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8 Best Tactical Flashlights

By Andrew Peloquin,

Home / Outdoors

After 12 hours of research evaluating 150 products, we picked Streamlight 88060 Pro Tac HL 4 as our top choice.

The best tactical flashlight is more than just your everyday light beam—it is designed for “tactical” use by the military or law enforcement.

What does that mean?

Some can be mounted to a weapon for use when shooting in low-light environments, while others are designed to exclusively be used as a handheld.

When you’re talking about a tactical flashlight or a military-grade flashlight, unique characteristics are being considered.

They tend to be smaller than regular flashlights, and are more durable—often made of weapons-grade or aircraft-grade aluminum. They also tend to emit more light and have more light settings than regular flashlights. Many are even designed for use in self-defense.

So we also included the brightest tactical flashlight on our list, which has both characteristics.

Sounds very handy!

Tactical flashlights are incredibly versatile, durable, and reliable—it’s what makes them so handy in tactical situations.

Below, we’ve compiled a list of the very best tactical flashlights for your use no matter where you are or what you do.

RELATED: 15 Best LED Flashlights

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

#1 Best Tactical Flashlight Overall

Streamlight 88060 Pro Tac HL 4

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  • Super bright, excellent beam power
  • Durable and resistant to wear and damage
  • Added weight and size make it a useful weapon
Pros Cons

Brightest tactical 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.

Product Ratings

Design

9.5/10

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).

The shell has an anti-roll top that will keep it securely in place if you set it down, and it’s designed for both right and left-handed use. The on/off switch is in an easy-to-reach location, making it highly convenient to use, even if the lanyard is looped around your wrist.

Performance

9.5/10

This is where the Streamlight shines! 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. Battery life is average at best—43 hours on the lowest setting, and 90 minutes on the highest. Though it can use both 3-volt lithium CR123A batteries or 18650 Li-Ion batteries, be warned that it will burn through them quickly.

Value

9/10

At nearly $100, this is the priciest of the 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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#2 Best Professional LED Flashlight

SureFire G2X Series LED Flashlights with Tough Nitrolon Body

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  • Extremely bright
  • Incredibly durable
  • Perfect for professional use
Pros Cons

The SureFire G2X Series LED Flashlight with a Tough Nitrolon Body is a must have for anyone working in law enforcement or looking for a flashlight for professional use. It's crazy bright, with a beam that extends far and casts a huge barrier of light. 

The light settings on this flashlight take a few moments to get used to. 

Product Ratings

Design

9.3/10

The SureFire G2X Series LED Flashlight is designed specifically with law enforcement in mind. It is virtually indestructible with it’s lightweight, Nitrolon polymer body, mil-spec aluminum head, and O-rings and gasket seals. 

Performance

9.4/10

This LED flashlight has a max output of 400 lumens of white light. The beam of light extends extremely far and provides a large surrounding light. 

The tactical tail cap switch controls the light’s output. From just a simple click you can shine 400 lumens of light, for less light return to off mode and then click on again within two seconds for the 15-lumen beam. 

This flashlight is perfect for anyone in need of a professional-grade flashlight. 

Value

9.3/10

Right now, Amazon is having a massive sale for this flashlight. It’s only $46.20 after initially selling for $95.00. This is a great value you’re not going to want to miss out on. 

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#3 Best Weapon Mount Tactical Flashlight

Streamlight 69260 TLR-1 HL Weapon Mount Tactical Flashlight Light 800 Lumens with Strobe

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  • Provides an 800-lumen blast of light
  • Not super heavy
  • Perfect size
Pros Cons

Streamlight Weapon Mount Tactical Flashlight provides 800 lumens of light with great peripheral coverage. It runs for almost two hours and will securely fit on a broad range of weapons for defense. 

It's expensive. 

Product Ratings

Design

9.3/10

This light is made of durable aluminum with anodized finish. It has a high temperature, shock mounted, impact resistant glass lens. The light has C4 LED technology for extreme brightness and is powered by two 3-volt CR123 lithium batteries that have a 10-year storage life. It’s also got shock-proof technology along with a rail clamp that easily attaches and detaches.

Performance

9.3/10

The Streamlight 69260 TLR-1 HL Weapon Mounted Tactical Light provides 800 lumens of light with a wide beam to help light up large areas or identify nearby objects. The beam reaches 245 meters and runs for about 1.75 hours. This light is highly recommended for use by law enforcement

Value

9.2/10

This light is expensive but durable and built to last through the harshest conditions. 

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#4 Best Multi-feature Flashlight

Anker LC90 LED Flashlight

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  • Extremely bright CREE LED
  • Built tough
  • Variety of settings and zoomable feature
Pros Cons

Looking for a rechargeable, waterproof, adjustable, solidly made, and a powerful flashlight? Check, check, check, check, and check!

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.

Product Ratings

Design

9.5/10

Feature by feature, this is the best flashlight overall on our list. 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 for anything. Hunting. Nighttime dog walks. Camping. Emergencies. And more. With its 900-lumen light, it’s easy to see why this is the best flashlight. The shock-resistant design will guarantee durability, no matter what you use it for.

Performance

9.5/10

Aside from the short-outs some people experienced, this flashlight is top of the line—and for a great price. You get 6 hours of run-time from this flashlight, with a 6-hour recharge time for the batteries. You’ll love the ambidextrous placement of the on/off switch. The aluminum housing is super tough, and the sealed construction ensures that it’s fully dust and water-resistant.

