There are currently two version of the JETBeam E3, the one reviewed here is the E3P. The main difference between the two is that the E3P comes with a metal switch cap instead of a rubber one on the E3. Right up the front is a stainless steel smooth bezel, in fact the entire light's body is made of stainless steel. A sapphire crystal lens is used, just as with most JETBeam flashlights. Between the lens and the reflector sits a rubber o-ring which provides a moisture seal. A textured reflector is used in the E3P, the reflector looks very well done with consistent texture and very well polished too. The LED is aligned nicely with the reflector, perhaps just a hair's width off. Looking from the rear you can see the PCB and positive contact for the battery. The contact has a physical reverse polarity protected so accidentally inserted a battery the wrong way won't cause damage to the flashlight's electronics. You will also notice a bronze colored ring on the PCB, this is spring-loaded and controls the High/Low mode activation. So unlike the EagleTac P10A for example, you don't have to tighten the head completely down to activate it on High mode. An advantage to this is that the E3P wont accidentally switch to Low mode if you accidentally loosen the head by a bit. The exterior of the head is plainly finished in a cylindrical shape with no additional design elements. Towards the rear end of the head there's the model name and arrow indication for High/Low activation of the flashlight.

The entire body of the E3P (and similarly, the E3) is finished with a brushed stainless surface. This is slightly less prone to being slippery with greasy hands or fingerprints as opposed to a polished finish. Threads at the front end of the battery tube are of average thickness and mate well with those on the head. I did experience some slight grinding at certain points amidst screwing on the head, but these were very minor and probably won't be noticed it you weren't intentionally looking for such issues. A rubber o-ring sits just behind the threads on the battery tube, they did not come lubricated so I would suggest that you apply some yourself before use. Inside the battery tube there is a plastic sleeve which lines the wall of the stainless steel battery tube. The width of the battery tube seems to be a little too wide for an AA cell so this sleeve is used to prevent the battery from rattling while the flashlight is being carried around. A gold plated spring acts as the negative contact for the battery. There is no separate tail cap with the E3P. The switch mechanism an components are held in place by a retaining ring screwed in externally from the rear. This is not meant to be disassembled. The switch used is a forward push button switch which means momentary activation is possible by half-pressing the switch down. The switch mechanism has a slightly longer travel than average travel and provides a good tactile and audible click when fully engaged. As mentioned earlier, the E3P comes with a stainless steel switch cap. Note that this is only a switch cap and not a piston mechanism as seen in the NiteCore D10 for example. The switch cap sits slightly recessed within the battery tube so the flashlight is able to stand flat on its tail with no problems. There is a rubber o-ring within the stainless steel switch cap so there is still a certain degree of moisture seal. I did notice that after a number of presses, some of the lubricant from inside the switch started to seep out from the slight gap around the stainless steel switch cap. This isn't a real problem, it was probably due to an access of lubricant applied on the rubber o-ring around the metal switch cap. There is a single rectangular hole at the end of the battery tube which allows for lanyard attachments. Do take note that because the entire body of this flashlight is made of stainless steel, it does weigh noticeably heavier than those made of aluminum. This may or may not affect the "pocketability" factor depending on your personal preference.

If you're unfamiliar with any of the terms used in this review, click here for explanations on common flashlight related vocabulary.

There is nothing fancy about the operating mode on the E3P unlike other recent JETBeam products which have the I.B.S. circuitry. The E3P is a simple two mode flashlight with a Low and High mode which can be switched by simple loosening or tightening the head respectively. Beam profile is generally what you'd expect from most XR-E based lights, that is there is the common dark ring surrounding the hotspot which may bother those picky about beam profiles. For most users though, this slight dark ring-shaped artifact doesn't affect practical usage. The hot spot produced is of a medium size and smooth throughout, as it the spill too. Color temperature of the light produced by the E3P is almost indiscernible from pure white. When compared against a slightly warm sunlight white, it will look cool.

As you can see from the runtime graphs below, the performance of the E3P is slightly below average and in-line with other single AA powered JETBeam flashlights including those with I.B.S. circuitry. Runtime is rather short, relative to it's light output.

The Good - Nice exterior finish with good use of quality stainless steel. Much improved physical durability compared to aluminum. Simple High/Low user interface.

The Bad - Noticeably heavier than other similarly sized lights due to the stainless steel construction. Circuit's efficiency could be improved.

The Relative - Produces an almost pure white beam color temperature. Uses a forward push button switch which allows for momentary activation. Is able to tail stand. Greasy hands may find it slightly difficult to switch between High/Low modes.

Head (front view)

Head (side view).

Head (rear view).

Battery tube (front view).

Battery tube (side view).

Battery tube (rear view).