The SolarForce T700 houses 3 Cree XR-E emitters in its head. It has a removable crenellated bezel which can be unscrewed. The lens used is made of regular uncoated glass. The review sample had some glue smudges on it. The smooth reflector used is made of solid aluminum with its 3 individual cups overlapping each other about 1/3 of the circumference. Electronics are housed inside the head as well, behind the emitter PCB. Externally the head is well coated in Type 3 anodizing which is smooth, glossy finish. Coating is consistent and without smudges or other flaws. Further down the head are some cooling fins which presumably helps to dissipate the heat from the 3 emitters.

Obviously the T700 isn't meant to be a general use light as it is really long being powered by 4x 18650 cells. Of course you may choose to run it on 4x CR123 cells instead, thus making the battery tube about 1/3 shorter in length. It would be a great LED alternative for duty personnel who are used to using lights of similar form factor such as the StreamLight Stinger. It will fit comfortable tucked under the armpit while still having the control buttons which are placed near the head within easy reach. The 2 orange buttons just below the head control the modes and light levels. Knurling on the battery tube is excellent. They are cut deep and very rough, almost identical to the texture on SureFire lights and provides great grip even with greasy hands. There are 3 flat faces machined on the front half of the battery tube with the branding printed on. There are also narrow slots machined between each flat face. These are deep and provide ample room for placing tritium vials or other glowing items. The internal walls of the battery tube are anodized as well. Threads on both ends are well well machined and smooth, I did not experience any grinding or squeaking at all. Also, there are 2 rubber o-rings above each of the threads which provides good water seals. The tail cap is quite large which makes it easy to handle as well. It houses a forward push button which allows for momentary activation.It has average travel but audible click and tactile feedback are quite soft. There's also a band of knurling around the tail cap just like the battery tube and 2 narrow rectangular slot for any attachments you might want to add. The tail cap does allow the T700 to tail stand but due to its length it will topple over easily.

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

First of all, there seems to be a discrepancy between the advertised specs and the actual product. Although the web site stated the T700 as having 7 brightness levels, I found it to actually have 8 brightness levels.

The output from the T700 provides less segmented hot spot due to its overlapping reflector design compared to other multi-emitter lights which use separate reflectors for each emitter. This also results in a more intense hot spot and better throw ability. The beam profile is relatively smooth with rings becoming visible at distances of about a couple of feet. Beam tint is almost perfectly white, leaning slightly to the cool side. Its rated at 700 lumens from the 3 Q5 bin XR-E emitters it uses.

The activation of the light is controlled by the rear switch. The rear switch also allows for quick access to the strobe mode by performing a quick double tap from the off position, engaging the switch on the second tap.

The 2 orange buttons at the neck of the T700 controls the brightness levels and also the strobe and S.O.S. modes. To increase brightness simply click on the top button, to decrease, click on the bottom button. Brightness levels are memorized even when the light is switched off. Output is constant of every brightness level with no noticeable pulsing effect. Holding down the top button for 1 second activates the strobe mode, and holding down the bottom button activates the S.O.S. mode. The brightness of either of these modes depends on its current brightness level. The strobe and S.O.S. modes aren't memorized when turned off.

Below are the runtimes on levels 2, 4, 6 and 8.

The Good - Very bright output with good relative runtimes. Separate buttons for activation and brightness/mode selection is more intuitive that a single button, mode cycling solution. Tri-reflector works better than 3 separate reflectors. Well finished with very good knurling.

The Bad - Using with rechargeable 18650 cells can be a hassle, requiring 2 separate 2-bay chargers. If you only have one 2-bay charger it will take about 5 hours to charge up a set of depleted cells.

The Relative - Beam profile is almost perfectly white, leaning slightly to the cool side. Relatively clean beam from a smooth reflector. Lens had some glue on its surface, though it could be cleaned off.

Head (front view).

4x CR123 body (side view).

4x CR123 tube (rear view).

3x 18650 extender tube (front view).

3x 18650 extender tube (side view).

3x 18650 extender tube (rear view).

Tail cap (front view).

Tail cap (side view).

Tail cap (rear view).