This article features the 7 best EDC flashlights for tactical use as well as every day carry. We will feature a variety of different lights, from compact pocket lights, to larger tactical lights. There will even be a few wild card lights, that do more than just provide illumination. Every light on this list will be a quality piece of kit, with a reasonable price. Keep reading for more.
The lights on this list fill a variety of different purposes. Some of them are clearly meant to be small, compact, and convenient everyday carry flashlights. Others are built for tactical professionals who need something apart from their weapons lights.
When doing my research for this list I’ve tried to include lights that are innovative, and have a good reputation for reliability, and durability. After all, no one likes a dead flashlight! Check out this quick overview of the best EDC flashlights article below.
7 Best EDC Flashlights Overview
- These EDC lights range from 300 lumens to a 3000 lumens
- Prices range from $90 to over $300
- Factors such as recharging and size are more important than you think
- Don’t fall for manufacturer gimmicks and marketing hype
These are some of the highlights that we’ll cover in more detail below. I always recommend that you try to be as objective as possible about the intended use for any tool you purchase. If you need an occasional light for simple lighting tasks, then you don’t need a gigantic mega powerful light saber. You’re just paying for extra things you don’t need.
In the next section we’ll review the most important practical features for any EDC flashlight. This should give you a good idea where to began your search, and which of these is best for you.
Practical Considerations for the Best EDC Flashlights
I’m a practical guy, and I’ve been around long enough to see marketing hype, and see real world performance fall short of that. If you’ve read any of my other gear articles, I always recommend finding brands that professionals who use those tools gravitate towards. This is no guarantee that that gear is the best, but it’s a good starting place.
Next, I recommend choosing equipment that falls in the mid range of that companies offerings. If you know anything about manufacturing, you’ll know that the majority of manufacturing cost is in creating dies and molds for the items. As such, companies try to get as much use as they can from those expensive items.
Generally speaking, a mid range item will share almost all parts with the high end items. This means you maximize the quality for your money. While this is good general advice, let’s move on to the particulars of the best EDC flashlights.
Overall Size
Overall size is probably the most important factor for an EDC light. It doesn’t matter how bright the light is, or how many features it comes with, if it’s simply too big to carry around. Conversely, it can actually be too small for your everyday use.
Some keychain lights are very bright, and very small. They can be hard to find if you walk around with a lot of keys on your key chain. I’ve had this issue in the past where I’m digging through my pockets, trying to find my light because I can’t immediately locate it in the dark. Choose the right light for your intended method of carry.
Brightness
This is one area that’s most commonly misunderstood. I blame the tactical industry. There certainly is some advantage to having a very bright light to stun people, and take away their situational awareness. That’s not such a good thing if you’re looking for a screw you dropped on your garage floor.
For most normal tasks 300-500 lumens is sufficient. More importantly, it should have an appropriate beam pattern. If you need it for general tasks, a wider more diffuse beam is fine, even if it limits your beam distance. If you’re hunting for fugitives in the tree line, you will want a more focused, long range beam. You will also want something north of 1000 lumens. Next we’ll talk about carry method.
Attachment and Carry Method
This is a commonly overlooked area for edc and tactical flashlights. I tend to prefer lights that have a pocket clip. This provides more flexibility when using them. Even if you plan on keeping it in a dedicated pouch on a plate carrier, or battle belt, you’ll find that a pocket clip will provide valuable retention should you forget to secure it completely.
I certainly can’t tell you from experience that when shooting a night fire range, sometimes most of your magazines fall out of your pouches, because you didn’t secure them on your plate carrier. That has not happened to me!
Now that we’ve covered the practical considerations we can move on to the specific flashlights. Some of these lights I have personal experience with and others, I’m relying on team mates and other officers experience. All of the lights have excellent reviews on Amazon, or other websites.
If you find one you like just follow the link to Amazon or the other websites for full information. I’m only going to highlight the important specifications here. Don’t forget to join the email list below!
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Nitecore EDC27 3000 Lumen Flat EDC Flashlight
The Nitecore EDC 27 (Amazon Affiliate link ) is one of the best EDC flashlights. Initially I was somewhat hesitant to try a new flashlight brand, as I’ve traditionally stuck with Surefire and Streamlight. I’m glad I did take a chance on this light, as it’s one of my favorite flashlights.
It has a super bright turbo mode that produces 3000 lumens for around 30 seconds. This is good for a beam throw of around 240 yards. An onboard sensor determines when it gets too hot and dims it from 3000 lumens to 1000 lumens automatically. You operate it with the buttons on the back to change modes and power it on and off.
If you desire, you can lock it off, so you can’t turn it on when transporting it with other gear. I’m also glad that it charges with a USB-C cable, so I don’t have to use a stand alone charger. It’s quite durable and has a waterproof rating.
I find this flashlight takes some time to set up correctly. You’ll have to spend 5-10 minutes learning the button presses, as you can cycle through different light output levels (15-3000 lumens). It also features a strobe function, and a very nice pocket clip.
I keep this light on one of my duty vests. It’s powerful enough to search for people in the tree line, and it can certainly disrupt their night vision. For a tactical user, it’s simple to use once you have it set how you like. As of this writing you can purchase one for less than $90. Now, on to our next light.
SureFire EDCL1-T
The SureFire EDCL1-T is handy little light from one of the best flashlight companies in the world. I’ve owned SurFire lights for a few decades now, and I’ve found them to very rugged pieces of equipment. The EDCL1 is one of the best EDC flashlights, designed to be carried in a pocket, using the attached pocket clip.
