Looking For a Super Bright Flashlight? We Review The Top Brands On The Market

by John Wren
best brightest flashlight

Flashlights are an essential item to have, even just as an emergency tool. For some, flashlights are just useful and handy to have around, and for others, they are an essential part of jobs, work, and hobbies.

Whichever category you fall into, it’s a good idea to opt for purchasing a flashlight that is very bright, very powerful, and will last you a very long time.

In order to help you choose the brightest, best quality flashlight, we’ve put together a guide on flashlights and also a list of some of our favorites. We hope it can be of good assistance to you!

The Brightest Flashlight in 2023 Reviews & Comparison

Bestseller No. 1
YiaMia Rechargeable Flashlights, 150000 Lumens Ultra Bright, High Powered Flashlight, Waterproof LED Super Bright Flashlight with USB Input Output for Emergencies, Camping, and More(2pack)
  • 【HIGH LUMENS】 The YiaMia flashlight boasts an impressive 15000 lumens, thanks to its upgraded 2023 M80 chip, which provides a stable light source. This high-powered flashlight has exceptional...
  • 【POWER DISPLAY】 The Rechargeable Flashlight now features an LCD power percentage display for easy tracking of remaining battery life. With improved charging capabilities, this high-powered...
  • 【UPGRADED 5 MODE】The High Lumens Flashlights now has an 5 mode system that offers High, Medium, Low, Strobe, and SOS modes. The ability to adjust the focal length and beam size offers a more...
  • 【IP44 WATERPROOF】 The Tactical Flashlight High Lumens is practically indestructible, made from aviation-grade aluminum alloy that is both durable and rust-resistant. Equipped with a high tenacity...
  • 【Long Life And High Quality】In the kit, you get 2x YiaMia M80 high-powered flashlights, 2x powerful batteries with USB charging cable, 2x lanyards, 1x manual, and a gift box. You will be...
Bestseller No. 2
AXRUNZE LED Headlamp Rechargeable 150000 Lumens Super Bright with 10 Modes & Motion Sensor, Head Lamp Flashlight with Zoomable, IPX7 Waterproof,135°Adjustable for Outdoor Hiking Camping Running 2 Pack
  • 【2 Pack Headlamp Super Bright 150000 Lumen】 Illuminate your surroundings with our head lamp powerful beam. Use upgrade 30W high LED chip the max can be up to 150,000 lumens,illuminating your...
  • 【Motion Sensor Zoomable Headlamp】This headlamp features a built-in motion sensor, Can be adjusted according to your preference. Simple to us it, Only need long press switch button 3-5S activate...
  • 【10 Lighting Modes for More Activities】Head lamps led rechargeable offers 5 main light (high, medium, low, strobe and SOS) and 3 sublight modes(high ,low, SOS) and 2 backlight modes (red & blue...
  • 【3 USB Port for Flexible Charge】 There have 2 USB input and 1 USB out port choice, Compare other headlamp with extra USB input, this headlamp also offers USB output functionality. This means that...
  • 【Large Capacity & Long Battery Life】Designed with energy efficiency in mind, this headlamp ensures a long-lasting battery life without compromising on brightness. the max battery running life up...
Bestseller No. 3
KwuLee Flashlights LED High Lumens Rechargeable, 150000 Lumens XHP70.2 Super Bright Flashlight, Waterproof Handheld Tactical Flashlights, High Powered Flash Light for Emergency Camping Hiking Gift
  • 【150000 Lumens Super Bright Flashlight】Rechargeable flashlight embedded XHP70.2 LED, the maximum output power is up to 150,000 lumens, the maximum lighting distance is close to 2500m, this led...
  • 【5 Modes & Power Display】This flashlight has 5 lighting modes such as high, medium, low, strobe and SOS, one button design can easily cycle off 5 modes, which can meet your needs in different...
  • 【IP67 Waterproof】Waterproof handheld tactical flashlights can be used in extreme weather such as rain, due to its excellent aluminum alloy material and body design, waterproof, non-slip, impact...
  • 【Quick Charge】The high lumen flashlight comes with a USB jack that can be connected to a power bank, computer, car charger, wall charger, etc. for easy charging of the LED flashlight. It also has...
  • 【Zoomable for More Choice】The brightest LED flashlight is equipped with a telescopic zoom feature that allows you to switch between spotlight and floodlight modes. Spotlight mode, more suitable...
Bestseller No. 4
MoKo 150000 Lumen Rechargeable Headlamp - 60H Long Battery Life Detachable, 8 Modes Super Bright 50W Bulb IP68 Waterproof 90° Adjustable Sensor Headlight for Outdoor Camping Fishing Running Hunting
  • 【150000LM Super Bright Lighting】 The head lamp equipped with upgraded 50w white light beads, it's the brightest lamp bead on market, light intensity up to 150,000 lumens, and the irradiation...
  • 【Rechargeable Battery & 18H Lasting Battery Time】 The rechargeable headlamp is equipped with 3X rechargeable batteries 10200mah, the continuous use time up to 18 hours. Support tape-c cable fast...
  • 【8 Headlight Lighting Modes】 This head lights for forehead provides 8 lighting modes: Flood Light Modes: high light, low light, and strobe modes; Spotlight Modes: high light, low light, and strobe...
