10 Best Tactical Flashlights Of 2018

The Outlite A100 gets our vote as one as a top 3 tactical flashlight for a variety of reasons, starting with its compact design that makes it the perfect companion for navigating wooded hiking trails or darkened parking garages. It’s tough as nails, fashioned from scratch proof aircraft-grade aluminum and its black anodized finish stands up to scraping and scratching. It’s water-resistant so there’s no problem taking it with you on rainy days. The grip is excellent with the body slender enough to be grasped firmly by smaller hands and the diamond shaped profile around the head prevents the A100 from rolling off of tables and other flat surfaces.

The A100 features a Cree XM-L T6 LED bulb that produces a maximum of 900 lumens of clear intense light and has a life expectancy of 100,000 hours. With zoom capability, it will illuminate the path 600 feet ahead or light up the entirety of your car in a darkened garage. The A100 features a single button which is extremely user friendly. Simply press the button lightly to cycle through the various modes.

The Outlite A100 flashlight is the ideal combination of convenience and power all wrapped up in a stylish, compact housing that’s resistant to everyday damage and won’t fail when the rain starts falling. With a bulb that will literally last a lifetime and projects 900 lumens hundreds of feet the A100 is a top 3 choice for best tactical LED flashlight.

With the G2X SureFire has created a tough, dependable, compact LED tactical flashlight with a corrosion and scratch resistant body and bold, bright output. The grip on the G2X is firm and comfortable, the bezel discreet but potentially devastating to wannabe assailants and the overall size is compact enough to fit comfortably in one of the pockets of your tactical hiking pants or in one of the pouches of your MOLLE compliant backpack.

The G2X also features a tail cap on/off button as well as “always on” mode for those times you need uninterrupted light brought to bear on a perp or an emergency situation. The mil-spec anodized aluminum head is tough as nails, the body is sealed against water, dust, and debris and the whole thing fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Whether you’re a mountaineer or a member of a SWAT team you’ll find the G2X to be the perfect companion on those dark nights or when you’re heading down those dark alleys.

The SureFire G2X tactical flashlight is a compact sun that brings intense, clear LED light to bear on the situation at hand whether that situation is navigating your way back to camp in the middle of the night or searching a car for suspected contraband. It’s extremely comfortable to hold, extremely affordable, reliable, durable and handsome. And you’ll find yourself using the “always on” feature more than you imagined.

Eastshine is not currently a household name when it comes to tactical gear but if they keep producing a kit like the T25 Cree XP-L tactical flashlight it won’t be long before they are. This tactical flashlight is as tough as it is attractive and the 1000 lumens of penetrating LED light set it apart from many of its competitors. You can drop this puppy from 1.5 meters and it will emerge unscathed. Just as it will if you need to ram the bezel into an attacker’s neck or temple.

The stunning good looks of the T25 Cree XP-L belie the fact that it’s tough as a tank and produces one of the strongest beams of any tactical flashlight; 1000 lumens of fog cutting brilliance. In addition to that, it features a side power switch for easy on/off, high efficiency circuit regulation, waterproof construction and a durable stainless steel clip so you can carry it anywhere.

This is without a doubt an amazing tactical flashlight when it comes to both design and performance. We love the way it looks and the way it slips firmly into your palm. We love the 1000 lumens of darkness-cutting, weasel-repelling light it throws and we love that the stainless steel clip is tough enough that we can clip it to our pants pocket and don’t have to worry about it slipping off. On top of all that it’s also affordable as can be. A great compact tactical flashlight no matter how you measure it.

The Streamlight ProTac HL750 tactical flashlight is a solid piece of survival and tactical gear that produces an impressive 750 lumens of night-defeating LED light when set to the maximum of its 3 output levels. The light is weather resistant so you won’t have to worry about using it in the rain or snow and highly impact resistant whether you drop it or slam it bezel-first into a would be assailant. When set to ‘low’ output the HL750 will run for a commendable 18 hours.

The HL750 will no doubt bring all the light you need to bear on a rescue situation, can be seen from miles away if you’re stranded in the wilderness and is a remarkably effective defensive tool with its rock solid bezel and a disorienting strobe feature. If you drop it while crossing a stream don’t worry. It can withstand up to half an hour submerged without any problems. This iteration of the ProTac HL packs more illumination punch than its predecessor; up to a headache inducing 750 lumens.

It’s a versatile, lightweight, durable piece of tactical or survival kit that won’t back down from the weather and provides myriad carry options. The tail cap on/off switch means you don’t have to change your hold to activate the light and the anti-roll designs ensure it won’t roll away if you need to set it down. One-handed, tactical flashlight versatility at its best.

The Solaray Pro ZX-2 tactical flashlight has a no-nonsense profile that tells you all you need to know. This is not some cheap imitation trying to trick you out of your hard earned money. It’s the real deal with best in class light projection that allows you to zoom in on distant targets or keep what’s in front of you lit up like the sun. The body is built of aircraft grade anodized aluminum and is highly impact resistant while the grip is solid and won’t allow your hand to slide up or down the body.

