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Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The Best Flashlights of 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

Why trust Reviewed?

Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

Learn more about our product testing
Editor's Choice Product image of Olight Baton 3 Premium Edition
Best Overall

Olight Baton 3 Premium Edition

Check Price at Olight

The Olight Baton 3 is the perfect gift for techies and EDC enthusiasts alike. The charging case can give you days of power and the flashlight itself is sleek and easy to use. Read More

Pros

  • Charging case
  • Magnetic bottom
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Can get too hot
Editor's Choice Product image of Anker Bolder LC40
Best Value

Anker Bolder LC40

Check Price at Amazon

The Anker Bolder LC40 is designed for multiple emergency scenarios, and its battery is rechargeable, making it more powerful and longer-lasting. Read More

Pros

  • Doubles as a striking tool
  • Rechargeable battery

Cons

  • Bulky
Product image of Fenix PD35 TAC

Fenix PD35 TAC

Currently
Unavailable

Fenix’s TAC light is bright, adjustable through a variety of modes, highly portable, and looks and feels great. However, the bulb does get hot. Read More

Pros

  • Powerful
  • Adjustable

Cons

  • Bulb heats up
Product image of Maglite XL50

Maglite XL50

Check Price at Amazon

We found the XL50 to be awkwardly sized. Not quite small, but also bigger than most pocket flashlights. It's bulb was fairly weak too. Read More

Pros

  • Feels hefty

Cons

  • Awkwardly sized
  • Could be brighter
  • Requires three AAA batteries
Product image of Fenix E12

Fenix E12

Check Price at Amazon

Fenix's blunt yet sturdy flashlight fits perfectly in a pocket and stands up to the elements. We think the 130-lumen bulb is on the weak side, though. Read More

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Durable, hard-anodized aluminum
  • Waterproof up to 6.5 feet

Cons

  • Light bulb is weak
  • No clip for belt loops
  • Best Overall Olight Baton 3 Premium Edition
  • Best Value Anker Bolder LC40
  • Fenix PD35 TAC
  • Maglite XL50
  • Fenix E12
  • Streamlight Stylus Pro 360
  • ThruNite Ti3
  • RovyVon Aurora A1
  • Slughaus Bull3t
  • LRI Photon Freedom Micro
  • What You Should Know About Flashlights
  • Batteries
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

One modern miracle that we take for granted is light on demand. Everywhere we go, there are headlights, streetlights, and overhead lights to illuminate the world around us—until there isn't. Sudden, unexpected darkness can be caused by a factor as mundane as a blown-out lightbulb or as severe as a power outage caused by a natural disaster. When you least expect it, you'll need a flashlight.

With the advent of mobile phones, we don't think much about everyday-carry (EDC) flashlights—like our favorite, the Olight Baton 3 (available at Olight) —these days, but there are plenty of scenarios where you'll want to save your phone’s battery life for something else. In Reviewed’s lab, we spent the better part of a month researching and testing the best flashlights on the market, from keychain to penlights and more. Our process focused on luminance, durability, and ease of use to determine which flashlights would best serve the most people.

Editor's Note:

The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.

The Olight Baton 3 on a table
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

The Olight Baton 3 is great for techies and EDC enthusiasts alike.

Best Overall
Olight Baton 3 Premium Edition

Light facts: Made in China, Uses 1 16340 battery, 1,200 lumens, Turbo/High/Medium/Low/Moon/Strobe settings, IPX8 certified

Of all the flashlights we found for this guide, the Olight Baton 3 is the biggest crowd pleaser. Whether you’re looking to buy for a techie, a camper, or just need a flashlight on the go, the Baton 3 has features that make it a perfect fit. We like the premium edition, which comes with a wireless charging case, and it made all the difference in the world.

First off, one of the issues we have with a lot of EDC gear is that it looks way too aggressive. For this Olight, the case that comes with the premium edition is very stylish. It looks understated, like any other wireless charging case. More importantly, it is functional, holding up to 3.7 times the charge of the Baton 3’s 16340 battery, meaning on the medium setting it can run 27 hours total. The case itself charges via a USB port on the lower side.

The flashlight itself is well designed. It’s about 2.5 inches long, so it fits comfortably in your pocket or clipped to your belt. The back of the body is textured making it easy to grip with wet or gloves hands.

