Best Tactical Flashlights That You Can Find in the Market!

8 Best Tactical Flashlights in 2022: Top EDC Gear Additions

“I mean, who even needs a whole separate flashlight these days?”

Convenience is one of the defining factors of this century’s tech gadgets. Things are smaller, lighter, and easier to carry. And a lot of the time, they come as multipurpose tools. Think about your mobile phone. It is practically a calculator, clock, and everything else you need in one conveniently sized gadget. It brings us to the next question: Does anyone even need a separate flashlight?

Well, a lot of people do. Your phone light may be convenient and does the job for you, but it isn’t convenient in a situation where you’ll need the brightest light possible. And the night may not be full of terror, but it sure is dark. So it’s better to be safe than sorry. A dependable flashlight will guide you through the darkness and help you perform various tasks.

Military, miner, or law enforcement (or any other field)– a high-quality torch (or flashlight as people call it) is a must-have no matter where you are. So finding a good tactical flashlight is essential, but there is a problem. How do you find it? Separating the best tactical flashlights from the rest can be a challenge if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

And that’s where we come in. We’ve tested dozens of models and developed a comprehensive list of high-quality torches in 2022. These products will provide the best bang for your buck thanks to their performance, compact size, and excellent brightness.

So, without further ado, let’s shed some light on this, shall we?

 1. Fenix PD36 TAC Tactical Flashlight

The first entry on our list comes from a well-respected American company. What’s more, Fenix specializes in making high-end flashlights, headlamps, and lanterns, and they’ve been making them since 2005. For instance, Fenix PD36 TAC Tactical Flashlight ticks all boxes for being an elite tactical torch.

As the name says, this model offers 3000 lumens on the maximum brightness. This output results in a high-distance beam, visible from up to 898 feet. Likewise, Fenix PD36 TAC offers an impressive lifespan of up to 50.000 hours.

Powered by long-lasting batteries from the excellent 21700 series, this tactical flashlight will get the job done no matter how thick the darkness can be. This new torch from Fenix is both practical and highly efficient. It offers a design of the tactical switch and the mechanical toggle switch, a new feature for a Fenix light.

On top of that, we should mention that this 5.55-inch flashlight weighs only 3.24 ounces. As such, Fenix PD36 TAC Tactical Flashlight is one of the lightest models on the market. It also has an IP568 rating. Thus, this tactical torch will easily handle the elements, and it can stay 6 feet below the surface for up to 30 minutes. What more could you need?

2. PELICAN 7600 RECHARGEABLE TACTICAL FLASHLIGHT

As usual, we’ll start the list in style. The first model comes from a renowned brand, ensuring top-level quality and usability. To be precise, we are talking about the sturdy Pelican 7600 Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight.

Unlike most tactical torches on the market, this one relies on a Li-Ion battery to provide the juice for the lamp. In this case, the battery also comes with an indicator, letting you know when to plug in the USB charging cable. As a result, Pelican 7600 Tactical Flashlight offers a breathtaking runtime of 3 hours and 15 minutes in the High setting. If you switch to Medium, the battery will last up to 4 hours and 30 minutes!

Besides the impressive runtime, this flashlight also offers excellent illumination. We are talking about 944 lumens on High or 479 lumens on the Medium brightness level. When you switch to the High setting, the beam distance can go up 255 meters, making Pelican 7600 one of the brightest torches.

Best of all, Pelican 7600 Rechargeable Tactical Flashlight offers 3 LED colors: red, green, and white. Likewise, this versatile product provides four operational modes. So, aside from High, Medium, and Low, you can switch to Strobe.

All the while, this robust tactical torch will offer a secure grip. Also, we should mention that the Pelican 7600 has an IPX-8 rating, making it submersible and as durable as modern flashlights.

3. Smith & Wesson M&P MP 12 875 Lumen Flashlight

As you know, Smith & Wesson is a legendary brand, an iconic name in the world of firearms and weapons. But did you know they also make other products, including some of the best tactical flashlights in the US? Yes, they do, and the Smith & Wesson M&P MP 12 875 Lumen Flashlight is an example of the company’s philosophy.

This compact torch earns top marks for reliability and ease of use. On top of that, it delivers up to 875 lumens, providing enough light to illuminate vast outdoor areas. As expected, you’ll get to alternate between three modes: high, low, and Strobe.

If that’s not enough, the Smith & Wesson M&P flashlight is weapon-mountable. Not so surprising. The versatility of this 5.5-inch torch is up there with the best, and the same goes for durability. In other words, impact resistance and a waterproof aluminum body will give this gadget excellent longevity.

