Update: See our newer post The Best Flashlights Of 2009

What are the most efficient flashlights available today? We think LED-based flashlights are the only ones worthy of consideration. LEDs will shine longer than other bulbs, and can withstand shocks and temperature extremes. The best LED flashlights incorporate bright, high-quality LEDs with regulatory circuits that insure a consistent, long-lasting light.

Here are some of the top rated flashlights, based on the reviews at the comprehensive (but complicated) Flashlight Reviews site, and reviews by Amazon buyers.

If you want to run your flashlight on rechargeable batteries, check out our review of the Best Rechargeable Batteries of 2008.

Fenix L2D-CE Flashlight

FlashLightReviews Rating: 5/5 Stars (In-Depth Review)
Amazon Buyer’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price: $53-59
Website: Fenix Light
Summary: Waterproof, impact resistant, good battery life, bright, easy battery change, lightweight, stands up, multiple output modes.

Fenix makes great, versatile flashlights. The L2D-CE incorporates the Cree XR-E high output, high efficiency LED (about double the efficiency of earlier Luxeon LEDs) as a light source. It’s powered with easy-to-find AA  batteries including rechargeable cells, or high output L91 Lithium AA cells. These flashlights are small and lightweight and have a type III anodize hard coat finish. The circuitry adjusts to the use of either one or two AA cells which can be either alkaline, NiMH or lithium.

Fenix has now released the Fenix L2D-CE Q5 Premium (Cree Q5 Edition LED). This model is exactly like the L2D-CE with the same battery runtime, but it runs brighter in all modes.

Available from Amazon: L2D-CE Fenix and Fenix L2D-CE Q5 Premium (Cree Q5 Edition LED) ($53-59).

Surefire L4 Digital LumaMax Flashlight

FlashLightReviews Rating: 5/5 Stars (In-Depth Review)
Amazon Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price: $156
Website: Surefire
Summary: The L4 Lumamax boasts superb design and LED brightness. It has a bulb that should never fail, and is small enough to fit in your pocket.

This high-end flashlight is made by Surefire. It is one of the first production lights to utilize the new Luxeon V LED. This amazing LED is capable of output better than traditional high pressure xenon incandescent bulbs without the worry of the bulb blowing. Inside the head is a regulator circuit that will drive the 5W LED for 1 hour at full brightness with diminishing output thereafter. Output is much whiter than that of a standard incandescent bulb and the beam does not turn yellow as it dims like normal incandescent bulbs. The L4 Lumamax uses two 123a lithium batteries for power.

The Surefire L4 Digital LumaMax LED is available from Amazon.

Inova X5 LED Flashlight

FlashLightReviews Rating: 5/5 Stars (In-Depth Review)
Amazon Buyer’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price: $33
Website: Inova

Summary: Waterproof, impact resistant, good battery life, good brightness, easy battery change.

The Inova X5 LED Flashlight has been advertised as being an “LED floodlight for extreme conditions”. Based upon the durability and general overall quality of the light, I would have to agree. It is a great light that should last for many years even under harsh conditions.

Available from Amazon: Inova X5 LED Flashlight ($33)

ARC AAA Premium Flashlight

FlashLightReviews Rating: 5/5 Stars (In-Depth Review)
Amazon Buyer’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price: $40-50
Website: Arc

Summary: Regulator circuit, near-constant brightness, brighter than normal LED, extremely hard protective anodize, easy-to-grip bezel and body, watertight, uses inexpensive batteries, recessed (protected) LED, good beam, great manufacturer support

This keychain-sized flashlight is the ARC AAA Premium from ARC. These lights use the new brighter Nichia CS white 5mm LEDs. The head includes a patented Arc step-up inverter as well as a voltage regulator allowing the ARC to run on a single AAA battery at near full brightness for about 5 hours before switching to a low light level known as “moon mode”. The body includes a split ring attachment point at the end and a small split ring allowing the ARC to be attached to a keychain or lanyard. The head is sealed with an O-ring, creating a watertight seal. The electronics in the head are embedded in epoxy and are not susceptible to water damage. The inside of the head of the light includes a foam ring to minimize battery rattle when off. The light is turned on by twisting the head until the inside of the head contacts the battery.

