A: The Stinger Color-Rite is all about seeing colors accurately, which is a game-changer for auto techs. While the high lumen products’ ultra-bright beam is needed in most applications, it prevents subtle color differences, particularly in dark areas and in wiring and stuff like that. The Stinger Color-Rite uses 90 CRI, or color rendering index, LED, so you're seeing the color spectrum as it appears in natural sunlight. This allows the tech to more accurately tell the difference between similar shades when paint matching, spot body, or identifying wiring, like is it dark orange or is it red? So we made the Stinger Color-Rite durable and reliable because tools in the shop tend to take a beating. It's got our anodized aluminum body, rubberized grip, water resistance, impact resistance, and handles daily shop life. With the three light modes plus the strobe, you can adjust the brightness based on whatever you're working with, whether you're on full 500 lumens or softer for close-up work. It offers a good runtime as well, an hour and a half on high and five hours on low.
Q: What was the inspiration behind creating this product?
A: Well, the number one inspiration was that it was actually designed for Border Patrol so they could more accurately see where people were walking, and it wouldn’t blind them and everyone else. That's kind of what got started, but it was also built for the techs in mind, we wanted to make sure that it makes their jobs easier and work more efficiently and more accurately. We heard from a lot of techs about the standard LED sometimes being too bright, too harsh on color-critical work. Trying to match auto paint for fine detailing, our super bright white beams made it harder to see and washed out the paint. So the Streamlight Color-Rite gives it a warmer, more natural light, similar to sunlight. That way, the techs spot imperfections more easily, match colors with confidence, and even distinguish wiring colors in tricky under-the-hood areas.
Q: How will this product improve the lives of technicians and shop owners who use it?
A: For starters, it saves time and prevents mistakes when you can see the colors accurately. You're not second-guessing yourself when matching paint or diagnosing electrical issues. This means better results the first time. It's also huge to help when working in low-light areas, whether under the hood or wheel wells or underneath the dashboard. Eye fatigue is a real issue, especially for technicians working long shifts. The softer and warmer light helps reduce glare and strain, so they can work more efficiently for longer periods.
Q: What's the feedback been like from the technicians who have used these tools?
A: The response has been pretty positive. Techs say that just the biggest thing is that it makes color matching much easier, and some of them told us it became their go-to light for everything, paint correction to wire repair, so they use it for numerous things. A lot of people love the durability. They don't have to worry about it breaking if it gets knocked off the workbench or dropped on the floor. It's durable, and they appreciate the different brightnesses, so they can turn it down if they need to or use full power if they want it in a softer and a closer work area. The rechargeable battery is another big win. It's cost-effective and convenient compared to constantly swapping out batteries, which is also more time-consuming, and it fits in all existing Stinger chargers.
Q: Is there anything else that our readers should know?
A: We're really proud of the Stinger Color-Rite. It was recognized with the 2024 PTEN Innovation Award for Safety and Personal Gear and was one of the top-scoring products across the category. If color accuracy is important to you, this is one of the high CRI lights that we offer. We also offer the Dualie, Syclone, FlipMate, Strion Swichblade, and Stinger Switchblade, and they also carry the Color-Rite technology. Streamlight’s been making tough, reliable lights for over 50 years, and we always focus on helping professionals do their job better, faster, and safer.
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