  • 【Adjustable 90°Angle & Ergonomic】 The headlamps for adults is made of premium aluminum casing and an adjustable elastic headband, light and comfortable to wear with its ergonomic design that sits...
  • 【IP68 Waterproof Headlamp】 The bulb cover is IP68 waterproof, it's fully waterproof instead of just water-resistant like most others and protected from dust, ice, and water, suitable for inclement...
Bestseller No. 5
NJ FOREVER Rechargeable Flashlight High Lumens, 150000 Lumens Super Bright LED Flash Light, 5 Light Modes, IPX6 Waterproof Powerful Handheld Flashlight for Camping Hiking Outdoor
  • 【150000 Lumens Rechargeable Flashlight】High lumens flashlight is equipped with an ultra bright XHP160 LED chip, capable of emitting 150000 lumens on the highest power setting, irradiation distance...
  • 【5 Modes Lighting】LED flashlight with 5 modes Strong mode, Medium mode, Low mode, Strobe mode, and SOS mode, you can switch at will, and adapt to different environments of lighting. And can switch...
  • 【Upgrade USB Input & Output Charge】The handheld flashlight uses a rechargeable large capacity of 10000mAh. It can work continuously for up to 10-12 hours. Additionally, it can function as a power...
  • 【IPX6 Waterproof】Led flashlights are suitable for outdoor environments and adverse weather conditions. It is made of aviation-grade aluminum alloy for powerful impact resistance, also skid-proof,...
  • 【What you can get】You will get 1 * Large Flashlight, 1 * USB Charging Cable, 1 * Shoulder Strap, 1 * 10000mAh, 1 * Rope, 2 * Tubes, and 1 * User Manual. Powerful handheld flashlight, It's a great...
Bestseller No. 6
QOPOYU LED Rechargeable Flashlights High Lumens Flash Light, 900,000 Lumens Super Bright Powerful Tactical Flashlight, 5 Modes IPX6 Waterproof Handheld Flashlights for Camping Emergencies (2 Pack)
  • 🔦[900000 Lumens Super Bright Flashlight] Rechargeable high lumens flashlights are equipped with ultra-bright P90.8 LED chip, capable of emitting 900,000 lumens on the highest power setting. It can...
  • 🔦[Long Battery Life | Power Display] Powerful led tactical flashlights can be used for 8-12 hours for a long time after a single charge. This high powered flashlight is equipped with rechargeable...
  • 🔦[3 Hours Fast Charge] Rechargeable tactical flashlight high lumens built-in fast charging chip, featured with USB-C intelligent charging port, charging speed increased by 30%. It only takes 3...
  • 🔦[5 Lighting Modes | Adjustable] Rechargeable flash light high lumens has 5 lighting modes: High-Medium-Low-Strobe-SOS. You can use it flexibly in different scenarios. Deep press 2-3 seconds under...
  • 🔦[Brighter & No "Fences"] The lighting function of QOPOYU rechargeable flashlight is more powerful, and the light produced will be more concentrated, brighter and farther than P70.2, P160 or P360...
Bestseller No. 7
Gehavin Super Bright Flashlight 990000 High Lumens,High Powered XHP160.5 Led Flashlight Rechargeable, Emergency Flashlight Battery Powered with Waterproof Zoomable for Camping Emergencies
  • 🔦【Upgraded LED Chip, Brighter】The Gehavin worlds brightest flashlight lights features an upgraded xhp160.5 chip that allows it to produce an ultra-high output of 990000 lumens, making it 30...
  • 🔦【Add Mode, Select More】The upgraded model of this battery powered flashlight adds a Super Strong mode to its existing 5 modes (Strong, Medium, Low, Strobe, and SOS), making it even more...
  • 🔦【Charge Faster】The Gehavin waterproof best flashlight has several advantages, including its USB charging capability, which allows for faster charging and increased durability. Additionally, it...
  • 🔦【Zoomable, Adapt To More Scenes】The Gehavin led rechargeable flashlight comes equipped with a telescopic zoom function, allowing you to switch between spotlight and floodlight modes. Zooming...
  • 🔦【IPX67 Level, More Waterproof】The Gehavin most powerful led flashlight features an IPX67 waterproof rating, making it suitable for use in adverse weather conditions or emergencies such as rain...
Bestseller No. 8
OMALIGHT Rechargeable 980000 High Lumens LED Flashlights, XHP90.2 Super Bright Flashlight with Zoomable & 5 Modes & IPX7 Waterproof for Camping
  • 【Super Bright & Powerful Battrey Life】OMALIGHT flashlight uses military-grade aluminum alloy as the body material, the overall surface of the body is black anodized, uses XH-P90.2 LED super chip...
  • 【5 Lighting Modes & Tactical Zoom】OMALIGHT flashlight as a professional multi-function flashlight, with strong/medium/low light/strobe/SOS 5 lighting modes, also has excellent tactical telescopic...
  • 【USB Fast Charging & Power Display】OMALIGHT flashlight exclusively designed USB interface for fast charging, charging speed is 180% of ordinary micro-usb interface flashlight, with 25%/50%/75%...
  • 【IPX7 Waterproof & Super Drop-Resistant Body】OMALIGHT flashlight is IPX7 waterproof and has a waterproof rubber ring. It has excellent high-altitude anti-drop function, and can withstand harsh...
  • 【Risk-Free Purchase & 5 Years No Reason Refund】We will provide 5 years full warranty and no reason full refund, we have professional after-sales staff to reply you online 24 hours a day. If you...