Available from: Arc ($40-50)

Mag Instruments Mini Maglite

FlashLightReviews Rating: None
Amazon Buyer’s Rating: 4/5 Stars
Price: $27

Mag Instruments have made great quality flashlights for decades, and I am happy to see they are now incorporating LEDs into their designs. The Mini Maglite seen here has a 3 Watt LED and runs on 2 AA batteries. The light output from this flashlight is clean, focusable, artifact free, has good color and is about 5 times brighter than the non-LED version. The light still supports “candle mode” too. The flashlight is about 1″ larger than the non-LED version. Light output is fairly consistent and strong for a over 3 hours.

The AA Mini LED Maglite available from Amazon.

Streamlight Propolymer 3C Luxeon Flashlight

FlashLightReviews Rating: 5/5 Stars (In-Depth Review)
Amazon Buyer’s Rating: 5/5 Stars
Price: $37
Website: Streamlight

The Streamlight ProPolymer Luxeon series is proving to be a really fantastic set of lights. The Streamlight 3C Propolymer Luxeon Flashlight uses the luxeon star LED to produce a long range brilliance and smooth uniform light pattern.

The bezel/head area consists of a black plastic shroud, a polycarbonate lens with scratch resistant coating, and a lamp assembly with a deep, smooth reflector. The lamp assembly contains the reflector, the Luxeon I LED and a regulator circuit that does a very good job of driving the LED at constant brightness for several hours. The lamp assembly is made mostly of metal to absorb waste heat from the LED. The assembly also contains two catalyst pellets to remove waste hydrogen which may form inside the battery compartment.

The Streamlight Propolymer 3C Luxeon Division 1 light case is “O” ring sealed and water proof. Powered by three C alkaline batteries, not included, it runs up to four hours.

Available from Amazon: Streamlight 3C Propolymer Luxeon Flashlight ($37)

This efficient LED Light was created by designers Marco Pulga and Luca Artioli for Lexon of France. It runs on only 4 AA batteries. The lamp is 5″ square in size. The intensity of the light can be adjusted, and you can also set the light to turn off after period of time. Available for $60 from Greener Grass Designs via Better Living Through Design.

Portable, motion-detecting LED lights are an efficient way to light rooms at night for a few minutes. This portable light from Maxxima, turns on when you enter a room in the dark (similar to motion-detecting outdoor lights), then turns off after 30 seconds of non-motion.

It runs on four AA batteries (we suggest using NIMH rechargeables), and should last about two years before the batteries need to be replaced.

It has a light sensor to make sure it doesn’t turn on during the day. These are useful in a on-suite bathroom or other places you venture in the house at night. It glows with a soft bluish light — enough illumination to complete a task. They can also be used as a reading lights, or during a power failure. These are priced around $15.

Available from: Amazon

Not long ago Rayovac released a 15 minute battery charger, raising the bar for NiMH battery chargers. Up until that time rechargers took from 7-24 hours to fully charge AA and AAA NiMH batteries. The only catch was that you had to buy special Rayovac 15 minute batteries to put in the 15 minute charger.

Now Energizer has released a 15 minute charger that works with any brand of NiMH batteries. Previously they had released a 30 minute charger, but perhaps due to comparison with Rayovac they upped their game.

The Energizer charger just came out, and we are aware of only a couple retailers carrying it. The price of the charger is $35 and includes 4 AA batteries.

The Energizer battery charger is available from: Amazon

We like the “Boomtube” portable speaker system from Virgin, because, unlike other portable units we have tried, this one is designed to be durable enough to carry in your backpack for years.

The tube has an anodized aluminum housing which resists stains and scratches, but weighs in at only two pounds. The speakers are 2” aluminium cones with dual neodymium magnets. The system can be disassembled for stereo separation purposes, and then reassembled back into tube form. It runs for approximately 20 hours on 4 AA batteries. It is available for $99 from Virgin.

Coming soon is the Boomtube Ex, which is has a sub woofer-like bass tube and more than 40 watts of total system power generated from rechargeable batteries at $199.

