Price: $37.99 at Navy Exchange, probably more out in town.
Max lumens: 103
Battery life (rated by Maglite): 5 hours, 15 minutes on high beam; 201 hours on low beam
Size: 1" diameter, 4.8" length
Batteries: 3 "AAA"
Bulb: LED
I had looked at this light a few times for a front pocket EDC item. I like having a light, but had previously thought that the XL100 was slightly too bulky and bought a Gerber Hail instead. After realizing that the Hail's exposed tailcap pushbutton was susceptible to being activated in the pocket and epoxying a short chunk of black PVC over the butt of the light, I came to the understanding that my Hail was now the same diameter at both ends as the XL100. Comparing the 6 lumen output of the Hail to the 103 lumens on the XL100, I bought it.
First impression: This thing is bright, but it's not going to replace your Surefire. On the other hand, that's not what I was after anyway. I just wanted a decently bright, pocketable light for EDC, and the XL100 is a pretty good fit for that role. It's a bit bulky in the pocket, so you're probably not going to carry this in your business suit, but in the types of pants I wear it's good to go. (I'm fat, so mostly cargo shorts and and pants.) The beam is nice and bright, but brightness can be adjusted to fit your liking and preserve battery life. The beam is not adjustable, so you're stuck with what Maglite thinks is the optimum beam. That said, I like the beam for what the flashlight is going to be used for. It's sort of a broad flood with a bright spot in the center. While this no doubt means less throw, it also lights up a darkened room very nicely, and is quite bright.
If you buy this light, do not throw away the instructions before reading because you'll need them. The light has five modes; Strobe, Nightlight, Dim, SOS, and Signal, as well as a lockout function that positively prevents the light from coming on in your pocket. There's some sort of motion sensor in there, because to switch modes, you hold the light horizontal with the picture of the mode you want up and hold the button for one second. The light comes on in Dim mode unless you do the previous step, so if you use it in Strobe, the next time it comes on it will be in Dim, which is the normal flashlight mode on a dimmer switch. The dimmer remembers the last setting, so the light comes on at that lighting level by default when you turn on the light. Here's where it gets crazy. In addition to the light knowing which mode icon is up on the light, it senses rotation as well! To change dimmer or SOS brightness, strobe speed, or toggle the flash in Signal mode, you hold the light horizontal as before, hold the button for one second, and then rotate the light to the desired setting. To activate the lock, you point the light straight up, hold the button for one second, and then (while holding the button) point it to the floor and release the button. That locks the light until you do the same thing again to unlock it.
We'll see if Maglite's reputation for toughness will continue with the XL100; my pockets tend to be dangerous places for anything remotely delicate, so the motion sensor thing may not hold up. We'll see. Bottom line: I like this light. Some of the functions are a little gimmicky and not that useful, but I like the lock, the ability to adjust brightness and therefore battery life, and the quality seems consistent with what I expect from Maglite. Now that Maglite has finally come into the 21st century and embraced LED, I think their lights will become more popular again. (I also have a 2 D-Cell LED Maglite and I love it!) I would recommend this light to someone who's looking for a durable, affordable little light for utility use; and especially if having a cooler light than your friends is a factor. "...Yeah, that Surefire is cool, but can it flash SOS in Morse code for you??"
