SHOT Show 2008 saw the introduction of a few new products from Surefire, but the one that caught my eye was the E1B Backup light. The product description said the light was a single battery model with a microprocessor controlled LED capable of dual output at 80 lumens and 5 lumens. It featured a belt clip that allowed for bezel up or bezel down carry and melted styling suitable for carry in a pocket. I was immediately intrigued by the light and ordered one as soon as I could after the show.
In the past I had carried a few lights but had found them all lacking in some capacity. Most of the lights I carried were 6 volt models which didn’t fit in a pocket very well, necessitating a crutch like a belt holster or carpenter pants with the funny pocket by the knee. It seemed to me that special pants to carry a light were dumb, and I’m not a fan of stuff on my belt. The 3 volt models out there didn’t have the light output or run time I was looking for. The smaller Executive style lights were a step in the right direction, but a bit spendy and still not quite what I was looking for. I resorted to stashing G2 Nitrolon lights all over the place (in the car, at work, all over the house) so I’d have one close by but never on me when I invariably needed a light. The G2s I took into work eventually found their way into someone else’s pocket, so I knew that the light I needed had to be small enough to carry everywhere and have a high output. A keychain LED provided an interim solution, but obviously not the high output I sometimes wanted. The E1B fit the bill nicely and by having the dual outputs, I find the light handy for all sorts of everyday tasks (especially at work) where 80 lumens may be a bit of overkill.
The E1B is the first light I’ve owned that I carry every day. It’s small enough to easily fit in a pocket, light enough to forget it’s there, bright enough to use for defensive purposes, handy enough that I find uses for it all the time.
The dual output feature has quickly become a favorite. The tailcap is my favorite type, allowing for momentary or constant on (aka the “clicky cap”). With a twist, it locks out the light to prevent inadvertently turning it on. Press once for high output. 2 seconds after pressing the first time, press it again for low output. The low intensity light is very handy for tasks like looking around in car interiors where all 80 lumens would be overkill. This tailcap arrangement for selecting between high and low has only one predictable disadvantage: when attempting to use the E1B as a strobe for low light shooting. Flashing the light quickly will switch the light between high and low intensity every 2nd 3rd or 4th flash, depending on how fast you’re flashing. It’s a bit disconcerting not having that constant light output, but I’m learning to live with it.
LED lights have come a long way in the last few years. I have previously criticized LEDs as having poor “throw” at night compared to incandescent lights. The E1B on the high intensity setting has similar throw to a Surefire G2 (as witnessed at the Vickers M4Carbine.net class in March), which is more than adequate for outdoor low light use. The beam has a good shape with a hot spot close in size to a G2.
The belt clip that allows for bezel up or bezel down carry isn’t as good as I had hoped it would be. It seems more fit for a thin dress belt than a thick gun belt. It clips nicely onto a pants pocket, but in bezel up carry it doesn’t feel very secure with the heaviest part of the light sticking up out of the pocket. Bezel down it all but disappears into the pocket and that’s good enough for me. I would say that I’d like to see the clip reshaped to allow clipping onto a thicker belt, but it wouldn’t ride in my pocket the same if that were to happen, so I have to say it’s a good enough design. A month of carry has shown no weaknesses in the pocket clip in terms of durability aside from the normal scratches that will accumulate on anything used frequently. The clip appears to be pressed into a pocket cut milled into the body of the light with the bezel acting as a retainer in case it somehow came loose. I’m no metallurgist so I can’t tell you about the quality of the steel used to make the clip. all I can do is say that I like it a bit better than the other light with a clip I’ve carried
(an E2E), mainly because of the clip design.
The melted styling lends itself well to pocket carry as the light doesn’t have the heavy checkering seen on other products. The bezel does have a version of the crenellations that have become a Surefire trademark of late, but they are very subdued in that they are not sharp or as pronounced as on other lights.
All told, I really like this sucker. With this thing on the market, I believe there’s no good reason to not have a light on you at all times. And if you carry a gun every day, why don’t you have a light?
And now the pictures. I have no idea how to do beam shots, so use your imagination.
Side shot showing pocket clip, bezel, melted styling
Size compared to G19
Clip on a gun belt
Bezel down in pocket
Bezel up in pocket