During the light testing, the Baton 3 performed well. The TIR optic lens ensures that there’s no cool or dead spots in the light the Baton 3 throws.

The Baton 3 might give you a little trouble when trying to find it on the ground and the small body limits the number of ways you can grip it. However, the Baton 3 stuck to the top tier by being magnetic. The strong magnet allows users to stick it to car hoods, metal pegboards, and a fridge or two.

Overall, the Baton 3 gets the top spot because it works both as a stocking stuffer or as a serious EDC tool.

Pros

  • Charging case

  • Magnetic bottom

  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Can get too hot

Buy now at Olight
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan
Best Value
Anker Bolder LC40

Light Facts: Made in China, comes with a 18650 battery, 400 lumens, rechargeable.

Whether it sits in the glove compartment or on a shelf in the garage, the Anker Bolder LC40 offers superior value. You'll be hard-pressed to find a flashlight that covers as many bases for the money.

Anker has designed the Bolder to handle a wide variety of situations. The scalloped bezel allows you to strike with this flashlight without risking the bulb. This can be used for self-defense or getting out of a sinking vehicle.

What sets the Bolder apart from the rest is the rechargeable 18650 battery (with USB cable) that's included. Normally at the sub-$20 price point, you're dealing with AA and AAA batteries. A 18650 battery offers more power and longer uptime.

Pros

  • Doubles as a striking tool

  • Rechargeable battery

Cons

  • Bulky

Buy now at Amazon

$29.99 from Walmart
Product image of Fenix PD35 TAC
Fenix PD35 TAC

Light facts: Made in China, 1000 lumens, Turbo/High/Medium/Low/Strobe modes, comes with two CR123A batteries

The Fenix PD35 TAC is a favorite among outdoor enthusiasts for its rugged exterior and high water resistance at a depth of two meters for 30 minutes. It’s also one of the more versatile models that we tested. It has holes for a lanyard on the back, as well as an adjustable clip.

The PD35, has a good feel in the hand. However, after prolonged usage, the flashlight gets really hot, so if you’re going to use it for more than 10 minutes, keep it off the Tubro and High settings.

Pros

  • Powerful

  • Adjustable

Cons

  • Bulb heats up

Product image of Maglite XL50
Maglite XL50

Light facts: Made in the United States, 139 lumens, uses 3 AAA batteries, High/Low/Strobe modes

We've all heard of Maglite, and the XL50 does the storied brand proud. When you first pick it up, you'll notice the heft. This American-made flashlight feels solid in our grip.

The reason the XL50 isn't one of our top picks is because of its fence sitting. Its 5-inch length makes it one of the larger flashlights in our EDC roundup.

However, its brightness does not match its size—in that it doesn’t create an effective level of light given how much space it takes up. Additionally, it uses AAA batteries for power, but it needs three of them to operate. As an in-the-drawer flashlight, the XL50 is a solid American choice, but it's design does not lend itself to being carried in your pocket. Also, it’s lightly textured grip made it difficult to grip during wet weather conditions.

Pros

  • Feels hefty

Cons

  • Awkwardly sized

  • Could be brighter

  • Requires three AAA batteries

$27.01 from Amazon

$43.99 from Walmart
Product image of Fenix E12
Fenix E12

Light facts: Made in China, 130 lumens, knurled body, pocket friendly

As far as pocket flashlights go, the Fenix E12 is a competent competitor. We find its 130-lumen bulb to be weak, and the lack of a pocket clip annoying. However, the sub-$30 price is hard to beat.

Pros

  • Affordable

  • Durable, hard-anodized aluminum

  • Waterproof up to 6.5 feet

Cons

  • Light bulb is weak

  • No clip for belt loops

Buy now at Amazon

The Fenix E12’s knurled body is made from hard-anodized aluminum, a durable material that can survive in water down to a depth of 6.5 feet.

When you combine these two specs, you get a flashlight that's perfect to keep in your pack while camping.

Product image of Streamlight Stylus Pro 360 66218
Streamlight Stylus Pro 360

Light facts: Made in China, 90 lumens, uses 2 AAA batteries, has a lantern mode

The Streamlight Stylus Pro 360° has proven itself to be the strangest of all the flashlights we found. Its design contains elements from a lantern, a flashlight, and a signal light. If you pull on the front end, you'll reveal the built-in lantern attachment. It basically creates a small circle of even light that's ideal for signaling people behind you, as well as momentary reading.

