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How to Choose the Best Tactical Flashlight in 2023

Haim Zeherman September 4, 2023 228 0

Trying to find the best flashlight out of so many brands, which are also very similar from the outside to each other, can be a real pain in the ***. You can easily spend hours researching lights and walk away feeling like you haven’t gotten anywhere.

Personally, I usually hang out with my Klarus XT2CR, but there are lots of great flashlights on the market from leading companies such as Nitecore, Streamlight, SureFire, Olight, Maglite, Fenix, JETBeam, Elzetta, and many more. You have to choose the one that suits your need.

In this article, I will try to explain all the main features of a good tactical flashlight, that will allow you to narrow down your choices and find what is most suitable for you.

Below you can see my Klarus XT2CR structure and its main components.

Today, most flashlights use LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs because they are brighter and more efficient than incandescent bulbs. The light output is typically measured in lumens – the metric used to describe the amount of light emitted. Flashlights can have anywhere from 20 lumens to more then 20,000. The higher the number – the brighter the light.

To stay on the safe side and avoid being misled, after reading a given brand’s claim regarding their flashlight’s claimed lumen output, you should check which LED they are using and compare to the following:

• The XML Q5 – reaches around 150 lumens
• The XML T6 – reaches around 350 lumens
• The XML U2 – reaches between 400-600 lumens

The flashlight should have multiple brightness modes, and you don’t always need it in the brightest setting. This will also significantly reduce battery drain and increase the runtime.

Run-time is measured in hours, and it’s the total amount of time that a flashlight can function without needing to replace the battery.
Some flashlights can run for 100 hours or even more in low output mode.

This metric is intrinsically tied to the other features, as the specs of the emitter will determine the lumens and the runtime when combined with the battery type. While the emitter is important, you can generally get an understanding of it by paying attention to the other metrics.

Beam distance, often referred to as throw or flood, is measured in meters as the distance from the flashlight to an object. You need a flashlight which has a good spread, so it lights up a large area, therefore giving you a wide field of vision.
This is vital when you are out in a dark alley and need to be ready for any surprise. With a good wide spread of light, you will not have any blind spots that could pose a physical danger.

The lens and the internal reflector are essential parts of the flashlight.
If they are not optimized properly, the light’s intensity may differ significantly between the center and the light’s outer beam. Good quality flashlights will have an even spread of light.

The smaller your tactical flashlight, while still giving you the above features, the better and more portable the flashlight would be.
Small flashlights will comfortably fit into the palm of your hand, making them very easy to operate while also fitting easily into your pocket so you can carry them comfortably around.

The size of your flashlight should usually be optimized for pocket carry.
I have medium-sized hands, so for me, the ideal specifications for size/weight are 8-12 cm in length, with a maximum diameter of 3 cm and a weight exceeding no more than 100 grams.

These specifications allow me to comfortably carry around the flashlight in my pocket and use the long shaft as a lever to manipulate and apply torque on pressure points and joints.

Some flashlights are designed with multiple switches to quickly allow the user to operate the light in various situations. Some of the more popular switch types include the tail-cap and head twist or push.

A tail-cap switch is a “clicky” rubber switch on the rear of the light’s tube.
This allows you to hold the light with all four fingers in an “ice pick” grip and activate the switch with your thumb. A tail switch will work great with most self-defense methodologies and is generally pretty easy to use.
 
Some lights have a twist-on head or a push-button switch near the head.
Personally, I have a problem with these, mainly because the button can be hard to find in the dark (exactly the time you need to be able to find it the most), and they cannot be conveniently activated under stress.
In addition, the switch doesn’t stick out a whole lot because if it did,
it would either get broken, get turned on in your pocket a lot, or both.

Since you want your light to be adaptable to self-defense, a tail switch makes the most sense. It can be actuated with the thumb while holding the light with a closed fist grip, which is best for striking an attacker or for using the light in conjunction with a handgun.

Flashlights today offer multiple light modes (high, medium, low),
and some offer additional special modes, such as SOS, beacon, and strobe, that can be very important for self-defense situations.

The strobe mode is a very bright light that blinks fast in a confusing pattern, which is specifically designed to make a person (or animal) it’s aimed at, to get disoriented and temporally blind, giving you the seconds you need to make the next move.

You should look for flashlights that have a dedicated strobe button that will allow you to enter the strobe mode from a single button press, whatever the flashlight is on or off. It is better to be located near the main tail switch, so it can be operated one-handed, and there’s will be a low probability of missing it.

