The 10 Most Popular Flashlight Brands, Ranked

Most of us consider our phones an all-in-one tool. And, while the modern smartphone certainly has lots of features that will make your next hike even better, some tasks are best left to specialized devices. Compared to the small light on our phones, dedicated flashlights are must-have camping gadgets and more reliable in the shop — they're far brighter and much more durable. Nobody wants to be the one to drop their iPhone into a container of motor oil while trying to see where that drain plug rolled off to, be stuck with a piddly light beam trying to find a trail in the woods at night. A few of those flashlight apps have some alarming permission requests, as well. 

There are too many brands of flashlight out in the wild, from cheap AA models to enthusiast products you can modify to exacting specifications. We've narrowed the best brand names down to a list of 10. Remember, a low ranking here doesn't mean a bad product — there are literally hundreds of flashlight brands. We've researched this list using Reddit, forums, YouTube reviews, and product recommendations from websites for professionals. We also asked several mechanics and firearm enthusiasts about their favorite brands.

The house brand of wholesale online retailer Banggood, Astrolux sells a wide variety of flashlights. Many are rebranded products from manufacturer Mateminco, but both brand names get really solid reviews. Astrolux's flashlights have a lot of the features enthusiasts crave, often for less money than you'd expect. The company features lights in its lineup for everyday carry and specialized uses. Astrolux's flashlights are often mentioned among some of the longest-throwing in the business, with one in particular performing above and beyond what one might expect from a sub-$200 light.

The Astrolux WP3 is a powerful laser-excited phosphor (LEP) flashlight. Laser-based flashlights like the WP3 were only introduced in 2018. There are a couple of different designs out there for how to turn a laser into a viable light source, but the result is generally the same — LEP flashlights produce light that can be thrown incredible distances, but also generate a lot of heat, which limits applications. The WP3, for example, has an amazing throw distance of 1.8 miles. It has a stainless steel bezel, a knurled grip, and a reliable power and mode switch with good tactile response. While it's not exactly useful for, say, finding one's keys on the garage floor, it can be used as a beacon, or for hunting or hiking. It's also fun just to mess around with a flashlight this powerful — safely, of course.

The Astrolux WP3 is available from Banggood for around $160.

For folks who don't consider themselves "flashaholics" (yes, that's the term people use) and just want a familiar name, Maglite is one of the more widely recognizable entries on our list, having been around for over forty years. With the introduction of the familiar Maglite flashlight design in 1979, the company quickly developed a great reputation for a reliable, durable product among first responders and mechanics. Since that flagship product launched, not only has the company's lineup expanded, but it also has maintained manufacturing facilities in the United States for its entire existence.

Maglite has diversified into lights for all kinds of applications, from tactical models for mounting on firearms to small everyday carry lights that can save users' phone battery life when a handheld lighting solution is needed. For our money, that "cop light" — the ML300L 4D — is still the go-to for an oversized light with incredibly long battery life. The four regular D batteries it uses can retain power for over five years, making the Maglite great for tossing in the trunk of your vehicle and forgetting about it until an emergency.

The ML300L can stay on for five hours on its high setting, and up to 18 days on its lowest. It's impact-resistant and water-resistant, and while it's heavy with batteries installed, the flashlight definitely makes up for its size as a makeshift tool in a pinch.

The Maglite ML300L 4D is available from Amazon for under $50.

Founded by the inventor of the first commercially available laser-sighted weapon, SureFire has been a constant in the field of firearms illumination and accessories since its inception. The company specializes in flashlight attachments for weapons, as its main focus is on making dependable tactical equipment for military and law enforcement use. However, SureFire also makes a number of lighting solutions for competitive shooting as well as camping, hunting, and outdoor use.

One of their most popular everyday carry lights is the Stiletto Pro, a unique-looking flashlight designed to comfortably sit in a pocket or one's hand. Thin, flat, and durable, the Stiletto Pro produces 1000 lumens on its brightest setting and recharges via a side-mounted USB-C port. It has tactical thought in its design, with a tail button that can also activate a bright white strobe for use in self-defense. Programmable, bright, lightweight, and waterproof, this little 4.5-inch-long flashlight is a dependable and versatile tool. Clever users can flip the pocket clip around to attach the light to a baseball hat for hands-free use.

The SureFire Stiletto Pro is sold on Amazon for $226.

Winners of several awards for design and innovation both internationally and in the U.S., Nitecore has innovated in the flashlight field for over 16 years. Its gear is designed for the more outdoorsy among us, and the company makes things like backpacks and outdoor power solutions, alongside its wide range of flashlights and lanterns.

While Nitecore makes a great variety of traditional flashlights, we're going to highlight its LR70, a lightweight little lantern that can also function as a power bank and dual-beam flashlight. Capable of 3000 lumens in flashlight mode, and 400 as a lantern, the LR70 features separate buttons for flashlight and lantern controls. The flat bottom/flashlight end allows the lantern to be placed on a surface, and there's also a built-in hook for hanging in a tent. The inclusion of a 10000mAh power bank is handy for recharging a phone overnight, and at around 4.5 inches tall, this is a handy little lantern for your next camping trip that you can store in a large pocket or bag. 

The Nitecore LR70 costs $80, and is available on Amazon.

Sometimes, you've only got room in your pocket for a light that can fit on a keychain. Olight is beloved by fans of everyday carry flashlights, and its lights are widely accessible through Amazon and similar online retailers. From rail-mounted lights for firearms, to lanterns, headlamps, and bike-mounted lights, Olight covers a wide range of users. Its products have innovative features like shake-to-awake battery level indicators and proximity sensors to dim output. If there's one drawback to Olight's products, it's that the company exclusively uses proprietary batteries, meaning you can't simply pop in any replacement power source.

