Lifesystems Intensity 220 torch

Ultra-bright torch with lifesaving SOS mode

Product

Lifesystems Intensity 220 torch

Promise

Ultralight 220-lumen torch with flashing SOS function, this promises to cater for even the most extreme outdoor situations

Performance

Torches come and go, but you never lose the good ones. Like gloves, in that respect – it's the test of their quality that you won’t let it go, no matter how cold, wet and delirious you become. 

Which is why we were stoked when Lifesystems sent over their new Intensity torch. We’ve been hunkering around a 12-inch Maglite for years, which caters for nearly every occasion with its sharp beam, tough exterior and long battery life, but with LED tech seeping into every area of life it’s high time to take a new bit of kit under our wing. 

Our first inspection was great: a rigid aluminium alloy body makes the Intensity lightweight and as tough as they come. The hexagonal body shape creates a dumbbell-like grip that allows you to hold the torch like a pencil when you’re examining something in those dark tent crevices, too. The weight is kept down by using two small CR2 batteries, meaning that the torch comes in at 85g, and the unbreakable LED bulb coupled with light weight and metal casing, means that the whole torch is unlikely to sustain serious damage over a lifetime. 

The light itself is seriously powerful, casting a strong beam that’s bright enough to read by across at least 15m in our test. The 220 lumens that the torch kicks out is about half the strength of light that you’d get from a 40w light bulb. In terms of usability, the bright red button at the back is easy to find in the dark by touch alone. The SOS function, once you get the hang of clicking several times in sequence to activate it, is a useful function that could save your life – especially seeing as the torch can give you up to 52 hours of light. That’s a whole weekend’s worth of flagging down rescue planes. 

Verdict

Strong, bright and light – unstoppable in our test and a worthy replacement for our cumbersome non-LED torches.