Also, we should mention you’ll get a detachable pocket clip, a holster, and a lanyard. Plus, the Smith & Wesson M&P flashlight features an anti-roll tactical tail cap, ensuring stability and providing ease of use.

4. Streamlight Microstream USB Flashlight

Streamlight has always been the Pepsi of the tactical flashlight industry– always competing with the top one in charge. This is one of the smaller options you can easily carry around in your pocket, but don’t let that fool you. This small flashlight packs a pretty big punch.

Durable, long-lasting, and easy– if you’re looking for a balanced combination of these, then the Streamlight Microstream flashlight can be an option. This is one of the most affordable options on this list and does more than justice to its price tag.

The Microstream flashlight from Streamlight comes in clamshell packaging. It has all the information you’ll need to be written on the packet, so the transparency is top-notch. The only thing that’s not written on the package is the user manuals. The user manual comes tucked inside the clamshell with the flashlight. This flashlight comes in three colors, and the USB charging sits beside the light.

Streamlight’s Microstream is living proof that not every penlight is equal. This 3.8 inches long flashlight is compact enough to sit nicely on your palms and fit in your pocket when you’re done. It has a regular lighting mode that gives you 250 lumens, and the low setting will provide you with 50 lumens.

The light lasts 1.5 hours in its regular setting and almost 3.5 hours if you use it in low mode. Microstream’s switching system is also pretty interesting. You have to double-tap to switch into the low mode.

The Microstream flashlight weighs around 1.2 ounces which are feather-light even compared to other penlights. It uses one AA battery to power its C4 LED bulb, which explains the lightness. The body is made of anodized aluminum, so it is pretty durable. The only problem with this light is that the low mode can be activated accidentally if you double-tap. Another problem is it uses CR123A batteries which may not be available everywhere.

If you’re looking for an upgrade from the first EDC light you brought, this is an excellent option for a reasonable price.

5. Prometheus Lights Beta QRv2

Yes, we all understand the importance of a good EDC light. But have we considered the weight and size of it? The tactics the law enforcement agencies carry with them are too big for most people. People can’t just pull it out, switch it off, and shove it back into their pockets. So usually, the portability part gets a little tricky with EDC lights. Well, no more.

Prometheus Lights is known for its amazing compact edition flashlights. The lights may be small, but they perform pretty well for their sizes. Prometheus Lights pretty much took the market by storm with their newer approach. Everyone wanted to see what new take the company had on tactical lights. Safe to say the interest paid off, but the first version was still not it for some people. 

The brass version of this pocket light is a refined take on the original Beta flashlight. As the name says, this version of the Beta light comes with a brass-plated body, but there are other options like nickel and HAIII black. It is available in multiple colors and is known for its fantastic portability. The light comes with a keychain you’ll have to attach. Once you’re done, you can easily carry it around like a keychain. It operates with a twist system (twist once for the low setting, twist quickly for the high one).

The highlight of this flashlight is its size. This tiny light takes up 2.9 inches of space and weighs about 1.2OZ. To put that in perspective, think of a tiny pen. The flashlight size is the one AAA battery it uses, so you can imagine how easy it’d be to carry it around. But that’s not all, the light intensity of this flashlight is pretty powerful too.

Prometheus Lights claim this flashlight is double the power of the ones law enforcement agencies use. It has low and high modes and can go for up to 3.5 hours, depending on the mode. The low mode has a luminosity of 15 lumens, and the high mode comes with 60 lumens. The current law enforcement lights are 25 lumens.

If you want something for regular usage and something tiny, Prometheus Beta QRv2 is one of the best you can get.

6. OLIGHT S2R Baton II Flashlight

What’s the one thing you need in a flashlight? A long-lasting time, of course. Sure, many EDC flashlights are designed for regular use, and it doesn’t have to last too long. But if you’re in the law enforcement agency or maybe a miner, you know how crucial lasting time is. The last thing you want is lighting it up just to realize it isn’t bright enough. Or worse, for your light to go out when you need it the most and leave you in pitch-black darkness.

Olight S2R will save you from that trouble. This flashlight is one of the most (if not the most) high-performance tactical flashlight you’ll see. It comes with classy packaging that includes a pouch and extra clip so you can attach it with your belt loop.

You can carry this around like any other lighter flashlights and not feel a thing. This flashlight comes with a USB charging cable, cell, a user manual, and a lanyard. It only comes in black but has a limited version with a white coating.