Value

9.5/10

It’s super bright, super tough, and super efficient! What more could you ask for? Oh yes, an amazingly affordable price tag!

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#5 Best Midsize Flashlight

GearLight High-Powered LED Flashlight

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  • Long battery life
  • Inexpensive
  • Strong illumination
Pros Cons

The GearLight High-Powered LED Flashlight is perfect for camping, nighttime voyages, or that lost toy under your couch. It's high powered, has an extremely bright light, and it's the perfect size for travel and storage. 

The rechargeable batteries shine brighter than the disposable batteries. 

Product Ratings

Design

9/10

This flashlight is made with anti-slip aluminum and is water resistant. It takes three double AA batteries that last for a long time. If interested, this flashlight also offers compatibility with 18650 or 26650 rechargeable batteries so you can help go green! 

Performance

9.2/10

You get five different zoomable modes enabling you to focus in on objects that are hundreds of feet away or zoom out to scan large areas. The settings are high, medium, low, strobe, and SOS. This is the kind of flashlight you’re going to want in your household or emergency kit. 

Value

9.2/10

This flashlight comes with a one year warranty, but trust us, you won’t need to use it. The product is very durable and made of quality material, and the price cannot be beaten. 

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#6 Best Flashlight Under $100

ThruNite TN12 EDC LED Flashlight

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  • The brightest setting provides 1050 lumens of light
  • Can choose between cool white and neutral white
  • Contains six different output modes
Pros Cons

The ThruNite TN12 EDC LED Flashlight is perfect for camping, hiking, or any outdoor nighttime activities. It's extremely powerful and bright and can reach up 1050 lumens in max mode and 800 lumens in strobe mode. This can be used as an everyday flashlight or as a tactical flashlight. 

The flashlight can get very hot in max mode after about 10 minutes of use - so make sure to exercise caution and follow the directions with this flashlight. 

Product Ratings

Design

8.8/10

This ThruNite TN12 EDC LED Flashlight is compact and light, enabling you to bring it with you wherever you go. The flashlight’s body is made from aircraft-grade aluminum, and it is impact resistant.  

This flashlight has six output modes, including Firefly mode, which provides a 0.4-lumen setting – perfect for reading at night and protecting your eyes. To operate this flashlight, you can use the tail switch or the stainless steel side switch (more user-friendly for everyday needs)

Performance

8.9/10

This flashlight reaches up to 1050 lumens in max mode and 800 lumens in strobe mode. It’s incredibly bright and is perfect for outdoor everyday night use, military use, law enforcement use, or as a must-have in your emergency kit. The beam is intense and focused from this flashlight thanks to the centralized LED bulb. 

Value

8.9/10

At $89.95, you’ve got a quality tactical flashlight that you can use for anything. It’s lightweight, with heavy-duty aluminum that is impact resistant and ready to go wherever you go. 

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#7 Best Pocket Size Flashlight

Fenix E12 Pocket-Sized Flashlight

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  • Compact and waterproof
  • Three brightness settings
  • Perfect for travel and on the go work
Pros Cons

The Fenix E12 Pocket-Sized Flashlight is the perfect, compact size to accompany you on any journey! It's small yet packs a punch with its three brightness settings (max mode - 130 lumens, medium mode - 50 lumens, low mode - 8 lumens) and aircraft grade aluminum body. 

This is a compact flashlight, the max light you're going to get is 130 lumen. 

Product Ratings

Design

8.7/10

Maybe what stands out the most about this pocket-sized flashlight is how incredibly durable it is. It’s got a precision-machined, high strength aluminum alloy case and still weighs less than 2 oz. 

Performance

8.8/10

This flashlight is going to become your most handy flashlight with its three output settings. For max mode, it shines 130 lumens of light (pretty impressive for such a small sized flashlight) at medium mode it’s going to give you 50 lumens of light that will last up to 6 hours and 30 minites, and at low mode it’s going to provide 8 lumens of light that can last up to 40 hours! Talk about versatility. 

Value

8.8/10

This flashlight is currently on sale on Amazon for $26.95. The extreme versatility and small size of this flashlight make this price an absolute bargain. 

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#8 Best Tactical Flashlight Bundle

Klarus 2000 Lumens Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight

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  • Compact and lightweight
  • Extremely bright
  • Reaches up to 316 meters
Pros Cons

The Klarus 2000 Lumens Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight is great for on the go thanks to it's compact and lightweight build. 

A little pricier than some of our other options. 

Product Ratings

Design

8.9/10

The Klarus is a rechargeable flashlight that has a USB port on the side. Any standard USB adapter will work for this flashlight – which means you probably already have a charger for it! There is a battery indicator so you can know when your battery level is low. 

The Klarus is crafted with aircraft-grade aluminum 6061-T6 with a Mil-Spec HAIII anti-abrasive and anodized finish – making it extremely durable and impact resistant. The flashlight will get extremely hot after long periods of use and has temperature protection, so you know when it’s time to turn off the flashlight, lower the settings, or put on gloves. 

Performance

8.9/10

This flashlight is super bright and can reach up to 316 meters. It comes with three operating settings including; tactical setting (for everyday use), outdoor setting, and advanced tactical setting. 

Value

8.9/10

It’s a little more expensive than some of our other flashlights, but it provides incredibly strong light and is going to last you a long time. 

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Andrew Peloquin

Expert Author

Fitness has come hard for Andy; he's had to work for it. But, his trials have led him to become a martial artist, an 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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