FLASHLIGHTS, LANTERNS, & OTHER LIGHTING

We reviewed hundreds of flashlights, lanterns, headlamps, and other outdoor lighting. Our top picks are shown below. Whether you are looking for a new light for hiking, fishing, camping, on your boat, working on your car, or to have by your pellet grill, our favorite picks are below. Click on the category below of the type of outdoor lights that you are looking for.

Table of Contents

• Flashlights • Headlamps • LED Lanterns

Flashlights

Flashlights are great to have around the house. I keep one in every room of the house, as well as one out in the garage. In today’s world where your power can be turned off with the slightest wind blowing, having a flashlight within reach for those nights when the power goes out, is a must. Another great place to have a flashlight is in your car or truck, in your trailer or RV, and some for your camping gear for your next family camping trip.

Qualities to Look for When Buying A Flashlight

• High Lumen Count of 800+ • LED Bulb for Longevity and Durability • Water Resistant • Durable • USB Rechargeable • Aluminum Body for Durability

Browning Stoke USB Flashlight

The Best flashlight I Have Ever Owned! The Browning Stoke 2.0 USB Rechargeable flashlight is the perfect all around flashlight. It fits nicely in your hand, as it is just the right size. It’s white LED light offers 18 to 1000 lumens of bright light, depending on how much battery you want to use, and how much light you want to shine. It has a USB rechargeable Li-Ion battery, 500 cycle rated Dual Fuel. It can also run on 2 CR123A batteries. It is very light, and made from durable aluminum. It has a non slip ribbed surface, and is water resistant. It has been drop tested up to 1 meter. It’s a smaller flashlight, but at 1020 Lumens it is brighter than my larger flashlights. This is an LED dual fuel flashlight, which means that it comes with a USB rechargeable battery, or you can also use single use batteries, which are sold separately. It has an incredible amount of hand held power. The Stoke is the perfect evolution of LED and rechargeable technology. It provides an incredibly high light output or long-lasting continuous runtime in the same package if you switch from high, to medium or low. It also has a strobe setting for emergency situations. It has an aluminum housing, which makes it tough and lightweight, and it helps to keep the light cool in spite of the high energy beam it puts out. It has an adjustable bezel, which allows you to focus the beam to your needs to give you a tight long shooting beam or a wide closer range beam, all with an amazing amount of light, which makes it a spotlight up to 260 yards, or a floodlight. The USB charger is built into the light; no bulky charger cables or packs. The Browning Stoke USB Rechargeable Flashlight is water- esistant and runs up to 2 hours on high or 48 hours on low. It has 1020 lumens on max, and 10 lumens on low. One of it’s best features is that it can use either the included high-performance USB rechargeable battery (USB charger is built into the light) or a standard set of single use CR123A batteries (purchased separately). I like to use the USB rechargeable battery, but just in case I do like that it also allows me to pack some of the CR123A batteries to ensure that I have additional batteries just in case I can’t use the USB charger in my truck or from my portable battery pack. It’s really nice to have the peace of mind to know that I have both options available depending on the need. In the past, lights using rechargeable batteries required specialized and often bulky chargers and cables, but with the built in USB Charge capability, it allows you to use standard Micro USB cables to plug into the light directly or even directly into the battery to quickly top off your charge with home and car cables/charges that you already have on hand. This light is considered as having dual fuel. The rechargeable batteries save money and are capable of higher light output, but are susceptible to power drain while not in use and are not always practical for use in the field. The Dual Fuel design concept allows lights to run off of rechargeable or single use batteries, increasing the capability of your lights and giving you the best of both worlds. Hands down, this is the best flashlight that I have ever owned. It is the strongest, most durable, with the highest light output that I have personally seen in a handheld flashlight. It is brighter than my old trusty four D cell battery powered flashlight, but without the extra weight and the large size. This flashlight fits easily into my hand, it feels perfect, it feels strong, and it just feels right. I don’t usually splurge on myself and spend over fourty bucks for a flashlight, but this is the best purchase that I have ever made for a flashlight, and I expect it will also be the longest lasting by the quality workmanship that went into the design and manufacturing of this flashlight.