The SOS mode is typically used in emergency situations to signal for help.
This feature is also called “Morse code”, since the flashlight produces precisely 3x short, 3x long, and 3x short illuminations that stand for
“S-O-S” in morse code.

A beacon is designed to attract people’s attention to a particular location and signal them about something. It is similar to the SOS signal; however, it blinks at its full brightness every few seconds, thereby conserving its battery life to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
Many of the tactical flashlights on the market nowadays are programmable, allowing the user to select the order in which the modes are accessed or to remove unnecessary ones. In addition, most of the tactical lights today have a “memory” mode that allows the user to access the last mode used.

The momentary ON feature allows activating the light by depressing the tail switch partially. The light is extinguished as soon as you release pressure from the switch, allowing a quick “momentary” use of the light.

Flashlights need to be durable, to be able to withstand harsh conditions and survive unintentional hand drops. Look for lights that are built using top-quality military or weapon-grade aluminum. Don’t be tempted to buy a cheaply manufactured flashlight, since it will be less durable and fail you just when you need it the most.

Impact resistance is measured in meters and is determined by how well a flashlight holds up when dropped from a particular height onto a concrete surface.

Additionally, you should look for a flashlight with a textured grip that will keep the light from slipping out of your hand. Knurling will make a huge difference in your ability to hold on to the light for self-defense under stress, or while attempting to manipulate a handgun.

A tail stand consists of protective “ears” around the tail switch.
This feature helps to protect the switch from being accidentally pressed while in your pocket, and needlessly draining your battery while getting extremely hot.

In addition, the tail stand, as the name implies, allows you to stand the light upon its end and direct the light to the ceiling – providing good diffuse light over an entire room.

These are simple flats milled into the thickest portion of the light, generally near the bezel. Flats give you the ability to set the light down on an unlevel surface, without worrying about it rolling away. This feature is optional if the light has a pocket/belt clip, but still demonstrates attention to details by the manufacturer.

A quality integrated belt clip is often found in tactical flashlights, which allows one to carry it around very comfortably. Some lights offer a reversible clip that can be used to clip the light to a hat brim for use as a headlamp.

Look for a flashlight that can work in any type of weather, especially in heavy rain. You would be surprised at how many flashlights fail due to rain or even short exposure to water. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of a sealing gasket protecting the LED, allowing water to penetrate and damage it.

You shouldn’t rely on the manufacturer’s waterproof claims, which are in most cases exaggerated. Make sure your tactical flashlight has this vital gasket, since most generic flashlights do not have it.

Water resistance for flashlights is measured using the EC Standard 60529, knowns as the IPX rating system, and comes in the following main three categories:

• IPX4 – This means that the flashlight is resistant to water splashes from any direction, and can withstand heavy rains.
• IPX7 – Indicates that the flashlight can be submerged up to 1m of water for a small period of time – usually 30 minutes.
• IPX8 – Allows the flashlight to be submerged entirely at a deeper depth of water for at least a few hours. The manufacturer usually specifies the exact depth and time.

The batteries you choose can affect your flashlight’s performance, so it is essential to understand your options.

• Disposable Alkaline – These are the common AA, AAA, C, and D batteries you can find at any grocery store. While they lack power, their advantage is that they are easy to find.
• Disposable Lithium – These batteries are more powerful and last longer than Alkaline batteries, but they are more expensive. CR123A batteries are commonly used in tactical lights due to their power and size.
• Rechargeable – While they are pricier upfront, rechargeable batteries will save you more money in the long run and offer performance advantages such as higher lumen output and longer run times. The most common types are 18650 and 16340 Li-ion (Lithium-ion).

Seek out for rechargeable lithium batteries with a run time of at least ten hours, in order to get through difficult situations with a complete working order flashlight.

You should also note that some chargers and batteries supplied with cheap flashlights are of low quality. The combination of low-quality batteries with low-quality chargers is dangerous and can spontaneously ignite, as sometimes happens with mobile phones.

You must make sure you’re always using a high-quality charger that gives you a charging current of at least 1000ma, with reverse-polarity protection, alongside with good quality protected battery.

Feel free to leave a comment below if you think I’ve missed something you’d like me to add.

Do you already have a flashlight and want to learn how to use it for self-defense?
Get your Free kindle unlimited copy of Light Defense – Practical Guide On How To Use A Tactical Flashlight,
and walk with confidence no matter how dark the night might be.