The best EDC flashlights worth carrying, according to US military veterans (2024)

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We’ve all been there in the dark, alone, and something goes bump in the night. Our senses heighten and, in the absence of information, our brains’ amygdalae start spooling up to get us ready to fight, flee, or freeze. Is the rustling outside a trash panda checking out thrown-out leftovers, or is a burglar about ready to break into your car? There’s only one way to find out, and that task requires light — a big, bright light.

There are thousands of flashlights on the market, and the outdoor gear reviewers here at Task & Purpose have evaluated a lot of them. We’ve been amazed at the improvements in technology over the past few years, making these useful devices brighter, more rugged, lighter, and more rechargeable and sustainable.

We take a look at dozens of flashlights every year and test them in the field and at home so we can bring you honest, independent recommendations. Over the last month, we’ve done a number of single product reviews and decided to list the best of them here. When it comes to EDC flashlights, we consider each flashlight’s brightness, size, ruggedness/construction, weight, and waterproofness. Here’s what we found.

• Best Overall: Olight Baton 3
• Best Premium: Surefire E2D Defender Ultra
• Best Value: Streamlight MicroStream
• Budget Buy: Coast G20 inspection light
• Best Utility: Streamlight ProTac 1L-1AA
• Best Tactical: Streamlight Wedge

Best Overall

Olight Baton 3

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Best Premium

Surefire E2D Defender Ultra

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Best Value

Streamlight MicroStream

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Budget Buy

Coast G20 inspection light

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Best Utility

Streamlight ProTac 1L-1AA

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Best Tactical

Streamlight Wedge

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Why you should trust us

The reviewers here at Task & Purpose test the products we review at home and in the field. We have years of experience living and working outdoors with the tools we recommend. We don’t get paid by the manufacturers and have editorial independence. Our editor leaves it to us to recommend gear and prints (almost all of) what we write. All of this enables us to provide you, our valued readers, with our unvarnished, honest opinions on the recommendations we make.Learn more about our product review process.

Types of EDC flashlights

Tactical flashlights come in two basic flavors: EDC and full size. EDC flashlights are small (typically less than 5 inches long) and easily carried in a pocket. They’ve come a long way in technology over the years and can now cast upwards of 1,200 lumens. Improvements in battery technology give them a much longer duration. More and more these days are rechargeable, which we really like. Full-sized tactical flashlights are typically between six and 12 inches long and can kick out more than 2,000 lumens of night penetrating light. They’re also much heavier than EDC flashlights and can be used as melee weapons. Many have a strike face — a ring of raised projections around the lens bezel to jab into vulnerable areas like faces and necks. Both EDC and tactical flashlights are typically waterproof and sport low and high settings. Some also have a strobe setting to dazzle and disorient attackers.

Key features of EDC flashlights

• Light output: This is measured in lumens, and these lights typically cast between 300 and 2,000 lumens of light. That’s very bright.

• Ruggedness: Most EDC and tactical flashlights are made from aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, or plastic polymer. They’re designed to take a beating and are typically impact- and water-resistant.

• Multi-mode: The brighter the light, the more energy the flashlight uses. Everyday carry and tactical flashlights almost always have low and high settings to offer the user options.

• Activators: Both EDC and tactical flashlights typically have three types of activators: push buttons, rotating bezels, and sliding switches.

• Lens and beam type: While the bulb produces the brightness, the lens controls the beam type. Some flashlights are meant to be floodlights, others are spotlights, and some offer adjustable beams to allow the user to decide what is best for the situation they are in.

• Battery type: EDC and tactical flashlights have two types of power sources: disposable batteries (which we don’t typically like as they just add waste to the environment), and rechargeable batteries, which are more environmentally friendly and lower the long-term cost of use of the device.

EDC flashlight pricing

• Budget: Under $15. Be careful with products in this range and read up on their specs. Many times these lights won’t be waterproof.
• Mid-range: $15 to $50. You can find a lot of capable lights in this range.
• Premium: $50 and up. The more you spend, typically, the brighter, more rugged, and more waterproof the product.

How we chose our top picks

All of the flashlights recommended in this review were field-tested by your trusty crew of Task & Purpose gear reviewers. We take our time to get to know the strengths and weaknesses of each flashlight and also check out the reviews of other experts just to make sure we’re not missing anything.