9 Best Flashlights of 2022

Buying a Flashlight

Sometimes you can’t be without a flashlight. Whether you’re doing a plumbing or electrical repair in a dark place, enjoying wilderness camping or fumbling with a door lock, a flashlight saves the day.

Of course, anyone with a smartphone already has a flashlight. But there are plenty of times when the shape of the device itself makes an actual flashlight better suited for the situation. Anyone who has tried to hold a phone in their mouth while working in the dark will agree: Although it’s a handy feature, a flashlight on a mobile device is no substitute for the real thing.

Flashlights range from small ones that fit on a keychain or in your pocket to monsters that can help you spot a mountain lion from several hundred feet away. As with buying any tool, consider what you’ll most likely need it for and choose accordingly.

What To Look For in a Flashlight

While some flashlights are good for just about any task, others target specific needs. Here are some things to consider:

• Brightness: Measured in lumens. While there’s no direct correlation between brightness and power output, 450 lumens roughly corresponds to the output from a 40-watt incandescent light bulb. Flashlight brightness can range from four (essentially four candles) to 1,200 (roughly equivalent to a 75-watt incandescent bulb) and all the way to 15,000 lumens.
• Size: For light on the go, a tiny flashlight fits in your pocket or on your head. Larger ones go in your tool box or a kitchen drawer.
• Weight: Small flashlights aren’t always lightweight, nor are large ones necessarily heavy. Heavier ones do tend to be brighter and more durable, but they’re less portable.
• Directionality: Highly focused light is great for spotting faraway objects in the dark, but sometimes you need ambient illumination spread over a wider area.
• Power source: Flashlights have traditionally been battery-powered, mostly AAs and AAAs. But these days, more and more are rechargeable via a standard USB port on your laptop or a plug-in adapter. You can also get solar and hand-crank flashlights that aren’t as bright but will work when you’re out of batteries and don’t have power.
• Cost: Few flashlights cost more than $100, but some come close. Inexpensive models can cost less than $10. On average, expect to pay from $20 to $40 for a reasonably bright flashlight with a functional design.

Article source here: 9 Best Flashlights of 2022