New EOTech EFLX Mini Red Dot Sight (MRDS) Review

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Introduction to the EOTech EFLX

Debuted at SHOT Show 2022, EOTech announced the release of its all-new Mini Reflex Sight or EFLX. Being the pioneer and leader in holographic weapon sight technology, the EFLX is EOTechs first venture into reflex technology. Designed for pistol use and utilizing a Leupold Delta Point Pro footprint, the EFLX will fit many existing milled slides or baseplates. These red dots just recently started to be available online, and I was able to pick up the 6MOA version at the end of last November to feature in this review. 

Specifications for the EFLX

Battery Life: Approx 25,000 hours (3MOA dot) at brightness level 5, Approx 20,000 hours (6MOA dot) at brightness level 5

Power Source: 1 X CR2032

Brightness: 8 daylight settings, 1 night vision setting

Dimensions: 1.9″ x 1.2″ x 1″ (47 x 30.5 x 25.4 mm)

Weight: 1.4oz (35g)

Footprint: Leupold® Delta Point Pro™

Windage & Elevation Adjustment: 1 MOA per click

Water Resistant: 33ft. (10 m) depth

Field of view

Out of the box, first impressions were great. This red dot uses a scaled-down version of EOTech’s infamous holographic weapon sights window, to keep a square viewing window with the same aspect ratio as the EOTech HWS to maximize your field of view. The glass lens is very clear without the tint or excessive distortion that is common to some of the best other red dots currently on the market. While there is still a minimal amount of distortion that can be noticed when moving the optic around, this is minimal and is what I would call “best in class”.

The dot is crisp and doesn’t bloom like some other pistol red dots I own. Some red dots also have an annoying refresh rate that is slow enough to be seen by the human eye, and look like a pulsating dot when moving the optic quickly, but the EFLX does not have this issue. The dot is always solid and crisp. 

The optic also sits low enough to be able to use some sets of factory iron sights. Most will probably sit too low, but the sights for the FN 509 CC Edge worked perfectly by still being useable in the lower portion of the window.

Battery

A great design used in the EFLX is a top-loaded battery chamber. This allows for the replacement of the battery without the need to remove the red dot from the gun and subsequently re-zero. Using a single 2032 battery and set to brightness level 5, users can expect to see approximately 20,000 hours of run time with the 6 MOA version, and 25,000 hours with the 3 MOA version of the EFLX. There is no shake-awake feature or auto-brightness adjustment, but with such a long battery life, and a top-loaded battery compartment, this avoids potential failure points. 

Controls/Brightness

The rubber bumper buttons are following the tradition of EOTechs HWS lineup, allowing for easy adjustments even with gloves. Maintaining a water-resistant rating of up to 33ft, the EFLX should hold up just fine in the rain you may be using it in. I have heard some complaints over both buttons being on one side while not being recessed causing accidental brightness adjustments when carrying, but from my few range trips, I haven’t had an issue with this yet. I would have preferred for the buttons to be more recessed, but they are easy to feel and activate. When pressing either the up or down arrows, the brightness adjustments are audible and felt clicks.

This optic has 1 NV setting which works well and 8 daytime brightness options. The lowest setting is still brighter than the lowest setting on an RMR, but it is still very useable with NV.

The other complaint I have heard about the EFLX was the lack of brightness it has when compared to other optics. While the highest brightness setting is definitely less than that of a Trijicon RMR, I have never found myself using the max brightness on my RMR over the past 4 years I have used it. On bright days, when aiming at light or reflective backgrounds, the EFLX dot will be harder to see, but I prefer to have dots on the lower brightness setting whenever possible to give a small and crisp dot. As seen in the image below, an RMR really can start to bloom when turned to the maximum brightness setting. 

Adjustments

Windage and elevation adjustments are on the top and right side of the EFLX. While I would have loved to be able to adjust these turrets with a piece of brass like I can with my RMR, the EFLX will require a narrow flathead screwdriver. Adjustments are both audible and positive so the 1MOA adjustments are easy to make. 

Durability

For the duration of my review and the few hundred rounds I was able to put through pistols with the EFLX mounted, everything held up perfectly. My zero stayed solid, the dot never shuttered when shooting, I had no mysterious instances of the optic turning itself off, and besides a few wear marks on the finish, this optic runs as good as new.

The housing is made from aluminum, which projects out past the front of the glass window. This provides a recessed glass lens that is more protected for those who are forced to rack the slide using the optic itself. The sidewalls seem to be thick enough to provide a balance of protection and a great field of view. While I can’t definitively give values, it looks more durable than the Trijicon SRO and less than the beefy Trijicon RMR. However, due to the much better glass quality, and top-loading battery compartment, this would be my carry optic of choice if I was starting over and had my slide milled for the Leupold Delta Point Pro footprint the EFLX uses. 

Besides running flawlessly on pistols, the EFLX also ran great on a shotgun. While I only ran a few boxes of ammo through the Beretta A300 Ultima, it handled 50 rounds of buckshot just fine.

Conclusion

Overall, I am quite impressed with this optic. Between the top-loading battery compartment, and best-in-class glass clarity, I have no regrets about purchasing this red dot. While I would have preferred toolless windage and elevation adjustments, this is a minor issue for me. The housing has held up well and seems to be quite durable. EOTech was aiming to ship the EFLX in Q2 of 2022, but they are now finally available with an MSRP of $389 and a street price very close to that. I am a huge advocate for using red dots on pistols, and the EFLX gives me one of the most natural feeling options available.

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