The best flashlights to brighten any space in a pinch

The best flashlights are easily rechargeable and adjustable for a variety of scenarios.

While any old flashlight can help you out to no end in all sorts of situations, the best flashlights add extra utility and shine brighter than an overcast moon. They're super bright, portable and don't drain batteries the way they used to thanks to advances in LED technology. Some can be charged with solar power, and you can even snag a smart one that automatically adjusts its own power.

You can also get a high lumen flashlight for far cheaper than you could in the past, and there are many excellent flashlights which come in surprisingly compact sizes to make them easier to keep with you should you need them unexpectedly. Whether you want an emergency flashlight for your bug out bag, something reliable for when there's a blackout, or just want a bright flashlight for finding things outside in the dark, here are some of the best flashlights you can buy in 2021.

Amazon

There are many high lumen flashlights out there, but few with as many wonderful features and extras as the Fenix P36R. It has a chunky 5,000 mAh battery, which can last up to 115 hours on Eco mode, or more conservatively, eight hours on medium. If you need it to, it can hit a monstrous 1,600 lumens in both static beam and strobe mode, and its fully rechargeable using a USB-C cable, meaning you can charge it using the same charger that you use for your phone, tablet, laptop and any other modern electronics you own.

It's rated IP68, so is 100% protected against dust and debris, and can be submerged in up to three meters of water, so you have nothing to fear from the elements and can even use it underwater if you needed to. At just 5.3-inches long and weighing 5.6 ounces, the Fenix P36R is extremely portable and has a handy two-way pocket clip built into its compact frame to make it easy to attach to your belt, bag or pocket.

You get all of that for under $100. The Fenix PD36R is in a class of its own and is easily the best flashlight you can buy in 2021.

Amazon

If you need the absolute brightest flashlight possible, the Imalent MS18 is way ahead of anything else out there. With the ability to hit 100,000 lumens (albeit not for lengthy periods of time) it is up to 100 times brighter than most of the other best flashlights you can buy. That's not to say it's better–in fact, it does have some unique considerations you'll want to take note of–but for raw flashlight power, there's nothing that beats it.

With the ability to illuminate objects upwards of 500 meters away, the Imalent MS18 is a truly awesome flashlight to behold. It is so powerful that it requires active cooling and can be quite noisy when the fans spin up. You also need to take real care not to look directly into the beam, or even stand directly in front of it, as it gets extremely hot.

This isn't a cheap flashlight either, but this is the absolute brightest flashlight money can buy.

Walmart.com

Every day carry, or EDC flashlights bring all of the best facets of top-notch flashlights together to help you have a powerful torch no matter where you are or what you're doing. The Nitecore Tip SE embodies this with an amazing 700 lumens maximum brightness despite weighing less than an ounce.

It comes with four brightness modes to toggle between, which can extend the battery to as much as 50 hours on the lowest setting, and supports strobing for when you need to get attention. When it does need more power, you can charge it using the built-in USB-C charging point, so it can make use of the same charger as your phone and other contemporary electronics.

It is IP54 rated, so can withstand water splashes or rain without worry, and has robust anti-dust and debris protection. It's slim enough to slip into your pocket, but also comes with a clip system to help attach to your keyring or backpack so that it's always within easy reach.

Goal Zero Torch 500

If you want a serviceable flashlight that doesn't need its batteries rotated, the Goal Zero Torch 500 is the ticket. This fairly affordable bar comes with two unique lighting modes, offering traditional flashlight spot lighting and a broader strip light for lighting up larger areas, so you can light more of an enclosed space like the inside of a tent while you’re out camping.

The built in 5,200 mAh battery gives you a full seven hours of light on its highest setting, or 38 hours at its lowest. You can recharge it using the USB-C connection, or make use of the built-in solar panel to make the most of the great outdoors. You can use the USB-C connection in reverse too, letting you charge up your other devices like your phone or tablet. The battery has enough power to charge up the average phone 1-2 times over, but the solar panel effectively makes its recharge capacity limitless as long as there's some sunlight to be found.

It's IPX6 rated, so is water proof against rain and direct spray (though not submersion), so you needn't fear the elements. Just keep it away from sand and dust, as its shell doesn't offer much protection there.

Amazon

When you don't have access to any power whatsoever, a hand crank flashlight can be a life saver. This little model from MECO isn't particularly powerful, but it doesn't take hours of cranking to get plenty of battery life either. Just a few minutes of cranking will give you up to an hour of light — more than enough time to get you out of whatever darkened situation you're stuck in.

Alternatively, you can use the hand carabiner clip built into the frame to attach it to your backpack and let the built-in solar panel do the hard work for you. Better yet, this flashlight is super affordable, so you can grab one or two, put them in your car or your emergency bag, and know that if you ever run into trouble, you can have portable light close at hand without having to worry about battery life.

Amazon

The best flashlights can get expensive, but they don't have to be. This fantastic budget flashlight from Lumintop has many of the same great features as the best flashlight, but at a fraction of the budget. For less than $20 you get a flashlight that can hit 650 lumens, and last up to 60 hours on a single AA battery.

It offers four different lighting modes, is IP68 rated so can handle dust storms, complete submersion in up to 6.5 feet of water, and everything in between, and its anodized aluminum shell gives it drop protection up to five feet. You can rest assured that this little flashlight will be durable no matter where you take it and what you do with it. The pocket clip has received some complaints from users for not being particularly durable, but it's there and does give you the option of attaching it to your pocket, belt or bag without the need for additional accessories.

Amazon

This isn't just the best headlamp flashlight you can buy right now, it's a new-generation design that's highly customizable and hyper connected. Along with bearing a powerful 1,000 lumens maximum brightness and IP54 weather resistance rating, it's a smart head torch which automatically adjusts to your surroundings. Looking at something up close? It'll dim itself so the light isn't drowning out detail or blinding you from a reflection. It can also be customized using the companion app and a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone, letting you setup individual profiles for certain conditions, tweak the color of the light itself or fine tune the brightness to a precise level.

The focusing system lets you seamlessly switch between spot and flood beams, and the angle of the light can be adjusted to aim up and down through 120 degrees. The battery lasts four hours at full power each charge, and the tri-color indicator will warn you when your battery is running low. To recharge, snap on the magnetic charging cable and plug it into any USB-A port.