# What is the best flashlight?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [June 17, 2017, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169 "2017-06-17T06:02:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/1 "2017-06-17T06:02:10Z")
So, what is a good flashlight that you would recommend? It should contain at least 6
rechargeable 18650 lithium batteries for good battery life, and not be too bright so that it lasts long. It also should be waterproofed and in a thick (5-20+mm) hardened metal case so that it is sturdy and does not break when dropped, of course it would also need interior shock insulation.
It should also be relatively lightweight, and weigh less than 1.2 kilograms. A perfect flashlight would be about 1 kilogram, and be bright enough to light up a medium house room better than a normal mains bulb and last for more than 8 hours at this output.
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### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/2 "2017-06-17T06:11:28Z")
If you want to light up a room you should look at a lantern instead of flashlight.
Maybe your should tell us exactly what you want to use this for. Waterproof? Hardened metal case?
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### Author:  [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/3 "2017-06-17T07:03:21Z")
Would you like a pony with that? You’re asking for a seriously monstrous light here.
“Not too bright” and “bright enough to light up a medium house room better than a normal mains bulb” are directly contradictory. The latter implies at least 1600 lumens or so (100w incandescent equivalent), which is going to require about 15 watts continuous, for a total energy requirement over 8 hours of 120Wh. At the 4.2V nominal of an 18650, thats 28,6000mAh. The very best 18650’s these days pack 3500mAh, so you’ll need a minimum of 8 of them, and more realistically a dozen or more. That will consume over half your weight budget before you even start milling out your hardened metal case.
Typical flashlights with very high lumen outputs also tend to be designed to throw very long beams. They have large reflectors intended to project their light output in a very focused fashion. This is the opposite of what you’d want to light up a room.
I’m struggling to find anything from a mainstream manufacturer that even approaches this. Fenix makes the LD75C, which packs 4x 18650 and claims an output of 1800 lumens for 3 hours (though note that testing methodology for runtimes means that it’s only putting out 180 lumens at the 3 hour mark. Still, a Fenix probably has pretty good regulation so it’ll put out the 1800 lumens for most of the 3 hours and then drop off a cliff most likely. For bonus points it’s only 430g sans batteries, so 6-700g loaded, but I’m sure its aluminum shell is only a couple mm thick and not the tank-like construction you’ve requested.
Frankly, for that level of light output you’re probably better off using a car battery to drive an inverter and power a standard 100w equivalent LED lightbulb.
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/4 "2017-06-17T07:05:10Z")
Yes, please specify what you want to do with it, and that will help. You’ve got some very exact requirements already, but let’s start a level up with “purpose” before we get down to battery type and so on.
What will you be doing with your light? Walking around when the lights are out inside a house? Walking around outside at night? Lighting a room when the power is out? Lighting a campsite?
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### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/5 "2017-06-17T07:11:45Z")
Hardware stores sell 12v incandescent light bulbs. They screw into standard lamps. A 12 v marine or car battery is all that’s needed. A marine battery is smaller and often has a plastic carrying case.
We were able to play cards and read comfortably during power failures.
I took the battery to work each morning and recharged it in my office.
It got us through a 4 day power failure.
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### Author:  [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/6 "2017-06-17T07:28:17Z")
It cannot be connected to a car battery since it needs to be portable enough to run around with. I would like to be able to use it to perhaps go camping in the forest hills, so that I can see easily and can still quickly leave an area if necessary.
A car battery is at least 20 kg, a decent inverter is about 10 kg, thick cables are about 5 kg, other bits and pieces are about another 10 kg…
Plus, why a car battery? Other than cost, a lead acid battery used for cars is much less efficient per kg than lithium batteries. Why not just buy a large lithium cell pack? They are expensive, but much lighter and more powerful…
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### Author:  [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/7 "2017-06-17T07:36:13Z")
If that’s what you want to do with it, just go get an LED lantern. They’ll last days or weeks on a charge, and are more than bright enough for your needs.
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### Author:  [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/8 "2017-06-17T08:00:12Z")
The best flashlight is the one you have with you in the dark. The flashlights you don’t have in the dark are useless.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/9 "2017-06-17T08:07:03Z")
I’m not sure this meets ALL your requirements, but it’s a pretty nifty gadget to have around for camping and emergency use.
> **[Amazon.com: Coleman 2000024041 Quad LED Lantern Special Edition Ultra Bright 190...](https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Lantern-Special-Bright-Lumens/dp/B001TS71NG)**
>
> Product Description Take the convenience of four lights in one with you with the Coleman Quad LED Lantern. Together the lantern shines 190 ultra-bright lumens for up to 75 hours. During an emergency, pop one of the four lights off the base...
