The two most important metrics to look for when purchasing a flashlight are battery and lumens.
battery: There are two broad categories of flashlights and headlamps: rechargeable flashlights and flashlights that use batteries. The difference lies in the charging method. AA or AAA batteries are easy to find and replace quickly. When the lights go out in the dark, you’ll see the genius of separate batteries. That said, rechargeable lights can be charged from the same power bank that charges your device, and these days many lights can charge in less than an hour using USB-C.
I used to believe in battery options and still recommend headlamps and flashlights with removable batteries for various situations (e.g. emergency kits), but on a day-to-day basis. I have to say that I really appreciate the convenience of the charging port. Carry a flashlight or camping headlamp. Personally, I rely on Nightcore NU25 In most situations except long backpacking trips, petzl tikka and a set of spare batteries.
lumen: Flashlight and headlamp companies like to make a big deal about lumens, which describe how bright a flashlight is, but the truth is, you don’t always need more lumens. We did not test flashlights or headlamps that were not bright enough. Here you’ll find spotlights ranging from 300 lumens to 1,000 lumens that will temporarily blind you with just a glance. For most applications, this is a good range of 300 to 1,000 lumens. For things like reading inside a tent at night, you’ll need much less light, but a good headlamp will have a range of brightness levels, usually a low-power mode around 40-60 lumens. Yes, this is about the brightness you need. read. Also, look for a strobe mode that pulses light. The strobe function is suitable for rescue situations as a flash is more noticeable than a constant light.
The light source for most modern flashlights and headlamps is LED. While there are still plenty of traditional light bulbs, LEDs’ light output to energy usage ratio is unrivaled.