NOTE: Virgin Electronics has been closed down. We are not sure if these speakers are available anywhere.

Home Page: Virgin Boomtube

The Boostaroo is a pocket-size portable amplifier for your earphones. It amplifies the sound coming out of your iPod or MP3 player by 100%. I’ve tested this device, and it certainly does amplify quite well, and two AA batteries it uses last for weeks.

It also functions as a splitter and allows you to share your music with two other people (3 mini-headphone jacks total).

It increases the battery life of your MP3 player, because the player does not have to function as the amplifier. It does not distort the frequency response of the audio (the specs are: 20 to 20,000Hz +/- 2 dB).

Home Page: Boostaroo.

Available from Amazon for $26.

Just completed a camping trip using several LED headlamps and wondered why there were no other campers using headlamps despite what I believed were clear advantages over flashlights, especially for hiking trails. With a headlamp, my hands were free. Also, the light was automatically pointed to where my eyes were looking at. Plus, the headlamp could be used as a flashlight, as well, anyway.

Why LED? For example, with only 2 AA rechargeable NiMH batteries, the 7-LED headlamp worked from 9PM to 8AM the next morning with power to spare. I brought along a portable Rayovac 1-Hour NiMH battery charger, IMHO the best NiMH/Nicad charger.

The Yukon’s Xenon bulb produced a yellowish light that showed trail terrain and texture best. With a bluish LED light, we couldn’t tell if the trail had changed from soil to sand.

FYI, here are my impressions of several brands/models of LED headlights for camping and hiking:

Princeton Tec Yukon (not HL): The yellowish Xenon bulb with adjustable angle was the best one for trail hiking, in our view. Also has a wide-angle mode with 3-LEDs for close/medium distance. Best for outhouse duties. Nice balance, with the 3 AA batteries in a rear carrier. The LED mode light was even and wide, best choice for reading. Well built and durable IMHO. Xenon bulb was useful up to 60 feet. LED light was useful to 6 feet.

Petzl Tikka Plus: Light was too bluish for reading trail terrain, and its wide-angle light was too disperesed for good trail definition. However, quite useful for setting up camp due to its wide-angle light. Changing batteries was difficult, even without gloves. Light had alternating blue/brown ‘rings’ which would be distracting for reading. Seems overpriced IMHO, but the garter of high quality and was very comfortable around the forehead. Plastic may not survive a concrete drop.

No-Name 7-LED headlight: Unusual, uses only 2-AA in a “front” battery carrier. Friend bought at eBay. Neutral white color was useful for seeing trails. Best angle/brightness among all the LED headlamps, but the “cheep” garters (compared to the name brands) made for slightly uncomfortable long-term use. Surprisingly, the two 1800 mAH NiMH AA’s powered this light all night, until morning. Light was useful for up to 10 feet.

No-Name 8-LED headlight: Uses 4-AA batteries in a front battery compartment. My head felt unbalanced with this much weight in front. Slightly brighter than the 7-LED. Due to its weight, it was used mainly for stationary duty, and not as a headlamp. Plastic construction may not survive a concrete drop. Only slightly brighter than the 7 LED headlight.

Dorcy 3-LED headlight: This was relatively inexpensive, only
$12. Light output was the weakest among the ones we brought. Was too weak for trail walking or camp duties. No one wanted to use this Dorcy headlight. Useful light only up to 2 feet.

Review Anonymous Poster.

Featuring the latest LED technology, CMG’s 3-ounce Bonfire Tent Light uses a proprietary LED circuit and a three-bulb cluster that will never burn out. Unlike a traditional candle lantern or fuel cell, this lightweight, packable and durable alternative has no open flame, no burning fuel and no breakable glass. Powered by a pair of AA batteries, the Bonfire offers high and low power settings and burns up to 30 hours on low power compared to other tent lights that burn for 4-9 hours maximum. Hang the light from the top of your tent with the included lanyard or set it on the floor. The soft amber glow is easier on the eyes than white light and emulates a candle for great reading. 2.5 in. x 4.5 in. Wt. 4.5 oz. with batteries.

Purchase from : $13.99 (Knifestore)