Size Reference - E1e shown

The E1e, E2e, and E2o are produced by Surefire. The lights are machined aluminum and come in a greenish hard anodize level 3 finish. The E1e has a single 123A cell body while the E2e and E2o have 2-cell bodies. Otherwise they are essentially identical in appearance, shape and form.

The E1e runs on a single 123A Lithium battery (included) with an advertised runtime of 75-90 minutes. The E2e and E2o run on two 123A cells. The only difference between the E2e and E2o is the bulb and, as a result, the runtime. Externally the E2e and E2o appear identical.

The bulb in all of these lights is a high pressure xenon assembly which produces a very intense white light. The E2e uses a higher intensity bulb (MN03) than the E2o (MN02), and as a result, the runtime for the E2e is about 1.5 hours while the E2o will give a lower level of light for about 2.5 hours. By placing an E2o bulb in an E2e, you effectively change the E2e into an E2o. The reverse applies as well.

The reflector is "stochastic" or "orange peel textured" which provides a very smooth beam with no dark rings or holes. The entire assembly is pre-focused to produce a smooth spot.

Beam at 1 meter
(color balance was so far off when I took this picture that it has been converted to black and white for clarity)

The bezel can be removed to insert the batteries and change the lamp assembly. The tailcap switch contains 3 modes of operation. Twist down tight for constant-on use. Loosen 1 turn until the notches line up for momentary use with the tailcap push-button. Loosen one more turn for "lock out" where the pushbutton no longer functions. This last setting is used for transport to prevent the pushbutton from accidentally being pressed and draining the batteries.

On the side of the head is a clip which can be used to clip the light in your pocket or on a belt. The clip is designed with what appears to be a lanyard hole near one end. The clip is removable. The bezel has a hexagonal design to serve as an anti-roll device. The lens is pyrex.

The light is only water resistant. The light has O-rings on the head and bezel and inside the tailcap switch assembly.

Fit and finish are excellent.

My initial impression of the E1e was something along the lines of "This is the cutest little light I've ever seen!". The E2e and E2o are a little larger than a common penlight. However, although small, they are serious illumination tools. The E1e, although smaller than many novelty 1 AA lights, puts out more light than a standard 2-D cell light! The E2o puts out a little more light than the E1e, while the E2e produces the light of a much larger 3 or 4 D-cell light.

E1e vs. Common 2AA Aluminum Light

The outer anodize finish is HA Level 3 - meaning it's a lot tougher than that finish on your Maglight and is meant to take a beating! The E1e/E2e/E2o all come in this finish, but the E2e also comes in a satin gray HA-2 finish. Not quite as tough as the HA-3, but very nice.

E2e satin gray finish - current design looks a little different from this older sample.

The lens is Pyrex, allowing more light to escape the bezel than the standard Lexan lens, and it won't melt if the light is left on for long periods in a confined space. The lockout tailcap switch is truly waterproof, however the entire light is advertised as only "water resistant". Surefire has affirmed that all current Surefire lights should be waterproof to about 33 feet/10 meters and any new Surefire lights you purchase now should be considered waterproof to 33 feet/10 meters.

The 123a camera lithium batteries can be quite expensive in retail stores. I would recommend Titanium brand cells for $1.00 each (here's a review) or BatteryStation or Surefire brand cells for less than $2 each. I would not recommend purchasing these cells at retail stores since they cost $10 a pair.!

Runtime of E2e and E2d, 2 cells, MN03 bulb:

Runtime completed with "Titanium" brand batteries. More information on runtime plots is available HERE.

Quality lights are not cheap, so don't expect these to be. $79 US for the E1e and about $96 for the E2e/E2o puts them out of the range of most "normal" users, but people who appreciate premium lights will find the cost worth it.

+ + + Pluses: Very small and bright, nice fit and finish, easy to carry almost anywhere, perfect spot of light, Tough finish, pyrex lens

- - - Minuses: High initial cost, cannot stand on end

Conclusions: These are all fantastic pocket lights. The E2e is still very popular among a huge variety of user types and is very reliable and bright. I'm more of a fan of LED lights, but these are very good and are highly recommended.