People have uncalibrated expectations for what they need for a lot of tasks. If the OP had stated sustainable candelas it might be more realistic in relation to the task. Like we all have that friend whose car has to be capable of 150mph.

Me: wait… what are you *gonna do* with all those lumens?

OP: …asking *for a friend*…

Thanks for the advice, Grizzly! In general, do you think three or four XHP70.2s is the way to go for highest efficiency(lm/W) and less heat or should I look for options with 10+ emitters, like just for example MF01 or Emisar D18?

They sure are great, but also a "tad" out of my budget, unfortunately... :P I just can't go higher than a Lumintop GT3 at the moment and even that is stretching my budget, so I'm looking for similarly priced or cheaper options.

[Acebeam X80GT ](https://www.acebeam.com/x80gt-brightest-led-flashlight)is a beast 4000lumens for 2hours or 2300lumens for 3 hours and 30 minutes. It has a handle and is absolutely a beast. I have the Sky Lumen version. It’s pure flooder with not a lot of throw though.

[Acebeam X50 ](https://www.acebeam.com/x50)5000k is 6200lumens for 2 hours or 2150lumens for 3 hours and 40 minutes. Great search light only downside is proprietary battery pack.

The 4x18A can sustain ~1400lm for nearly 4 hours, I don't know about the GT3 and the Q8 Pro, but I'm pretty sure the MF01S doesn't do well with sustained output

I have the Gt3 and it can sustain a decent amount but I couldn't put a number on it. I know you better be ready when you hit turbo though lol.

Thrunite TN36 "Limited Version"  [Vid on it from a great flashlight guru here](https://youtu.be/0sXAXm7TLTw)

I trust their build quality over Lumintop and their CS is handled through Amazon AFAIK so easier to deal with vs many of the vendors that carry the GT3 or ordering direct from Lumintop.  Illumn or Killzone may carry the TN36 too, otherwise it's for sale at Amazon as well.

See if the code "20%" on Thrunite's site works on the TN36, it's limited to certain models but if it applies to it that'll probably be the best price by far.

So, as of now, I'm considering between **Convoy 4X18A XHP70.2,  Astrolux MF01S,**  **LUMINTOP GT3** and maybe the **Sofirn Q8 Pro**, but I'm not sure which one is the most efficient at around 2500-3000LM and which one manages heat the best. From what I read, multi-emitter flashlights should provide more lumens per watt, but there are also different types of drivers, difference in mass and fin design...

I would also like to have integrated charging, but it's not a deal breaker if the light ticks all the rest of the boxes...

Any help would be much appreciated

I'm looking for the most efficient(lm/W) flashlight with NW light, which can sustain 2500-3000LM for around an hour without step-down and dangerous overheating...