When it comes to tactical flashlights, different users have different requirements! However, all of them look for durable, bright, and dependable devices. Whether you are a law enforcement agent, a soldier, or maybe a security guard, you will need to use a good and reliable tactical LED light to complete a variety of duties, from basic lighting to self-defense.
What Makes a Good Tactical LED Flashlight
Since they can be used for multiple purposes, reliable and convenient military flashlight LED devices are essential in the toolboxes of professionals operating in a tactical setting. Given their strong and durable construction, tactical flashlights’ popularity has skyrocketed over the years. They have gotten more accessible and sophisticated, not just among users in the military and law enforcement but among the general public as well.
So, if you’re on the hunt for the best LED tactical flashlight that meets all your requirements, we have put together this list of tips to help you choose the best option you’ll carry for years to come.
Brighter Is Better
When picking the best military flashlight LED option, brighter is always better. The amount of overall light your flashlight produces increases with its lumen output. Brightness is also affected by the lens or reflector, which influences the exact file projection of the light and how the total lumens are used.
Unlike LED flood lights, most tactical options have lumen outputs that range from 20, which is relatively low and ideal for reading in the dark, to 1000–2000. Although some tactical flashlights have even higher lumen output, to attain anything brighter over an extended period, rather than just briefly, the military flashlight must be fairly huge to accommodate the heat sinks and batteries needed to maintain such power.
We recommend you opt for a military-grade flashlight with changeable brightness output levels as the most common feature in these lights. This will enable you to select the lumen output based on the circumstance. Variable modes are essential to give the user options that will extend use between battery charges or swaps because these flashlights are so brilliant that high power may drain a battery rather quickly.
Interface Shortcuts to Key Modes
In many respects, the most crucial factor to take into account is your capacity to determine what brightness level you’re obtaining when you turn on your tactical light. In the same way that you wouldn’t want to go for Turbo and only receive 1 lumen in a self-defense situation, you wouldn’t want your tac light to turn on to its highest brightness while you’re attempting to remain undetected.
Fortunately, many tactical flashlights made by NITECORE include simple interface shortcuts that let you quickly access the most popular modes, including Turbo, Ultralow, and Strobe. In this regard, many tactical lights frequently have a memory function that, the next time you switch it on, resets the flashlight to the brightness you last used. This is a fantastic way to guarantee that your tactical is ready every time and in the way you want it.
Size and Feel
The majority of flashlights have a 1″ body tube with a grip improvement or texture along the tube. The majority of tactical lights are between 4″ and 6″ long, making them convenient to carry in your pocket or job belt as well as easy to hold in your palm. Look for a design that takes two 18650 batteries if you want a longer grip because this will require a larger body tube.
Some tactical led lights include a detachable tactical ring that attaches to the body tube’s end just before the tail cap. This gives the body a beneficial flare that improves grip when using an overhand or cigar grip to hold the flashlight. To ensure a proper connection with the batteries when using a flashlight with a tactical ring, always make sure the ring and tail cap are completely tightened.
Secondary Outputs Add Versatility
If you appreciate a tool that can perform multiple tasks, tactical lights with supplementary colour and UV outputs help in inspection, searching, and remaining covert in addition to their powerful, white output. While law enforcement and security users will find ultraviolet outputs crucial for validating currency and analysing a crime scene, hunting and military users typically rely on red and green outputs for reading and keeping night vision.
Although additional colour LEDs on a tactical flashlight are not necessary, we think they are a welcome addition and a wonderful way to reduce the number of torches you need to carry about.
Built to Last
Just as you don’t stop working when the weather is poor, neither should your flashlight. We advise using a tactical flashlight with an IP68 or IPX8 rating so that it will be protected even if it falls into a puddle or gets caught in a downpour. Make sure the port is well-covered or has internal waterproofing if your flashlight includes internal charging.
Look for a tactical flashlight with additional internal shock resistance to manage recoil if you intend to weapon-mount it. These tactical lights’ battery connection is maintained by a spring when shooting a weapon which many professionals find quite amazing.
