Cree

Chromaticity chart with tint bins used by Cree

Cree is a LED manufacturing company based in Durham, North Carolina. They produce a number of different models of high output LEDs that are widely used in flashlights. They do not actually make flashlights, though some companies will describe their product as a "Cree flashlight." This refers to the LED inside the flashlight.

Cree bins individual models of LED on the basis of total flux or light output. Individual flux bins are about 7% apart taken at some reference current like 350mA or 750mA, but at higher currents the output goes up, up to some maximum current. Cree measures output at a reference temperature 85° Celsius, which is a more realistic operating temperature, but in the past they measured at 25°. Output is typically higher at a lower temperature.

Cree classifies tints of white LEDs as being warm, neutral, and cool, but also "outdoor white" in between and overlapping neutral and cool (4000-5300K). Tints are binned using a system based on the ANSI_White standard. Cree's tints subdivide and expand on the ANSI regions giving bins such as cool 1B, neutral 5B1, and warm 7D2, though many other tints and subdivisions are available. Click on the graphic at right to see all of the bins, though not all bins are available.

In addition, Cree produces High CRI LEDs, with CRI values of 80, 85, and 90 represented by bins H1, P1, and U1 respectively (separately, L1 represents normal CRI white LEDs, and O1 is outdoor white).

Below are output numbers for different currents for the various brightness bins of more current LED models. There is more information available with the Cree Product Characterization Tool, an online calculator that allows you to look up output based on more factors. The numbers on this page, like those given by the PCT, are based on charts in the LED datasheets.

Older models of Cree LEDs have been moved here. For bins at 25° see this page.

MT-G2

Large die high power LED has versions that run at 6, 9, or 36 volts with maximum power of 18 watts, first available around November 2012. The LED is 8.9mm x 8.9mm and the light will be floody compared to the smaller XM-L. The first production lights to use this LED were the Crelant 7G10 and Solarforce S200, introduced in May 2013. The LED is binned at 85°C. The bins shown below have been increased by 15% to give output at 25°C for easier comparison to other LEDs.

Brightness Bins for 6-volt Cree MT-G2 at 25° C

Bin	1100mA 100%	1500mA 172%	3000mA 230%
D0	460-506	598-658	1058-1164
E0	506-552	658-718	1164-1270
F0	552-598	718-777	1270-1375
G0	598-644	777-837	1375-1481
H0	644-690	837-897	1481-1587
J0	690-736	897-957	1587-1693
K0	736-782	957-1017	1693-1799
M0	782-828	1017-1076	1799-1904
N0	828-874	1076-1136	1904-2010
P0	874-920	1136-1196	2010-2116
Q0*	920-977	1196-1681	2116-2248

XHP70

A large multi-die emitter available in 6-volt and 12-volt versions. Available in a number of big lights by Nitecore and others.

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-H at 85°C
(max is N4 bin)

Bin	2100mA (6V) 1050mA (12V) 100%	3200mA (6V) 1600mA (12V) 142%	4800mA (6V) 2400mA (12V) 192%
H4	970-1040	1377-1477	1862-1997
J2	1040-1120	1477-1590	1997-2150
J4	1120-1200	1590-1704	2150-2304
K2	1200-1290	1704-1832	2304-2477
K4	1290-1380	1832-1960	2477-2650
M2	1380-1485	1960-2109	2650-2851
M4	1485-1590	2109-2258	2851-3053
N2	1590-1710	2258-2428	3053-3283
N4*	1710-1830	2428-2599	3283-3514
P2	1830-1965	2599-2790	3514-3773

XM-L2

Same 5mm x 5mm size as the original XM-L but with up to 20% more output. Introduced in December 2012. Like the XP-G2, the XM-L2 is silver on top, has two bonding wires, and the die has dots instead of lines. The XM-L2 is significantly larger than the XP-G2 and has a round hole at the upper left as opposed to the XP-G2's square hole. The first production lights to feature the XM-L2 were the ThruNite Catapult V3 and TN31 in January 2013, followed by a number of Xeno lights which also had options for neutral tints in Feburary. Press release.