The Complete Buyers Guide – What You Need To Know

How is “Bright” Measured?

It may not seem like it makes much sense, but brightness is actually something that can be easily measured via a number of units. The most common ways to measure brightness are by lumens, lux, candela, or simply by brightness or luminance. However, we’ll be focusing on lumens, the most common means of measuring flashlight brightness.

In mathematical terms, one lumen is a measure of luminous flux. It is equal to one candela (light intensity) multiplied by one steradian (1/12.566 of a sphere). In layman’s terms, lumens simply measure the total light emitted by a particular source.

You can imagine it as such: envision that you are standing within a cardboard box that measures 1m2. If you were holding a candle within the box, one lumen would be the amount of light that falls onto the box, so the more candles you hold, the higher the lumens.

Light output can range from a minuscule 9 lumens all the way up to a blazing 3500 lumens. For a reasonably priced flashlight with a good amount of power and brightness, you’ll be looking for flashlights with brightness ratings of anywhere from 100 to 1000 lumens depending on what you want to use it for. The important part is that the flashlights live up to these promises.

Manufacturers often list lumens based on the ratings of the bare emitters or light sources of the flashlights, meaning that the flashlight itself will have a lower lumens rating than that.

However, companies that measure lumens out the front (OTF) will be listing the lumens ratings based on what you get out of the front of the flashlight; there will be a statement saying if it is measured this way on the packaging.

