The brightest flashlights of 2025: We shine a spotlight on our top picks

Why we like it: The brightest flashlight you can currently buy is the Imalent MS32. Its maximum output supplies up to a blinding 200,000 lumens — beating its previous title-winning 120,000 lumen iteration, the Imalent SR32. 

Who’s it for: This flashlight would serve well for emergency use cases or if you want the bragging rights of owning the world’s brightest flashlight. 

This model has eight settings, including cold and warm light options as well as a moonlight and strobe mode. When switched on, the Imalent MS32 emits the highest brightness level for about 45 seconds before dimming to 40,000 lumens. It can sustain this level for about 40 minutes. 

The Imalent MS32 also has a heat pipe cooling system that uses three cooling fans to ensure high performance and to prevent overheating. In addition, the IP56 rating means the flashlight is water and dust resistant. 

Who should look elsewhere: While the brightest, the Imalent MS32 is weighty and not ideal for everyday carrying. In addition, at $750, the world’s brightest flashlight requires a deluxe budget.

Imalent MS32 tech specs: Lumens: 200,000 lumens | Beam distance: 5,308 feet | Peak beam intensity: 655000cd | Battery Life: 18 hours on lowest setting | IP Rating: IP56

Why we like it: Imalent’s other option may not beam as bright as the world’s brightest flashlight, but it’s still a shining star packing in 55,000 lumens with 16 light-emitting diodes, also known as LEDs.

Who’s it for: The SR16’s turbo setting puts out 55,000 lumens for 42 seconds before going down to 11,000 lumens, which it can sustain for 50 minutes. 

There are six total settings, including a middle output of 4,200 lumens and a low output of 1,200 lumens. A built-in thermal control module will automatically adjust the brightness output so you can use the flashlight comfortably without its overheating. Amazon reviewers were impressed by the flashlight’s 736,000 candela rating, the unit of luminous intensity in the International System of Units, or SI.

Steven Short, a flashlight enthusiast and who reviews flashlights and everyday carry, or EDC, items on his YouTube channel, said that at 55,000 lumens, the SR16 is definitely bright enough to temporarily blind an attacker if you are ever in a dangerous situation when alone at night.

“I’ve used it on camping trips to light up the campsite at night. Instead of using a smaller one and having to move around with it wherever I needed to see, the Imalent SR16 is bright enough to illuminate the whole area for me,” Short said. 

Who should look elsewhere: Even though the SR16 weighs less than the MS32, it isn’t as bright. In addition, it’s still expensive at $370.

Imalent SR16 tech specs: Lumens: 55,000 lumens | Beam distance: 5,627 feet | Peak beam intensity: 736000cd | Battery life: 7 hours (on lowest setting) | IP Rating: IP56

Why we like it: Not only does this flashlight have a great battery life, but its built-in 54Wh power, or watt hour, rechargeable pack can also be used to charge your phone — even when you’re exploring the outdoors at night. 

Who’s it for: On the bright side — pun intended — the flashlight puts out 14,000 lumens from 12 LEDs and has two separate modes: Floodlight shines across wide areas and Spotlight zones in on a specific direction. Floodlight and Spotlight each has seven sub-modes that range in lumen count and intensity. 

“A friend of mine owns this flashlight and I have used it while hiking with him at night. It is super bright and really lights up the woods,” Jason Hitchcock, founder of emergency preparedness site Survival Stoic, told ZDNET. “It has an adjustable brightness setting which is nice when you don’t need the high brightness. When we meet others on the trail or need to look at something in our pack for example, I can turn it down.”

Who should look elsewhere: While customers praised the flashlight’s top-quality build and reliability, they said the temperature can get hot while holding it.

Olight Marauder 2 tech specs: Lumens: 14,000 lumens | Beam distance: 2,625 feet | Peak beam intensity: 160000cd | Battery life: 59 hours on lowest mode | IP Rating: IPX8

Why we like it: The TrustFire DF50 is technically a scuba diving light. It has white light, red light, and UV light, making it perfect for exploring underwater or in a cave. In addition, it can run for 3.4 hours on the highest setting at 6,500 lumens and 6.8 hours at 1,000 lumens.

Who’s it for: This is perfect for underwater explorers, but photographers will also find the TrustFire DF50 useful.

“This thing has 6,500 lumens and is made specifically for filming (so no flickering),” Nick Poulson, a flashlight collector and abandoned mine explorer, said. 

However, the DF50 also fits the bill if you’re just looking for a quality flashlight. 

