Flashlight Information

If you already have a MagLite incandescent flashlight, you can upgrade it to an LED flashlight with a MagLite or third-party kit.

Experts say that for home power outages as well as camping and workshop use, headlamps are actually more useful than flashlights. Most of the reviews listed on our All Reviews page also cover headlamps. Not surprisingly, LED headlamps are taking the lead.

For disaster preparation and power outages, experts recommend a hand-crank radio so you can keep up to date with weather reports and other news. Quite a few include flashlights and cell-phone chargers. We cover these in a separate report on weather radios.

For a tiny backpacking light, reviews recommend the Pak-Lite LED %%price%%, which snaps a microchip plus two LEDs onto an alkaline 9-volt battery. It provides two light levels, the higher of which is described in one review as "about as much light as a candle" -- but with 75 hours of runtime. Using a 9-volt lithium-ion battery extends the runtime to 200 hours at brightest level, 1,200 on low.

Tactical flashlights

Most super-bright flashlights are also called tactical flashlights -- the type used by police, fire fighters and hunters. You could just use a 4D or 6D MagLite %%price%%, but these are heavy to carry, use incandescent bulbs that can break, and only output light at one super-bright level. The best tactical flashlights are not only waterproof and brighter, but they also let you control the light at three to six levels, since too bright a light can be as bad as too little. Also, though one set of batteries can only run such a flashlight at maximum brightness for about an hour, you'll still have some usable light for a long time afterward.

Because they're so bright (on high mode), and many can throw light a long distance, tactical flashlights are good for all kinds of emergency situations. Often they include a strobe light to alert rescuers. Popular Mechanics editors warn that it's unwise to rely solely on a tactical flashlight to disable a human assailant, since the blindness may only last a few seconds. Many of the reviews listed on our All Reviews page cover a number of flashlights that are this bright. Also, Popular Mechanics tests and compares tactical flashlights in a 2003 review.

For emergency and self-defense use, Surefire tactical flashlights are top-ranked in more reviews than any others. Among LED flashlights this bright, reviews especially recommend the Surefire G2L %%price%% and Surefire E2L Outdoorsman %%price%%. The Surefire A2 Aviator %%price%% is a hybrid flashlight, so you can use either the super-bright incandescent bulb for long bright light or the LED lights for closeup tasks.

Fenix is another top-ranked brand that makes some tactical flashlights, identified by the T in their model name. The NovaTac EDC 120P (*est. $190) is highly programmable, and the Peak Mediterranean (*est. $110) and Regalight WT1 (*est. $90) also fare well in reviews.

Not all super-bright flashlights use LED technology. For extremely bright, high-intensity-discharge (HID) flashlights that cast a long, wide beam, you can find reviews current as of Jan. 2006 on this blog. The comparison photos make it easy to see exactly how each flashlight performs at various distances. There are separate sections for 24-watt, 35-watt and 50-watt flashlights.

Flashlight Recalls

In July 2007, Sportsman's Warehouse recalled Xenon Aluminum Flashlights (*est. $30 to $40) sold at their stores earlier, because they came with batteries Panasonic had discovered to be counterfeit and hazardous. In April 2007, some Little Tikes animal-shaped flashlights sold at Target were recalled, because the paint contained lead. In Jan. 2004, Browning recalled its CR123A lithium-ion batteries (sold with its Black Ice flashlights), because they could short out and rupture. Though few flashlights have been recalled in the last few years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommends registering flashlights with the manufacturer whenever possible for prompt notification of any problems.

To keep up with the latest flashlight news, check Flashlight News.org.

Quite a few flashlights shown at the 2007 Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) show are briefly described at Equipped.org.

Optics Planet provides a flashlight buyer's guide that has enough detail without information overload.

Though it's no longer being updated, FlashlightReviews.com has a useful Flashlight Buyer's Guide that's current as of June 2007.

Wikipedia has an excellent article explaining flashlights, with links to interesting information on some of the major companies that make them.

Quite a few flashlight review sites recommend the same two forums. You can search for other people's comments on a specific flashlight, or post a question here:

Candlepower Forums

Flashlight Forums