Types of Flashlights

There are two ways to classify the kinds of flashlights that there are. One way is by the type of bulbs or light outputs that they use, and the other is by their uses and what they are built for. We’ll take a look at each of them, one by one.

Types of Flashlights by Bulbs

LED Lights

LED stands for light-emitting diodes, which are a form of semiconductor. These tend to have long lives due to the fact that they are not made of glass or filament, and also thanks to their lack of energy wastage. Most bright flashlights at a reasonable price make use of white LED lights.

Incandescent Bulbs

These are the oldest and least expensive kind of flashlight in the book, as they’ve been around quite a while! They produce a lot of brightness but tend to waste energy due to heat production, resulting in batteries and bulbs that aren’t very durable.

HID Bulbs

Short for High Intensity Discharge bulbs, these function via an arranged ball of ionized gas that electric current then goes through. These tend to be heftier and more expensive, and as such, they aren’t as common – but they’re extremely bright and last long!

Pressurized Gas Bulbs

These bulbs may be filled with xenon, halogen, or krypton, as these gases can help to make the inner filaments have a longer lifespan. This, in turn, allows bulbs to burn brightly without wasting too much battery power. These tend to be some of the brightest bulbs, but they don’t last nearly as long as LEDs!

Shake Flashlights

These work by shaking the magnets within them, providing you with several hours of LED light that isn’t very bright, but is always at the ready! However, be careful with these powerful magnet lights – they may damage credit cards, computers, or pacemakers.

Types of Flashlights by Build

Common Utility Flashlights

These are the most basic, staple flashlights you could possibly ask for, and they are often the most inexpensive. They typically make use of a single incandescent bulb and are made mostly from plastic. They also tend to run on D-cells. These flashlights usually have weaker beams and a low durability rate, and they often run out of battery very quickly.

Heavy Duty Flashlights or Industrial Flashlights

Made from a heavy plastic or plastic composite, these are slightly better than the common utility flashlight. They have more durability but may still break easily and do not have very bright beams, often maxing out at around 18 lumens. They usually use incandescent bulbs or pressurized gas bulbs and are powered by D-cells.

Work Flashlights

These are made for everyday use and tend to be made of a stronger plastic and nylon composite in order to withstand the occasional beating. They may make use of pressurized gas bulbs and often max out at around 30 lumens. Their battery life and light brightness are often around average, and they may have some form of water resistance.

Tactical Flashlights

These are the types of lights you want if you want brightness. Tactical flashlights are designed for outdoor use and are made to withstand the elements, with high-grade elements built in and strongly durable outer bodies. These lights are often used in military, police, or rescue situations, and as such, they make great options for powerful flashlights.

They may use pressurized gas bulbs, halogen bulbs, HID bulbs, or LED bulbs and can run on a wide variety of batteries. They’re meant to last long and be blindingly bright.

Main Factors To Look For In A Flashlight

Light Pattern

This refers to how the light leaves a flashlight – is it a narrow beam, or a wide one, or perhaps somewhere in the middle? Some flashlights have an adjustable zoom function so that you can adjust the light patterns to suit your needs.

Color

White LED lights have become the norm for bright flashlights, and many find them to be natural. However, some find these lights to be too harsh and prefer yellow lighting. This is a matter of personal preference, so choose what works best for you.

Brightness

How bright is a flashlight? Mostly, this is measured by lumens (see number 4). Some flashlights also have adjustable brightness modes so that you can tailor how strong the beam of light is depending on your situation.

Lumens

This rating of brightness will give you a better idea of how heavily the light will fall on the environment around it. You can scroll back up to read more about lumens!

Beam distance

How far does a beam of light reach? Some go for up to 500 feet ahead, with a width of even five feet. Some claim to cover football fields. A farther range is generally thought to be more desirable as it provides better visibility. Flashlights with a zoom function may be able to adjust some aspects of their beam range.

Batteries

Different flashlights run on different batteries, and depending on what you prefer to use, it’s a good idea to know what type the flashlight you’re about to buy runs on. D-cells, AAs, AAAs, rechargeable 18650s, and Lithium-Ion batteries are all popular ones. Do some research about each one to find out more about them!

