Beginners Guide to Buying Flashlights

Are you looking at buying a flashlight, but don’t know where to start? Well, lets start here! When it comes to purchasing a flashlight, you need to put several different things into consideration. The first thing to consider is what purpose you will be using the flashlight. A household flashlight will greatly differ from a hard labor flashlight.

If you walk into a store you will see that every flashlight company claims that they are the best. What they usually don’t do is state what they are comparing their product to. On the packaging they might make claims such as their flashlight can survive being run over by a tank or it can be submerged hundreds of feet under water and still work. These claims can be misleading. On the flip end, there are several flashlight makers who are very modest and don’t try to bring down other companies.

With today’s technology, Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs are all the rage. This is due to the small amount of power that they consume, making your batteries last a lot longer. JUST BECAUSE A FLASHLIGHT IS LED DOESN’T MEAN IT’S WORTH YOUR MONEY! When it comes to flashlights, you usually get what you pay for. If you find a torch out there claiming it’s the best and it’s only $5, you are obviously going about it all wrong.

Let’s start looking at some good flashlights to keep around your house. When it comes to a household flashlight, it doesn’t need to be the brightest one out there. It just needs to be bright enough to light your way. Another nice thing to consider is how long the batteries last. If the power is out for hours on end, it is nice to have a light the whole time that the lights are out. You don’t need a casing that is made out of the strongest metal. It just needs to be durable enough to be dropped and not broken.

Here is a great light for keeping around in your house:

The Gerber Infinity Ultra Task LED Safety Flashlight:

This light may not be the brightest, but it is more than enough to do the job. For a household flashlight, you don’t need the brightest beam, however, this light shoots a 30-foot beam that is sure to turn a dark room bright. My favorite thing about this flashlight is you don’t need fancy batteries to power it. It simply runs off of 1 AA battery that is included when you purchase it. The body of the flashlight is a hard anodized coating and has two O-rings to help with water resistance. This light is also really easy to operate so if you have kids, they don’t need special training on how to use it. Best of all, it has a run time of 32 hours!

From mechanics to construction workers, this light is a great companion to have with you. It’s always nice to have a flashlight that can withstand a little tough-love and not have to worry about it falling apart. Being an ex-coal miner, I personally know how convenient it is to carry a good light on you. Not only for lighting the way, but for communication when your headlamp just won’t suffice.

Here is a great example of a flashlight that you can rough up a little:

The Klarus XT11 LED:

Not only is this light tough and durable, it has a great beam on it. The body is made out of aircraft grade aluminum with a tough ultra-clear glass lens making this flashlight very impact resistant. The beam can go up to 600 lumens. However, if you don’t want something that bright, it also has 3 other settings to choose from ranging from 10-600 lumens and a variable frequency strobe. This also features a dual button switch for easy use with only one had. The beam maintains however bright you would like until the battery is completely dead. Not only is the body durable, it is textured to provide a great grip. It also has a clip so you can carry it with you easier and know right where it is without having to search for it.

Quite frankly, when purchasing a flashlight it always helps to do a little bit of homework before you just go the the local hardware store and buy one. Sometimes manufacturers can be deceiving when explaining what the lamp is comparable to. If you have any questions feel free to comment. I wanna know what kind of lights you guys are carrying.