6, Lumintop PK21

Group 5 left to right reflectors: Maglite 3D, Streamlight ProTac HL6, Maglite Magcharger

The ProTac HL6 probably has a buck driver, but also may be a boost driver. My money’s on a buck driver though, outputting 6 volts to the LED. The UI is very unique, and Streamlight calls it TEN-TAPⓇ and it consists of three mode groups, with essentially just 3 modes plus a Strobe. By default, it’s set to Program One: High, Strobe, Low. Other Programs are High only, and Low, Medium, High. 

Available modes: 

• Low, Medium, High

Available blinky modes:

• Strobe

From OFF Default Program:

• Tap switch: Momentary on
• Fully click switch: Constant on
• Double tap: A fast double-tap activates Strobe
• 3 fast taps: Tapping the switch 3 times and holding on the last tap will activate Low mode

From ON Default Program:

• Fully click switch: Turns off
• Double tap: A fast double-tap activates Strobe
• 3 fast taps: Tapping the switch 3 times and holding on the last tap will activate Low mode

From OFF Program Two:

• Tap switch: Momentary on High mode
• Fully click switch: Constant on High mode

From ON Program Two:

• Fully click switch: Turns off

From OFF Program Three:

• Tap switch: Momentary on Low mode
• Fully click switch: Constant on Low mode

From ON Program Three:

• Fully click switch: Turns off
• Tap switch quickly: Switches modes Low-Medium-High. The taps must be within 0.4 seconds of each other or the mode won’t switch

Mode memory:

• None

Shortcuts:

• None

Strobe/blinkies

• Strobe. Only available in Program One, accessed by a double-tap. 

Lock-out mode: 

• None, but can be mechanically locked out by unscrewing the tailcap ⅛ turn

PWM

• Very fast PWM on Low, but not visible with the naked eye

Additional/summary info on the UI: 

• I was expecting a super-simple UI, and that’s what you get, even if a bit unconventional. You still get a nice variety of modes that would suit most all scenarios. No mode memory either, which can be good or not good depending on your needs. In a duty or tactical situation, when you need High, you can set it to High.
• If you need High and Strobe, keep it in the default program. Even though switching modes and accessing programs seems convoluted at first, and there’s a lot of button pressing involved, everything’s fairly straightforward once you get the hang of it.
• I was able to master it within a few minutes after reading the manual which is well-written and explains everything clearly. Switching programs and modes (on the first and third program) took some practice though as you have to time your clicks carefully and be quick. Sometimes it was a bit vague and at first it was cumbersome, but over time, it became natural. Most users will probably keep it on either High only or Program 3. There’s intelligent thermal control also and LVP.
• To switch Programs, from OFF, tap the switch quickly 9 times and hold on the 10th for 1 second or so. The light will turn off then release the switch. The next time the light is turned on, it will be in the next Program (Default-High only-Low, Medium, High).

The Streamlight ProTac HL6 uses two, 21700 batteries in series for power, so 8.4 volts to run the (probably 6 volt) LED, and it comes with two of Streamlight’s SL-B48Ⓡ 5000 mAh 21700s. These are button top (with unique button tops), high quality cells, probably rewrapped LGM50, Samsung 50G or 50E-3 cells. They have a full protection suite with integrated USB C charging. This keeps it simple and eliminates an external charge port. The Streamlight Stinger 2020 had a similar arrangement, with two 18650s with integrated charging.

I like this setup, and liked it even more when I found out you can use any 76mm long button top 21700 in the light. However, all li-ion safety rules for series batteries apply here, so if you’re using your own, they must be matched pairs of identical batteries, button top only, and I recommend using protected cells. You were warned. I tried some Acebeam ARC21700NP-500As, Fenix ARB-L21-500Us, and even some Nitecore NL2150s. All worked fine. Shorter 21700s did not work. 

The kit included a 2.2 amp, 5 volt wall wart with a USB A socket that accepts the included dual USB-C charging cable. You can charge both batteries simultaneously, or individually. The charging current for both was around 5 volts 1.6 amps, and individually each battery charged at around 800 mA. That’s super slow and Streamlight says it takes around 6 hours to fully charge the cells. I charged these individually and each took an average of 5h 10min and added between 4046 and 4190 mAh. Termination voltage was 4.13 to 4.17 volts. If you’re impatient though, and your li-ion charger can handle 76 mm long cells, these charged just fine in my VapCell S4+. They charged to a higher capacity in the VapCell than when charging off the USB port, between 4500 and 4600 mAh. 