Battery Life

Once more: different flashlights run on different batteries, and each one has its own lifespan. It’s a good idea to note how long a flashlight can run on a particular battery before needing them replaced or charged.

Power Source

If not referring to batteries, this often points to the bulbs used by the flashlight. You can scroll back up to read more about each type of bulb!

Weather Resistance

If you plan to use a flashlight outdoors, then it will be a good idea to pick up one that has some form of water resistance. Some flashlights are also shockproof or vibration proof in order to withstand very harsh conditions – and being dropped during them. Even if you plan to only use a flashlight indoors, some weather resistance could be a great help.

Switch

How does the flashlight turn on and off or switch between modes? Is that method somewhat flimsy? Once a switch breaks, the flashlight is usually lost – so make sure you buy one with a durable switch.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do flashlights work?

Essentially, a flashlight is powered by batteries that create an electrical current. This current runs through metal contact points, bringing itself to the flashlight’s bulbs. Within these bulbs, there is a thin wire that contains an element known as tungsten, and this element glows when electricity comes into contact with it.

What can a flashlight be used for?

At the most basic level, flashlights are a great portable source of light that you can bring along with you. They’re mainly used for safety purposes, for a general house or work uses, or for outdoor activities. There’s rarely a limit for what you can use the light on your flashlight for!

How do you store a flashlight?

Flashlights should be easy to get to in the case of an emergency. They should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, and preferably away from water.

Can flashlight bulbs be replaced?

The short answer is yes. Almost all flashlights will allow for this. However, LED flashlights don’t need to have their bulbs replaced as they’re not meant to burn out.

Should batteries be removed when a flashlight is not in use?

It’s much safer to keep the batteries inside the flashlight so that it’s ready to operate in an emergency. If you’re concerned about the batteries running out, that you can simply keep a pack of unused batteries in the same place that you store the flashlight.

Operation and Maintenance Tips

In order to prolong the life of your flashlight, it’s a good idea to know how to properly operate and perform maintenance on it. This is to ensure that you have a light that will last you as long as possible. Here are some tips.

  1. Replacing flashlight bulbs periodically is a fantastic way to extend the life of your flashlight, and this is even more important if your flashlight is vital for missions or tactical situations. Once again, though, LEDs do not need to be replaced!
  2. Even if you barely use your flashlight, check in on it every once in a while just to switch the power on and off again. Don’t forget to check the batteries and switch them out every so often to ensure that no leakage happens that damages the flashlight. If you use your flashlight very frequently, then make sure to change the batteries when you see the light beginning to grow dim. This will prolong the life of the bulbs in the flashlight.
  3. Make sure that the switch on your flashlight does not become blocked. If you notice that a switch stops receiving an instant response, it may be time to change the flashlight altogether – you don’t want it to stop working when you need it most!
  4. Dirt and grime are an enemy for many electrical products, and flashlights are the same. Make sure to keep your light clean, so wipe them regularly with rags or a cotton swab. During the cleaning process, you’ll also be able to check for cracks and breakages, so you kill two birds with one stone.
  5. Even if a flashlight claims to be waterproof, refrain from completely submerging or placing the flashlight inside water, instead of keeping the water resistance to heavy rain and similar weather conditions.

Conclusion

Flashlights are an important object to have in every home, and they can be handy in a pinch and during emergencies. The brightest flashlight can be a real life-saver!

All these flashlights had fantastic brightness ratings and great features to offer, so take your pick, or look for one that better suits your needs.

We hope this guide has helped you out and that you will soon own a bright and powerful flashlight that will serve you for years to come!

You may also like

Outdoors Magazine

Embracing the Great Outdoors is a compelling blog dedicated to celebrating the beauty and thrill of outdoor activities, weaving tales of awe-inspiring hiking trails, serene fishing spots, strategic hunting expeditions, and invigorating camping adventures to inspire and guide like-minded enthusiasts.

Edtior's Picks

Latest Articles

©2023 Outdoors Magazine. All Right Reserved.