That drawback hasn't stopped Olight from making the best-selling flashlight on Amazon at the time of writing this article, though. The Olight imini 2 is a tiny rechargeable keychain flashlight, measuring just over 2 inches long, that cleverly integrates a USB charger into the keyring portion of its design. The light itself is magnetically attached to that USB keyring, allowing for easy removal and use. It activates immediately upon removal from the keyring, eliminating the need for buttons or switches. It's well-built, provides 50 lumens of incredibly portable light, and can even be attached to surfaces via that magnetic base, allowing for hands-free use.

The Olight imini 2 is $20 on Amazon.

Convoy is often referred to as the "king of budget" flashlights among flashaholics, with dozens of options in multiple colors and shapes. If you're tech-savvy enough to really get into the nuts and bolts of flashlight modification, Convoy offers plenty of swappable parts and add-ons. When paired with the low prices of most of these parts, as well as the base flashlight units, Convoy makes a great starting point for beginners looking to get into the hobby. The Convoy S2+ is a popular pick, with the base unit costing under $9 on some websites. It's bright and has a great throw distance while still being pocket-sized and rechargeable.

The company's flashlights are available with less customization on Amazon as well as a number of smaller sites. However, flashaholics like to direct shoppers to the Convoy store on AliExpress because of the one-man operation's willingness to customize any order, as well as for his incredible customer service and thorough feedback. The store also has numerous parts available for DIY modification of several of Convoy's flashlights.

The Convoy S2+ is available from AliExpress in a number of combinations of emitters, body colors, and battery options for under $20.

While Acebeam has only been around for 12 years — 10 under its current name — the company is among the top picks for several reviewers and flashlight hobbyists. It makes specialized headlights for activities like camping, mountain biking, and diving, while also catering to the tactical and hunting crowds. Acebeam's flashlights are known for being well-built, and most of its products feature a five-year warranty if anything goes wrong.

While the cool-looking Terminator M2-X is one of the more popular flashlights the brand produces, we'd like to shine a light (sorry) on the solid, dependable E75. The flashlight is available in four colors, with a solid magnet on the tail end. The over 850-foot (260 meters) throw distance and maximum output of 3000 lumens make it great for almost any application. USB-C rechargeability, multiple brightness modes, a side-mounted power button, and a reversible clip for bezel up or down storage options all add up to make a light that's well-regarded and great for use right out of the box.

The Acebeam E75 is available on Amazon for $100.

Thrunite was founded in 2009 by a college dropout who decided to learn all he could about LED products. Based in China, Thrunite offers the variety we'd expect of something near the top of this list, making products for camping, hunting, and firearms. It offers a great variety of smaller everyday carry and pen lights, but we're going to talk about something a little beefier.

The Thrunite TN36 flashlight has been featured on SlashGear as one of the brightest flashlights on the market, and the company managed to improve upon it with the recently released TN50, raising the lumen output from 11,000 to 16,340 while also increasing throw distance from 1,158 feet to 1,345. This powerhouse can also become a long-lasting light source. Firefly mode drops the lumen output to just 1.3, allowing for 62.5 days of soft light on a single charge. Lockout mode is easy to engage and disengage, and indicators allow the user to easily observe whether the light is locked and its state of charge.

The Thrunite TN50 can be purchased on Amazon for $260.

One of the best-known flashlight brands, Streamlight markets heavily toward emergency services, as well as hunting and firearm lighting. While some flashaholics argue that the flashlights cost more because of the brand name, Streamlight built its reputation by making a reliable product in the United States, honoring its warranties, and being heavily used by service people.

Streamlight is also a favorite brand among automotive technicians — both the author of this piece and the carload of BMW technicians we asked all swear by their Streamlight Stingers because of their durability and lifetime warranty. I personally have dropped my orange Stinger LED HL onto a running belt on an engine and into drain pans of both transmission fluid and coolant, and the flashlight continues to work perfectly to this day. 

The Stinger DS LED HL may not be as powerful as several of the other flashlights featured on this list, with a max output of 800 lumens and a throw distance of around 1,017 feet (310 meters). However, for reliability and durability, it's hard not to recommend this model in particular, and Streamlight overall.

The Stinger LED HL is available on Amazon for around $100.

Well-known among both enthusiasts and everyday users, Fenix tops our list for being one of the most versatile and readily available flashlight brands around. The company produces everything from tactical flashlights designed with military and first responders in mind to lanterns for keeping the campsite lit, and it even offers custom engraving with text and logos for many of its most popular products. Fenix flashlights are available nearly everywhere one might even think to buy a flashlight, whether that's outdoor stores like REI, online retailers like Amazon, or even discount department stores like Walmart.

The most popular flashlight from the brand is the Fenix PD36R PRO, a great example of an everyday carry flashlight that balances performance and price. It's rechargeable via USB-C and includes a battery that can keep the light running at its lowest setting for up to 42 hours. The PD36R PRO is impact-resistant, dustproof, and waterproof up to 6.5 feet of submersion, and the company covers its product with a limited lifetime warranty.

The Fenix PD36R PRO is sold on Amazon for around $120.

To assemble this ranking, we went over several reviews on trusted sites and forums, as well as Reddit and YouTube reviews. We visited a nearby firing range and asked the opinions of several patrons, and also asked technicians at our local BMW dealership. The writer of this post also added his own opinions, as both an owner of flashlights from several of these brands, and as a DIY enthusiast and former professional auto mechanic, both being fields where getting light into tight spots is critical.