It’s 4 flashlights in one. Each of the 4 can be detached, so it can work as a general room light or a smaller area light. When the small light is remounted, it gets recharged from the main battery bank.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/10 "2017-06-17T13:29:22Z")
The OP has ridiculous and contradictory requirements. That said, [this](http://www.ebay.com/itm/8000LM-SKYRAY-3x-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-3-Modes-LED-Flashlight-4-x18650-Torch-Lamp-/162526356494?hash=item25d753640e:g:N0UAAOSwn-tZJEGN) is my favorite flashlight. It is as bright as a car headlight, and with good batteries will run for many hours at full brightness.
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### Author:  [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/11 "2017-06-17T14:15:57Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> I’m not sure this meets ALL your requirements, but it’s a pretty nifty gadget to have around for camping and emergency use.
>
> [Amazon.com: Coleman 2000024041 Quad LED Lantern Special Edition Ultra Bright 190 Lumens, Red : Sports & Outdoors](https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Quad-TM-LED-Lantern/dp/B001TS71NG/ref=sr_1_1?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1497686496&sr=1-1&refinements=p_89%3AColeman%2Cp_n_feature_keywords_three_browse-bin%3A6034773011)
>
> It’s 4 flashlights in one. Each of the 4 can be detached, so it can work as a general room light or a smaller area light. When the small light is remounted, it gets recharged from the main battery bank.
It looks gimmicky. The low price also sugof that…
For a better description, a Acebeam x45 but with 12+ 18650 batteries instead of 4 would be excellent. So basically all I need is a very very bright, preferably waterproof + thick metal walled torch with a decent amount of batteries.
> [@beowulff](#):
>
> The OP has ridiculous and contradictory requirements. That said, [this](http://www.ebay.com/itm/8000LM-SKYRAY-3x-CREE-XM-L-T6-LED-3-Modes-LED-Flashlight-4-x18650-Torch-Lamp-/162526356494?hash=item25d753640e:g:N0UAAOSwn-tZJEGN) is my favorite flashlight. It is as bright as a car headlight, and with good batteries will run for many hours at full brightness.
How long does it last exactly? It sounds nice, but I don’t think just 4 batteries will be enough. Do they sell versions with 8 or more batteries?
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### Author:  [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/12 "2017-06-17T14:45:45Z")
I’m going to completely ignore most of the OP’s criteria, since some of them seem a little optimistic, and suggest a J5 Tactical V1-Pro flashlight. They can be had for less than $14.
While they use a standard AA battery, they also work just fine on any type of rechargeable. They are extremely tough, small for their light output, and have several nice features. As someone else pointed out, the flashlight you need is the one you have with you. This will fit into any pocket and you can buy three or four for the cost of many larger flashlights. These are in every vehicle and every go-bag I have.
If the OP truly DOES need room-filling or tent-filling light, then I agree that an LED lantern would be a better option.
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### Author:  [@dude\_robert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dude_robert)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/13 "2017-06-17T15:39:50Z")
> [@ZonexandScout](#):
>
> I’m going to completely ignore most of the OP’s criteria, since some of them seem a little optimistic, and suggest a J5 Tactical V1-Pro flashlight. They can be had for less than $14.
>
> While they use a standard AA battery, they also work just fine on any type of rechargeable. They are extremely tough, small for their light output, and have several nice features. As someone else pointed out, the flashlight you need is the one you have with you. This will fit into any pocket and you can buy three or four for the cost of many larger flashlights. These are in every vehicle and every go-bag I have.
>
> If the OP truly DOES need room-filling or tent-filling light, then I agree that an LED lantern would be a better option.
What about the [Fenix TK76 flashlight](https://www.liteshop.com.au/content/fenix-tk76-multi-beam-2800-lumen-triple-xm-l2-led-torch)? It has a great strange shape that promises I would only expect to see in the movies, yet there it is! Wow! It also comes from the future, which is a little disappointing considering this is not the best flashlight around, even in present times. Perhaps this is what $10 budget torches will look like in “the future…”
Although it is ‘only’ 2800 lumens, thankfully the light being projected is actually travelling from the future, causing it to be very easy to notice since it strays from the traditional circular shaped bezel, however I am somewhat worried; what if it strayed too far one misty night and was lost and never seen again? How would I make it back alive from the darkened woods without the aid from my time-travelling lantern? I would surely be domed…
On a more serious note, it does only contain 4 18650 batteries, despite the disorganized website listing as both in the 12-cell 18650 category AND the 8-cell category as well as the rightful category of 4 cells. However, it promises to last for 66 hours on 20 lumens which is good enough for reading, I guess?
