Elzetta ZFL-M60 Tactical LED Flashlight Hands-on Review

We have been reviewing an Elzetta ZFL-M60 LED flashlight, and while our toughness tests are still underway, we thought to do a quick review about what we have seen so far.

First Impression

The Elzetta ZFL-M60 is flat-out one of the most well-constructed flashlights we have ever seen. Every aspect of the anodized aluminum body is perfectly machined, from the head module and tail cap grooves, to the knurling. Quite a few of the other flashlights we have seen and own do come close, but fall short when you pay attention to finer design details.

The ZFL-M60 is designed as a tactical and weapons light, but it is very well suited as an everyday flashlight as well.

Elzetta with Malkoff Devices LED Light Output

How do I say this nicely? The ZLF-M60 beats the juice out of many other tactical flashlights in its price range. Even Surefire’s newer G2X and 6PX tactical flashlights (including variants) just cannot compare as the Elzetta’s Malkoff-made LED module throws a much brighter and whiter light.

The Coast A25 LED flashlight that we reviewed the other day does best the Elzetta in terms of brightness. However, the A25 is larger, heavier, and is rated as water-resistant whereas the ZFL-M60 is completely sealed and waterproof.

Our review sample has two brightness modes, low and high intensity, that are selected via the rotary tail cap switch. A momentary and latching push-button switch turns on the flashlight, and the tail cap is rotated to select the intensity setting. Fully-tightened/clockwise sets the light to maximum output mode, and a slight counter-clockwise twist sets the flashlight to low-output mode.

Maximum output is rated at 235 lumens and low-intensity output at 15 lumens, which is usable for casual lighting needs. Runtime is 1.5 hours at full output, or 40 hours at low.

Impact-Resistance, Toughness, Durability

Did you catch the video of the Elzetta representative hammering a nail with one of these flashlights? That’s a pretty good example of how impact-resistant these flashlights are.

Thus far we have dropped (thrown) the flashlight, submerged it in water, and shook it up real good. Absolutely nothing we tried seemed to have affected the ZFL-M60! All we’ve done was tire ourselves out, so we will be heading back to the drawing board to plan another series of tests.

Made in USA!

That’s right, the Elzetta ZFL-M60 tactical LED flashlight is made in the USA! This does mean that the price of the ZFL-M60 will be higher than similar imported aluminum-bodied flashlights, but it’s worth it. As mentioned, the machining of the flashlight body is exceptional, and we could not find any flaws in the grooves, threads, knurling, body rings, or crenelated bezel.

Conclusion

The Elzetta ZFL-M60 is a rock-solid tactical flashlight. Elzetta claims that it is the toughest flashlight on the market, and from what we have seen, we believe this 100%. It is worth mentioning that we don’t usually use flashlights in life-or-death situations, especially not in combat where a weapons light may be used. Even so, we don’t recall ever seeing as well-built a flashlight as the Elzetta.

We absolutely loved the Elzetta, and found it to be an incredibly well designed flashlight. The LED module is from Malkoff Devices, which has a phenomenal reputation for quality. You cannot go wrong with the Elzetta ZFL-M60 – we highly recommend it!

These flashlights start at about $155. The model we reviewed is the CS2D version – crenelated bezel, 2-cell body, with high/low clicky tailcap, and is priced at $180.

Product and purchase information via Elzetta

Our only complaint (if you can even call it that) is a very minor one. Somehow the flashlight was turned on inside its packaging due to rough handling by the USPS, almost completely depleting the batteries. The click switch is springy and does require some force to depress, so the flashlight won’t likely turn on accidentally when carried in a case or holster, or even in a bag. But, it has happened, and can potentially happen again. The size of the click switch is comfortable, so our preferred solution for rough transport will be to unscrew the tail cap a bit until it disengages, just in case.

One thing to note is that the LED beam focus is of the spotlight illumination type – there is no floodlight mode. The same is true for all flashlights of this nature.

Thank you to Elzetta for providing the sample for this review unconditionally. Review samples are typically returned, donated, or in some cases retained for further testing or benchmark and comparison purposes.