With the ZX-2 you have 5 light modes: low, medium and high as well as anti-intruder strobe and SOS mode for emergency situations. On/off is controlled via a tail cap switch for easy one-handed operation and you can drop the ZX-2 in a puddle without having to worry about it. The unit comes with a backup Lithium-ion battery and both L-i batteries will take 500 charges.

This is a serious tactical flashlight for serious professionals or anyone else interested in getting the most from their tactical or survival gear. Whether you’re a hunter, mountaineer, security officer, policeman, long-distance trucker, fisherman or EMT the ZX-2 will serve you well under any and all conditions. Throw in the fact that it’s incredibly affordable and you basically have a no-lose proposition.

The Helotex G2 exists at the lower end of the tactical flashlight universe as far as lumens go but in all other respects, it’s an outstanding value given the price. It’s made of durable aircraft-grade aluminum, has a detachable clip that provides myriad carry options, provides a comfortable grip in all conditions and the whole thing is effectively sealed against the elements.

As long as you don’t need to project blinding light 100 meters down the roadway the Helotex G2 should fulfill all your basic tactical flashlight needs, including those of self-defense. Toggle easily between the different intensity modes and turn the light off quickly with just a touch of the on/off switch at the tail cap.

The fact that this tactical flashlight will also accept 2 different battery types is another major plus you don’t expect in such an affordable device. You can spend a lot more on a tactical flashlight but unless you have a compelling need for intense light (and plenty of people do) then the Helotex G2 should fulfill your needs just fine. It also works just fine as a backup to your main tactical flashlight and since it weighs almost nothing it won’t be a drain to carry it around for backup purposes. For the price, it’s hard to beat and it.

The ThruNite Ti4 CW tactical flashlight approaches the concept from a slightly different angle. Instead of slimming down the bulky impractical flashlights of old the Ti4 bulks up the standard penlight and transforms it into a piece of true tactical gear that has a slew of other potential applications. It’s a great idea and ThruNite has done an admirable job making it happen.

The Ti4 pumps out an extraordinary amount of light for its trim size; up to 252 lumens when set to maximum. That’s more like a full-sized tactical flashlight and is one of the unit’s most outstanding features. The Ti4 as a whole is built to IPX-8 waterproof standards so it’s not going to shy away from inclement weather either. The different output levels are cycled through by repeated clicks of the tail cap button and when you’re done just take the Ti4 and clip it into the pocket of your shirt like you would a pen.

Why someone didn’t think of turning a standard penlight into a tactical flashlight earlier is anyone’s guess but ThruNite have certainly hit it out of the park with their Ti4 tactical flashlight. Ultra-lightweight, durable as all get-out, as bright as many larger lights and easy to carry the Ti4 is the perfect tactical flashlight for the practical minded soul who also enjoys saving a buck or two.

The Refun E6 is a remarkable piece of tactical gear that allows you complete flexibility with the beam so you can adjust it depending on the needs of the situation. It’s the kind of stuff we’d expect to see in a far more expensive tactical flashlight yet here it is in this one you can pick up for less than the price of a large pizza. The E6 tactical flashlight also provides 5 functional modes: low, medium and high as well as a strobe for self-defense and SOS for emergencies.

The E6 as a whole is built to last from a high performance aluminum alloy and the lens is clear and scratch resistant. The bezel that surrounds the lens will make short work of an assailant’s throat or temple and the wrist loop ensure the light won’t get lost in the melee. It feels larger than its 5.4” and when the batteries are in place it has a decent heft to it.

The Refun E6 tactical flashlight is another of our picks. Though the company is cagey about how many lumens this thing kicks out we did not find it wanting in any way in the brightness department and would estimate output at anywhere from 250 to 500 lumens. The E6 is easy to hold, easy to use, has that zoom feature we love so much and is both water and impact resistant. A great deal all around.

The V1-Pro flashlight is capable of running for hours on a single charge of its L-i battery or off of a single AA battery. Its compact form makes it one of the easiest to conceal and easiest to tote around. The V1-Pro is also a joy to hold and, with its wrist band in place, impossible to lose. The high intensity LED bulb will project copious light down the road around the campsite or in an assailant’s face, providing you time to effect an escape.

The J5 V1-Pro is ideal for first responders or roadside assistance pros. It’s also done the rounds in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait and is answering the call for special ops in Syria as we write this. There is no doubt a more powerful tactical flashlight out there and others that offer a greater number of operational modes but none that pack so much punch for so little green. Value is an overused word today but is perfectly appropriate when it comes to describing the J5 tactical V1-Pro flashlight. The V1-Pro is the very definition of ‘bang for your buck’ and will serve you well in good weather and bad, on the highway or the mountainside for many years to come.