The best flashlights to get it done in the dark

There’s something comforting about toting a heavy, substantial flashlight with you when navigating in the dark. The Maglite ML50L is an excellent all-around pick for anyone looking to take home a reliable flashlight. It comes with five different types of light modes: low, high, strobe, eco, and momentary on, which can easily be toggled on and off with a single switch. Its textured grip ensures you can keep hold on it even when running or dealing with inclement weather. It can shine light in a focused beam, which can cut through the darkness even if you find yourself in an area where it’s too black to make out your hand in front of you. While its traditional flashlight form factor that Maglite is known for may not be appealing to some buyers, it’s substantial in the hand and will last for some time. That does make it a bit heavy for some emergency bags, but perfect for storing in the home for when needed.

This value-priced flashlight is more than just a cheap option for anyone looking to add a new piece of tech to their inventory. The Anker Bolder is a fantastic choice for anyone in terms of power and ability as well as price. Anker has done well to make the Bolder appropriate for a variety of situations, including long-term use. Its large rechargeable battery makes it an attractive buy, even for seldom usage. Its 18650 battery is an especially smart addition. The Bolder comes five adjustable light modes for different situations, whether you simply need a bit more light to navigate or find yourself in a dire situation that necessitates additional light or a flare mode. You can toggle between each with a simple switch. If you’re looking for one of the best rechargeable flashlights you can find right now, the Anker is a budget option that stands tall above the rest.

Lightning Ever’s LED Flashlight may be small in size, but it doesn’t hold back in the power department. At just 3.4 ounces, it still maintains 140 lumens on high, and that gives you about 150 meters of illumination. All that, and it’s perfectly light and portable, which makes it great to cart around wherever you might need to take it. It also boasts an IPX4 rating to ensure it remains intact even if it falls into water, so you’re good to go during storms, floods, or even mishaps out on bodies of water. Its adjustable zoom mode makes it an excellent choice for similar situations, and with its durable aluminum exterior, you can trust it’ll be intact in every situation. The beam extends up to a whopping 492 feet, which should come in handy if needing to signal or simply searching for someone. With its included wristlet, you can keep it on your person without having to reach into your bag as well.

The Olight S2 Baton is a hardy flashlight, durable at just three ounces. It’s also jam-packed with features, like a magnetized bottom. That makes it simple to stick to metal surfaces while performing mechanic work or even while working through difficult situations. That feature alone makes it a dependable work light. Its aluminum body is surprisingly light but durable, and can survive a variety of inclement conditions, including being submerged in water and being dropped from impressive heights. It’s able to illuminate up to an impressive 950 lumens as well, which means you should never be left wanting when looking to light up even larger areas. It’s a contender for one of the best tactical flashlights thanks to its enduring body and various features.

When it comes to selecting the flashlight that works best for you, it’s not always about picking the one with the most bells and whistles. The ThruNite Archer 2A V3 Cool White is a budget-friendly option that doesn’t break the bank, but remains a great buy with many of the features that you’ve come to expect from more expensive brands. For instance, it comes packing 500 lumens thanks to its CREE XP-L V6 LED light source. It’s powered by just two AA batteries and can stay pumping steady beams of light out up to 4 days at a time on its firefly mode and 11 hours on medium, with a drop to 75 lumens that can still shine through the night. That’s plenty of time for average users, and it could even help to weather users through blackouts or other emergency situations. Given that it uses AA batteries, it’s easy to keep alive as well, as you can keep a simple stockpile of batteries for when you might need the light most.

If you find yourself trekking through the inky black darkness, the Ledlenser i18R is one light that will always have your back. Not only is it incredibly, ridiculously bright at 3,000 lumens, you can actually change the strength of the beam it projects all your own. Thanks to its Advanced Focus System, you can change how the light is projected by twisting the dial on the flashlight’s stem. This reins the light in a bit, but gives you a wider area to work within. Though the aluminum flashlight does get hot with how bright the LEDs shine, however, it doesn’t get too uncomfortably hot. Plus, you get five hours of power thanks to the flashlight’s lengthy battery life. It’s rechargeable, so it’s appropriate for a variety of situations.

The NITECORE i4000R is a heavy-duty flashlight that you should pick up if you’re serious about getting a rugged, quality light. It’s a little large at 4.76 ounces and 6.26 inches, but it will carve through the darkness without a single issue. It boasts 4,400 lumens on its highest setting, which means objects are illuminated nearly 300 yards away. You can swap between five different modes, including a low-power mode that gives you battery-powered light for nearly 400 hours — a great option for stowing this light away and bringing it out only when needed, thanks to a hefty rechargeable battery. Swapping between modes is as simple as flipping a toggle switch on the end of the light. Its additional light options mean it can be used as more than just a traditional light source, which is something many of the lights we tested have in common. Overall, it’s a great option for anyone looking for long-lasting light and a form factor that’s easy to handle.

When it comes to choosing the best EDC flashlight, you should certainly consider the solar-powered Renology E. Lumen 500 Multi-Functional Flashlight. If you’re not someone who uses this type of equipment often, you’ll find that it does the trick with solar power to spare. The built-in solar powers on the side require around 30 hours of sunlight, which is easy to store up if you live in a sunny climate or leave the light outside for when you need it. If you don’t have a lot of sun handy, you can charge via regular USB as well instead to make sure it’s juiced up for when you need it. As the name implies, it comes packing a powerful 500 lumens to ensure you can see just about anywhere you need to. But it’s more than just a flashlight. It’s a useful outdoor adventure companion, too. It comes with a glass-breaking hammer, seatbelt cutter, and magnetic attachment to make sure you’re prepared for any emergency that comes your way. It also features 7 different lighting modes, including sidelights that strobe and blink to get the attention of passersby should you ever need it.

Some flashlights are more durable than others by far, and the Coast Polysteel 600R is as rugged as they come. For anyone who uses lights like this as a regular pillar of their work, this particular product can take out just about any type of abuse you can dish out at it. It’s drop proof, crush proof, and storm proof, thanks to its Polysteel construction. When it comes to its lighting features, it comes with Coast’s Dual Power system that lets the light run on either the included lithium-ion battery pack or regular batteries. If you opt to use the rechargeable battery pack, you also get access to a special charging port to charge via USB. That means you can power any devices you might need (like a phone) from the light itself. With high, medium, and low light options, you can effortlessly swap between modes with the Twist Focus system to rotate the flashlight head to change between spot and flood beams. At its highest, it puts out a powerful 530 lumens, which is more than enough to get you through just about any situation.

The Wurkkos FC11 is a reliable, rechargeable flashlight without mentioning its additional bells and whistles. But when you get into specifics, you begin seeing exactly why it’s such a great purchase. Its magnetic component lets you stick it anywhere you can attach to metal areas, and that means you have hands-free light. You can stick it up where you need it and work with up to 1,300 lumens of illuminating light and six modes, including a strobe. It’s also simple to charge, with a rechargeable USB C port that should go along with the rest of your devices, eliminating the need for using additional charging cables. Moreover, the entirety of the flashlight is lightweight, compact, and portable, which makes it ideal for throwing in any pack and going.