Andrew Peloquin
9 min
3.8K
After 15 hours of research evaluating 135 products, we picked Streamlight 88060 ProTac HL4 Rechargeable Flashlight as our top choice.
Nothing is more useless than a flashlight with no battery!
Think about it: you need a light for camping, patrolling your rounds, or clearing out the attic, but you find your flashlight’s all out of juice.
What the heck is it good for if it doesn’t do the one thing it was designed for—turning on and shining light?
But rather than spending a small fortune on those chunky C-batteries, it’s always a better idea to think about a rechargeable flashlight.
A rechargeable LED flashlight comes with its own built-in battery pack, which can be recharged thousands of times before it gives out.
The best rechargeable flashlight will save you a heck of a lot in battery costs, and it’ll be far more useful than a battery-powered flashlight.
Read our list below to find the best rechargeable flashlights for you to own at home, on your camping trip, or at work!
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Compact, built-in clip, easy to recharge via USB cable, fits in any pocket, lightweight, durable, and surprisingly bright for its small size.
Switch is difficult to turn on.
Don’t expect a brilliant beam of light from this little flashlight—it delivers just 250 lumens on the highest setting, or 50 lumens on the low output mode. The beam is 40-70 meters long (depending on the setting), so it’s better used indoors than outdoors. Definitely your EDC flashlight that goes wherever you go!
Built with a durable anodized machined aluminum body, this flashlight is tough enough to handle anything! It’s also IPX4 water-resistant and drop-resistant, with a built-in clip that secures it to your pocket or belt for quick access.
The button is designed to never be switched on in your pocket, though you may find it’s a bit too difficult to turn on if you don’t have a strong grip.
The battery life on highest output is just 90 minutes, or 3½ hours on the lowest setting. However, it’s quick-charging in just 4 hours, with a battery that can be recharged up to 300 times.
Though it’s got a few drawbacks, its low price and EDC design make it an awesome choice if you want a USB flashlight to carry with you all day every day. Limited warranty included!
Super slim, fits in your shirt pocket, lightweight, durable aluminum, user-friendly one-button operation, USB-rechargeable, waterproof, 120 lumens, and quick charging.
Non-adjustable beam, may not be as bright as it claims.
For its small size, the 120-lumen light is surprisingly bright. Some users have found that the beam is too diffused for outdoor situations, and the fact that the beam is non-adjustable means it may not be perfect for all use. But if you want a little pen light that’s easy to carry around, this is your best pick!
Built with a tough-as-nails aluminum body and IPX5 water resistance, you’ll find this pen light is as durable as you could ask for. The over-charge protection circuit will help to extend the battery life, while the gold-plated conduction spring is guaranteed to stay in good shape for years to come.
The battery life on this pen is surprisingly good—90 minutes on the brightest setting, and 5½ hours on the lower settings. You’ll find it’s easy to recharge using the microUSB cable, and the integrated chip will help to protect it from over-charging and overheating.
Not only is it a great little pen light at a great price, but the 18-month warranty will ensure it performs perfectly or you get your money back!
Heavy-duty, weighty, great for tactical use, good brightness, battery-saving mode, easy to adjust beam and focus, water resistant, impact-resistant, NTOA-certified, fully rechargeable, and can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Latest-model body isn’t as heavy or solid as older models.
At 643 lumens, it’s not the brightest flashlight on our list, but it gets the job done! The super power-saving mode will emit just 66 lumens but protect your battery for hours, ensuring maximum lifespan with decent light output.
The 400-meter beam is easily adjustable, helping you to get the right amount of focus and narrowness for whatever the task.
Built of tough anodized aluminum, this flashlight is great to use as a back-up weapon, and it’s heavy enough that it can inflict some serious damage in tactical situations. Though the latest model isn’t as weighty or durable as the older MagLites, it’s still more than enough to serve as a secondary weapon.
The flashlight is impact-resistant, IPX4 water resistant, and certified by the National Tactical Officers Association. It’s built to last and guaranteed to deliver years of reliable use!
You get pretty impressive battery life with this bad boy: 4 hours on the brightest setting, 17 on the medium setting, and 37 on the eco-mode. Charging time is faster-than-average, and you’ll find it comes with both wall and vehicle chargers.
At $85, you’re getting more than just a flashlight—it’s a backup weapon that could save your life!
Rechargeable, waterproof, adjustable, solidly made, powerful beam, great for outdoor use, compatible with any activity, good brightness, and user-friendly operation.
The most common issue is with the LED shorting out. Anker offers an 18-month warranty and customers rave about their customer service, so be sure to take advantage if you experience any issues.
With its 400-lumen light, it's easy to see why this is the best flashlight for outdoor use. You get plenty of light to shine around your campsite, when hunting, or heading out into the bushes to answer the call of nature.
Because this super bright flashlight comes with five different settings (low, medium, high, strobe, and SOS) and has a zoomable feature that allows you to take the beam from wide to narrow, you can really use this flashlight for just about anything.
The shock-resistant design will guarantee durability, no matter what you use it for. The aluminum housing is super tough, and the sealed construction ensures that it's fully dust and water-resistant. It’s even built with an anti-slip grip that will keep it safely in your hands during the wettest weather.