It’s only 4.4 inches in length and weighs 3.3 ounces. This flashlight has an all aluminum body and features two brightness modes, 5 lumens on low, and 500 lumens on high. The EDCL1 has a one hour run time on high, and 45 hours on low mode. It also features a crenelated bezel which means you could use it as an impact weapon if needed.
It runs off of a single 123A battery like most flashlights of this size. SureFire does make some lights that run off of rechargeable batteries, but none in this size. This flashlight is a great option for those that need a reasonably bright light that will last forever, and is very durable. As of this writing you can pick up the EDCL1 for around $150. Next we’ll talk about one of the more innovative options on the list.
OLIGHT Arkfeld Flat Flashlight
The OLIGHT Arkfeld is a great flashlight for folks with specific needs. This is a very compact, rechargeable light. It features a bright 1000 lumen LED emitter, and an eye safe green laser. It’s made from aluminum, and comes in more colors than you can shake a stick at.
I’m sure some folks have no use for the laser, but for others it can be quite useful. As a tactical professional, I really like visible lasers. It’s the easiest way to show what you’re talking about from a distance, and it’s a great signaling device, when used appropriately.
This light would be great for folks that work in jobs like inspections, or construction, as you can easily point to what you’re talking about, rather than trying to talk someone on to what you’re looking at. It would also be great for folks that do a lot of presentations, and need a laser pointer.
The only downside to this compact light is that it has a limited run time at 1000 lumens, it’s highest setting. Users have reported only about 4 minutes on maximum output mode, and then it slowly shifts down to dimmer settings to extend battery life. To be perfectly honest, most folks don’t need that much light all the time, but it is something to keep in mind.
As of this writing the Olight has over a thousand positive reviews on Amazon, and can be purchased for less than $90. Now let’s get to a newer light on the market.
Modlite Systems PLHv2-18650 Complete Handheld Light
The Modlite PLHV2 is one of the best EDC flashlights for long distance illumination. Modlite is a relatively newer company on the market, and it seems to be becoming quite popular. They offer premium lights and this PLHV2 is no exception. This light is 1350 lumens, with a very focused beam. If you need long distance illumination, then this is a great option.
This aluminum light runs off a rechargeable 18650 KeepPower rechargeable battery, and cannot be used with 123A cells. It also features an impressive 75min run time at max brightness. The only downside is the price. As of this writing it costs a little over $300. However, the link above to Primary Arms does offer Police, Military and First Responder discounts. Next we’ll talk about the light I most often give as a gift.
Streamlight 66320 MacroStream
The Streamlight MacroStream is probably the most versatile work light. This light has a lot going for it, however, the big ticket item is the price, and the clip. As of this writing you can pick the MacroStream up for a little over $50. This is a great deal for a 500 lumen flashlight.
The bigger deal is the pocket clip, which allows you to attach it to a ball cap, or visor. This means you can use it like. a headlamp, giving your free use of your hands. If you need to work on things in the dark, then this is easily the best choice on this list.
The Macrostream is an all aluminum light with 50-500 lumen modes, providing 2-8 hours of runtime respectively. It runs on one 123A battery, which means it weighs a paltry 2.11 ounces. I’ve also found Streamlights to be incredibly durable, as I’ve used some of their weapons lights for years.
If you need a light that will allow you to work with your hands then this is your best choice. It also happens to be the cheapest option on the list. In my mind the Macrostream is probably one of the best EDC flashlights for most users. Now let’s talk about another super compact offering from SureFire.
SureFire Titan Ultra-Compact LED Keychain Light
The SureFire Titan is an extremely rugged and compact light. This is one of the few lights from SureFire that doesn’t run on a 123A cell. It uses a single AAA battery, and includes a rechargeable AAA battery in the box. It features three brightness levels, 300 lumens, 75, and 15 lumens.
The Titan is more of a keychain flashlight and definitely not for tactical use, as it has a twist bezel for activation. This is perfectly fine for normal activities but you don’t have a quick activation tail cap here, and you can forget about a strobe mode. This light lasts between 1 hour on its highest setting, all the way to 7 hours on the lowest setting.
I like that it runs on AAA batteries. You can almost always find these batteries in gas stations, or regular stores. It’s a little harder to find 123A cells. As of this writing you can purchase this light from Amazon for less than $140. Now let’s talk about a super bright tactical light.
Streamlight 89000 ProTac 2.0 2000 Lumen Light
The Streamlight ProTac 2.0 is one of the brightest lights you can buy at this size. It has a whopping 2000 lumen output, with a 2.25 hour run time. It’s USB-C rechargeable and you can actually recharge the battery pack while it’s still in the light, making it even more convenient.
As you might imagine, it’s a little bigger than the other EDC lights. It’s 6.02 inches in length and weighs, 8.16 ounces. It comes with a pocket clip, and it would fit in larger pockets, but I think most folks aren’t likely to carry this on them all day.
As of this writing you can purchase the ProTac 2.0 for less than $120, making it a screaming deal, given it’s brightness, and run time. Now that we’ve covered all 7 lights, let’s finish with some final thoughts.
Final Thoughts
For most readers, I think you’ll find the two best EDC flashlights are the Streamlight offerings. The ProTac 2.0 is a great super bright all around light, at a great price point. The MacroStream is great for hands free use, and costs right around $50.
However, you need to really take a look at what you need the light for. I encourage you to follow the links to see which are the best flashlights for you. Make sure to read a few user reviews so you can see how folks are getting along with these lights in the real world.
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