Choosing the Best Flashlight for Your Needs

Even though most people nowadays tend to use flashlights on their phones for convenience, the demand for good solid flashlights hasn’t decreased. They are needed everywhere, from professional work settings to household situations. 

But how do you choose a flashlight that will work best for your particular needs, be it a camping trip with your family, an evening jog or the work setting of a first responder?

In this article, we will guide you through the most important characteristics of an LED flashlight to look out for when choosing the one that fits your lifestyle and needs ideally.

How Bright Should A Flashlight Be?

Modern LED flashlights offer different levels of brightness, and the majority of Ledlenser devices have several power modes built into them. The user can switch between brightness levels and adjust the flashlights to best match the external conditions.

The brightness of the flashlights is measured in lumens, and the range of lumens these devices can put out differs widely depending on the model of a particular flashlight.

Here at Ledlenser, our LED flashlights can put out anything between 10-15 to 5000 lumens, depending on the model. See our brightness levels.

So, how bright should a flashlight be? 

Everyday tasks such as reading in the dark, walking the dog at night, covering up for unexpected power outages and a multitude of other settings typically require no more than 300 lumens of light. 

Ledlenser flashlights such as our P5R, P7, P6R Core QC would be great for everyday purposes.

Flashlights that can be as bright as 300-1000 lumens would come in handy as hiking, hunting, and fishing flashlights, and in general, keep you the best company during your trips out in nature. Our P7R, P5R Core Flashlight, P6R Core Flashlight and other models similar to those will keep you safe and provide enough illumination in a variety of outdoor settings.

Flashlights that offer 1000 lumens and higher brightness levels are considered to be for professional use mostly. They are extremely bright and can be used for tactical, self-defense, search purposes and many others that might come up in a work setting. P18R, P7R Work Flashlights, and the P18R Signature Flashlight are among the ones we recommend as work flashlights.

Rechargeable or Battery-Operated Flashlights?

While browsing our range of LED flashlights, you might notice that while some of the models are battery-operated, the others are rechargeable and you might face the dilemma of which one suits you best. When considering which one to opt for, consider your intended use: will it be more convenient for you to charge your device from time to time or are you going to have an extra pair of batteries available all the time?

Battery-operated flashlights are great for situations where you know you are not going to have regular access to power sockets to charge your lighting gadget. As an example, our NEO3 Running Headlamp and Kidled2 Children’s Headlamp would be ideal options for staying unconstrained by the lack of available power plugs.

Our rechargeable flashlights offer convenient charging through USB-A Plugs, Type B plugs and magnetic charging systems. The charging stations can be mounted on the wall, as well as on other surfaces with our special mounts. On top of that, rechargeable flashlights contribute to the minimisation of battery production, so they are a more eco-friendly investment. 

Flashlight Protection?

Not only are LED flashlights more stable and sturdy than more traditional incandescent bulbs, but they are also specifically designed with water and dust resistance in mind. The majority of modern flashlights have certain IP classes assigned to them that vary depending on the model. 

An IP class of a flashlight defines how well protected the device is from the effect of external factors such as water and dust. Depending on the IP class of the flashlight, the gadget can withstand a light spray of water from any direction (P7R Flashlight) or go as far as staying intact after being submerged in water at a certain depth for a prolonged amount of time (P7R Work Flashlight).

Why is IP class important?

Considering your intended use, you can choose a flashlight with a fitting IP class, that will guarantee your device will remain your staple for the longest time possible.

Other than IP classes, some LED flashlights also offer an Ex-rating, which indicates whether the device is safe to use in high-risk environments containing flammable gas and/or powder. Flashlights with Ex-ratings are designed in such a way that they don’t emit sparks and thus don’t act as a hazard in these settings. For intrinsically safe flashlight options to use in explosive environments, check out this Ledlenser collection.

Built-in Light Options

Our flashlights feature a wide variety of built-in light options, such as S.O.S., blink, boost, strobe and others, that might come in handy in different situations. If your intended use of the flashlights includes signaling or position marking, then opting for models with these functions (P5R Core Flashlight, for example) might be a good idea. These types of flashlights are especially useful if you are going to use your device in a work setting or out in nature.

Some Ledlenser flashlights also offer RGB and/or red light color options, as well as color filters compatible with NEO series running headlamps. Having built-in light color options come in handy whenever there is a need to improve nighttime vision, to navigate through certain weather conditions such as rain or fog, and sometimes to deter certain species of animals. 

As you can see, choosing an ideal flashlight for your needs and lifestyle requires taking a list of device characteristics into account. With our little guide, you will be able to hand-pick a flashlight that will meet your requirements in terms of brightness, battery, protection and additional useful light functions.