Cree XM-L2 datasheet

Cree XM-L2 is the same size as the original XM-L, but a new design

Brightness Bins for Cree XM-L2 at 85°C
(max is U4 bin)

Bin	700mA 100%	1000mA 138%	1500mA 194%	3000mA 328%
S4	164-172	225-236	317-332	538-564
S5	172-182	236-249	332-351	564-597
S6	182-200	249-274	351-386	597-656
T2	200-220	274-301	386-425	656-722
T3	220-240	301-329	425-463	722-787
T4	240-260	329-356	463-502	787-853
T5	260-280	356-384	502-540	853-918
T6	280-300	384-411	540-579	918-984
U2	300-320	411-438	579-618	984-1050
U3	320-340	438-466	618-656	1050-1115
U4*	340-360	466-493	656-695	1115-1181

XP-E2

Introduced in September 2012, this redesign is similar to the XP-G2. Cree claims up to 20% more output than the original XP-E at half the cost in terms of lumens per dollar. Given the small die size, this LED throws well for the amount of output. It was used in some smaller Fenix flashlights. Press realease, datasheet.

Cree XP-E2 LED has a smaller die than the XP-G2

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-E2 at 85°C
(max bin is R4)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 171%	1000mA 218%
P2	67-74	115-127	147-161
P3	74-81	127-138	161-176
P4	81-87	138-150	176-191
Q2	87-94	150-161	191-205
Q3	94-100	161-171	205-218
Q4	100-107	171-183	218-233
Q5	107-114	183-195	233-249
R2	114-122	195-209	249-266
R3	122-130	209-222	266-283
R4*	130-138	223-236	284-301

XP-G2

Introduced in July 2012, the XP-G2 is an all new design with the same size as the earlier XP-G. In August 2012, Foursevens was the first company to adopt this LED, claiming up to 20% more output and a 5% smaller hotspot for greater throw compared to the same models using a XP-G. Press release, Datasheet

Cree XP-G2 LED is the same size as the XP-G, but a different design

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-G2 at 85°C
(max is S4 bin)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 183%	1000mA 243%	1500mA 329%
Q4	100-107	183-196	243-260	330-353
Q5	107-114	196-209	260-277	353-376
R2	114-122	209-223	277-297	376-402
R3	122-130	223-238	297-316	402-429
R4	130-139	238-255	316-338	429-458
R5	139-148	255-271	338-360	458-488
S2	148-156	271-286	360-379	488-514
S3	156-164	286-300	379-399	514-541
S4*	164-172	300-315	399-418	541-567

XP-G3

Announced in April 2016, the XP-G3 is completely covered in yellow phosphor and can be driven to higher currents than the XP-G2, with a maximum current of 2 amps instead of 1.5. High CRI versions of the LED appear to be available in all tints, even cool tints. Press release, Datasheet

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-G3 at 85°C
(max is S5 bin)

Bin	350mA 100%	1000mA 197%	1500mA 345%	2000mA 427%
R2	114-122	225-240	284-304	393-421
R3	122-130	240-256	304-324	421-449
R4	130-139	256-274	324-346	449-480
R5	139-148	274-292	346-369	480-511
S2	148-156	292-307	369-388	511-538
S3	156-164	307-323	388-408	538-566
S4	164-172	323-339	408-428	566-593
S5*	172-182	339-359	428-453	593-628

XP-L

Cree XP-L HD LED puts a large die in a XP-G size package under a frosted dome

Cree XP-L HI does away with the dome, allowing greater throw

Introduced in May 2014, the XP-L puts the same size die as the XM-L2 onto the smaller 3.5mm board of the XP-G (shaving off the edges of the dome to make it fit). Due to the larger die, it will not throw quite as well as the smaller die of the XP-G, but it puts out more light and can be driven at higher currents. Binned at a higher current than the XM-L2, higher bins are typical for the XP-L, but a V5 bin XP-L is roughly equivalent in output to a U2 bin XM-L2. In June 2015, Cree began shipping a "high intensity" or "HI" version of the LED with a flat coating instead of a dome that could offer the throw of a de-domed LED without the trouble. The original domed version is referred to as "high density" or "HD." The brightness bins for both are the same, but the highest bin on the HI is about V3.

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-L at 85°C
(max is V6 bin)

Bin	1050mA 100%	1500mA 135%	2000mA 169%	3000mA 225%
T6	280-300	377-404	472-506	629-674
U2	300-320	404-431	506-540	674-719
U3	320-340	431-458	540-573	719-764
U4	340-360	458-485	573-607	764-809
U5	360-380	485-512	607-641	809-854
U6	380-400	512-539	641-675	854-899
V2	400-420	539-566	675-708	899-944
V3	420-440	566-593	708-742	944-989
V4	440-460	593-620	742-776	989-1034
V5	460-480	620-647	776-810	1034-1079
V6	480-500	647-674	810-843	1079-1124