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### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/14 "2017-06-17T17:20:39Z")
Read some recommendations about camping lighting, for example:
> **[How to Choose a Camp Lantern | Backcountry.com](https://www.backcountry.com/explore/how-to-choose-a-camp-lantern)**
>
> Spending nights outdoors can be magical and mysterious, but the dark makes it dangerous, if you can't see where you're going. Gearhead Ben Rabinowitz describes the different types of lanterns and how...
You could well end up getting all of headlamps, flashlights and lanterns–each used in different situations.
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### Author:  [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/15 "2017-06-17T18:14:10Z")
> [@dude\_robert](#):
>
> What about the [Fenix TK76 flashlight](https://www.liteshop.com.au/content/fenix-tk76-multi-beam-2800-lumen-triple-xm-l2-led-torch)? It has a great strange shape that promises I would only expect to see in the movies, yet there it is! Wow! It also comes from the future, which is a little disappointing considering this is not the best flashlight around, even in present times. Perhaps this is what $10 budget torches will look like in “the future…”
>
> Although it is ‘only’ 2800 lumens, thankfully the light being projected is actually travelling from the future, causing it to be very easy to notice since it strays from the traditional circular shaped bezel, however I am somewhat worried; what if it strayed too far one misty night and was lost and never seen again? How would I make it back alive from the darkened woods without the aid from my time-travelling lantern? I would surely be domed…
>
> On a more serious note, it does only contain 4 18650 batteries, despite the disorganized website listing as both in the 12-cell 18650 category AND the 8-cell category as well as the rightful category of 4 cells. However, it promises to last for 66 hours on 20 lumens which is good enough for reading, I guess?
I’ve seen those! Turning them on usually takes me back to the 50s…well, maybe at least the early 60s.
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### Author:  [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/16 "2017-06-17T18:26:37Z")
**dude** , virtually no one makes anything packing more than 4 18650s, because nobody wants to pack around such a ginormous flashlight.
Some background. Lumens in terms of power required function in a linear fashion - twice the lumens requires twice the electrical energy. However, from a subjective brightness point of view, lumens scale in a exponential fashion. You need something like 5-8x the lumens to get 2x the subjective brightness. So your Fenix TK76 at 2800 lumens is subjectively only about 4-5x as bright as a 50 lumen light. Incidentally, that’s 2800 lumens in “turbo” mode, which generally means it only outputs that for a few minutes before ramping output down to something close to its “high” mode so that it doesn’t start melting its electronics.\*
The confusion you have over the battery capacity comes from the fact that it accepts both Li-ion 18650’s and Li CR123A’s (which are half the length and hence twice as many fit.) Well, sort of. The documentation is legitimately confusing. The glossy brochure says it takes 4x 18650 or 8x CR123A, but the manual says that you can’t use CR123A (presumably because you get double the voltage from them because they are inserted in a series configuration, and if your circuitry isn’t designed for that the magic smoke will be released. However, it apparently will also run with just two of the four battery chambers filled, so you can if necessary run on just 2x 18650, and perhaps in this configuration you can put 4x CR123A in? Not sure, depends on how the battery carrier is configured in terms of the cells being in series vs being in parallel. Anyways, to confuse things even further, on top of that there’s an optional “extended runtime” accessory that doubles the handle length and moves it up to an 8x 18650 capacity. That accessory is actually from the TK75 model, and the TK75 manual says you can use a full pack of CR123As, which does nothing to reduce my confusion about the battery situation. Anyways, that’s a monstrous light. Note that it’s about a kilo w/ batteries, and probably about 1.5 kilos with the extra battery kit. But wait, there’s even more! Apparently the extended handle kits can stack, as the extra battery carriers are just stacked in parallel, so you could screw three of them onto the end of your light for 16x 18650 capacity and have it double as a walking stick! (Seriously, just run it with 4x 18650 and carry spare cells if you want extra runtime.)
It’s also important to understand that you don’t see lumens per se. You see lux. Lumen output is a measure of how many photons in total are emitted by a light. What your eyes actually see is the number of photons reflected by a given surface. Focus 100 lumens on a small area and it will be dazzlingly bright, where 1600 lumens with no focus at all will be, well, exactly like a 100w incandescent bulb. Your TK76 there has three LEDs of approximately 900 lumen output, but each will behave very differently. One is a 120 degree flood, the second a 60 degree flood, and the third an extremely focused spotlight. The light only outputs 2800 lumens with all three lit, so you’d have a fairly soft diffuse light cast on pretty much everything in front of you, a noticeably brighter but still not dazzling cone in the center of that, and a blinding spot directly in front of you.
