8 Best Lasers for AR 15 in 2024 | Top Lasers for AR15 Reviewed

Not very many things look cooler in a movie than the red or greenish dot appearing on the person’s chest, letting them know that if they make the wrong move, they’re going to get taken out. Unfortunately this depiction is also wildly inaccurate; the last shooters that are going to rely on a laser sight (especially, a compact laser sight), either red lasers or snipers. They all are visible lasers.

We have found some of the best lasers for AR15 for you.

Laser sights are well-suited to CQB (close quarters battle) and other tight and short range scenarios. A laser quickly becomes too inaccurate as the distance increases, not only because of the sight being positioned off-center relative to the muzzle, but also because bullets travel in an arc and can be affected by so many environmental variables.

So while you can’t use a laser to turn yourself into a long range precision shooter, you can still use one to augment whatever sights you already have on your AR for home defense or CQB situations.

Best laser sights for AR 15 rifles

Some of the greatest AR-15 lasers also include an LED tactical light. Here is the list of best laser sights for AR-15 rifles:

• Ozark Armament Green Laser
• Streamlight TLR-4
• Crimson Trace CMR-301
• Steiner DBAL - I2
• Sightmark LoPro Green Laser Sight
• TruGlo MICRO-TAC Tactical Micro Laser
• L3Harris AN/PEQ-15 (ATPIAL)
• Feyachi Green Laser Sight
  
  

What To Look For In A Laser

Red Or Green Laser

The comparison between a red laser and green sight (green and red lasers) is actually fairly simple. Red lasers though they are IR lasers, require a lot less power to use and are usually easy enough to see, except in bright situations. Green beam ones take up a lot more power, but are visible even in full day. So if you’re choosing between green or red laser, just ask yourself if you need daylight visibility.

If the answer is yes, then get a green one or an IR illuminator. If the answer is no, then look closer at the red lasers which are visible lasers. If it doesn’t matter, then it also doesn’t matter whether you choose a red or green lasers, except when you’re talking about battery. Not shockingly, a bright laser uses more battery than one that is less bright.

Light And Laser Combo?

Some of the best lasers for AR-15 come with an LED tactical light along with it. These laser lights are more versatile than lasers without a tactical light. Here’s the main thing to consider when looking at a good laser that has an LED laser with it: the human eye. If your intended usage for the laser can benefit from stealth, then a light is probably not a great idea. Meaning, it shouldn't be a visible laser.

Sure, the laser is visible as well, but a single bright dot is a lot more subtle than a 1000 lumen LED flashlight in strobe light mode. Of course, you can always use the laser without turning on the gleam, but you’ll want to double check how the settings are changed on the laser unit and in what order.

Brightness

This applies to both the laser and the light (if it has one). Most of the AR lasers that we are recommending push the legal limit of brightness, which is 5mW, but some of them go as low as 1mW. The brightness settings will determine if you can use the same laser for short range shots as well as long range shots. 

As mentioned above, a red laser beam is going to usually be a less bright model than a best laser for AR-15 that uses the leafy colour instead.

For a home defense weapon, red lasers can work just as well as green ones because it’s in low light and at close range. If you’re using it for night hunting or as a tactical weapon for SHTF scenarios, then leafy ones or an infrared laser is usually the way to go, in my opinion.

Durability

Most of these are going to be made out of aircraft grade aluminum, but some are just made out of tough plastic. Even if the laser isn’t made out of tough aircraft aluminum, it may still be able to withstand continuous use and still maintain a constant laser and not lose zero.

If you’re taking it outside, you also want to make sure it can handle extreme weather. The last thing you want is for your laser that you’re relying on to stop working in the middle of your hunt or operation. The best lasers are tough enough to handle most conditions, even if they’re not made out of metal.

8 Best Laser Sights For AR 15 Rifles:

1. Ozark Armament Green Laser

The first entry here is what I would consider the entry-level option, both in terms of budget and features. It’s a solid light and not IR Illuminator, but you’ll find none of the IR lasers or other night vision features, and you should get decent (but not amazing) battery life out of it. I haven’t tested to find out the exact life of the battery, but with adjustable brightness Ozark says you can get “all day” battery.

It mounts on standard picatinny so it should be drag and drop for just about every AR-15 on the planet. You’ve got your windage and elevation adjustments for the sighting in process, and even though Ozark says you’ll be able to see the green lasers from a mile away at dusk, realistically you’ll only be using it out to a few hundred yards. 

This is one the best lasers for AR15.

The elevation adjustment gives you enough to sight in at just about as far as you should need to, unless you’re wanting to sight it in at 300 yards or further, then you may run into issues.

It only comes in a green lasers form and not an IR Illuminator, so no red laser here. A greenish beam is easier to see than a red laser, but takes more power to operate.

