Continuous wave (cw) distributed feedback (DFB) telecom diode lasers are increasingly being used as light sources in the near-IR regions of the spectrum for cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). They are compact, operate economically at room temperature, are able to generate suitable narrowband tunable coherent radiation on a single longitudinal mode and are compatible with a variety of optical components, including fibre-optic devices. The very high sensitivities enabling to measure weak absorption with cw CRDS plus the quantitative nature of the absorption measurements are enabling an expanding range of applications of cw CRDS in molecular spectroscopy, atmospheric chemistry, plasma and medical diagnosis.