There is an important limitation with the Stylus Pro–it's easy to turn on for a moment, but hard to switch it to continuous mode. It is impossible to get the Stylus to stay on using just a thumb; during testing, we needed to switch to either our index finger or other hand.

We recommend getting the Stylus Pro 360° if you do outdoor inspectional work, where a quick spotlight is often needed. We don’t recommend using one for an extended period of time.

Pros

  • Built-in lantern attachment

  • Creates perfect circle of light

Cons

  • Difficult to keep light on

$27.26 from Amazon

$27.24 from Walmart
Product image of ThruNite Ti3
ThruNite Ti3

Light facts: Made in China, 130 lumens, good for keychains, uses 1 AAA battery

Of all the flashlights we tested, the Thrunite Ti3 is only one of two flashlights small enough to mount on a keychain. And, it is the only one that uses a twist method to operate.

Honestly, the twist method causes a bit of frustration during use. You have to twist left to turn on, but twist right then left again to switch between low-light and strobe modes. However, for all its quirks, the 21-gram Ti3 delivers the most amount of light for the least amount of weight.

Pros

  • Small

  • Mountable on a keychain

Cons

  • Confusing twist mechanism

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of RovyVon Aurora A1
RovyVon Aurora A1

Light facts: Made in China, 650 lumens, good for keychains, built-in battery

The RovyVon A1 650 is a rechargeable keychain flashlight. Measuring only two inches in length, the A1 makes a solid choice for an EDC tool.

This little flashlight surprises us with its 650-lumen output, more than enough to illuminate the inside of a car or under a couch. The A1 is also water-resistant; with the ability to be dunked in water several times, and continuing to work.

While we like the A1, the fact that you can’t replace the battery keeps it from breaking into our top ranks.

Pros

  • Compact

  • Recharable

Cons

  • Battery cannot be replaced

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Slughaus Bull3t
Slughaus Bull3t

Light facts: Made in China, 100 lumens, good for keychains, runs on three LR44 batteries

The Slughaus Bull3t has an eye-catching design and is one of the most powerful micro flashlights.

After using it, we think it’s more of a geeky gift than a tactical one. When it’s wet, the Bull3t is difficult to grip and hard to operate when you are wearing thick gloves.

However, it has a coolness factor, with cases made of gunmetal aluminum, black aluminum, and titanium. The Bull3t is durable and bright, it just does not have the utility that we’re looking for in an EDC flashlight.

Pros

  • Durable

  • Compact

Cons

  • Hard to grip

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of LRI Photon Freedom Micro
LRI Photon Freedom Micro

Light facts: Made in the United States, ~12 lumens, uses CR2016 batteries, keychain ready

Ready to be placed on a keychain or lanyard right out of the box, the LRI Photon Freedom Micro is the most mobile of the flashlights in our roundup.

While it is the weakest of the flashlights we found—barely able to make a faint circle on a wall at 21 feet—the Freedom Micro charms us with its lightweight design. Easily found for under $20, it makes for a good stocking stuffer, when you’re in a jam.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Portable

Cons

  • Weak beam

$13.37 from Amazon

$13.37 from Walmart

What You Should Know About Flashlights

Portable flashlights use a variety of different batteries, including CR123A, AAA, AA, and 18650 types.
Credit: Reviewed / Jonathan Chan

Portable flashlights use a variety of different batteries, including CR123A, AAA, AA, and 18650 types.

Batteries

CR123A: Also known simply as 123's, CR123A's are a mainstay of devices that require more power. They are more expensive than store-bought AA batteries, but are typically more powerful. They also work better in freezing-cold temperatures.

18650: In the past, only laptops contained 18650 batteries, but today, many powerful flashlights enjoy the extra juice from a rechargeable battery. If you can't find a 18650 for sale, in some cases, you can substitute with two CR123A's.

AA & AAA: These are the batteries that everyone grew up with. They come in a wide range of voltages from 1.5 to 3.6. No matter what kind you get, they hold less charge than CR123A or 18650, but are cheaper.

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Meet the tester

Jonathan Chan

Jonathan Chan

Senior Manager of Lab Operations

@Jonfromthelab1

Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.

See all of Jonathan Chan's reviews

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Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

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