2. Streamlight TLR-4

The TLR-4 from Streamlight makes the list despite being intended for handguns. It is a great option if you’re looking for something nice and compact but no IR Illuminator in it. There’s no IR laser on it, so it will only be good for situations that are bright enough that you can see with your naked eye. Life of battery is good if you’re only using the laser and should last you up to 15 hours with just the laser.

If you use the light at the same time, that goes down to just 1.5 hours, which is fairly standard for weapon lights. I like the TLR-4 a lot when compared to some of the other AR lasers here because it comes with a regular light and it’s available for what I would consider a very reasonable price.

It can mount on a picatinny rail just fine and comes with some adapters for mounting on different proprietary rails. The laser has adjustments for windage and elevation so you can properly sight it in. One thing that I personally don’t love about the TLR-4 is the red laser color. I’m a sucker for a green ones, but the red is adequately visible in most scenarios and gives you better battery capacity.

But keep in mind, this is one of the best lasers for AR15.

3. Crimson Trace CMR-301

With the Crimson Trace, we’re starting to wade into the higher end of things. The Crimson Trace is also a laser and light combo, but lacks any NV capabilities beyond the fact that a green laser beam is visible through night vision goggles and no IR Illuminator. While this shouldn’t overload or damage your NVG unless you actually shine the laser directly into it via a mirror or something, it’s also visible to your intended target.

The Crimson Trace has good battery life for a green laser + light combo, and you have a choice between a standard picatinny rail mount and an M-lok barrel clamp mount. Barrel mounts can often get your laser a little bit closer to the muzzle, which is nice. You need at least 2 3/4 inches of rail space to fit this on, though.

You can adjust for windage and elevation as you’d expect, and you have a handy pressure switch that you can use to turn it on or you can use the tail switch as well. The remote pressure pad can be mounted a few inches away from the laser unit itself, which means you can put it in the most comfortable spot for operation.

This is a brand new lasers from Crimson Trace, but it looks like it’s going to take its place among the best green sights available. Crimson Trace has been making lasers for a long time and it’s no surprise that they have made another awesome lasers but less of the IR Illuminators.

4. Steiner DBAL - I2

Continuing our march up the “premium” ladder, the Steiner DBAL-I2 is a laser that is used by some militaries around the world, and it is intended to be usable as a regular laser (green laser), or to be compatible with night vision optics in ultra low light situations. It not only as an IR aiming laser but also an IR illuminator that can make your vision be much brighter. The IR Illuminator is a cherry on the top.

You can actually buy a version with a red laser instead of a green laser, and you can buy versions without any of the infrared options. It does not pair with an LED light, and there’s no visible white light source. It will mount on a picatinny rail with its quick-detach HT mount, which is the only mounting option it has.

However, it is also pre-drilled for if you want to also mount red dots or other accessories onto it. This laser is activated by a pressure pad instead of a toggle.

5. Sightmark LoPro Green Laser Sight

But what if you don’t need the military-grade, ultra strong, fancy laser & IR light combination and you just want something simple with amazing battery life? Well, the LoPro might be the right choice, then. The quality is high here (although the case is plastic for some reason), and the battery will last a long time. 

It doesn’t have a rechargeable battery, but you get a solid 27 hours of life out of a single CR123A battery. It mounts on picatinny rails, and has a low profile design to keep it from obstructing your view through your optic. Not only that, but the laser is off-center to keep it from getting blocked from the front sight post.

I’m honestly impressed by the thought that has gone into this design, complete with windage and elevation knobs that are finger-adjustable. Granted, you shouldn’t be needing to adjust them much after zero since you’re likely using them at close range, but I think it shows some understanding of consumer gun owners.

The laser is greenish and a pressure pad is used to turn it on and off.

6. TruGlo MICRO-TAC Tactical Micro Laser

Now, technically, this is a handgun laser, but believe it or not it has a place on this list. That place is with the ultra-minimalist. Yes, battery life is fairly short and the power of the laser is quite low, but this thing weighs less than an ounce and only takes up a single rail slot.

The important thing to remember with this laser sight is that it is intended purely for close range in dark situations even though it is not a red laser light. My main beef with this is that it should be a little cheaper than it is, considering how it’s a pretty weak laser compared to the other quality laser sightings that are available.

Other sighting systems can give you brighter light and still be lightweight lasers, because it is one of the IR lasers. If you’re equipping an AR-15 for home defense, though, this can be a good way to get laser functionality to augment your optic.

Therefore this is one of the best lasers for AR15.

7. L3Harris AN/PEQ-15 (ATPIAL)

We’re including this on the list because we know a lot of law enforcement and government agencies are on the lookout for good laser sights as well. This laser sight is only available to government agencies, but it’s a beast of a device. It’s nigh indestructible, has an IR aim laser and an IR illuminator as well as the output laser, which (I believe) can either be green or red.

