The iTP C9 reviewed here is the Regular version, a Tactical version will also be available in the future. Right up the front sits a toughened ultra-clear glass lens. When viewed from the front end, the AR (anti-reflective) coating doesn't seem the same as that on the earlier C6 model. Reason being I noticed it to be more reflective than the former. This shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing though since AR coatings are usually applied to the inner face of the lenses anyway. I couldn't check this because the 2 parts making up the head are adhered together keeping all the components sealed in place. The reflector used has a half-textured and a half-smooth surface. The smooth surface towards the top of the reflector cup provides a sharply focused spot, while the textured surface towards the bottom smoothens out the spill beam. Alignment between reflector and the LED is good, perhaps just off-center by a hair. The external design of the head has some nice design elements machined on. Towards the front the bezel is smooth with no crenellations, below which is a diamond-textured ring about 0.5cm wide. This allows the light output to be easily adjusted with one hand. The most obvious physical feature on the head are the 6 cooling fins which take up about half of its total surface. Viewed from the rear you can see the electronics PCB and the slightly raised "+" battery contact. Threads are thick and machined well, screwing on and off the battery tube is very smooth with no cross-threading or grinding. The Type 3 hard anodizing over the head is also well done and consistent throughout with no blemishes or other inconsistencies to be found.

The iTP C9 has 2 separate parts, that is the head and the battery tube. There is no tail cap as it may seem by looking at the images. The switch is incorporated into the rear end of the battery tube. The front end of the battery tube you can see a raised lip right above the threads which provides the contact point for the variable brightness control. Threads are nice, just like those on the head. A black rubber o-ring sits just below the threads. The middle area of the battery tube is a simple, smooth cylindrical design with no flat faces or anything physical design elements to it other than the iTP branding printed on. The inner diameter of the battery tube is wide enough to accommodate protected 16340 cells. The rear end of the battery tube is slightly raised and wider than the middle section of the tube which provides a comfortable cigar-style grip. The overall design of the battery tube and head was intended to resemble a bullet, though some may view it from a different perspective. The switch is held in place by a retaining ring which screws in from the inside of the battery tube. The switch used is a reverse push button. It's mechanism has a stiff and secure feel providing good tactile feedback. The clicking sound when engaging the switch is somewhat "sharper" than most other switches. The rubber switch cap is orange and sits just slightly recessed inside the tail end, and the light is able to tail stand without problems.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.

The iTP C9 uses a Cree XR-E LED and is advertised to output 190 lumens at maximum and 6 lumens at lowest level. It provides a sharply focused, narrow hotspot and a smooth spill spill beam profile thanks to its reflector design. Beam tint leans slightly towards the cool side with a hint of violet hue. There are some beam artifact within and around the hotspot, but these are very minor compared to some other Cree based lights. They are barely noticeable even when the beam is viewed on a smooth white surface.

The user interface is fairly straight forward and simple to use. To activate the light, simply click on the switch to turn the light on. The brightness can be ramped up or down by loosening the head, once the desired brightness level is reached, simply tighten back the head. The ramping sequence alternates in direction each time you loosen the head. The light will blink 3 times when the minimum and twice at maximum level as an indicator to the user. Switching between normal, strobe and S.O.S. modes is done by half-pressing the switch.

The electronics warns you of low battery power by blinking towards the end of the battery life, this happens when brightness drops to about 30% of maximum. This is also useful when using non-protected li-ion cells. If you've read the review of the iTP C6 Regular Version, you may have noted that there were some issues with the interface. Rest assured, none of those previous issues plague the iTP C9. The driver electronics used in the C9 is a buck/boost design which means it can drive the LED from low voltages from 1V up to a high of 4.2V. The regulation of the C9 on maximum brightness level as output gradually increases for some reason. With a CR123 cell, output drops gradually when the battery is no longer able to provide optimal regulation for maximum output.

The Good - Fit and finish is well done with no apparent flaws. Provides high output intensity while maintaining good runtimes. Simple interface for setting brightness.

The Bad - Relatively short runtimes with protected 16340 cell.

The Relative - Slightly cool beam tint with some minor beam artifacts. Uses a reverse push button switch. Able to tail stand.

Head (front view)

Head (side view).

Head (rear view).

Battery tube (front view).

Battery tube (side view).

Battery tube (rear view).