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, typically measured at 350mA. Bin numbers might be P4, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, R2, R3, R4, and R5 with each bin being about 5% additional flux. The P4 is 80 lumens, a Q5 would be 107 lumens, and the R5 bins are 137 lumens. At higher amperage than 350mA, the brightness goes way up, with the XP-G producing 3 times as many lumens at a maximum current of 1500mA.

Cree classifies tints of white LEDs as being warm, neutral, and cool, but has recently added "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.

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

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 LEDs are binned at 85°C, so the values shown below have been increased by 13.7% to make comparisons with other LEDs binned at 25°C easier. 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 25°C
(max is U3 bin)

Bin	700mA 100%	1000mA 138%	1500mA 194%	3000mA 328%
S4	186-196	256-268	360-377	612-641
S5	196-207	268-284	377-400	641-679
S6	207-227	284-313	400-439	679-746
T2	227-250	313-343	439-483	746-820
T3	250-273	343-375	483-528	820-895
T4	273-296	375-406	528-571	895-970
T5	296-318	406-438	571-615	970-1044
T6	318-341	438-468	615-659	1044-1119
U2	341-364	468-500	659-703	1119-1193
U3*	364-386	500-533	703-750	1193-1268

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. Press realease, datasheet. The XP-E2 is binned at 85°C, but for ease of comparison, the output numbers below are increased by 16% to get 25° values.

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-E2 at 25°C
(max bin is R3)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 171%	1000mA 218%
P2	78.0-85.7	133-147	171-187
P3	85.7-93.5	147-160	187-204
P4	93.5-101	160-174	204-222
Q2	101-109	174-187	222-238
Q3	109-116	187-198	238-253
Q4	116-124	198-212	253-270
Q5	124-132	212-226	270-289
R2	132-142	226-242	289-309
R3*	142-151	242-258	309-329

XP-G2

Introduced in July 2012, the XP-G2 is an all new design with the same size as the earlier XP-G. Like Cree's other 2012 offerings, the XP-G2 is binned at 85°C, but for ease of comparison, output shown on this page is increased by 13% to get 25° values. 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 25°C
(max is S4 bin)

Bin	350mA 100%	700mA 183%	1000mA 243%	1500mA 329%
Q4	113-121	206-220	275-294	373-399
Q5	121-129	220-235	294-313	399-425
R2	129-138	235-252	313-336	425-454
R3	138-147	252-268	336-357	454-485
R4	147-157	268-287	357-382	485-518
R5	157-168	287-308	382-409	518-554
S2	168-177	308-324	409-431	554-584
S3	177-186	324-341	431-453	584-614
S4*	186-195	341-358	453-475	614-644

XP-L

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.

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

Brightness Bins for Cree XP-L at 25°C
(max is V6 bin)

Bin	1050mA 100%	1500mA 135%	2000mA 169%	3000mA 225%
T6	318-341	429-459	537-575	715-766
U2	341-364	459-490	575-614	766-818
U3	364-387	490-521	614-652	818-869
U4	387-409	521-551	652-690	869-920
U5	409-432	551-582	690-729	920-971
U6	432-455	582-613	729-767	971-1022
V2	455-478	613-644	767-805	1022-1073
V3	478-500	644-674	805-844	1073-1124
V4	500-523	674-705	844-882	1124-1176
V5	523-546	705-736	882-921	1176-1227
V6*	546-569	736-766	921-959	1227-1278