Best, brightest small flashlight (not weapon mounted)? What's out there?

[SMiller]

Foursevens Quark Turbo.

 

[phylodog]

I'm a die hard Surefire fan when it comes to weapon mounted lights but I've become very fond of the offerings from Olight over the past year or so. I carry one of their S1 Batons in my pocket daily and have zero complaints with it.

 

[jrainw]

I picked up a Factor Cossatot 1000 at the NRA show and it has held up very well. 4 brightness levels(I'm a mechanic and use level 2 when pointing it, 4 when sitting it down and flooding an area with reflected light.) 18650 battery, USB rechargeable. On/off is with the normal clicky tailcap, brightness modes by single clicks of a button just behind the head of the light. Strobe is there but you don't have to cycle through it to get to anything else because it is accessed by a double click of the level button. Mine has been dropped from ladders onto concrete, forgotten under the hood of vehicles and left on over night. (Still on the next morning every time, it steps down the brightness as the battery gets low). It can be stood up on its tail cap and used to light up a whole room, I've done that many times and it blows people away. I've been very happy and it was under $100.

 

[bobzilla]

I know this isn't tactical and not cool, but the Tasco 3-pack at sam'sclub right now are pretty damn good. you can hold the button to get a strobe feature, otherwise it's just on and off. the focused beam will reach out as far as the 3-d LED maglight in the kitchen, I think they're rated at 1500lumens. For $20 for three, they are nice. I've been keeping one in my pocket.

 

[Slawburger]

I have both the Fenix PD35 and UC35.
Great lights, very happy with them.
Purchased from The LED Warehouse.

Mine are set to the max brightness setting. Click the tailcap once and daylight ensues.

There is a separate button for brightness levels. It might seem counterintuitive but sometimes less light makes it easier to see. If I am working on something I will cycle through the settings to find the one with the best balance of brightness and reflection. The supernova setting is not always the best choice. Options and versatility are good things.

 

[Alamo]

I've been carrying this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZYNX8G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

NITECORE P12 2015 Version 1000 Lumens Precise Tactical Flashlight CREE XM-L2 U2 LED Waterproof Flashlight

Like it a lot.

Tail cap turns on and off. Like that a lot. Press for momentary, click to stay on.

Button on side to change light levels. If I had my way it would only have the brightest and the lowest level (like 15 lumens), but has a couple on in between. No strobe. I like that too.

At brightest, 1000 lumen level, I can light up the barn 100 yards from my house, easily discern details. Which is why I bought one this bright, I use it outdoors a lot.

Waterproof, sleek, aluminum case.

5.5" long, 1" diameter, same diameter throughout length.

About $50.

Really like it.

 

[Alpo]

I'm a die hard Surefire fan when it comes to weapon mounted lights but I've become very fond of the offerings from Olight over the past year or so. I carry one of their S1 Batons in my pocket daily and have zero complaints with it.

I was looking for a pocket flashlight and went through a bunch of youtube videos and Amazon reviews. In the end, the Olight S1 baton was my choice. They now have a mini which has a few more Lumens and is a bit smaller, but it's $20 to $40 more.

 

[2A_Tom]

Inexpensive Bright

https://www.nebotools.com/prod_details.php?id=207

The REDLINE® Select combines maximum performance with extreme convenience. 2950 LUX is maximum performance, but what is extreme convenience? The REDLINE® Select is named ‘Select’ for a reason. To improve functionality of the 5 lighting modes, a smart select dial has been added to quickly and conveniently choose your lighting mode while the light is on or off. This feature keeps you from having to cycle through each setting to get to the mode that you need. And, that...is extreme convenience.

LIGHT MODES
• High: 2950 LUX – 2 Hours / 198 Meters
• Medium: 1230 LUX – 5 Hours / 96 Meters
• Low: 305 LUX – 12 Hours / 37 Meters
• S.O.S.: 1100 LUX – 60 Hours / 198 Meters
• Strobe: 1100 LUX – 60 Hours / 198 Meters

 

[AngryRooster]

My main light is a Fenix PD32UE. A tad under 1k lumens since it has the neutral white LED. I like the neutral white, the cool white seems to wash things out for my eyes, especially in winter with snow. My wife has the Fenix cool white version of the same light. Tons of 18650 cells and a variety of chargers. We also each have an Olight I3S (80 lumen AAA) on our keychains. I have another one in the limited orange finish from GoingGear for pocket carry. The Olights replaced the Fenix PD01's. We both like the moonlight mode which the PD01 doesn't have.