You get 6 hours of run-time from this flashlight, with a 6-hour recharge time for the batteries. And the batteries deliver up to 50,000 hours of operation time before needing to be replaced!
It's super bright, super tough, and super efficient! Aside from the short-outs some people experienced, this flashlight is top of the line—and for a great price.
Excellent brightness, 50-hour battery life, four light modes, waterproof, low power indicator, fast-charging, 5-year warranty, tactical design and use, highly durable, and can be charged in your vehicle.
Heavier than expected, and the bezel tends to heat up.
At maximum brightness, you get a whopping 3200 lumens and a 250-meter beam. Mid-light mode produces 1500 lumens, while the two lowest modes produce 400 and 60 lumens. There’s also the strobe and turbo modes to use as self-defense tools, using the flashing light to disorient assailants.
The built-in memory function will switch the flashlight on to your last setting, making it easy to go from switched off to your desired brightness in a single click.
Built of tough metal, this flashlight is designed for tactical use, and it doubles as a weapon should you find yourself under attack. It’s also fully waterproof and drop-resistant.
The battery life on this bad boy is up to 50 hours on the low setting, though you get closer to 1-2 hours on the highest setting. You’ll find it’s easy to recharge quickly—up to 80% battery life on just 90 minutes—and the low battery life indicator will let you know when it’s time to juice up!
$130 is a bit of a high price to pay for a flashlight alone, but this kit comes with so much more: a charging holster, a wall mount, a vehicle charger, and a magnetic charger.
6000 lumen CREE spotlight, easy-grip handle, 800-meter beam, 20 hours on high brightness, long-lasting batteries, impact-resistant, waterproof, shatterproof glass, easily accessible charging port, and compatible with shoulder strap.
Some products arrive defective (soldering problem), but are easily exchanged.
The CREE LED light bulb in this flashlight can generate up to 6000 lumens on its highest setting, with a beam up to 800 meters long. Even on the low setting, it’s still brighter than most flashlights at 2,500 lumens.
It’s not only useful as a flashlight, but it can be an excellent searchlight, camping floodlight, and a warning light that can scare away predators with its brightness.
Built of tough ABS plastic and rubber, this flashlight is drop-resistant, coated with IPX6 waterproofing, and with shatterproof glass. Basically, it’s a long-lasting flashlight that will serve you well for years to come.
The ergonomic handle makes it easy to grip this flashlight for long hours, and it even comes with a hole for a shoulder strap.
Despite its brightness, you’ll love how long its battery lasts—up to 20 hours on the highest setting! The rechargeable battery is a 4.3 volt, 9600 mAh 18650 Lithium-Ion battery with surprisingly large capacity, and it’ll last a lot longer than most of its competitors.
At $30, this is a total steal! You may end up with a defective flashlight (a problem known to the manufacturer and covered by warranty), but all the ones that work are guaranteed to work well for years to come!
Brightest rechargeable flashlight on the market, solid design, ambidextrous, water and dustproof, C4 LED technology, 2200 lumen output, 1100 foot beam, good weight and size, limited lifetime warranty, anti-roll top, and compatible with multiple battery types.
Burns through batteries quickly, and this flashlight is heavier than average.
Not only does it produce a 2,200 lumen light, but the beam is 1,100 feet long—more than bright enough for use outdoors and in large indoor spaces, and the brightest on the market. The C4 LED technology produces that beautifully bright beam, though some users find the beam can “wash out” nearby objects.
The settings include low, medium, high, and strobe, with a special “momentary on” feature that allows you to turn on the light for just a second.
At 9 inches long and weighing just over a pound, this is a flashlight to use if you want a light source that can serve as a weapon. Thanks to its aircraft-grade machined aluminum body, this thing can take a beating and never show the damage. The tight-sealed case makes it not only resistant to dust and dirt, but even water (up to 3 feet for 30 minutes).
It’s also covered with a durable, non-conductive, corrosion-proof polymer resin that will guarantee a longer lifespan!
Battery life is better than average for a rechargeable flashlight—43 hours on the lowest setting, and 90 minutes on the highest. Though it can use both four 3-volt lithium CR123A batteries or two 18650 Li-Ion batteries, be warned that it will burn through them quickly.
At nearly $100, this is one of the pricier flashlights on our list, but absolutely worth the cost if you want something super bright and reliable. It comes with a limited lifetime warranty, so you know you’ll always get high quality for your money.
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Fitness has come hard for Andy; he's had to work for it. But, his trials have led him to becoming a martial artist, a NFPT-certified fitness trainer, and a man passionate about exercise and healthy living. That’s why he’s our resident fitness expert.
His favorite food is lettuce-leaf steak tacos – though he’ll admit to a love of hot wings if you leverage the right pressure.
We know him as the guy who understands British humor and wishes everyone was as passionate about life as he is. His previous forays into the worlds of international business and education have left him wildly optimistic. And, if that wasn’t enough, he's also a best-selling, award-winning author of fantasy novels! Can you say renaissance?
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7 Best Rechargeable Flashlights
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