The best flashlights for every job

Our own Matt Sampson tested the SureFire Stiletto back in 2021, and it left quite an impression. The little flashlight proved to be user-friendly in day-to-day situations, intuitive and natural in offhand use alongside a pistol, and tough as nails.

As an EDC flashlight, the Stiletto masks its size and rechargeable internal battery with a slim shape that slides nicely into a pocket and feels natural in the hand. It weighs in at less than three ounces and has a metal pocket clip that faces rearward, allowing it to be clipped to a hat brim. Hold it as you’d normally hold a flashlight, and your thumb will fall on a power button that lets you cycle through the three power settings: low (five lumens), medium (250 lumens), and high (650 lumens). Alongside that is a second button that can be used to program which functions each of the buttons will activate. This process is tricky, but at least you have options. Finally, there’s a rubber cover for the micro USB charging port and an LED indicator that displays the battery status while charging.

That’s all well and good, but the Stiletto has a tactical side, too. At the rear of the light is a button meant to be activated by your weak-side thumb when using the flashlight in conjunction with a handgun. Pressing the button will fire up all 650 lumens. Think of this button as more of a pressure pad, because the light shuts off as soon as you release it. That’s a nice feature that was clearly designed for tactical use. The same goes for the soft, wide light pattern that supports situational awareness better than a sharp-edged spotlight.

Ultimately, the Stiletto is a case of compromises. It’s not as powerful as a full-size searchlight, as tactical as a weapon light, or as compact as a dedicated EDC flashlight light. It performs all of those tasks better than it should, though, and we’d be comfortable using it in any of them. If you can only buy one flashlight right now, this is a very solid choice.

It’s wild to think that the mechanical reliability of military aircraft might be riding on a $15 flashlight, but that’s exactly the kind of work inspection lights like the Coast G20 perform every day. Drew Shapiro took one to the Arctic Circle and back and it came back with his stamp of approval and a Task & Purpose review to prove it.

The G20 is designed to be a go-anywhere EDC light that takes up no more space than a pen. Slip one in your pocket, attach it to your plate carrier, or keep it in your glovebox. The aluminum body is built to be tough, and rubber seals earn the G20 an IP54 waterproof rating. That’s not on par with our more field-oriented picks, but it’s a layer of protection against rain and splashing water. The single LED is powered by two AAA batteries. Tracking down this light’s power output is easier said than done; we’ve seen estimates ranging from nine to 120 lumens. In any case, it’s enough for close-quarters work that might otherwise have you reaching for the light on your phone.

You might not expect much from a budget flashlight that only costs about $15 — that’s fair. We’re glad to see Coast offering such a usable penlight with metal construction at that price. It’s well-built, reasonably durable, affordable, and lasts a long time on one set of batteries. What’s not to like?

The Streamlight ProTac 1L is another one of our staff favorites. In a lot of ways, it feels like a more budget- and EDC-friendly alternative to the SureFire Stiletto. What it sacrifices in power and tactical capability, it makes up for in portability and cost.

The ProTac 1L starts with an aluminum body and two-way clip that can mount the light inside your pocket or on top of your hat brim to use it hands-free. If the clip isn’t your style, you can pop it off without tools. The IPX7 waterproof rating means the ProTac 1L isn’t just water-resistant, it can be submerged as much as a meter for 30 minutes without leaking. With a diameter of just under an inch and an overall length of 4.25 inches, it takes up very little space and carries incredibly easily. Powering the 350-lumen LED is just as convenient since the ProTac 1L accepts AA alkaline, AA lithium, and CR123 batteries. A single button on the end of the tube activates low, high, and strobe power modes.

As nice as it is to be able to use three kinds of batteries, be aware that they offer varying levels of performance. You’re best off using an AA lithium or CR123 and forgetting all about the AA alkaline option unless you’re desperate. The strobe function is extremely useful in tactical environments, but this is best used as a reliable EDC that can get scrappy if you need it to.

There are times when you might need very specific capabilities from a headlamp. Maybe you prioritize battery life, compatibility with a helmet, or auto-dimming to keep the people around you happy. If you want a great headlamp that’s versatile enough to take just about anywhere, the BioLite Headlamp 750 is one of our favorites.

As the name suggests, this headlamp produces an impressive 750 lumens. That’s more than enough to light a trail while you hike or mountain bike, and can illuminate enough area to bivouac in the field. When only the low setting (150 lumens) is used, the rechargeable battery’s life stretches to 150 hours. The low-profile and streamlined shape is useful when you need to move through vegetation without getting snagged on branches. One of our favorite features is the rear-mounted battery, which balances the load on your head so you don’t have all the weight sagging off your forehead like you would with most headlamps. Wrap all that in a black and green pattern that flies under the radar in uniform, and you’ve got a winner on your hands.