Olight S2R is one of the top picks of any professional. That’s because the light is so amazingly built it feels like Olight designed it specifically for the professionals. The light has an edgy, knurled outside that will give you a better grip than most flashlights. It packs a powerful beam intensity of 4,600cd, so you’ll get the maximum light intensity for whatever you’re doing. The flashlight has four settings- moonlight, low, medium, high, and turbo.

The moonlight mode is the least bright mode. It has 0.5-lumen strength, and it can last for around 60 days. This is good if you’re looking for something just across the room. The low mode comes with 12 lumens and can stay around for 4days. The medium mode comes with a 60 lumens strength, and the high mode has 400 lumens strength.

Turbo is the most intense mode of this flashlight, it packs a whopping 1150 lumens of power, but there is a catch. Turbo mode lasts only around two minutes and then automatically drops to high mode. So realistically speaking, the best you’ll get is a high mode for 3 hours and 50 minutes.

The highlighting feature of this flashlight is its lasting time. The S1R Baton II lasted 15 days-around 50 minutes, depending on the light intensity. S2R Baton has the same modes, except it lasts 60 days-around 4 hours. Now that’s what you call a performance jump. This flashlight is also waterproof, which makes it a top-notch option for professionals.

This light also has a strobe mode (no lasting time listed), making it perfect for law enforcement professionals. Plus, the battery and rechargeable option both being available means you can use this flashlight anywhere you want. Run this on battery if you don’t have a charging outlet available, then recharge when you can.

7. SureFire E2D Defender Flashlight

If Streamlight is the Pepsi of the flashlights world, SureFire is the Coca-Cola. And you can see that in the build of their flashlights. The SureFire E2D Defender is an upgrade of the Executive Defender model Surefire marketed earlier, and it is one of the best tactical flashlights for outdoor uses.

It isn’t the sleekest option you’ll see around but trust us, the other features more than makeup for its size. You can check this out if you’re looking for something sturdy but not utterly professional.

This flashlight comes in clamshell packaging. So all the information you need is visible on the packet. It also has a charging cable. The package also has a user manual and registration card in it.

The Surefire E2D Defender line has a lot of predecessors to draw inspiration from. The Executive Defender, the E2D LED Defender, and the E2D LED Defender Ultra are amazing options, and you can pick any of them.

The Executive Defender is the first version of this line, starting with a 60-lumens luminosity. Then came the E2D LED Defender with its 200-lumen power. The Ultra version offered a 600-lumen intensity, but it got an upgrade. The current version is the LED Defender Ultra and has a luminosity of 1000 lumens. This significant jump in light intensity makes this flashlight one of the top picks for any EDC flashlight user.

SureFire E2D Defender Ultra has two variants. The E2DLU-A variant has two lighting modes, high and low. The other variant, E2DLU-T, only has a single high mode. E2DLU-A’s low mode will get you a 5-lumen beam, bright enough for everything. The high mode is a powerful 1000 lumen beam you can use for outdoor activities.

This flashlight is 5.9 inches long, longer than other options on this list, but it is called Defender for a reason. It comes equipped with a knurled outside, so you get a steady grip, and if you ever need something for impact, this is it. E2D Defender Ultra lasts around 2.75 hours on high mode and can stretch it to 15 days if you switch to the low mode.

If you’re looking for a flashlight you can use for tactical reasons, E2D LED Defender Ultra is a perfect option to consider.

8. STREAMLIGHT 66118 STYLUS PRO LED PENLIGHT

In the end, we wanted to include something different. The last entry on our list is the Streamlight 66118 Stylus Pro LED PenLight. Even though this model might not be a tactical flashlight per se, it will be an ideal addition to anyone working the night shifts. Available in many colors, the Stylus Pro can match the style of your uniform. See what we did there?

Streamlight 66118 Stylus Pro offers an output of 100 lumens with a 62-meter beam distance. Best of all, this 5.3-inch torch weighs only 1.64 ounces. As such, this model is the lightest tactical flashlight on the market. On top of that, this small-sized model is compact and sturdy, offering long-lasting usage.

To be precise, Streamlight 66118 Stylus Pro LED PenLight comes equipped with anodized aluminum construction. Thus, the body is impact-resistant, surviving falls from up to 2 meters high. The Stylus Pro features a push-button tail switch for effortless operations, and it also comes with a removable pocket clip.

This tactical flashlight could be ideal if you need a sleek and pocket-sized torch for inspecting objects and terrain. Best of all, it comes at an affordable price.

Conclusion

And here it is, our picks for the top 8 Tactical flashlights for 2022. Every option on this list is good and will last a long time. But if you want the best option, figure out what you want in a flashlight first. Once you’re done with that, pick the flashlight that meets your demands. After all, who would know about the best tactical flashlight for you other than yourself?