Choosing The Best LED Tactical Flashlight For You

We have listed some key points to help you decide which model of LED tactical flashlight will best suit your needs. We’re also here to help if you have any further questions following your reading. 

Different Types Of Flashlights To Consider

Choosing A Battery Type

One of the key factors that makes a great tactical flashlight is having the most versatile range of applications possible so you can truly be prepared for any situation you may encounter.

That means that depending on your intended use(s), you will want to consider what battery type will best suit your application. Tactical flashlights will generally come in two options: lithium-ion batteries and/or alkaline batteries.

The first, and most popular for many lights, is a (or many) rechargeable lithium-ion battery(ies). Li-ion batteries are the go-to option for many customers because of their ease of use, low weight and high output levels, which are all key performance factors for a LED tactical flashlight. You will find that many of the rechargeable lights on our website can simply be charged via a USB outlet, so you won’t require a separate battery charger for your batteries. 

Li-ion batteries are great, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best choice for every situation. Why? Because when you’re planning on spending extended periods in the wilderness away from reliable power sources, you may not be able to recharge your light as often as you need, especially if you’ll be using your light on the higher modes, which will drain a battery much faster. 

For that reason, some customers prefer traditional single-use alkaline batteries. Single-use batteries have the benefit of portability and they have an extraordinarily long shelf life, so you can just carry around a few spare cells and be confident that you’ll have the power you need when you need it. 

Happily, many tactical lights in our store are compatible with both battery types, which increases their functionality. It really all comes down to how you intend to use the light, so make sure the light you choose is compatible with the battery type you prefer. 

Why LED bulbs?

While there are flashlights with other bulb types on the market (halogen, incandescent etc.), choosing to use a LED bulb comes with some distinct advantages. 

LEDs are incredibly long-lasting and many of our lights use CREE LEDs which have a lifespan to up to 50,000 hours. That’s almost 6 years of continuous use, which means under normal use of a few hours a day, your LEDs could last for decades.  

LEDs are so strong that in some cases they’re virtually indestructible, which is important for a tactical light because you don’t have to worry about breaking a bulb under heavy use or if you happen to drop your flashlight on the ground. 

Ask Yourself: Why Do You Need A Tactical LED Flashlight?

A flashlight is a versatile tool and an important one to have in just about any emergency situation.

When you’re trying to find the right torch for your intended use, ask yourself what features you’d like to have in your ideal light. 

If you’re buying a flashlight for emergency situations like power outages or night-time vehicle breakdowns, you’ll want to consider the battery life and run time of your flashlight, as well as what levels of brightness can be maintained for extended periods of time. 

If self-defense is your top priority, you’ll want to consider flashlights with powerful peak outputs to blind would-be assailants, as well as lighting modes like one-touch turbo and strobe, which allow a user to always be one click away from quickly disorienting the attacker.

How Bright Does Your Flashlight Need To Be?

Peak brightness, or maximum output, is a key feature of a LED tactical flashlight, which is commonly measured in “lumens.”

There is a pretty complex explanation behind how a lumen is measured, but rather than get into that, let’s look at some of the common lumen outputs we recommend for different applications. 

Know that regardless of which application below you’ve got in mind, most of the tac lights in our store will include multiple output modes that allow them to serve each purpose below equally well. That way, you can really “have it all” with a single high-quality torch. 

Household Emergency Use

When the power goes out, we need a flashlight that is both bright and long-lasting, as outages can stretch on for hours…or even days at a time. 

For a typical household flashlight, like the one you might keep beside your bed or in a kitchen drawer, 10 lumens and a decent reflector should be more than enough to see and move around in the dark. Not to say that lower outputs like the one we mentioned will last for hours, and even days in some cases. Always make sure a low output mode is available on any light you choose for household use. 

Outdoor Use

If you’re interested in buying a torch for outdoor use, you’re going to need more power than a simple household light will provide.

If you’re hiking in the dark or setting up camp after dark, you’ll want a flashlight that can produce at least 50-100 lumens. Not enough? We surely have something that will fit your needs better as most of the lights you’ll find on our website can reach 50-100 lumens on their medium mode, meaning there’s 2-3 modes above it (depending on the model). 

Self-Defense Use

When it comes to self-defense, brighter is better. Most law-enforcement officials will carry a light that is around 100 lumens minimum for the purposes of disorienting a potential threat, but 100 lumens are just the tip of the iceberg of what a high-quality LED tactical flashlight can provide.

Many of the lights on our website feature “turbo” and “strobe” modes for self-defense purposes, which give users quick access to their brightest modes to use in critical situations. These lights will often feature 500 lumens or more and many of our premium-quality lights pack a full 1000+ lumens output that will blind and disorient even the most determined attacker.  

What Size Flashlight Best Suits Your Needs?

When it comes to the size of your LED tactical flashlight, there are a few factors to take into consideration. 

A lot of customers intend to use their light as an “everyday carry” (EDC) tool. If that’s your case, you surely want a flashlight that can be discreetly carried on your body and you’ll want to be mindful of both the length and width of your light to ensure it can either be carried in a pocket or on a vest without being too cumbersome (pocket friendly flashlights for the win). Many of our LED tactical flashlights will also include a sturdy metal clip for EDC simplicity, another feature to keep in mind when making your selection. 

Larger flashlights can of course be carried on your body using a holster, which is often include with your purchase. Just be aware of the external measurements of any light you choose because even the most powerful, feature-rich lights on the market won’t do you much good if they’re inconvenient to tote around in the places you’ll need them. 

Not sure which tactical flashlight is the best for you? Check out our 2021 list for the top 10 tactical flashlights in our store!