ReyLight Vosteed Rook Review: A Compact 3,000-Lumen EDC Flashlight

Introduction

The Rook is the first collaboration between ReyLight and Vosteed, and it brings a distinctive chess-piece-inspired silhouette to the everyday carry flashlight category. Available in a striking orange finish with a choice of two emitter options, this compact light promises serious output in a small aluminum body. After spending time with the cool-white Cree XPL version, here is how it performs as a daily carry light.

Design and Build Quality

The Rook’s name makes sense the moment you see it: the silhouette resembles a rook from chess, with a stepped profile that gives it character without compromising grip. The body is made from aluminum alloy with a hard anodized finish, though the orange colorway is paint over aluminum rather than part of the anodization itself. Build quality is fantastic overall, and the 3.2-inch length paired with a 0.9-inch head diameter makes it feel better in hand than several shorter competitors, giving you more to hold onto without being oversized.

At exactly three ounces (84 grams) with the battery installed, it sits comfortably in the pocket-friendly weight class. The included titanium pocket clip is held on by two screws and offers strong tension, which makes clipping it in and out of a pocket feel secure. The tail cap also features drilled spots for tritium vials, which look excellent when installed, though the vials are sold separately.

Emitter Options and Output

The Rook comes in two emitter configurations, and the choice materially changes what you get. The cool-white version uses three Cree XPL-HD LEDs at 6,000 Kelvin and reaches a maximum of 3,000 lumens in turbo. The warm option uses three Nichia 519A LEDs at 4,000 Kelvin with a maximum of 1,800 lumens. That is a 1,200-lumen difference between the two, which is why the Cree version is the one to pick if raw output is your priority.

Color availability follows the emitters: the Nichia version comes in orange, gray, black, red, and blue, while the Cree XPL version is offered in orange and black.

Battery and Charging

There is no USB-C port on the flashlight body itself. Instead, the Rook runs on a ReyLight and Vosteed branded 3.7V 18350 rechargeable lithium-ion battery with the charging port built directly into the battery. A red LED glows while charging and switches to blue when fully charged. You can also charge the battery through an external slot charger if you prefer.

The light uses a double spring system in both the head and tail, and it accepts any standard 18350 battery, including third-party options, which adds flexibility if you already own spares.

Runtime and Modes

The Rook offers seven lighting modes plus strobe and SOS, with a well-spaced runtime ladder:

• Moonlight: 0.5 lumens, 7-day runtime
• Low: 36 lumens, 80-hour runtime
• Mid 2: 180 lumens, 16-hour runtime
• Mid 1: 360 lumens, 8-hour runtime
• High 2: 720 lumens, 3.75-hour runtime
• High 1: 900 lumens, 3-hour runtime
• Turbo: 1,800 lumens, 1.2-hour runtime (3,000 lumens on the Cree version)

One thing to know up front: you will not get all seven modes at once. Programming groups let you select three or four of these modes per group. Group one uses moonlight, 2%, 20%, and 100%; group two uses moonlight, 10%, 40%, and 100%; group three runs moonlight, 2%, 10%, and 50%; and group four runs moonlight, 50%, 100%, plus strobe and SOS. Every group starts on moonlight by default unless you disable that in the menu.

The light carries a 1-meter impact resistance rating and an IPX7 waterproof rating, meaning it is submersible in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes.

User Interface and Programming

Operation is simple: a single click turns the light on or off, and a half press cycles through modes while it is on. There is no mode memory by default, though you can enable it in the menu, and a double half-press gives instant access to turbo.

Programming is where things get more involved. To enter the menu system, you turn the light on and half press the tail switch eight times quickly. From there you get five menus: mode group selection, mode memory toggle, moonlight on/off, mode order reversal (so you can start from high instead of low), and factory reset.

The frustration comes from the tail switch itself. The travel distance between fully off and fully pressed is short, so hitting that half press accurately during programming is genuinely difficult. It is easy to overshoot into a full press and accidentally reset everything you were configuring. Flashlights with more tail-switch travel handle this kind of half-press navigation much more gracefully, and it is the Rook’s most noticeable shortcoming.

Beam Performance

The Cree XPL version throws a wide, even, well-balanced beam. It is fairly floody without being extreme, and the 3,000-lumen turbo output is genuinely impressive for a light this size. In real-world testing across a yard and toward a distant tree line, the beam stayed bright and evenly spread in cool white, which suits anyone who values high output and good candela over long-range throw. For an everyday carry light, this beam profile is a strong match.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The Rook works best for anyone who wants maximum lumen output in a compact, well-built body and does not mind a tail switch as the only control. If you prefer a side switch for everyday use, this light will feel different in hand. The short tail-switch travel also matters most if you plan to reprogram settings frequently; once configured and left alone, daily use is much less affected.

Buying Advice

At $69, the Rook is a solid value given the build quality, titanium clip, output ceiling, and flexible 18350 battery support. Choose the Cree XPL version in orange or black if you want the full 3,000 lumens; choose the Nichia 519A version if you prefer a warmer, more neutral tint at 1,800 lumens with more color options.

Conclusion

The ReyLight Vosteed Rook is a well-built, good-looking EDC flashlight with a clever chess-piece design, serious output, and a flexible battery system. Its only real drawback is the cramped tail switch that makes programming clumsy. If you can live with that, it is an easy recommendation at this price.