Streamlight® is one of those companies that constantly meets and exceeds expectations. The ProTac® 2.0 HP is one of their flashlights. It delivers with high lumen and ample candela.
Depending on one’s specific lighting needs depends on what kind of flashlight will help an individual achieve their goals. From everyday carry lights, to service and duty lights, to pen/stylus lights, and search and rescue-style lights, there’s a lot on the market. Streamlight® has a track record of putting out quality products that stand the test of time. If you’re looking for something with a little extra umph, the ProTac® 2.0 HP might fit the bill.
Out of the box brightness
The first thing that drew my attention when I got my hands on the ProTac® 2.0 HP was how dominant it felt in my hand. The 2.0 is larger than the standard 18650 light that many EDC lights are that I’m accustomed to. This light is closer to a 21700-series flashlight, however a 21700 it is not.
That noticeable size difference and robust design lends the ProTac® 2.0 HP a wicked high level of lumen but also an impressive throw. Delivering 2,000 lumen is a formidable level of brightness, but it’s the 85,000 Candela that the lamp throws that makes this flashlight next level.
There are multiple brightness levels besides the 2k max.
- Low at 100 lumen
- Medium at 550 lumen
- High at 2,000 lumen
- Strobe at 2,000 lumen
“Adjustable Programming: Features Streamlight’s TEN-TAP programming to choose your preferred operating mode with the multi-function, push-button tactical tail switch that allows for one-handed operation; default setting is high/strobe/low,” the product page says.
The battery
When discussing the pluses and minuses of this lamp, the battery is going to come into play. For starters, Streamlight® has continued with the tradition that they and many other manufacturers have adopted, of making the battery itself have a charging port. The proprietary SL-B50 battery has an integrated USB C charging port built right into it.
If you don’t want to remove your battery to recharge it, there’s an external charging port. To access the charging port simply slide the sleeve that’s at the bottom end of the bezel in the direction of the tailswitch of the light. A USB C port would be revealed. An O-ring interfaces with the sleeve to help maintain watertight integrity.
A big minus
As noted, this is a proprietary battery and that’s a minus. If you want extra batteries, you can’t just find a standard sized rechargeable and use it. These batteries are sloped at the end, fit in the lamp one way, and there are separate terminals on one end and a regular terminal on the other.
I don’t know if the battery design has any actual benefits to being built like it is. However, it seems like Streamlight® went through acrobatics to make sure people have to buy replacement and/or spare batteries from them. I’d consider this rather shortsighted and immature when they could have just as easily designed the light to hold a 2170 sized battery.
Construction of the light
The lamp is a bit larger than a normal EDC-sized light. Clocking in over 6 inches in length, almost 1 and ½ in diameter at the tailcap, and a little over an inch in body diameter, the ProTac HP is a larger unit.
“The Streamlight ProTac HP-X is crafted with 6000 series machined aircraft aluminum with Type II MIL-Spec anodized finish; IP67-rated; dust-tight and waterproof to 1 Meter for 30 Minutes; 2-Meter impact resistance tested,” the product page says.
The finish on the light is very high quality and durable. Since using the lamp for many months, it has not shown any signs of wear or degradation. Other flashlights on the market might be cheaper and seem just as good, but the finish is hardly ever as good as what Streamlight uses on their lights.
Our experience
When we got this light we were wowed by its size and weight. It’s a very sturdy light. Next, we were blown away by both the brightness and how far the light could be cast. While the light has the TEN-TAP programmable feature, we kept the light in the as-delivered mode: High, strobe, and low.
While we would not recommend this light for everyday carry use due to its size, you sure could employ the 2.0 in that manner. We did carry the light for several months in an EDC setting regardless.
Where did we get the most bang for our buck? Camping. We did get to take this flashlight on two different camping trips, one in the fall and one in early summer. The light was perfectly suited to illuminate across an entire field. Did it reach out to the nearly 2,000 feet it’s advertised to go out to? Probably.
If you’re into outdoor activities, maritime industry, or involved in any type of search and rescue, that’s where this light is likely to be most useful. Handling and carrying the ProTac® 2.0 HP emergency situations is what comes to mind. If you’re into travel, depending on the type of trips you go on, this light could be a fit.
Do you need to throw a lot of light and really see what you’re doing at a great distance? Then this is going to be a great option.
The quick and dirty
Pluses: Bright. High quality and durable. The throw of max Candela is a massive plus. Price point not over the top.
Minuses: Proprietary battery.
Overall this is a crazy bright flashlight. I’d like to get it into some more destinations that are super dark and put it to the test. Would I recommend this product to a friend or family member? Yeah. If they wanted something that fit this description, I could handedly say buy one. Streamlight® is known for putting out quality products and the ProTac® 2.0 HP fits the bill.
Interested in buying a ProTac® 2.0 HP? You can get one on Amazon or your favorite Streamlight® dealer.
Be sure to check out our 2025 SHOT Show® interview with Brett HERE or in the embed below.