Coleman OneSource LED Rechargeable Flashlight

The ultimate LED flashlight that won’t leave you in the dark. The Coleman® OneSource LED Flashlight and Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery offers bright, LED light with rechargeable power. This flashlight has an IPX4 water resistant rating, providing the perfect amount of light under driving rains, or in any environment. An LED battery level indicator let’s you know how much battery is still available, so you will never run out of battery unexpectedly. With the Coleman OneSource, you can charge your phone or tablet when the light is not in use, and you can buy different Coleman OneSource components, and additional batteries, and charging station, so you can run LED lighting, flashlights, tent lighting, tent fans, an LED Lantern, and more. I bought multiple batteries for mine, so that I have extra batteries available to use in the other Coleman OneSource accessories and components. You can even recharge these batteries during the day in your vehicle by USB, so you will have a full charge of batteries ready to go each night. You can also buy a power station generator, or battery power bank for charging when you are in the outdoors or out camping. IPX4 water resistant rating Impact resistant up to 1m 4,800mAh lithium ion battery powers the flashlight up to 100 hours Battery supports USB charging of external devices while powering gear 10 lumen LED flashlight on top for added visibility in low light LED battery level indicator.

Streamlight Strion LED HL

• Super bright 500 lumens with 200m beam distance • C4 LED technology with a 50,000 hour lifetime • Mode switch for high, medium, and low beams • Strobe light for emergency bright attention getting lights • Long Lasting Rechargeable lithium-ion battery • Durable aluminum body with a high temperature glass lens

Headlamps

Qualities To Look For When Buying A New Headlamp

When looking for a new headlamp, there are a few features that are the most important to me. It is important to have the look that I want, as well as a comfortable fit. I don’t like the large battery packs that some of these have, but a few of these models have a great small battery pack that can be clipped on your belt or backpack, which makes the headlamp itself much lighter. Since you can encounter weather while fishing, hunting, camping, or hiking, it’s important for my headlamp to water resistant, and would be even better to be waterproof. Being rechargeable is a must, not only to be better for the environment, but to be better on the pocket book. Last but not least, it’s important to have a high level of lumens, or light output, so that your headlamp can be as bright as you need it to be. The more lumens a headlamp has, the more it will cost, but with cost also comes quality and durability as well.

Liteband PRO 1500 Multi-Beam LED Headlamp - Camo

This is the Headlamp that you have been waiting for. It’s like a lilteband and a flashlight in one. The Liteband® PRO 1500 Multibeam LED Headlamp features the first 210º wide beam, low profile, headband style headlamp paired with a focused beam option. There are six different lighting modes that include a wide beam, a focused beam, and multibeam lighting. The focused beam has a 15º tilt for optimal illumination of the area around you. The headlamp delivers 1,000 lumens of wide beam plus 500 lumens on focused beam that shines out up to three hundred feet. It is powered by a 3,400mAh lithium-ion USB-C rechargeable battery that is included with your purchase. Will shine for up to 32 hours on low. With a weatherproof rating of IPX5, the Pro 1500 Multi Beam is the best choice for a camping headlamp, a work headlamp, a headlamp for hiking, and a great light source around the home. It lights up the area around you, and now with the focused beam they added it will light out up in front of you too like a flashlight. Perfect for any sportsman, or fisherman as well.

Liteband Sportsman Pro 1000 LED Rechargeable Headlamp

Liteband’s Sportsman Pro 1000 Lumen LED rechargeable headlamp is a great looking Headlamp, and super bright. It is a wide beam LED Rechargeable Headlamp with Night Mode that features a whopping 210º ultra wide beam attached to an adjustable, low profile headband giving you the ultimate in comfort. The built in 35 LEDs deliver 1000 lumens of bright light powered by a 3400 mAh X-TEND lithium-ion USB-C battery that is rechargeable. It gives you up to 28 hours of light on the low setting. The light modes include high, medium, low, green, and pulse. It has an IPX 5 weatherproof rating, so you can use it even when the weather gets bad. Perfect for hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, or snapping onto your hard hat for you workday.

