Arguably the most recognizable name in flashlights the world over, Maglite is known for quality, reliability and innovation. Debuted here at the 2010 SHOT show, the XL100 brings features never before seen in portable lighting devices. Their “Advanced Flashlight User Interface” utilizes motion to control everything from adjusting the brightness with the twist of your wrist to dimming when set down. The LED powered light produces a hefty 83 lumens and fits easily in the palm of your hand. Like the rest of their products this was built completely in the USA from the ground up.
We’ve tested and put this new light to use and it works great. The Maglite XL100 tactical flashlight is highly recommended by The Gear Box.

Modes
Some demand ease-of-use in a light, and others, functionality. It’s hard to achieve both, but the “Advanced Flashlight User Interface” in the XL100 comes very close. To be honest, I was a bit skeptical about the new motion control interface until I got a chance to try it out. It turns out that regardless of which way the light is oriented, a single short press on the button will turn the light on in regular mode.
If full brightness is all you need, you can safely ignore the markings on the tail cap and skip to the next section of this article. For those unfazed by advanced features, read on!
Normal
With the light horizontal and the DIM label at the top, press and hold the switch. Rotating the light left and right will adjust the brightness. Fumbling with the light is not needed to get it back to 100%, the light is forgiving of error around the 100% zone (DIM marking at the top). Once the desired brightness is achieved, releasing the switch will set the brightness. The light will remember the setting after switching off, and the memory function does not use power to retain the setting. The stored brightness setting also applies to the signal and SOS modes.
Strobe
The strobe feature is designed for disorienting or getting somebody’s attention. With the STROBE marking at the top, pressing and hold the switch until the light starts strobing. If the button is not released, the light can be rotated left and right to adjust the strobe speed. The strobe can go as low as a slow flash of about once per second. Click the button to disengage.
Nite Lite
This is one of the most interesting modes of this light. With NITE LITE facing upwards, press and hold the switch until the light blinks once. When the light is set down, it will dim to a faint glow until the light is moved. The brightness setting of the light does not affect the Nite Lite mode, so if the light is moved, the light will go back to full power. That, unfortunately, could completely destroy your night vision, so the decision to make Nite Lite independent of the brightness setting has me puzzled.
Signal
Since the switch on the light is neither a forward nor a reverse clicky, there is no way to signal with the light. Instead, with SIGNAL at the top, press the switch until the light turns off. Release the switch, and twist the light to the left or right to turn on. Rotate the light back to the original position to turn off. Click the button again to turn the light off.
SOS
The simplest mode of them all, with SOS at the top, press and hold to engage SOS pattern flashing. Press the button again to disengage.
Lockout
To disable the light, point the light upwards, press the switch, point the light downwards, and release. The light will not turn on if the switch is pressed. To unlock the light, repeat the procedure. This feature is handy for packing the light, as crude lockout features such as unscrewing tail caps or removing batteries would not needed.
Performance
This light is rated for 83 lumens and 134 meters of throw. To compare, the 2AA Mini Maglite LED is 69 lumens with 101 meters of throw. Below is a comparison of the XL100 and the 2AA indoors from approximately five feet away. The XL100 has a larger hotspot and is a bit nicer than the 2AA.