Best Tactical Flashlights

If you're already familiar with Fenix products, you know that you may expect outstanding performance from them, and this flashlight is no exception. It's a very feature-rich model that boasts great light output, a 21700 rechargeable Li-ion battery with on-board charging (via USB-C), dual switches, and some other extras.

To begin with, the PD36R model is very well-built. The anodization is spotless and there is nothing glaringly bad. The casing has some knurling that increases grip, so the unit isn't slippery at all. Overall, the flashlight has two main parts - the head and the body (no tail cap). Surprisingly enough, there are two switches on the Fenix PD36R with one being a mechanical tail click (when it's “on”, then the light is on too) and the other being an indicating e-switch made from bronze coated metal.

In total, the light offers five modes to choose from. On the maximum Turbo setting, the output makes an incredible 1600 lumens and the beam travels up to 928 feet. The light is almost blinding and provides exceptional clarity. The High brightness level delivers 800 lumens and lets users clearly see details in the dark. At the Medium setting, the unit is throwing enough light to illuminate your way pretty far (350 Lumens). At Low, it's a beautiful beam of light suitable for everyday use. And finally, the ECO mode - it delivers almost unnoticeable light.

Although the tech specs of the Streamlight 88040 tactical flashlight are slightly inferior to the high-end, it can compete with most of the tactical flashlights on the market nevertheless, due to its combo of price and quite unique functionality. 

To begin with the construction, the unit consists of two parts, and the bezel of the light has an anti-roll design to prevent the head from rolling away when it's set down on a slanted surface. The light is enclosed in a durable, high-quality grade aluminum body and has an IPX7 waterproof protection rate, meaning it can withstand drops to the ground and submergence in water up to 3 feet for 60 minutes. So, even though we wouldn't recommend you to take it for scuba diving, it will survive drops of the puddle with ease.

The unit itself is not very large, so you can do better with other models as a weapon, but it still can ward off an attacker because of the light. In the highest setting, it can direct the light across the impressive 900 feet with 750-lumen light output, which is more than enough to illuminate large areas and blind any potential attacker, as well as ward off a wild animal (has a Strobe mode too). The Medium and Low settings are well suited for navigating in the dark or when the power goes out in your house.

While you can find other companies offering more powerful flashlights for the same money, the Streamlight ProTac (88033) has a lot going for it. First and foremost, a tough flashlight like this has been designed specifically to survive the harshest conditions and to withstand lots of abuse, so even if you drop it from pretty far distances, there will be no ill effects. That's where its premium anodized aircraft aluminum housing comes into play. Not only is it extra-strong, but also it is abrasion- and corrosion-resistant. More importantly, the housing is IPX7 weatherproof, so you don't need to worry about dust and moisture ingress. On top of that, this flashlight is designed with a tempered glass lens that is unbreakable and as scratch-resistant as these lenses get.

Next, it's worth mentioning that the unit is featured with a handy push-button tail cap switch, letting you choose between momentary and constant light modes. At the same time, the switch is a bit difficult to trigger, which we consider being an advantage as you won't be able to accidentally press it.

When it comes to lumen output, this is definitely not the most capable device on the list though. The light won't be able to reach more than 450 feet, and from the maximum brightness perspective, this thing caps at 180 lumens. It's not blindingly bright but quite OK for everyday carry. And, thankfully, it uses cheap AA batteries rather than expensive CR123 lithium batteries provided by some other models.

If you'd like to go even lighter, you should definitely take a closer look at the Fenix E12. At 3.06" x 0.75" x 0.69". It's an ultra-mini flashlight that is just a bit larger than the AA battery powering it. And being just 0.96 oz, it's virtually weightless, meaning you can carry it in your shirt pocket and not even know it's there until you need it.

Yet, the Fenix E12 is surprisingly bright for its size, though it can't compete with its full-size counterparts when it comes to performance. That is to say, it's capable of producing a 160-lumen beam with a throw over 75 yards (on the High setting), which should be more than enough for everyday tasks like dog walking or wandering around the neighborhood. Since the flashlight has ultra-thin 0.12 "optical lenses which are treated with AI + UV coating, the beam is wide and diffused.

With that, the unit is very quick and simple to turn on, which is a huge advantage when you need an instant source of light. Just press the anti-slip tail switch to turn the light on/off and half-press it again to cycle through the output modes. Alternatively, you have an opportunity to twist the lens to change the mode, which is perfect for one-handed use.

In general, the light offers Low (5 lumens), Mid (30 lumens), and High (160 lumens) modes. On the lowest one, the light is able to work up to 70 hours from a single AA battery and up to 1 hour on the highest mode. As a nice touch, the bundle includes a battery organizer with four slots for AA batteries. So, if you carry spare ones with you, you'll never get out of light.

If you need a cheap but decent tactical flashlight for occasional use, why not consider this PeakPlus LFX1000 Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight? Despite a low price tag, it has got a lot of advantages to offer. Similar to expensive peers, it features an all-aluminum body that can effectively withstand shocks and abrasion. So, it'll stand up to the abuse of daily use and show seamless operation under harsher conditions.

When it comes to performance, the flashlight supports 5 lighting modes: Full brightness, Medium brightness, Low brightness, Strobe mode, and SOS. All of these can be adjusted with a switch of a soft-touch tail cap. The maximum light output is quite impressive here, 1000 lumens, making the PeakPlus model not a fracture worse than the models coming at twice the price.

Yet, what makes this flashlight even more attractive for professional use is its adjustable focus range. With the head being extendable from 5.3 up to 6.1 inches, the unit lets you quickly change the beam shape and the distance. In the maximum zoom, it can easily reach the objects up to 1,640 feet forth, which is a whopping range for the unit this small.