Flashlights are one the most popular pieces of tactical equipment, used by security, law enforcement, search and rescue teams and everyday Joes. Plus, they are also commonly used as a form of self-protection. That said, choosing a model that meets your demands is essential.

The best way to ensure you get the right tactical flashlight is to understand your needs, set a budget, and choose the features that fit those needs and budget. There are quite a few models to choose from, including quality flashlights from Jetbeam, Olight, Nitecore, Fenix, Klarus, ThruNite, etc. Let’s get into it!

For What Will You Use Your Flashlight?

As aforementioned, tactical flashlights can be used for a wide range of purposes, including hunting, survival, camping, law enforcement, security, and search and rescue teams. For those working in law enforcement, the army and security, there are tactical flashlights that can be mounted on weapons and serve as a self-defence tool.

For firefighters and anyone taking part in a search and rescue operation, a proper tactical flashlight is a must. In these situations, you’ll need a flashlight that’s far more powerful, both in brightness and construction.

Additionally, most tactical flashlights are impact-resistant and weatherproof, meaning they can be used in any type of weather and environment. However, if you’re going to use such a flashlight for diving, make sure that it has the necessary IPX8 rating so that it can survive depths up to 150 meters below sea level.

And finally, there are many civilians who purchase such a flashlight for protection. Most tactical models are bright enough to blind an incoming attacker and disorient them.

Last but not least, they can be used in emergencies to signal for help or break through windows and glass.

Quality

When you’ve figured out how you’ll be using the flashlight, you need to make sure the flashlights you’re considering are of high quality and abide by relevant standards. This will help you make a well-informed decision, and make sure you get a flashlight with enough lumen, beam intensity, distance, impact resistance and durability.

Manufacturers such as Jetbeam, Olight, Nitecore, TruNite, Fenix and Klarus all follow these standards. So, you may want to start your search by exploring their ranges.

Lighting Output

The lighting output in modern flashlights is generally measured in lumen. The more lumen – the more output.

But there’s more to the type of lighting output produced by the flashlight beside the lumen. The reflector or lens plays a role in the projection the light will have and how much lumens it actively uses.

Most flashlights are between 20 to 2000 lumens. While there are flashlights with even more lumens than 2000, those will be typically larger, as they’ll have to be powered using stronger batteries to support their power output.

Additionally, quality torches have variable output levels, allowing you to adjust the brightness based on your current needs. This can benefit battery life, as running the flashlight on maximum power when you don’t need to will drain it faster for no reason. That said, consider the beam distance, beam type and beam temperature of the flashlight.

The beam distance is pretty self-explanatory. It represents how far the light is capable of reaching before it diminishes. The beam type can be either flood or spot. Flood beams illuminate the immediate area at a wider angle and help when walking, performing work, DIY, power outages, etc. Spot beams, on the other hand, penetrate longer distances, making them ideal for illuminating objects far into the distance.

The temperature of the light refers to its colour. Light colours can be either warm white, cool white or neutral white. Warm white is at the lower end of the spectrum, providing a yellowish tinge. Cool white is on the opposite end of the spectrum and provides a blueish and strong white tinge. Neutral light is the middle ground and is considered close to sunlight.

Durability

This is one of the key factors that differentiate tactical flashlights from conventional ones. As the flashlight will need to work in any type of situation, it must be impact-resistant, water and weatherproof.

For impact resistance, you should look for a flashlight made of titanium, stainless steel or anodised aluminium. These metals are very strong and won’t break even when you drop the flashlight on a hard surface like concrete. Moreover, these materials can make the flashlight sturdier, allowing you to use it as a weapon.

In terms of water resistance and weatherproofing, you need to look at the IPX rating. There are three IPX ratings – IPX4, IPX7 and IPX8. A flashlight with an IPX4 rating can withstand splashes that come from heavy rains. IPX7 means you can submerge the device in about 1 metre of water for up to 30 minutes. IPX8 means the flashlight can be fully submerged up to several metres in water for a few hours.

Battery

Most modern tactical flashlights use rechargeable or disposable Lithium batteries, as they’re the most powerful and long-lasting. Lithium batteries have more charging cycles, meaning you can discharge them and charge them for more before they start degrading in terms of performance.

Of course, this means they’re the most expensive ones, but they make up for their high initial cost by serving you far more than other types of batteries. While most tactical flashlights come with a battery, buying an extra pack to change when the first one runs out can go a long way in ensuring you can always use the flashlight.