For reference, ye old school 2-D cell Ray-O-Vac puts out about 30 lumens. My own “best flashlight” is a single-18650 light with a regular mode of about 30 lumens and a brighter mode in the 300 lumen range (and a lower 1-5 lumen mode is nice as well). 30 lumens is nice for most close illumination needs, while 300 will light things nicely at a moderate distance. 300 lumens at close range is actually uncomfortably bright. A single 18650 cell will sustain a 300 lumen output for a couple hours, and a 30 lumen output all day and then some.
Finally, if you really want informed flashlight advice I’d recommend asking on [candlepowerforums.com](http://candlepowerforums.com) or [budgetlightforum.com](http://budgetlightforum.com), though in both cases I think you’d likely be assumed to be trolling if you started a thread with your original post here.
\*Checked a review of this light and apparently (and unusually) it doesn’t step down the turbo output, but the guy couldn’t hold on to the light after about 20 minutes because it became too hot to touch. Perhaps doubles as an emergency cookstove?
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/17 "2017-06-17T20:02:17Z")
I like hand crank powered flashlights.
No batteries to go bad, many models solar rechargeable, & some come with radios & cellphone chargers.
Aslo straight up solar chargers.
> **[Amazon.com: Emergency Hand Crank Radio with 3 LED Flashlight, Esky AM/FM/NOAA...](https://www.amazon.com/Esky-Weather-Powered-Emergency-Flashlight/dp/B01GRJZ1LK)**
>
> Amazon.com: Emergency Hand Crank Radio with 3 LED Flashlight, Esky AM/FM/NOAA Portable Weather Radio with 2000mAh Power Bank Phone Charger, Solar Powered USB Charged Radio for Indoor Outdoor Camping, SOS Alarm : Electronics
> **[PrimalCamp Hand Crank Solar Powered Rechargeable LED Flashlight: Survival Gear...](https://www.amazon.com/PrimalCamp-Crank-Powered-Rechargeable-Flashlight/dp/B01GCT9VIO)**
>
> PrimalCamp Hand Crank Solar Powered Rechargeable LED Flashlight: Survival Gear Self Powered Charging Torch & Dynamo - Best for Fishing Boating Hiking Backpack Camping Safety Weather Emergency Pack - - Amazon.com
> **[Emergency Hand Crank Radio with 3 LED Flashlight, Esky AM/FM/NOAA Portable...](https://www.amazon.com/Upgraded-Esky-Portable-Emergency-Flashlight/dp/B018I4BPNU)**
>
> Buy Emergency Hand Crank Radio with 3 LED Flashlight, Esky AM/FM/NOAA Portable Weather Radio with 2000mAh Power Bank Phone Charger, Solar Powered USB Charged Radio for Indoor Outdoor Camping, SOS Alarm at Amazon. Customer reviews and photos may be...
> **[Amazon.com: Eton American Red Cross Crank-Powered Clipray Clip-On...](https://www.amazon.com/Eton-ARCCR100R_SNG-Crank-Powered-Clip-Flashlight/dp/B003BYROUQ)**
>
> Amazon.com: Eton American Red Cross Crank-Powered Clipray Clip-On Flashlight & Smartphone Charger, Red : Cell Phones & Accessories
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### Author:  [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/18 "2017-06-17T20:09:15Z")
Not really up to the specifics of your requirement but, if you want something that can use rechargeable AA batteries and 18560’s. Get a pack of CREE Ultrafire tactical flashlights, small, L.E.D. blindingly bright, nice and dim setting too (3 modes), zoomable lens, they are waterproof, impact proof, lightweight and small. Even ebay knockoff versions are pretty good quality, and I own both types.
[ ](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F41PZTn6L1gL.jpg&f=1)
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/19 "2017-06-17T20:13:33Z")
Has anyone else seen that flashlight they keep advertising on late-night TV? Brightest ever, can be run over, boiled, encased in ice, nothing hurts it? That might be good.
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### Author:  [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)
#### Post date: [June 17, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-best-flashlight/789169/20 "2017-06-17T20:16:58Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#):
>
> Has anyone else seen that flashlight they keep advertising on late-night TV? Brightest ever, can be run over, boiled, encased in ice, nothing hurts it? That might be good.
Garbage flash light, no worth the price, not solidly built. Very Dollar-Store feeling quality.
Get those CREE ones I mentioned above if all else fails in your pursuit, they are fantastics, and they can be run over as well. =)
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