Flashlights Reviews

Flashlights span the range from simple, basic light sources to sophisticated high-tech gadgets -- with prices over an equally wide range -- making choosing a flashlight trickier than it used to be. Some LED flashlights are now bright enough to replace traditional incandescent flashlights, and the best flashlights even use microprocessors or voltage regulators to boost efficiency. Some flashlights let the owner adjust the light to different levels, and voltage regulators keep the light consistent, even while the batteries drain. At the other extreme, cheap LED flashlights use switches that can break early, as well as poor-quality LEDs that can produce inconsistent or just plain weird light.

Consumer Reports magazine hasn't yet tested flashlights. For a time, FlashlightReviews.com more than made up for this absence, however, with comparison charts and top-ranked flashlights based on objective tests. The comparison charts are especially helpful because they include quite a few well-known incandescent flashlights. This site also provides detailed single-product reviews, including photos showing the light beam at about three feet. However, the author announced that he has stopped updating the site as of June 2007. Thus, while what's there is still relatively up-to-date, that will change over time. Another flashlight-enthusiast site, CPFReviews.com, covers fewer brands and models, but otherwise does a similarly excellent job. Especially noteworthy is a useful rating of each flashlight's "bang for the buck."

These two sites, like several others we review, abound in technical data. Less formal owner-written reviews and ratings provide a good balance, often comparing the output of a specific LED flashlight to one of the well-known MagLite flashlights. Amazon.com not only provides the largest number of owner-written flashlight reviews, but also makes them easy to browse by showing each flashlight's average rating right on the list of models.

Not surprisingly, expert reviews warn that cheap LED flashlights use poor-quality LEDs. This means the beam may be off-center or a strange color, and the phosphor coating that makes the LED produce white light may wear off early. For a trip to the bathroom at night, it may not matter. For a travel or emergency flashlight, however, experts recommend a waterproof, shock-resistant flashlight built for durability.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

The price range among the flashlights most often top-ranked in reviews just shows how much flashlight selection depends on your purpose and situation. The Photon Micro-Light Freedom is the top pick for a keychain or pocket, the Electrilite hand-crank flashlight can charge a cell phone, and though relatively dim, the Stanley Tripod doubles as a work light. Among the more expensive LED flashlights, Fenix flashlights lead. Its combination of high light output and compact size makes the Fenix P2D-CE an especially good travel flashlight for a pocket, purse or glove compartment.

The Buzz

The solar BOGO (buy-one-give-one) flashlight (*est. $25 for one to keep, one to donate) is being completely redesigned to incorporate a microprocessor. A voltage booster will provide brighter light and boost charging on cloudy days. Users will also be able to switch from task lighting to a "room illumination light" without navigating any menus -- just by pushing a button. Batteries will be air-cooled to extend their life in hot climates, but the flashlights themselves have tighter weatherproofing. The overall mission stays the same: providing solar light to the people in the world who now have only kerosene lighting -- which is expensive for them and contributes to global warming. For news on the release of the new model, see the BOGO website.