Advice: How Should I Choose a Flashlight? Part 2

In the previous blog post (from a long time ago, I know) we went over some of the basics of flashlights, such as how to measure their performance and the two of the primary flashlight technologies available today. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the more common types of flashlights, as well as their features. Then we’ll get into why you might want to choose one type or feature over another.

Flashlight Types

There are a ton of flashlights to choose from, but I’ve attempted to categorize them into five common types: keychain, handheld, lantern, headlamp and spotlights. There are other, more specialized types that may be used almost exclusively for diving, emergency response or police/military operations, but I will not address those types.

Keychain

The first type I’ll discuss is the keychain flashlight. These flashlights are pretty small – small enough to carry on your keychain. These types of flashlights typically use button or AAA cells.

Caption: Maglite’s LED Solitaire

Attribution: Author’s Own Work

Because of their size, keychain flashlights aren’t going to be the brightest and the few that are, will have correspondingly lower run times. Despite its “low” performance, I view keychain flashlights as being the most useful. This is because it’s the only flashlight that I carry almost every time I leave the house. The best tool is the one you have, whether it’s a flashlight, gun, knife, lighter or other type of tool. Not everyone will have the same opinion, but I’m sure many of you readers who carry their EDC flashlight on their keychain will agree.

Handheld

The second type of flashlight I’d like to discuss is the handheld flashlight. This is a very broad category that includes everything from the venerable SureFire P6 to the Mag-Lite 3D.

 Caption: Streamlight’s 3AA Dualie

Attribution: Author’s Own Work

Caption: Fulton Industries’ MX-991/U

Attribution: Author’s Own Work

The simple handheld flashlight is probably the most common and is what the average person imagines when they hear the word “flashlight.” They use a variety of battery types, although I see a shift from C and D batteries to AAA and AA, probably due to the advancements in LED technology. LEDs are so efficient that you can use a smaller battery and still get more light (but with less runtime overall, although that’ll change in the future). These are pretty useful flashlights, but I don’t view them quite as useful as the keychain or headlamp flashlight (which are the two I use the most).

Lantern

The lantern is what I’d call a specialty light because it’s not going to be a go-to flashlight. However, when you do need it, it’ll be perfect for you application, this application being lighting up a wide swath of darkness. Basically, if you need area lighting, nothing will beat a lantern. Some powerful handhelds can provide serviceable area lighting indoors using the “ceiling bounce” technique, but on an efficiency basis, they can’t beat the lantern. Today, most lanterns will use LED technology, although the lantern I’ve pictured below uses both LED and incandescent.

 Attribution: Author’s Own Work

Spotlight

The spotlight is another specialty light, although it’s not going to be quite as common today as in the past. It’s designed to shine a very narrow beam of light great distances. If you need a flashlight to light up a field, walk through the woods or use inside when the power is out, this should not be your first choice of flashlights.

Spotlights are also not going to be as common as they used to be. This is due to high performing handhelds that are easily and economically available today. No, these AAA or AA powered handhelds can’t match a modern LED spotlight using C or D batteries, but for most people and in most applications, they’re good enough.

You’ll see one of my spotlight flashlights below. However, I don’t need to use it because my handhelds can provide comparable performance for cheaper, as they use AA rechargeable batteries and don’t need those special lantern batteries. However, if I do need a tight and narrow beam of light, I’ll use it, or I can use my handheld LED spotlight (not pictured) that I’ve modified to run off of six AAA Eneloops.

Attribution: Author’s Own Work

Headlamp

After the keychain flashlight, I view headlamps as the most useful. Whether you’re inside in a power outage or outside doing work around the house or car, headlamps are extremely useful. The primary reason? Because they’re hands-free! I do see the headlamp as having two drawbacks. First, they’re not the best “bump in the night” flashlights because you can’t quickly and easily turn them off like you can with a handheld flashlight already in your hand. Second, they mess up your hair (I’m only half serious with this drawback).

Below is a picture of my favorite headlamp, the Princeton Tec Corona. Sadly, it’s no longer available. I like it because it uses AA batteries (AAA batteries are lighter, but I try to standardize as many of my flashlight as possible to AA) and most importantly, it provides a wall of light. At full blast with all 8 LEDs running, it illuminates a large portion of my field of vision. Most other headlamps can’t provide as wide a beam of light and if they can, they can’t provide as much brightness as this lamp can, even though it’s a bit long in the tooth. Should I need a flashlight with more range, I can always have a handheld or spotlight flashlight in my hand.

Lastly, it’s made by Princeton Tec, which makes its flashlights in the USA (not a requirement of mine, but it’s something I appreciate) and has excellent warranty service.

 Attribution: Author’s Own Work

Flashlight Features of Note

Besides the type of flashlight, there are other variables or features to consider, such as:

- Water resistance/proofness

- Hazard rating

- Batteries it can use

- Beam quality

- Bulb type

Some features don’t matter to the average user, such as hazard rating. And most people, unless they go diving, won’t need something that’s truly water proof. But there are features that even the average flashlight user should want.

First, there’s water resistance. Any flashlight you buy should be water resistant to at least 1 meter and be able to handle heavy rains or a light dunking in a puddle no problem. Even if you’re a couch potato and don’t engage in any outdoor activities, you might need to go outside at night when it’s raining, or work around a container of water. You don’t want a broken flashlight just because a few drops of rain got on it or you dropped it in a sink full of water.

Second, there are the batteries it can use. Most flashlights will use AAA, AAA, C, D and CR123 battery types. It’s easier from a logistical perspective to have most or all of your flashlights run off of one battery type. My battery type of choice is the AA for reasons that I’ll discuss in a future blog post about batteries. But in short, the AA is the most universal because it can be used in AA, C and D flashlights with the proper adapters and AA provides options for different chemistries, such as alkaline, NiMH and lithium.

Unless you have a specific need for a type of flashlight where AA batteries cannot work (such as a very lightweight headlamp where you’ll want to use CR123 or AAA batteries) or just want to have shelf queens, I suggest you choose a flashlight that has the ability to use AA batteries, either directly or through the use of adapters.

Third, you are most likely going to want a flashlight that uses an LED type of bulb (yes, I know an LED isn’t a bulb, but I’m using that term loosely here). LED lights simply provide the most run time, brightest light, for the lowest cost. The sacrifice is the color, so unless you really really don’t like the washed out look or you’re a photographer and need the warmer or softer light of incandescent, I suggest your next flashlight use LED technology.

Is There a Brand or Type of Flashlight I Should Buy?

Some of you might have been hoping I’d actually provide a list of specific flashlight models and makes that I recommend. The reason I didn’t do so is because the choice of flashlight is very personal and based on preference and specific need. Trying to recommend just one flashlight is like trying to recommend just one type of gun. There are simply too many variables to make a manageable list, as well as the fact that user preference will be a major factor in the flashlight decision. However, I hope this blog post series can help you flashlight newbies out there when deciding on which flashlight to buy.