The 10 Best LED Flashlights

For homes, cars and glove boxes, the Nebo Torchy 2K hits a sweet spot of brightness and cost. Its top setting reaches about 2,000 lumens, enough to light a backyard, and its low setting runs more than a day. A magnet in the base holds it on a car hood, and a clip lets it ride in a pocket. The battery is sealed inside, though, so you can't swap it, and the warranty covers just one year.

Built for police and security work, the Streamlight ProTac 2.0 puts a firm button on its tail: a light press gives a burst, and a full click keeps it on. The battery pack charges from a USB-C cable and lifts out, so a charged spare gets you going again in seconds. It survives a dunk and a hard fall. The catch is the cost, and spare packs have to come from Streamlight.

Because the ThruNite Archer 2A V3 runs on two ordinary AA batteries, it makes sense in an emergency drawer. Fresh cells are sold at every corner store, and alkalines keep for years in a closet. It reaches about 500 lumens, with a side button for brightness and a tail button for on and off, and it can sit underwater without harm. Batteries aren't included, there's no charger, and there's no magnet for hands-free work.

Small enough to vanish in a jeans pocket, the Olight Baton4 Pro still reaches about 1,600 lumens. Lights around its side button show the battery level. It charges two ways: a magnetic cable snaps on, or a half turn of the tail reveals a USB-C port. The tail also sticks to a car door. This version is new, so there's little long-term data, and the magnetic cable only fits Olight lights.

The Streamlight Wedge is a flat light that carries like a pocketknife, with a clip and a thumb lever instead of a round tube. In Outdoor Life's field trial, it ran about three hours on its everyday setting, stayed barely warm, and never switched on by accident in a pocket. Holding the lever gives a short burst of about 1,000 lumens. It has no magnet or stand for hands-free use, and its price is steep for its everyday brightness.

Need the most light a pocket can hold? The Nitecore EDC29 is a flat slab whose top burst reaches about 6,500 lumens, enough to light a dark yard from fence to fence. A slide lock keeps it from waking in a pocket, and a small screen shows the battery left. On a middle setting it runs about two hours. The full burst heats it up fast, and the clip leaves it riding high above the pocket edge.

To see far down a trail or across a field, the Nitecore P23i throws a tight beam roughly 500 yards. Its rechargeable cell comes in the box and charges over USB-C, and the body is sealed against a full dunk. Two tail buttons split the jobs: one for steady light, one for a quick strobe. That focused beam lights less of the ground near your feet, and it rides better in its holster than a pocket.

A heavy aluminum tube still made in California, the Maglite ML300LX is the flashlight many families keep by the back door. Three D batteries give it a long run per set, and spares keep for years in a closet. Twisting the head moves the beam from a wide flood to a tight spot, and a click of the button steps down to dimmer, battery-saving settings. It's heavy, and it's made to handle rain, not a drop in a lake.

The ThruNite Archer Mini is a tiny light for people who want one with them every day without thinking about it. A USB-C port hides under the head, the clip holds firmly, and rain or a puddle won't hurt it. Its top setting of about 400 lumens drops to a dimmer level after two or three minutes to keep cool. It only clicks on and stays on, so there's no quick flash of light with a half press.

Electricians and mechanics get two lights in one with the Klein Tools 56412: a focused beam from the front and a wide flood panel along the side for lighting an engine bay. A twist of the collar reveals the charging port, a magnetic end cap holds it on steel, and a glowing ring helps you find it in the dark. The battery is built in, so a worn one means a new light.