NOTE !!! : For this particular review, I "cheated" a little bit. I already had the ProPolymer body, so I just got the Xenon Lamp Assembly and converted the ProPoly 4AA LED into a ProPoly 4AA Xenon. The reviews are essentially the same except for the beamshots, photos and readings. Getting the ProPoly 4AA LED and a separate Xenon Lamp Assembly allows you to have the utility of either light simply by switching out the lamp module. No other conversion is necessary.

Short Description:

The ProPolymer 4-AA is a xenon incandescent flashlight by Streamlight with assorted hazardous location certifications. This light is available for purchase from Brightguy.com. The ProPolymer 4-AA is intended for general use, outdoor use, and use by professionals who need a durable, reliable, and safe flashlight for some hazardous locations.

The body of the ProPolymer 4-AA is an ergonomic oval shape, made of polymer plastic, and textured for better grip. It is available in yellow, black or OD green. The bezel is a rubbery material with ribs to improve grip for when removal of the bezel is necessary to replace the batteries. The tail of the light houses the switch and is shaped such that the light can be stood on its end. There is also a lanyard hole molded into the end of the light. A lanyard is not included in the package. Partially unscrewing the head of the light reveals the primary O-ring and a one-way vent to relieve pressure that may build up inside the light. Water cannot get back into the light through the vent.

The ProPolymer 4-AA contains a high pressure xenon bulb in a silver aluminum reflector. The reflector is textured to reduce unwanted beam artifacts and focuses the light into a tight spot. The reflector, bulb and contacts make up a single lamp assembly that must be replaced if the bulb blows.

The switch is in the tail of the light. The switch itself is covered by a watertight rubber diaphragm and is protected from accidental activation by raised areas molded into the body of the light. Press in for momentary light, press in until it clicks for constant-on use, click again to turn the light off.

The ProPolymer 4-AA takes, as its name indicates, 4-AA cell batteries. Two are inserted negative first, two inserted positive first, as indicated by a polarity sticker inside the light. The rear of the bezel has polarity protection to prevent the light from operating if the batteries are inserted incorrectly. The lamp module must be removed from the bezel when changing batteries, so care should be taken that the module is not dropped and broken. The module is shaped so that it can only be inserted into the body of the light one way.

Accessories: Batteries are included in the package.

Reviewer's Impressions:

The Streamlight ProPolymer 4-AA fits comfortably in the hand and produces a very tight spot of light.

Fit and finish of the body are quite good. There was a little rough spot in the mold where the lanyard hole was located, but that was easily fixed with a quick rub on a rough surface (concrete). Otherwise the light had no noticeable surface, texture, or fitting flaws.

The quality of the light appears to be quite good as well. The entire light is quite durable, withstanding the standard drops and tosses. The rubber bezel cover provides a certain amount of protection from shock and the polymer body absorbs some of the force of impacts.

The Xenon lamp module produces a good smooth tight spot of light which projects a very good distance. This spot is surrounded by a very usable spillbeam to help keep you from tripping over things as you walk in the dark.

Water resistance is very good, being advertised as "waterproof". The sink dunk test revealed no leakage. The light is not rated for any particular depth and therefore should not be used as a dive light.

The unit can be stood on its tail end providing room lighting when reflecting the light off of the ceiling. The tail pushbutton switch can be just slightly awkward to press due to the "accidental activation" protections - raised areas molded into the body (see tail pic above). You have to reach over the raised tabs to turn the light on or turn the light sideways for easy access to the switch. This is only a minor inconvenience, and I would much rather have those tabs there rather than risk dropping the light on its switch and having it shut off and skitter away from me in the dark.

What I Liked: Waterproof, Tough/impact resistant, Long battery life, Bright, Easy battery change, Lightweight, Stands up, Hazardous location ratings, Protected switch, Vented. Produces a very nice tight spot.

What I Didn't Like: The beam center was a tiny bit off in the module I received. This was easily fixed by applying slight pressure to the bulb in the reflector and moving is slightly to one side to tighten up the beam. If yours is slightly out of alignment, nudge the bulb until the filament is in the center (the glass bulb envelope my be slightly crooked, but the beam with be nice and sharp.)

Other Things I Noticed: Nothing notable.

Conclusions: A very reliable, simple, straightforward flashlight for hazardous locations, general, and outdoor use. Produces a tighter spot than other 4AA lights I've tested and the click switch makes one-handed operation very easy.

Quick Facts Table: