New Product Highlight: Modlite PLHv3
One of our favorite weapon lights just got even more power. Here’s everything we know about the third-gen Modlite PLH.
PPT Editor. Marine vet, hunter, and long-range shooter. Articles in 10+ major publications
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When it comes to premium weapon lights, people typically fall into one of three camps: Cloud Defensive, Modlite, or SureFire. That rivalry just got a little hotter.
The brand-new Modlite PLHv3 takes everything shooters love about Modlite’s all-purpose light head and turns it up a notch.
Let’s get into the numbers, the various configurations, and one of my favorite features about the PLHv3.
Modlite PLHv3Specs & Features
Specs
- Power: 1,500 lumens
- Intensity: 60,000 candela
- Battery: 18350, 18350
- Colors: Black, FDE
- Weight: 2 oz (head only)
- Country of Origin: USA
- MSRP: $209
Features
- Available in rifle, pistol, and handheld configurations
- 11% increase in lumens and candela
- Compatible with existing light bodies
The Modlite PLH family dates back to 2019, when the all-purpose PLHv1 launched. A year later, the PLHv2 took over. It’s been running strong for six years, but even the brand’s most popular light risked going stale if it didn’t keep up with the times.
Here's the PLHv2 out to 50 yards with a PCC.
The PLHv3 is a do-it-all light head that offers enough power for positive identification and target engagement, enough intensity for rifle-mounted applications, and a wide enough throw to work in close-quarters environments.
Compared to its predecessor, power (think brightness) is up from 1,350 lumens to 1,500 lumens. Intensity (think range) is up from 54,000 candela to 60,000 candela. Those are decent increases, and the PLHv2 was no slouch to begin with.
As before, you can buy this head as a rifle, pistol, or handheld light. Rifle and handheld lights come with either a short body and an 18350 battery, or a long body and an 18650 battery. You can even spec yours out with no tailcap if you have another brand you prefer.
Weapon lights are available with one mode: bright. Heads and handheld lights are available as single-output or multi-mode units with a softer administrative mode for non-shooting tasks.
My favorite feature of the PLHv3 is backward compatibility. That means if you already have a Modlite system, you can replace just the head and get all the gen-three benefits without replacing the whole thing.
Modlite lists an MSRP of $209 for the PLHv3 head. Complete lights range from $279 to $350; that’s the same as the outgoing PLHv2.
More performance, same price? I’ll take it!
What do you think of the new Modlite PLHv3? Let us know below. Want to see a few other options, including the PLHv2, in action? Check out our guide to the Best AR-15 Flashlights!