“It not only provides a bright light but also offers a red light and, as if that were not enough, it also has a black light setting. Truly an awesome and fun feature to use in deep, dark mines where minerals line the walls, ready to be illuminated,” he said. 

Who should look elsewhere: Poulson added that the only downside to this light is that heat is emitted after long periods of use. Amazon reviewers said the 12-hour battery life makes up for that. 

TrustFire DF50 tech specs: Lumens: 6,500 lumens | Beam distance: Up to 345 feet | Peak beam intensity: 2756cd | Battery life: Up to 12 hours | IP Rating: Waterproof up to 230 feet 

Why we like it: This flashlight impressed us during testing. The company claims a lumen output of 2,800, but in our lab testing, the Fenix PD36R started out at an even more impressive 3,618 lumens. After one minute, we measured the lux — the amount of light that falls on a surface — to be 122.6 lumens per square meter, and then 46.9 lumens after five minutes. The flashlight was also able to shine at a distance of 414 yards, which is plenty of distance for the average person. 

Who’s it for: If you’re looking for a bright flashlight that checks multiple boxes, this one from Fenix is a great pick. Its rugged design is made of anodized aluminum for extra durability, and it boasts a replaceable and rechargeable 5,000mAh battery. A single charge offers more than 40 hours of use. 

Who should look elsewhere: The flashlight is classified as an everyday carry (EDC) flashlight, although some verified customers note that it is a bit large for an EDC. Still, it has a two-way body clip you can attach to your bag, purse, backpack, or belt for easy access.

Fenix PD36R tech specs: Lumens: 2,800 | Beam distance: 1,242 feet | Peak beam intensity: 36,600 cd | Battery life: 42 hours | IP Rating: IP68+

A lumen is a unit of measurement for the intensity of the light coming out of a flashlight. A high lumen output means that the flashlight shines bright. 

These brightest flashlights emit the most lumens of all flashlights on the market, when on the brightest setting, although many have multiple brightness options.

Keep in mind that many flashlight manufacturers exaggerate their claimed lumens, and the lumen output may vary depending on your use case with the flashlight. 

The average flashlight emits about 100 lumens. However, any “good” flashlight worth buying will be greater than 1,000 lumens. It really depends on how you will be using your flashlight, and you probably don’t need the world’s brightest flashlight to look under the seats of your car. 

Bright flashlights that have a high lumen output are good for some scenarios, but they are most certainly not always the best. Short said super bright flashlights can actually make it harder to see. 

“Brightest isn’t always best for a lot of people. When flashlights are really bright, you get a lot of the beam shining off of things and back towards you, sometimes making it hard to see,” he said. 

Poulson agrees and says that a higher lumen count will drain your flashlight’s battery quicker. 

“[Twelve thousand] lumens do me little good if I can only use it for an hour or so. If I can get all-day use out of a 1,000-light, then that’s what I want,” he said. “Also, a rechargeable battery is far more valuable to me than one that takes non-rechargeable ones. The way I use them, it would cost too much to have to replace batteries.” 

However, use cases for a bright flashlight still exist, and you may find yourself needing the brightest in a situation. 

“[Bright flashlights] could be used by a search and rescue scenario where you need to illuminate a wide broad surface area,” Short added. “You could also use a high lumen output light for self-defense to temporarily blind an attacker so you can remove yourself from a potentially horrible and scary situation.”

EDC stands for everyday carry, and these flashlights are characteristically smaller than other models and can easily fit in your pocket. EDC lights are also known for being durable and have waterproof and shockproof features. 

This durable EDC flashlight from Nitecore has 3,000 lumens and is USB-C rechargeable. It’s also super slim and compact without compromising on durability.

The EDC27 has an OLED screen that displays the current lumen output as well as the battery level, which lasts for 55 hours at its lowest setting. 

The flashlight sports five brightness modes and instant strobe.

This portable LED flashlight fits easily in your pocket or any bag. It’s currently on sale for $8 on Amazon.

The flashlight delivers 140 lumens to almost 500 feet. In addition, you can adjust the head between a concentrated beam or a wide flood. It also sports an IPX4 water resistance rating.

The Lighting Ever LED boasts a 30,000-hour lifespan powered by three AAA batteries. 

This lightweight and rechargeable LED headlamp pack from LHKNL is perfect for camping and working in the dark. When fully charged, the battery lasts up to 10 hours.

The headlamp, which is available in a two- or four-pack, features an adjustable elastic band to fit adults and children.

The headlamp features eight lighting options including a red SOS strobe. You can also swap between key light mode or motion sensor mode.