First Impressions

 

Turtle Creek is a relatively new company, but they’ve already built a solid lineup, with the Castor being one of their more popular models. It measures 4.5 inches in length, 1.1 inches wide, and 0.6 inches thick, making it compact and pocket-friendly. Weighing 3.8 ounces, it feels solid without being bulky. The body is made of anodized aluminum, featuring a simple but effective milling pattern that gives it a solid grip—even in wet or cold conditions. The branding is minimal and tasteful, letting you know what you’ve got without slapping you in the face with a giant logo.

 

 

UI and Controls

 

The Castor’s layout is intuitive and functional. The main button on top serves as the power switch and toggles through the brightness levels. Instead of a metal button like some competitors, Turtle Creek opted for a rubberized switch. I thought I’d prefer that—until I started using it. It feels a bit mushy and lacks that crisp, tactile feedback I typically like in a switch. However, it does have an advantage: when it’s cold or wet, the rubber gives a little more grip than a solid metal button, which is something I can appreciate.

 

The same button also doubles as a battery level indicator. A single tap shows the battery status: green means good, orange is middle of the road, and red… well, you’re out of luck. The indicator also briefly flashes when turning the light on or off, a small but useful feature.

 

 

To switch between the Castor’s different functions, there’s a sliding switch on the right side. Sliding it up activates the forward-facing throw light, the middle position switches to the green laser, and sliding it down turns on the flood light.

 

Lighting Modes

 

Throw Light

 

The Castor’s main light is a 5700K white beam, reaching up to 1050 lumens and throwing light as far as 420 feet. That’s a solid performance for an EDC light of this size. The beam is clean and well-balanced, giving you a good mix of throw and spill for general use.

 

 

Flood Light

 

Here’s where things get interesting. The Castor has a 4000K CRI95 warm floodlight on the underside of the unit. This is a fantastic idea for close-up work, walking at night, or lighting up a room. The problem? It’s on the same side as the pocket clip. The clip is designed to allow for bidirectional clipping, but it still makes attaching the light for hands-free flood use feel like a bit of an afterthought. That said, when used as a handheld light, the flood mode puts out a very pleasant, even illumination.

 

 

Laser

 

The Castor includes a Class 3R green laser with a range of over 5000 feet. It’s a cool feature, though admittedly one I don’t use often. However, if you need a laser for presentations, pointing things out at a distance, or entertaining your pets, it’s a nice bonus.

 

UV Light

 

A 900mW 365nm ultraviolet light is built in, and it activates with a long press of the main button. UV lights have their uses—detecting stains, checking IDs, or making things glow at parties—but for most people, it’s probably more of a "nice to have" than a daily necessity. Still, I’d rather have it and not need it than the other way around.

 

Build and Features

 

The Castor feels well-built, and the anodized aluminum body gives it a premium feel without being too heavy. The milled texture on the sides helps with grip, ensuring it won’t slip out of your hand like a greased piglet.

 

 

The deep-carry pocket clip reminds me a lot of a Benchmade clip, which is a good thing. It sits nicely in the pocket and can also be clipped onto a hat for hands-free use.

 

 

The magnetic tail cap is another feature I always appreciate. It makes working on a car, setting up camp, or doing hands-free tasks a breeze. Just stick it to any metal surface, and you’ve got an instant work light.

 

 

One small downside: no magnetic charging. The Castor charges via USB-C, with a rubber flap covering the port to keep out dust and water. While USB-C is fast and convenient, I would have loved to see the addition of magnetic charging for even more ease of use.

 

 

 

Final Thoughts

 

The Castor 4-in-1 EDC flashlight is a solid, feature-packed light that delivers on multiple fronts. The throw beam is bright, the floodlight is warm and useful, and the laser and UV functions add extra versatility. The mushy button and awkward floodlight placement are minor gripes, but they don’t take away from the fact that this is a well-made, well-thought-out flashlight. If you’re in the market for a flat, pocket-friendly light with a bit of everything, the Castor is definitely worth considering.