The head of the IFE2 has a cylindrical shape with a smooth bezel up the front. Behind the bezel is an impact resistant AR-coated glass lens for optimal light transmittance. The IFE2 comes in a couple of variations with either a smooth or textured reflector. With both variations, the reflectors are well machined and polished with no noticeable surface flaws. The LED sits well-centered at the bottom of the reflector cup. On the exterior, the head has a smooth finish with a textured magnetic rotary ring which controls the output brightness. The rotary ring slides to its off position with a subtle tactile feedback and click which is great. The rear of the head has the electronic contact with a physical reverse polarity protection built-in. Of course, this also means that flat-topped 18650 cells will no work unless used with a magnetic spacer.

The battery tube is mostly covered in a knurling. As with most NiteCore products, the knurling is aggressive and provides good grip. There are raised rings towards the front and rear ends of the battery tube which serve as an anti-roll feature. The pocket clip allows for head-down carry and can be removed by unscrewing the two hex screws securing it. Threads throughout the light are clean and well-machined with no rough edges which may cause grinding or cross-threading. The IFE2 supports both CR123 and 18650 batteries, with protected cells fitting easily with no issues. The tail cap houses a forward push button which has average travel and tension. Since output and activation are controlled by separate switches, momentary activation is possible with no issues. When engaged, the switch provides a positive tactile feedback with an audible click. The rear end of the tail cap is scalloped which allows for easier activation of the switch. However, the switch cap protrudes out just slightly which means the light isn't able to tail stand. There are a couple of slits cut into the tail cap which allow for lanyard attachments.

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

The IFE2 implements a practical and easy to use interface which utilizes a combination of a regular push button switch and a magnetic rotary ring. The switch controls the On/Off activation of the light, which the ring controls the smooth ramping of output intensity, very similar to that of the SureFire Titan. Brightness level can be varied over a very wide range, from 0.003 to 345 lumens (manufacturer rated). This ring has a notch at the off position which serves as a secondary Off switch to prevent accidental activation. Rotating past the Off position puts the IFE2 in the Strobe mode. These all depend on the physical position of the ring, thus are independent of the push button switch in the tail cap. There is also the S.O.S. mode which is not documented in the user manual. This is activated by first switching the light on, rotate the ring to maximum brightness level, and quickly performing an alternating rotation of the ring (without going all the way to the Off position) three times. This S.O.S. mode is a temporary mode and is discarded when the light is switched off.

Output beam profile is clean with no glaring artifacts. As mentioned earlier, the IFE2 is available with either smooth or textured reflector installed. The smooth reflector version does have a more defined spot and corona. Interestingly, the smooth reflector version doesn't seem to throw a significantly brighter spot compared to the textured version. Output tint on the review samples were slightly cooler than pure white. The IFE2 provides a respectable balance of output and runtime. Regulation is also help quite well apart from the slight drop during the first few seconds of activation. As the batteries run down, the light will start to strobe as an indicator.

The Good - Practical and intuitive user interface. Respectable output and runtime while maintaining good regulation. Cleanly machined and constructed.

The Bad - Nothing significant.

The Relative - Clean beam profile with slightly cool white tint. Forward push button allows for momentary activation. Isn't able to tail stand. Aggressive knurling.