There isn’t a lot of detail available on it, and I’ve never personally used one, so other than the basics that it mounts on picatinny rails and has just about all the functionality you could ever need, there isn’t much I can say about this laser sight.

8. Feyachi Green Laser Sight

By all reports, the Feyachi (commonly misspelled “Fayachi laser light”)  is actually a pretty awesome laser. It’s just an honorable mention because it’s a little too cheap for me to have a lot of trust for it up front. That said, if you don’t mind the size, and the lack of any other features besides the green laser sights and the finger adjustable windage and elevation, then it’s probably not a bad bet.

Buying Guide

How Will You Use It?

Like with most things, the best laser for you depends a lot on how you’re going to use it. If you want to use the same sight as a pistol laser and on an AR-15, then you’ll want one that is fairly small, can fit around other accessories, and mounts on standard rails instead of using a large barrel mount.

Another thing to consider is whether you want it to be ready for you at a moment’s notice or if you have a chance to plan outings. This can make a big difference in the laser sights, either red laser lights or the green ones that would work the best for you. For example, a laser sight with rechargeable batteries may be better for planned outings because it saves money and you have time to charge it before leaving.

If you want it at a moment’s notice, however, then an AR-15 laser sight with interchangeable batteries may be better.

If you want it at a moment’s notice, however, then an AR-15 laser sight with interchangeable batteries may be better.

Laser sights are pretty lightweight as a general rule, but they can still vary widely. The lightest will be less than an ounce while the heaviest may be a little under one pound. If weight matters a lot to you, then the best laser sights will be on the lighter side. 

If it doesn’t matter, then you can look at other features that matter more like beam consistency, red vs. green lasers, and your ability to acquire your target quickly. There are little things like whether it has a tail switch or remote pressure pads, but it’s hard to know which you like better before you’ve tried out one or two.

Visit Travis Pike article on "Best Pistol Laser Sights".

Quality vs. Price

Honestly, the very best AR-15 laser sights cost a lot of money. That said, you can get something like the Feyachi laser for an incredibly low price that may do exactly what you need it to do. As with most things, you get what you pay for, and if you need more than just a visible green laser sights or a beam, then you may need to get comfortable ponying up the dough.

This is especially true of law enforcement, who not only need a visible laser, but may also need infrared lasers with good enough beam consistency to use properly with NVD’s or goggles. 

FAQ’s

Is A Laser On An AR Worth It?

Maybe, maybe not. Lasers serve a specific purpose. A visible laser gives you an approximate aiming point that works even if you aren’t able to properly line up your sight picture. In the movies, a visible laser is often used to intimidate and subdue a target without actually having to fire, but I would consult trained professionals before incorporating that into your defense plan.

Some AR-15 lasers work in the day, some only work at night. Just ask yourself how you would use one if you had one, and if you can’t come up with any solid answers, then don’t worry about it.

What Laser Sight Does The Military Use?

This depends on which military you’re talking about, but we included the ATPIAL specifically because it is a model that the US military uses. They use this particularly laser because it gives them all the functionality they need including compatibility with NVG, a visible laser, and easy controls and the ability to preserve battery life where possible.

Where Do You Put The Laser On An AR-15?

Most of the time lasers go towards the front of the AR-15. Even the best laser sights can’t go through solid objects, so they typically need to be in front of anything else. A lot of them are designed to be low-profile so they can duck under the view through an optic or stay lower than the standard height iron sights on most modern sporting rifles.

That said, in terms of positioning, the most important thing for accuracy is that it’s mounted as close to the muzzle in terms of left-right and up-down (as opposed to forward-back) as possible. The closer it is to being lined up with the muzzle, the less you’ll have to adjust it when sighting it in and also the longer it will take to deviate from the bullet’s trajectory.

When you’re sighting in a laser, you’re changing the angle that it’s shooting out. If you mount the laser on the right side of the handguard and zero it at 50 yards, you’ll most likely have to adjust it to the right a little bit, which makes the laser shoot out at an angle compared to the bullet’s trajectory. So at 100 yards, it might be hitting an inch or more to the right of the point of impact.

This is an important thing to keep in mind with lasers - they are not a tool for long range precision shooting.

Final Thoughts

Laser sights have a clear place in the pantheon of firearm accessories. They can be a great tool in quickly acquiring a target, and can be used effectively by law enforcement, for home defense, and many other situations. I would not consider them a replacement for a quality optic because their use cases are slightly different.

Do you have a laser sight on your AR? Which one? What do you use it for? Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments. I’ve used a number of them but I haven’t felt the need to put one on any of my firearms long term.