I have a few Surefire lights around, all of them use the P60 drop in. I've replaced some of the modules on a couple and I have one Surefire P6 that's been bored out to accept an 18650 cell. That light has a 3 mode MCE LED in it. VERY bright and wide beam, crap for distance but it will flood a room, yard, or anything else you want like no other light I own.

 

[rkwhyte2]

I've had a Streamlight ProTac 1L for years. I use the low setting much more than the high. It's not as bright as you say you are looking for but it is a good light that has put up with a ton of abuse and still works great.

 

[Cam]

I've had a Streamlight ProTac 1L for years. I use the low setting much more than the high. It's not as bright as you say you are looking for but it is a good light that has put up with a ton of abuse and still works great.

My ProTac 1L has been seeing a lot of pocket time over the last year as well. Plenty bright for a work light and fits in most any pocket. As noted above, mine has also seen a LOT of abuse and has never hiccuped. Under $60 in many places.

 

[Flagg]

Quark 123 2 tactical turbo is fantastic. ~400 lumens and programmable to high only.

Also, just recently started carrying a Streamlight 2L-x. 500 lumens, programmable to high only. A bit longer than I'd like, but comes with a fantastic, deep pocket carry clip. I think this is going to be a big seller for them.

ProTac® 2L-X

 

[tbhausen]

I can't believe ThruNite hasn't been mentioned yet. I just picked up a TC12 V2 in natural white on Amazon for under $70. One of the things this light has that is very unique and useful is what they call "Firefly" mode. It's only .5 lumen with a runtime of nearly 80 days, which is great for reading maps, etc. without destroying your night vision. It's proven so useful that I won't buy another small flashlight which lacks this feature. This light is USB rechargeable, and also features a color-coded charge indicator LED in the pushbutton. It's very well-made, and I can't imagine asking much more of a small flashlight than this one delivers.

Edit: the strobe is not included in the normal intensity selection cycle; you have to push and hold the button for about one second to access it. This is a good compromise for "out of the way" vs. "there when you need it". The pushbutton on the tail is the master on/off switch, and it always comes back on in the mode it was in when turned off. Another really neat thing it does is always switches to Firefly with the next press after it has been in any mode for a short period of time. Again, this makes very practical sense from a usability standpoint. I find literally nothing irritating about using this light, which is somewhat refreshing from my perspective.

 

[219Dave]

I hav been digging the Fenix PD35 Ultra. Has multiple light settings, highest I'd like 950 lumens. Lowest is 15?
What's nice is the strobe setting is on a different button on the side of the light. It's out of the way, I never use it.

It's a great work light. I use it a lot.

The Fenix PD25 is great too. It's a lot smaller.

I've been thinking of getting the PD 25. Are you still happy with it?

 

[219Dave]

I've been carrying this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GZYNX8G/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

NITECORE P12 2015 Version 1000 Lumens Precise Tactical Flashlight CREE XM-L2 U2 LED Waterproof Flashlight

Like it a lot.

Tail cap turns on and off. Like that a lot. Press for momentary, click to stay on.

Button on side to change light levels. If I had my way it would only have the brightest and the lowest level (like 15 lumens), but has a couple on in between. No strobe. I like that too.

At brightest, 1000 lumen level, I can light up the barn 100 yards from my house, easily discern details. Which is why I bought one this bright, I use it outdoors a lot.

Waterproof, sleek, aluminum case.

5.5" long, 1" diameter, same diameter throughout length.

About $50.

Really like it.

I have the Nitecore P12 as well, and am very happy with it. It is very similar to the Fenix pd35 that I loved before my kids lost it. Either one of those is a good call, although they may be slightly larger than you are looking for.