Top 10 Best Flashlights to Buy Online in 2021

Each of the flashlights we've selected for this list has its own strong points and specialties. As you read, keep in mind why you need a flashlight. Whether you need one for around-the-house, emergencies, camping, or to keep in your car's glove compartment, we've got you covered!

When picking out a flashlight, there are three main categories you need to consider: the brightness, structure, and power source. We've put together a thorough guide going over each category so you can find your perfect flashlight!

A flashlight’s brightness is measured in “lumens.” You may have also heard some flashlights touting 1000 lumens or more – but unless you’re in the police force or the military, chances are you don’t need nearly that many lumens for everyday use.

The minimum amount of lumens you’ll need to scrape by is 30, like in very dark spaces or during a power outage. 100 is ideal for use within cities and suburbs to see some detail from a distance while still giving you a decent amount of battery life.

If you’re hoping for a flashlight for walking home late at night, such as one that could be used for self-defensive purposes to blind an attacker, you only need about 80 to 100 lumens.

If you think you’ll need to see things from a considerable distance of 50 yards or more, then you’ll want to aim for around 300 lumens. This level is great if you live in a more rural area or you plan to do some nighttime biking. You can go higher if you want to, but again, it's not necessary.

That being said, if your needs are a bit more specialized or you just prefer something super bright, you're in luck! Many flashlights nowadays can give you 1000 lumens or more for a very reasonable price.

Most of the time, you’ll want a flashlight that can be used for multiple purposes. This is where different brightness modes come in handy: a lower setting prioritizes battery life over brightness while a higher setting uses more of the battery to illuminate details and further distances.

When checking a flashlight’s modes, look to see if the actual lumens per mode are listed. This will be far more helpful than a generic “low/medium/high,” and will give you a concrete idea of what mode will be useful in a given situation.

When surrounded by pitch-black darkness far away from the cities and street lights, you only need 10 lumens for most camping or hiking activities. Having fewer lumens also gives you the benefit of longer battery life, so you don’t have to worry about packing a cartload of extra batteries into an already stuffed backpack.

For camping, you’ll also usually want a more “spread-out” kind of illumination rather than a spotlight. To achieve this, look for lantern-style flashlights. Most come equipped with a handle and a solid, flat base. A handle is useful as you can hang it on a branch or a post so that the light can reach as far as possible around your campsite.

What's great about lanterns is that quite a few nowadays can also serve as power banks. This means you can recharge your phone or another electronic device via USB cable, making it a great tool for both camping and emergencies.

When looking at a flashlight build you'll want to consider its shape and size, but you should also think about the casing material and how water-resistant it is.

The ideal shape and size of your flashlight depend on what you plan to use it for. For example, if you want a flashlight for your car, you’ll likely want something light and easy to grip.

However, if you mainly intend to use it for DIY projects and home repairs, you’ll probably want something with a flat, sturdy base so you can set it down while you work. You may even consider a hands-free headlamp. You’ll also want to make sure that the on-off switch isn’t located on the base.

Unconventional shapes are designed for specific purposes. As mentioned previously, a flashlight shaped like a lantern is ideal for camping, but it also comes in handy during a black-out to help illuminate a room.

Headlights and neck lights (shaped like headphones but tipped with lights instead of speakers) are made for when you need your hands free. These are ideal for nighttime cycling and doing work in the dark.

A handheld searchlight tends to be more heavy-duty and is best suited to hiking and, as the name implies, searching in the dark. They’re generally a bit much for normal, everyday use, but are well-suited for emergencies and certain types of jobs where you need as bright a light as possible.

Although plastic is cheaper and lighter than aluminum, it breaks down a lot more easily over time. So if you want your flashlight to last, be sure to invest in one with an aluminum casing.

There are also titanium flashlights that are touted as a “high-end” product, but these tend to be impractical due to their heaviness.

While most flashlights have at least a little bit of water resistance, you can’t be sure exactly how well it will withstand getting splashed, dunked, or rained on unless it has an IPX rating.

An IPX4 rating means a flashlight is splash-resistant from all angles. Anything less than this indicates either no water resistance or only resistance from certain angles, which could mean that one unlucky splash could make your flashlight stop working.

If you live in an area that has a risk of flooding and want a flashlight for emergency purposes, you may want to consider an even higher rating, say IPX7, which means that the flashlight will be okay even if completely submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of about a yard.

IPX8 is the highest rating and is designed for deep diving. So, for example, if you want to start scuba diving as a hobby so you can scour the ocean floor, you’ll want a flashlight with this rating.

Though disposable batteries are the most common source of power for flashlights, alternative sources have been growing more popular in recent years and are definitely worth considering.

Flashlights that have rechargeable lithium batteries (or “rechargeable flashlights” for short) are a great long-term investment, particularly if you’ll be using it on a regular basis. These types of flashlights can usually be recharged simply by plugging into a wall or laptop via a USB cord.

These may have a higher price tag than one that uses disposable batteries, but they're far cheaper in the long run. After all, a typical pair of AA disposable batteries last 24 hours at most on a low brightness setting. With regular use, the cost of purchasing new batteries for your flashlight will only get higher and higher.

It’s also important for many to consider the environmental impact of rechargeable batteries versus disposable. Batteries are full of toxic chemicals and hazardous materials. 

Although newer batteries have less mercury content than they once did, it’s still not great for the environment to simply toss them in the trash. You still have to go through the trouble of recycling them once they’re used up.

Depending on where you live and the recycling services available, this can range from a minor inconvenience to a serious pain. A rechargeable battery means that you won’t have to go through the bother of recycling nearly as often as you would with disposable batteries.

Flashlights are invaluable in an emergency, such as black-outs and natural disasters. However, disposable batteries don't have a very long shelf life, so having an emergency flashlight that relies on them may not be the best solution.

Alkaline batteries have a tendency to leak toxic chemicals if left on a shelf too long. If you want to have a flashlight that uses disposable batteries for emergencies, you have to regularly use and restock your batteries so they won’t go bad before you need them. This can get very pricey down the line.

The best alternative is a flashlight that instead relies on a renewable source of energy, such as a hand crank or solar panel. Some flashlights are equipped with both! If the charge from the solar panel runs out, you can still use the hand crank as a backup. 

However, they do come with some drawbacks. Charging using a solar panel takes a long time. In some cases, up to 40 hours of daylight is needed. Unless it's sunny every day, all day, you may have to leave it charging on a windowsill or dashboard for a week or more! 

Hand cranking for one minute typically gets you anywhere from five to ten minutes of light, but it tends to be fairly dim. It's still useful in pitch-black darkness, but it may be impractical for general use.

Ultimately, the fact that you can have light without worrying about power outages or running out of batteries makes these styles of flashlights perfect for emergency preparedness.

If you're looking to stock up on other highly rated household necessities, we've got you covered!

Flashlights are an invaluable tool that can be designed and specialized for certain tasks. It's definitely worthwhile to invest in a sturdy, long-lasting flashlight made of quality materials. Plus, there are a variety of power options and brightness levels to suit anyone's preferences!

Whether you're stocking up on emergency supplies or just making sure you have a decent flashlight on hand, we hope this list has been helpful in finding what you're looking for!

Author: Katherine Combs

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