A tactical flashlight can serve different objectives, which makes it vital for you to pick the best one that serves your individual situation or needs. Since a tactical flashlight could be your first line of defense in a sudden attack it is very important to pick high standard light like Olight Valkyrie Turbo LEP Lighting that will uphold its integrity.
To pick the best tactical flashlight first decide its objective, then set a budget, pick features that fit your needs like lumen output, material durability, power source, size variations, brightness levels, bulb type, light modes, switch options, and if it follows the ANSI FLI standard.
In this page, we will show you every aspect you will want to consider before in the best tactical flashlight and provide you with the top Tactical lights on the market and why.
Why use tactical light for?
A tactical flashlight is used for many essential objectives, such as military and self-defense objectives, camping, hunting and even survival. It is largely designed for tactical use. Hence, many tactical flashlights are designed in a way that permits it to be mounted to a weapon for a low-light shooting as well as self-defense if important.
How to pick the right tactical light
The light lumen or output of the flashlight
The lumen is just the measurement of the full amount of light that comes of the flashlight. People tend to confuse lumen with wattage, which is the power amount used by the light. The higher the lumen output your flashlight has more the more complete light the flashlight produces. The lens or reflector will then determine the file projection of the light and actually how the full lumens are used which also affects brightness.
Most flashlights range between twenty lumens to 1000-2000 lumens. Some flashlight make even top lumen claims, but to efficiently and perfectly reach anything brighter for a reasonable amount of time, the flashlight becomes pretty big due to required heat sinks and batteries to support such power.
Size of the flashlight
The size you want your flashlight to be indecently depends on the objective you intend to use it for. If you just want to carry a little flashlight along with the you for little emergencies, you can consider buying mini or micro flashlights, as it serves the objective of being conveniently little while also providing off ample light.
I advise checking out Valkyrie Turbo, which is one of the most famous flashlight accessible. Its light output is 250.
Beam distance of a flashlight
The beam distance is calculated in feet or meters. This measures how far the light reaches before it diminishes. Simply put, it measures how far ahead you will be capable to view using your tactical flashlight. In terms of beam distance, there are 2 types of light dispersals, one that sheds light in terms of length and one that sheds light largely. This largely depends on the type of lens or reflector your flashlight has.
In general, flashlights that flood a broad area with light tend to have a little beam distance, but spread the full lumens to a bigger area. Hence, people favor using this for activities that are close-up. Generally, people who use tactical flashlights for the sole objective of close up jobs while camping, work on a vehicle, or DIY project to stick to a flood beam.
Color-changing LEDs or light filters
Though some flashlights come along with light filters, this is something you might have to put money in separately. These filters are put over the lens of your flashlight to replace the color of the LED bulbs. More modern LED flashlights provide variable colors. People usually get these color options filters to make their flashlight perfect for their activity.
For example, hunters generally favor using green lights inside the forests as this stops animals from getting startled.
The durability of the flashlight
This is one of the most important factors of a tactical flashlight, as it needs to job rightly in any type of condition or emergency. Let’s look at few of the most vital features of durability you need to keep an eye out for.
Impact resistance
Look for long run flashlights that are made out of stainless steel, anodized aluminum, or titanium. These metals are durable and powerful, which means it would not easily break when it has been dropped even on difficult surfaces like concrete.
Additionally, using powerful metals will make it powerful, enabling it to be used as a weapon to save yourself from attackers in case you don’t have a real weapon on you.
Waterproof/water resistance
Generally called as the IPX rating of a flashlight, the water-resistance of flashlight is vital if you want your flashlight to last for a long period of time, through storms and rains and other accidents where it might end up submerged in water.
There are 3 IPX ratings for flashlights, which are as follows:
IPX4: This rating means that the flashlight can withstand water splashes that may outcome from heavy rains and such.
IPX7: An IPX7 rating point out that the flashlight can be submerged in about one meter of water for a little period of time, generally thirty minutes.
IPX8: The IPX8 rating permits a flashlight to be fully submerged at a deeper depth of water for at least a few hours before it starts to malfunction.
The budget for a tactical flashlight
When it comes to getting a best standard tactical flashlight, there is pretty huge range to fit just about any budget. If you want to get a perfect flashlight with great durability and features, it might cost you somewhere between $50 to $250. Also, look for brands that provide you warranty like OLIGHT. When investing in a standard flashlight, buy from honest, known and reputable brands that will be around should you need to use your warranty.
If your budget is on the higher side of that range and you want top-end tactical flashlight, I advise checking out Valkyrie Turbo. They have almost all the features we discussed in this page, and also come with a 1600mAh battery and full recharging kit!