Ledlenser H19R Core Headlamp

The Ledlenser H19R Core Headlamp delivers a super bright 3,500 lumens of bright white light, to cut through the darkness and lighten up the night. All LEDs have dimmable and regulated performance to stay fully lit throughout the entire battery life so it won’t be dim when you need it the most. IP68 rated waterproofing to ensure long lasting protection from weather and submersion under water. There are multiple lighting modes to give you the perfect custom lighting that you need. It has a built in battery meter so it is easy to keep track of the battery life, so you won’t be left in the dark. The fusion beam has an adjustable flood and spot beam for a reliable, large area of illumination, while the red light mode preserves night vision and guards against night blindness. The head rotates 95°, to let you adjust the angle of the beam to point to exactly where you need it. Runs up to 20 hours on low or 4 hours on the highest setting on the rechargeable internal battery. High intensity waterproof headlamp Performance design 3,500 max lumens Steady illumination through full battery life 95° of head rotation Multifunctional push button switch IP68 waterproof Onboard battery meter Rechargeable

LED LANTERNS

Battery Powered LED Lanterns

A good lantern is a must have for camping, as well as to have around the house in case the power goes out. There are so many different types of them out on the market today, it’s hard to settle on the one to buy. There are a few key factors that help me to decide which lantern is the best one to buy.

What to look for in a Battery Powered Lantern

• Rugged • Durable • High Lumen Count of 800+ Lumens • Rechargeable • Lightweight Stylish Design • Water Resistant Long Battery Life • Affordably Priced Many battery powered lanterns that you find on the market today are low lumens, and made cheaply. In order to see what you are doing in your tent, or in camp, you need a high lumen count. Nothing under 1000 Lumens will do. Please do not be tempted to save a few dollars and get less lumens, because you will be very disappointed. I have done it myself, and I gave them away as soon as I experienced my first camping lantern over 1000 lumens. You can always turn the lantern on low or medium if you want less light, but if you buy one with less lumens you can never turn it bright enough.

Devos Light Ranger LED Lantern

The LightRanger is a super bright, rechargeable LED lantern that is great for your outdoor adventures. I recommend getting two of them for your next camping trip. They have a telescoping pole and tripod. You can raise your light up to 9 feet in the air so that you can enjoy your outdoor activities at a whole new level. By raising the light higher up in the air you won’t be blinded like you would with an eye level lantern again.

Coleman Quad Pro 800 Lumen LED Lantern

• 800 lumens • 4 portable 100 Lumen panels to use as personal lights • Each panel has a built in flashlight • Magnetic attachment system on panels for hands-free use • Fold-down handle stands the panel up on any flat table • Base remains lit even with all panels removed • Mobile charging output on the base • Base runs on high for up to 20 hours or on low for up to 400 hours • Panels run on high for up to 3 hours or on low for up to 14 hours • IPX4 water-resistant One of the most useful lanterns on the market, the Coleman Quad Pro 800 Lumen LED Lantern is perfect for camping with the family. Each famiy member can grab one of the four personal lights for those late night trips to the bathroom, or from the lantern when you are sitting around the campfire to make a quick trip back to the tent of the ice chests and camping grear for a quick snack. Very usefuly lantern, super bright, rugged, and dependable.

