Fenix TK22 TAC | Expert Review by police officer Roy

As a police dog handler, I often work in the dark. It is very important that I have enough light to work safely and also have a torch I can rely on in possibly dangerous situations.

From two flashlights to one who can do it all!

Because of my work, I sometimes need a wide beam of light (for example, when investigating a building or a forest area), and sometimes the situation requires a focused, bright beam of light (for example, when finding suspects or to illuminate a specific part of a vehicle).

For these different types of situations, I used to carry two flashlights: one Olight Seeker 2 Pro for general use and one Olight m2r Warrior pro for tactical purposes. Not the worst set-up, but it did mean that I was using two flashlights with different control systems, that each needed to be charged.

Then, along came the Fenix TK22 TAC. On paper, this flashlight would be able to replace my two flashlights. It almost sounded too good to be true... But that's exactly what happened! Spoiler alert for people working in police/defence/security; I have found our perfect flashlight!

A tactical flashlight like no other

From experience I learned that a good tactical flashlight allows you to operate it even in stressful situations when fine motor skills often fail. This Fenix T22 TAC meets this requirement thanks to its tail switch. This tail switch is large enough that you can easily operate the light with gross motor skills. This is a big improvement compared to my previous flashlights, where I had to find a small button by feeling around for it. I have become familiar with the controls of the light, having used it both when training on the shooting range and during procedure trainings. Operating this flashlight has become second nature for me. Thanks to the mechanical design of the tail switch, you can actually feel what you're doing as you're doing it. The button also gives great feedback, so you're always in control.

Perfect balance of light intensity

Like I mentioned before, not every situation requires the same amount of light. The Fenix T22 TAC offers the perfect balance. In the past, I've seen similar attempts at this balance from other brands, but in practice it never worked as well as expected. This flashlight provides a clear bundled beam of light that reaches a long distance, with a wider beam of residual light around its centre. This allows you to cast your light on a person, while at the same time being able to keep an eye on your surroundings. The problem with most wider beams is that you could blind your colleagues or bystanders. However, the Fenix's residual light beam is not blinding, so any colleagues close to you can safely continue to do their job.

Powerhouse

It seems that these days manufacturers are engaged in a competition of who can produce the largest amount of lumens. At Fenix, however, they realize that there is a huge difference between lots of lumens and usable light. The light has a maximum light output of 2800 lumens. That's great when you need to illuminate an area far away from you, but for tactical purposes this is usually too much. The dimming modes of this Fenix are therefore very well-chosen, allowing you to quickly and effectively adjust the brightness to the situation you find yourself in. The lower light modes are perfect when entering a building or home, as they give you enough usable light. The lowest light mode is perfect for reading without having to turn on a mega-spotlight, by the way.

High-quality product you can depend on

I sometimes read in other reviews that people found it annoying that the Fenix T22 TAC's battery can only be charged by taking it out of the light as opposed to having a charging port inside the flashlight. I don't agree. When you actually use the flashlight in a professional capacity, you'll find that there is a higher chance of water, sand and dirt coming into contact with your flashlight when there is a charging port. Without the charging port, a flashlight is better protected against dirt and moisture. This makes me feel that I can rely on the performance of my torch at all times, which is vitally important in my line of work.

Moreover, this flashlight is very solidly built, as you would expect from Fenix.

Storage versus usability

The nylon holster that comes with the flashlight is fine if you don't need to use the flashlight in stressful situations, but it fell short when I was at work. After some research, I ended up with the ESP LHU-14-43 tactical flashlight holster. This turned out to be the addition I needed to make optimal use of this great flashlight. This holster provides easy access to the flashlight, but still safely stores it when you're not using it. With this holster, you can trust that you won't lose your torch (something that has happened to me a few times in the past). A physical lever allows you to lock and unlock the flashlight in the holster. Again, this is very nice in situations where your gross motor skills take over.

Conclusion

I have owned many flashlights over the years, but they were always just short of perfect. Fortunately, the Fenix TK22 TAC broke this pattern. It's an incredibly high-quality flashlight that you can use in any possible situation. If you're looking for a tactical flashlight that never disappoints: look no further!