Battery level indicator:

• There’s no battery level indicators on the light for battery condition, but the cells have tiny LED indicators for charge state: Solid red for charging, turning solid green when fully charged. 

Description	Details
Onboard charging	USB-C on battery
Power bank functionality	No
Low voltage protection/warning	None
Batteries that fit	Button top, protected 76 mm long
Batteries that won’t fit	Unprotected, flat top and button top under 76 mm
Avg. charge time	5h 10min

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. For the current tests, I used a Thsinde B18B+ multimeter with 14 gauge wires on banana plugs in the meter, and for current over 200 mA, I use my Fy219 clamp meter with a loop of 12 gauge wire. Current and outputs measured using the fully charged Streamlight SL-B48 5000 mAh 21700s.

Mode	Specified output	Turn on	30 sec.	10 min.
Low	450 lm	429 lm	429 lm	429 lm
Med	1500 lm	1482 lm	1482 lm	1459 lm
High	5300 lm	5148 lm	5070 lm	2028 lm

Ambient temperature during testing:

• 22.5 °C

Parasitic drain:

• .01 mA 

I could only get a standby current reading since the contact for the tube is recessed and getting a thick wire down there was a no-go. The outputs look great! Down a little from spec, but not much.

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 used the fully charged Streamlight SL-B48 5000 mAh 21700s for the tests.

Mode	Specified runtime	Runtime (ANSI FL1)	Time till shut off
Low	12h 30min	12h 57m	12h 59m
Med	3h 45min	3h 56m	9h 4m
High	2h	2h 11m	2h 47m

The runtimes are fantastic! I got a bit above the spec’d runtimes, and the output regulation is awesome. I expect nice, flat regulated output from an XHP70.3 behind a buck driver, and that’s what I got out of the HL6. The outputs are a bit down from spec, but not by much, and the output is nicely regulated.

High starts a bit over 5000 Lumens, and slowly drops to 2000 Lumens over 10 minutes, so you get better than 2000 Lumens for over 9 minutes. You get 35 seconds of 5000 Lumens, 3+ minutes of 4000 Lumens, and 3 minutes of 3000 Lumens. Pretty impressive. The output camps at 2000 Lumens for almost 2 hours before dropping off and shutting down.

Medium was more impressive, with a flat, regulated 1400 Lumens for over 3 hours before dropping off and shutting down.

Low ran and ran at over 400 Lumens for right around 12 hours 45 minutes before also shutting down. The drop-offs for the outputs aren’t dramatic, but you get plenty of warning before the output cuts out. Even then, you get tons of runtime, and this would easily last a full 12 hour shift of intermittent or near-constant use.

Temps were kept well in check as well with no drama, briefly hitting 59 C on High, and the light was totally hand-friendly the entirety of the runtimes. That silicone overmold on the tube helps, but the thermal regulation keeps things in check well enough that it never gets too hot anyway. The batteries were discharged to the point the protection circuits kicked in, so no end volts readings!

The comparison graphs include some 2-cell lights and a couple single cell lights. I threw in the Stinger 2020 for comparison. Obviously, no comparison, and none of the others can match the HL6 either for sustained output. The PK21 is brighter on Turbo due to it being a FET-driven light. Overall, the HL6 is a fantastic performer for sustained output.

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 fully charged Streamlight SL-B48 5000 mAh 21700s. Measurements taken at 30 seconds.

Mode	Specified intensity	Specified beam distance	Candela measured	Meters	Yards
Low	6,700 cd	164 m	5000 cd	141 m	154 yd
Medium	23,000 cd	303 m	16,475 cd	257 m	281 yd
High	80,000 cd	556 m	57,400 cd	479 m	524 yd

My candela and beam distance figures are way off. Still, as measured, 479 meters is nothing to thumb your nose at for a roughly 56 mm head, and remember, it can sustain 250 meters for over 3 hours. 

Ambient temperature during testing:

• 22 °C

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 distant.

Beamshots of the following flashlights compared:

• Streamlight ProTac HL6
• Acebeam P20
• Speras T50
• Lumintop PK21
• Acebeam P17 Defender
• Wurkkos TS23
• Streamlight Stinger 202

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. In few cases the camera settings are even different and therefore not meant for performance comparisons. 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 Streamlight. We have not been paid to review, nor have we been holding back on problems or defects.

Buy your Streamlight ProTac HL6 here

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