10 Best Pocket Flashlights In 2018

Flashlights can be an essential part of your equipment, whether you need one for your home, camping or hiking trip. For some though, the size of the flashlight is going to be a key issue and that’s where getting the best pocket flashlight is going to be vital.

In order to find the best small flashlight though there is a lot to consider with the size of the device being a critical issue. After that, other key features will be the materials that it is made from, the battery life that it has and the number of lumens it is able to produce.

In this guide we will talk about all those key features and why they are important, and we have also completed small flashlight reviews on the 10 best products out there to buy. Once you have finished reading, you’ll know exactly what you want.

How To Choose A Pocket Flashlight – Buying Guide

Size

If you’re looking for a pocket flashlight then size is clearly going to be an important issue for you. You will probably have an activity that you have in mind which you are going to need to use your flashlight for and you need to get a product which is going to match that.

If you are backpacking then it’s most likely that you are looking for something which is light and portable so that you are able to fit it in with the rest of your gear and not have to worry about added weight. When you are hiking, it could well be that you want that easily accessible flashlight for when you are out there hiking in the dark.

All these flashlights are going to be able to stored in your pocket but there are plenty of different sizes available. If you are looking to place it into a specific pocket on a jacket or a pocket on your backpack, then you want to ensure that the two are going to be compatible.

Here we have featured flashlights that are able to fit in your pocket but are a bit bulkier and heavier than other, so might be restrictive if you were walking. It’s simply important to analyze your needs and get a product which matches them.

Material

There are a number of different materials which all make up a great flashlight and you want to ensure that you are getting the best ones to guarantee that you are getting a quality and durable product. This is going to be especially important when looking at the bulb, lens and casing.

When it comes to the bulb, the best option for these types of flashlight is always going to be LED. This will give you an incredible amount of durability and lifespan and it also excels in other areas too which makes it a better choice than an incandescent bulb, even though they are slightly more expensive.

For that little extra cost you get a bulb that his highly durable and reliable. For the same amount of wattage, an LED bulb will shine much brighter than an incandescent bulb. They also last for much longer which makes it a great idea to make sure your blub is LED.

In terms of the lens, it’s important that this is made out of the best materials too in order to not only let as much of the light out as possible but also be durable and scratch-resistant too. The two best materials for this are either going to be borofloat glass or anti-scratch polycarbonate as both will be able to excel on both fronts. Anti-reflective coated glass and normal plastic lenses don’t have the same quality.

In terms of the body, most flashlights this size are going to be made out of high quality aluminum which will be able to give it a high degree of strength but also the added benefit of aluminum being quite light too when compared to other metals. Plastic casings can be light and strong but don’t have the same level of durability.

Brightness

In terms of the brightness of the flashlight, this is going to be measured in lumens which is the most accurate rating that you can find for light. When incandescent bulbs were dominant it would be often the case that light measurements were done in watts but as LED lights would be much brighter with the same amount of wattage, this is now redundant.

Lumens are the measure of natural light which hits your eye which means that the higher the number, the more light that you are going to be able to see. On pocket flashlights this is not going to be as high as on other flashlight options but there are still a few available that are very bright.

Anything under 100 lumens is going to be highly effective in a smaller space where you don’t need anything that is hugely lit up and anything beyond that is going to be a lot brighter. There are flashlights here which shine at 300 lumens which are going to be able to work in numerous outdoor uses, including backpacking.

Your need for lumens will largely depend on the use that you are going to have for your device. If you are looking for a light for your tent then you may be better with a camping lantern and if you are in need of a much brighter light then you’d need something much bigger. If you’re looking for a pocket flashlight though then it’s likely that you don’t have the highest level of light demands.

Battery Life

The battery life on flashlights is very hard to judge for a variety of different reasons. Generally the bright the flashlight you have, the more power it is going to use and therefore it either needs a larger battery source or it will run out more quickly than other options out there.

How you are using it is also going to play an important role in this as a lot of the more intense lights come with different modes that you can select and using a low mode will be able to extend the battery life and it’s important to use this when you are not in need of an intense light.

Some models have different types of battery and some will have an internal battery too which would need to be recharged. If you are using something like an AA/AAA battery then you need to make sure that you have replacements ready should they run out.

If you have replaceable batteries then the brand that you use is going to be important too. You generally get what you pay for and the top brands will be able to last for longer than the cheaper brands. If you are using a flashlight on a camping trip, for example, then having that extra life could be important.

