A reliable flashlight is an essential tool for emergencies, outdoor adventures, and everyday tasks. Whether you need one for power outages, nighttime repairs, or camping trips, consider key factors like battery type, size, brightness, and durability before making a purchase. Some flashlights prioritize convenience with rechargeable batteries, while others are built for portability or maximum brightness.
To help you find the best option, we researched top-rated flashlights on Amazon. Our recommendations include a versatile kit with two flashlights, lanyards, and holsters, a large LED flashlight, and a budget-friendly option that provides emergency lighting without breaking the bank. Keep reading to find the best flashlight for your needs. You can also check out our tools buying guide for more information.
Top 4 Flashlights
- GearLight LED Tactical Flashlights: Best Kit
- GearLight High-Powered LED Flashlight: Largest Flashlight
- EverBrite LED Flashlights: Best Value
- Hoxida LED Tactical Flashlights: Best Rechargeable Battery
Best Kit
GearLight LED Tactical Flashlights
This kit from GearLight comes with two flashlights, two lanyards, and two holsters, allowing you to store your flashlights when they’re not in use. In addition, the GearLight LED Tactical Flashlights have zooming and mode-changing functions and weather and drop resistance.
What People Are Saying About The GearLight LED Tactical Flashlights
Positive reviews said that these tactical flashlights were powerful, allowing customers to see structures or items that were far away. Several users also said that the company provided high-quality customer service when they experienced issues. Negative reviews said that the flashlights’ brightness greatly diminished after a few months of use.
Largest Flashlight
GearLight High-Powered LED Flashlight
This flashlight is larger than the other flashlights in this review, giving you more light and more body to hold onto. On top of this, the GearLight High-Powered LED Flashlight has several functions, including a zooming function that allows you to make the beam wider or narrower based on your needs.
What People Are Saying About The GearLight High-Powered LED Flashlight
Positive reviews praised this LED flashlight for its durable build, sleek design, and bright beam. Additionally, customers said that this flashlight worked in the rain. Negative reviews noted that this flashlight broke after short-term use.
Best Value
EverBrite LED Flashlights
This EverBrite pack includes six flashlights to store in different places around your home in case of an emergency. The flashlights also come in six bright colors for easy location and have a small size to fit in compact places, such as in your purse or glove box.
What People Are Saying About The EverBrite LED Flashlights
Many Amazon customers highlighted the great value and brightness of this flashlight set. Satisfied customers also praised their compact size. In contrast, negative reviews disliked that the batteries came shrink-wrapped because it made them difficult to unpackage and use.
Best Rechargeable Battery
Hoxida LED Tactical Flashlights
The two flashlights included in this kit use rechargeable batteries, so you don’t have to buy new batteries every time the current ones die. In addition, these flashlights have built-in holsters for easy carrying.
What People Are Saying About The Hoxida LED Tactical Flashlights
Happy customers highlighted these rechargeable flashlights’ small size and intense light. Many reviewers also noted that these flashlights were waterproof for use in the rain. Negative reviews highlighted the batteries’ inability to hold a charge.
Buyer’s Guide
Your first consideration when choosing a flashlight should be determining what situations you plan on using it for. This will help you work out the remaining factors explored in the buying guide below.
Material
Flashlights are usually made of either plastic or aluminum. Plastic flashlights tend to be more lightweight, but they aren’t as durable as aluminum flashlights.
Functions
Most flashlights have different modes to give you customized lighting. Some common functions include zooming and flashing.
Size
If you want to carry a flashlight with you at all times for emergencies, consider buying a keychain version that will attach to your key ring or a small flashlight that will fit at the bottom of your bag. If you plan on using a flashlight for tasks around your home, purchase a larger one that will offer more light.
Light Type
Flashlights use either incandescent or LED light bulbs.
- Incandescent: Incandescent bulbs give off a softer light, but they’re more likely to break if the flashlight is dropped and quickly drain the flashlight’s battery.
- LED: LED lights are more durable and brighter than incandescent lights. They can also last longer before burning out.
Battery Type
Flashlights usually run on either disposable or rechargeable batteries.
- Disposable: Most flashlights have disposable AA, AAA, C, D, or nine-volt batteries. When these batteries die, replace them with new ones.
- Rechargeable: The rechargeable batteries used in flashlights are either lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride. When these batteries die, use the charger that comes with the flashlight to recharge them. While this saves you more money in the long run, you’ll have to wait for the batteries to charge before you can use your flashlight again.
Control Type
Flashlights can be turned on and off in a variety of ways.
- Click switch: This type of flashlight has a push button on its side or end.
- Slide switch: This type of flashlight has a piece of plastic or metal that you slide back and forth to operate the light.
- Bezel twist control: This type requires you to twist the top of the flashlight to turn it on or off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are lumens?
Lumens refer to a flashlight’s light output. A flashlight with more lumens is more powerful, but it also drains its battery faster.
What is a tactical flashlight?
A tactical flashlight is both a source of light and a defensive tool in an emergency. It produces more light than your standard flashlight and allows you to temporarily blind a home intruder or attacker.
Do all flashlights run on batteries?
No. In general, emergency flashlights use a hand crank or solar cell for power. This makes them best for emergency situations, such as natural disasters, where you don’t have power for hours at a time.
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We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.