Which flashlight should i buy

We placed the light meter behind the flashlight so that it would register only the bounced illumination, not the direct beam. We took readings at the second mark, the five-minute mark, and the minute mark, and then in minute increments after that, up to 90 minutes if the battery lasted that long. During this test, the flashlights were all set to the highest brightness, and the zoom lights were set to their wide-beam mode.

What we got was an idea of how battery drain affected performance—with the better models, it was not linear—and a sense of how flashlights with the same battery configuration compared with one another with regard to general brightness levels and the speed of battery drain. Instead of taking more meter readings in a sealed, lab-like, dark room, I spent night after night after night wandering around the dark New Hampshire woods and more than once caught the reflection of animal eyes looking back at me.

We tested in the weeks surrounding a new moon and in an area with very little light pollution. This unstructured testing gave us the most useful gauge of overall usability, beam spread, and beam distance, and it really helped us understand what each light had to offer from a practical standpoint.

We also used the flashlights for more regular daily tasks, such as looking under the couch for Legos, checking the crawl space for signs of mice, and investigating strange nighttime noises in the backyard. Lastly, we used the lights during multiple power outages.

As for light output, every single one of these lights is pretty impressive. So oddly enough, brightness ended up being a factor, but not the biggest one. Plus, to paraphrase Wise, the brightest beam that throws light the farthest might not be all that practical for regular use.

Of all the lights we looked at, the ThruNite Archer 2A V3 offers the best combination of high-end features at an affordable price. It has a two-button interface that lets you quickly cycle through the four brightness levels—one of which is the very useful, very low firefly mode. As with most of the better lights we found, the beam simultaneously projects a long-distance hot spot and a dimmer wide-angle light, which together give you a great view of your surroundings.

After we finished most of our testing, the Archer 2A V3 was the model we kept reaching for when we headed into the woods. The Archer 2A V3 has an interesting two-button interface. Once the light is on, you control the brightness levels with a second button up at the head of the light. Prior to testing we had never used a two-button light, but we soon realized how convenient the design is.

Holding the light with a thumb on top and fingers cradling the bottom, we could toggle through the brightness levels quickly and one-handed with just a few taps of the thumb.

Of the two-AA flashlights we tested, only our runner-up, the Manker E12, has a similar two-button setup. This feature, found on some of the other high-end lights we tested, is convenient for quickly turning the light on and off without fully engaging it.

In addition, the light has a memory, so it always turns on at the brightness setting you last used. The Archer 2A V3 has four brightness levels: high, medium, low, and firefly. At the high setting, we were able to make out the trees at the end of a foot-long field.

At the low end, the firefly setting seemed barely brighter than a full moon, so we found it perfect for reading a map or checking on a sleeping child. Of the lights we tested, the Archer 2A V3 offered the lowest of these low settings, which we think is a very nice feature. The Archer 2A V3 also has a strobe setting. Not surprisingly, the brightness levels dictate battery drain.

ThruNite claims the high setting has a run time of about 96 minutes and the firefly mode can last 15 days. These numbers are based on use with Eneloop Pro mAh NiMH batteries, which offer better performance than the more common alkaline batteries. In our tests with Energizer Max batteries, which are alkaline, the high mode lasted around 45 minutes, so a little less than half the stated output with NiMH batteries.

Because ThruNite claims the firefly setting lasts 15 days with NiMH, we assume with alkaline batteries that translates to around six or seven days, which is still a considerable amount of time. Having the multiple levels of brightness and understanding how much each one offers in terms of battery life left us with a feeling of control over the flashlight. The Archer 2A V3 allows you to use only the amount of light you need. As Wise predicted, we found ourselves operating in the lower-light modes most of the time, with only the occasional jump to the high level.

Walking around a house during a power outage, we found no reason to go above the low setting. This means that on the highest setting, the light maintains a consistent level of brightness for about 45 minutes. At that point the high setting kicks out, and only the lower settings work; this stepping down continues for about 20 to 25 minutes. We saw similar results from the other tested two-AA lights from high-end manufacturers Manker, Nitecore, and Streamlight , but other lights, such as the Craftsman and all of the AAA lights we looked at, had a more linear battery drain—as the chart above shows, they start out bright and slowly and consistently fade down to nothing.

The Archer 2A V3 also has a high-quality beam pattern. Around the LED is a reflector with an orange-peel texture, which provides both a focused hot spot and a not-as-bright spill beam surrounding it.

In the woods, we could clearly make out tree branches over feet away, and at the same time the area directly around us was lit for full visibility.

As a reflector light, the beam pattern on the Archer 2A V3 was pretty comparable to that of the other, similar designs we tried. As for the strobe setting, the Archer 2A V3 mercifully tucks it away from the regular brightness settings yet keeps it fully accessible; you activate the strobe with a long press of the brightness button.

That design is already annoying in regular circumstances—in an emergency, having to cycle through settings to find the strobe is a potential risk. Turn it on and off at the tail switch, tap the small button near the front to adjust power, and check the LED on the button when turning the light on for a battery-level indication.

The old model used a micro-USB cord, which we liked because it seemed ubiquitous at the time. We hope to see more standardization in the near future to limit the number of cords needed to keep gear charged up. And, using two AAs, it has a runtime of up to 4 days on firefly mode and 11 hours on medium 75 lumens. Yes, this flashlight does use AA batteries. That certainly brings down the price compared with high-end rechargeables and costs money to operate.

But it makes them extremely easy to repower on backcountry trips — just bring a couple of extras. Check Price at Amazon. The iR punches through the darkness with 4, lumens on turbo mode. But more importantly, it has five modes, ranging all the way down to the 2-lumen ultralow mode that provides light for up to hours.