Use

Before buying a pocket flashlight it’s important to know what exactly you are going to be buying it for. These flashlights come in all different shapes and sizes and therefore are ideal for different activities and situations, and you need to get one which most closely matches your need.

If you are going to be backpacking then it’s likely that you are going to have a limited amount of space available and therefore having a small flashlight is going to be ideal. It is important to plan out exactly what you are needing to take and get a flashlight which will be easy to carry.

If you are going to be doing an activity where you will be on the water such as kayaking or one where you are going to be very close to it such as fishing then you would ideally want a flashlight which is going to be waterproof and able to deal with at least a momentary subversion.

There are also other activities such as hunting or hiking which require their own uses and therefore you simply need to match the features that you need to the flashlight which you want to buy. Brightness is also a key issue here as different situations require different levels of light.

Durability

With these types of product, there is a good chance that they are going to get dropped, roll off tables, be splashed by water or anything else which it is going to have to cope with. Due to that you want to make sure that your product is going to be as durable as possible, size can actually work in the favor with these flashlights as they are usually very tough.

Even if you are not going to be near water, getting a flashlight that is water resistant is going to be important so that it is able to cope with splashes and any rain that it might come into contact with. If you are going to be close to the water, then you would want to look for a flashlight which is waterproof.

Impact resistance is another good feature to have as you don’t want a flashlight which is going to fail as soon as you drop it. Having that higher level of resistance will give you peace of mind that you don’t have to be constantly worried about breaking it.

As we mentioned before, there are certain materials which will ensure that you have a durable flashlight including having a lens which is going to be resistant to scratches and a body which is made out of a tough material such as aluminum. Having a well-designed handle which will give you a lot of grip is also very useful to prevent you from dropping it.

Also a useful addition to the flashlights is the ability to either clip it or hook it to something else which will help to secure it to you. This will also help to avoid any drops or scratches and will help to keep your flashlight going for a long time.

FAQs

Q: What Are The Advantages Of A Pocket Flashlight?

A: A pocket flashlight is going to be able to fit into almost anywhere as you will be able to keep it in your pocket when you know you’ll be using it or you might want to keep it pinned to your clothes or your backpack so that you always have easy access to it.

Having LED lights have meant that even small flashlights have a high amount of brightness so you don’t have to sacrifice anything in order to have a quality flashlight. They can be highly versatile and used for a number of different situations.

Q: Are Pocket Flashlight Effective?

A: Due to the advancement in technology, pocket flashlights are more effective than ever at being able to give you a high level of brightness with very little size. This means that they can be used for a wide range of different reasons.

Some of these lights have a comparable amount of brightness to a lot of traditional flashlights. There are obviously larger flashlights available which have more power but the brightest pocket flashlights are going to be able to work perfectly in most situations.

Q: What Is The Illumination Range Of A Pocket Flashlight?

A: There are a wide range of lumens that these products have with some of them being highly adjustable and others being better for simple use. Here we have looked at products which range from the likes of 28 lumens all the way up to 300.

The smaller models would still be able to give you an illumination range of around 50 meters but the most powerful pocket flashlights would be able to shine for almost 200 meters. This shows the large range of uses that you can get from a flashlight, depending on which one you choose to buy.

Globo Surf Overview

Flashlights are able to give you the light that you need in any situation when you are faced with searching around in the dark. Pocket flashlights are able to give you those advantages while being extremely portable and able to be placed in your pocket, or any other area where you have a small space.

This makes them highly versatile and able to be used for a number of different reasons. Some are able to shine more brightly than others though which means that it’s always a good idea to get a torch which is going to match your specific needs.

Even though all these products will be able to fit in your pocket, some are bigger than others as you have the more bulky size of the tactical flashlight and the more slender pen light. The best one for you will be dependent on your needs and it’s always important to balance the size with the other features that it has.

The material is always going to be important but all the flashlights that we have looked at here are highly durable and able to cope with a lot of punishment. LED lights are now a must for these types of torches as not only do they shine brighter for less power but they also last for a lot longer and are more durable too.

After that you want a casing that is going to be very strong and a lens which is going to be resistant to scratches. The lumens are going to be a big factor in your buying decision and again this will come down to the specific use you will have for it.

As you’ve read through this guide, you should have all the knowledge that you need in order to choose the perfect pocket flashlight for you. Once you do, you’ll have the perfect pocket flashlight for your chosen activity, whatever that might be.