If the IPX4 water resistance and ability to charge the HeadLamp 750 while you use it aren’t enough of a reason to buy this headlamp, we also appreciate that BioLite is committed to bringing light and energy to those in need. As of writing, the company has brought clean energy to more than 3.6 million people in Africa and Asia.

Headlamps aren’t the only way to get hands-free light; sometimes a lantern like the Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 is the best tool for the job. Unlike old-school kerosene and oil lamps, the Lighthouse 600 runs off a rechargeable internal battery for clean, safe light.

Take advantage of this lantern’s multiple power modes to conserve energy. You can even switch between 180- and 360-degree light, so you’re only directing light where it’s needed. A red beacon feature can also be activated in an emergency. Regardless of which features you use, you can keep tabs on the battery’s lifespan with the power level indicator. When it’s time to charge up, you can use the USB port, the top-mounted solar panel, or the integrated hand crank to keep this lantern operational off the grid indefinitely.

This isn’t just a great option for camping; we think the Lighthouse 600 makes a lot of sense as an addition to your emergency kit. Having access to this much hands-free light without relying on batteries or even a power bank is awfully reassuring.

Many of you are probably in the market for a good weapon light. We get it — the temptation to buy something that’s “good enough” is real. By the time you drop four figures on a rifle, optic, magazines, and some go-fast-look-cool goodies, a bargain-basement weapon light starts to look pretty damn appealing. Fight that urge. If you can afford to save up for the good stuff, this Modlite is what you want.

One thing to remember about weapon lights is that they take a lot of abuse. Instead of being gently held in your hand, they spend their life hard-mounted to the business end of a barrel that gets very hot and transfers a lot of recoil directly to your light. Visibility is another concern because there’s a big difference between skiing in the dark and seeing well enough to get a positive ID on a target when you’re full of adrenaline. This Modlite is built to check both those boxes, and then some. Our favorite aspect is the modular design. Modlite builds interchangeable heads and bodies that can be mixed and matched to create the ideal setup for different missions.

Premium switches, mounts, and accessories are also available. Lights can be ordered with black or flat dark earth anodizing. We don’t blame you if $300 sounds like a lot to ask for a weapon light; but if you want the good stuff, it’s right here.

The thing about emergencies is that they very rarely send a courtesy heads-up telling you to charge all your electronics and get your gear ready. The people at Energizer know this, so they made an emergency flashlight that’s always 100-percent charged when you need it.

The Weatheready plugs directly into a standard, two-prong wall outlet and keeps its battery topped off at all times. When the power goes out, it automatically turns on so you can find it easily. The plug folds into the handle when you aren’t using it, and the battery lasts up to 3.5 hours. That’s more than enough to get your gear organized and get your backup plan into action.

We love how affordable this light is — just $11 at writing — but there are some necessary cost-cutting measures required to make that price a reality. This light is not waterproof or very durable. It’s a simple, plastic flashlight meant to help you move around the house without electricity. It only has one brightness setting, and that’s a modest 40 lumens. The tradeoff is an extremely affordable backup light with a respectable runtime.

Camping requires solid gear that can perform multiple jobs, and the LE Camping Flashlight does that extremely well. It’s a flashlight when you’re on the move, a lantern when you’re not, and a power source when you need one.

The LED spotlight pumps out 600 lumens, which is just right for walking along a trail in the dark. Multiple power settings allow you to dial that back when you want to move around the campsite without waking others or when you need to conserve battery life. The lantern function can be activated on one or both sides, depending on where you need light. When you need the maximum amount of illumination possible, hang this light from a branch and turn on the lantern and searchlight at the same time. The battery can also be used to power your other electronics via the attached USB cable or a separate USB port.

Size will be the limiting factor here because this is much larger than most flashlights. The ability to use it as a lantern and power bank more than makes up for that, if you ask us. Add in the maximum runtime of six hours (using the spotlight’s low setting), and this looks like a perfect companion for your next camping trip.

If you don’t have a kid nearby to scream at for shining light in the wrong place while you get your ass kicked by routine car maintenance, you’re going to need a utility light. I’ve been using the original Nebo work light for years, and this updated version is even better.

Its 500 lumens are perfect for lighting up even the darkest corners of your engine bay or basement, and there are no brightness settings or color modes to figure out. Just hit the on switch and get to work. You can mount the light with the built-in clip or hook, but I use the magnetic base more often than not. The aluminum body offers enough protection that you won’t have to baby this utility flashlight. The rechargeable battery takes six hours to charge, but then it will last for 10 hours of use.

I keep the Nebo and its charging cable in my glove box so it’s always ready when I need it. It’s gotten me out of a tight spot more than once, and I can’t recommend it highly enough for quick roadside repairs or tracking down an elusive oil leak.