This setup provides exceptional versatility for everyone from campers and hunters to search-and-rescue and tactical uses. The user interface is great, providing easy access to toggle between modes like its turbo output and strobe mode through a dedicated button separate from the momentary-on rear tail switch.

With a maximum output of 2, lumens and the ability to project it a whopping m , the Warrior X Pro packs a heck of a punch. And for most people, that level of output is overkill. But for those who need to sweep large expanses of nighttime like search-and-rescue personnel , this kind of power can come in handy. Those are pretty wild specs for a flashlight that weighs just 8. It runs on a 5,mAh rechargeable battery.

You can recharge it anywhere you have a volt USB outlet or recharger. And, it comes in 3 additional colors. So for people looking for better runtime with lower outputs, there are better choices. We literally tested one by shooting it with a shotgun at about 10 yards. The Polysteel R cranks out up to lumens to a distance of feet on high. We found that the adjustable zoom works great to move from a tightly focused beam to a broad floodlight for versatility. I found it well suited for both under-the-hood mechanic tasks and workshop needs.

This is the flashlight to rely on when tackling two-handed DIY tasks in low-light situations. Made from impact-resistant plastic, the Energizer features three methods of hands-free use: It can hang from the pull-out hook located at the top, attached to a metal surface via a powerful magnet on its back side, and it can stand solidly on its base atop a table or other flat surface. The flashlight delivers lumens and operates on four AA batteries, which are included.

Proving the adage that good things come in small packages, this little number is incredibly bright and handy. At just 2. The most significant difference between the Torchy and penlights is the light intensity.

The Torchy casts 1, lumens of super-bright light on its highest setting Turbo. It also features high, medium, and low intensities, plus a strobe.

The strobe function emits lumens, and I was able to see it flashing from nearly yards away. When testing regular beam intensity, I could see my helper clearly at about yards. The small flashlight operates on a single 3-volt CRA rechargeable battery not included and comes with a handy USB charging base. The only incandescent flashlight I tested, the Maglite Heavy-Duty Flashlight is solid, impressive, and designed for one purpose—to quickly light up the immediate area.

Weighing in at 1. I turned on the shower, passed the Maglite through the spray a few times, and dried it off before testing its other functions. It performed flawlessly. To adjust the width of the light beam, simply rotate the entire head. I could see my helper at a distance of yards away. The Maglite operates on two D-cell alkaline batteries not included.

While the Maglite only features 27 lumens, the fewest of any flashlight in the lineup, it was still surprisingly bright, perhaps due to the reflective surface inside the head. If you have other volt Milwaukee tools, you can swap out the batteries to power the flashlight. On a fully charged battery, this work flashlight emits lumens, which I found impressively bright for most low-light work situations. The volt battery slides into the bottom of the flashlight and provides a sturdy base.

My favorite part of the flashlight is the adjustable head that allows me to direct the beam higher or lower as necessary. The flashlight itself weighs just 12 ounces without the battery , making it suitable for carrying in a toolbox or even in some types of tool belts.

The Fenix emits a lumen bright light on its most powerful setting, which allowed me to see my helper clearly at a maximum distance of about yards. Now that most of us carry around a flashlight on our phones, you might think that there isn't much of a need for an actual flashlight. That isn't necessarily the case -- a good, bright flashlight is an essential tool that you should have in your house. After all, if a natural disaster or storm knocks out the power, a durable flashlight saves your phone's battery and brings some comfort and safety.

In more extreme cases , a flashlight may even ensure your survival. A high-quality flashlight is useful in all kinds of mundane situations too, whether you're jogging before dawn , exploring the woods at night, digging through a dark attic or garage , going camping or catching fireflies with the kids. Which flashlight should you buy? Not only are there too many flashlights on the market to count, but there are also a number of different categories of flashlights -- from baton to hands-free to lantern-style.

Further, the brightest flashlight isn't necessarily the best flashlight. Whether you are looking for a tiny keychain flashlight, a headlamp flashlight, a giant industrial flashlight or a waterproof flashlight, there's sure to be something out there that meets your needs. To help you narrow it down, we researched the most popular products at a number of retailers, read recommendations from experts, acquired over a dozen devices from larger flashlights to mini flashlight options and tested them all.

We took into consideration factors like battery life, as well as the type of battery the flashlight used AA battery, AAA battery, rechargeable battery and so on , brightness level, light mode, whether it had a pocket clip if tiny and so much more. Here, we present our picks for the best flashlight for This compact flashlight offers powerful output for about 40 minutes before dropping to lower lumens; its light-but-sturdy aluminum body is comfortable in the hand; its two-button interface one to power it on, one to toggle its brightness level and strobe effect is intuitive; its belt clip is handy and keeps it from rolling; its beam is wider than many similarly priced baton flashlights; and the flashlight is waterproof up to 2 meters.

One of the cooler features of the ThruNite LED flashlight was its firefly setting -- a gentle light that's perfect for nighttime use when you're trying not to startle wildlife or wake sleeping kiddos. Basically, casual users shouldn't have much to complain about with the ThruNite.

Its only real shortcoming was that minute high-power duration. If you're walking in the woods at night and want to explore for hours, you'll want a baton-style light that boasts consistent, high-level output -- which comes at a cost. I can't call it the "best" high-end light, but it certainly showed what a little more money can buy.

The Olight blew the other baton-style lights out of the water when it came to high-level output and consistency. Over the course of an hour, its output -- which already started higher than most of the low-end and mid-level lights -- barely budged. Its small body is lightweight and sturdy. The designers creatively packed a slew of features into the single-button interface: low, medium and high power settings; a low-level firefly-type mode and a super-bright turbo mode; a strobe effect; timers; and a lock to keep the light from accidentally turning on and draining its battery.