Coleman OneSource LED Battery Powered Rechargeable Lantern

The Coleman OneSource LED Lantern and Rechargeable Lithium Ion Battery comes in either a 600 Lumen or 1000 Lumen Model. The battery is rechargeable, and removable, and can be used in any of the Coleman OneSource products. From flashlights, tents with led lighting and air fans for circulation and to cool you down, to a rechargeable bluetooth wireless speaker, an air pump for your air mattress, a charging station where you can charge multiple batteries to power your devices. Your cell phone can charge directly from the lantern, so you never have to leave your tent at night to charge up your smartphone. LED Lantern Features OneSource powers your outdoor gear and devices with one interchangeable rechargeable battery system. It puts out up to 1000 lumens on high, and 50 lumens on low, for customizable lighting. The beam distance is up to 12 meters on high or 4 meters on low. It has a soft grip handle for added comfort. The charging cord fits right into the bottom of the base for compact storage, and to ensure it won’t get lost or forgotten. It has an IPX4 water resistance rating for reliable use outdoors in the elements, like you may encounter while out camping with your family and friends. It is also impact resistant up to 1 meter. The built in lifetime LEDs never need replacing. The fully charged 4800 mAh lithium-ion battery powers the lantern up to 100 hours on low, or 2 hours on high. The battery charges up in about two hours with their quick charging station (sold separately) or 2.4 amp USB output and in about five hours with a 1 amp USB output. The battery can also be recharged from any USB port (e.g., wall outlets, vehicles, OneSource charging stations, other OneSource batteries, or a universal power banks). The battery supports USB charging of external devices, like your smartphone, while powering gear. The battery includes a 10 lumens LED flashlight on top for added visibility in low light conditions. It has a built in LED battery level indicator, and comes with a three year limited warranty.

Coleman OneSource 1000 Lumens LED Battery Powered Lantern

Pros Rechargeable batteries are easily swapped out, and can be used in other Coleman OneSource devices You can charge your smartphone or other electronics directly from the lantern, perfect for the tent, or at that camp table It doesn’t have the huge base at the bottom like the other D Cell Lanterns, which makes this lantern much more visually appealing Is water resistant for unexpected weather, or dense fog, that can destroy other types of lanterns Super bright, and one of the brightest battery powered lantern’s on the market, and at a great price, with the durability and quality you can expect from Coleman. Cons The battery can run out rather quickly, in about two hours, if left on the high setting. However, you can buy multiple batteries, and you can charge the batteries using a portable power bank, or in your car like your smartphone.

Super Siege 1100 Lumens Rechargeable LED Lantern

The Super Siege is rechargeable using an AC power cord, and is also equipped with an auxiliary USB port for recharging personal electronic devices and other Streamlight products. Its 8800mAH battery capacity gives up to 4 full charges for most smartphones and up to 8 full charges for most Streamlight USB-rechargeable flashlights.

LED Lantern Features

• Removable Glare Guard allows removable polycarbonate cover • Provides 360° light distribution for up close task lighting • Recessed power button prevents accidental actuation battery level indicator flashes red when batteries reach the end of their usable life • Ergonomic handle designed to lock in upright or stowed position Incorporated hook for hanging • Spring loaded, incorporated D rings stow against the body of the lantern when not in use • Watertight storage compartment in base • Rubber cover protects USB and charge ports • Portable USB charger Multiple Light Modes: • White C4 LED High for brightest light: 1,100 lumens; runs 5 hours • Medium for bright light and longer run time: 550 lumens; runs 10.5 hours • Low provides extended run time: 125 lumens; runs 35 hours • 4 Red LEDs (Preserves Night Vision): • High: 2.7 lumens; runs 110 hours • Low: 1 lumen; runs 288 hours • Flash SOS mode for emergency signaling: 2.7 lumens; runs 230 hours

Portable Lantern USB Charger

• 8+ full charges: Streamlight Stylus Pro USB, ClipMate USB, Double Clutch USB • 4 full charges: Streamlight ProTac HL USB • 4+ full charges: Most smartphones

Lantern Specifications

• Height: 7.50" • Batteries: Uses 8800mAh rechargeable lithium ion battery (Battery level indicator changes from green, to yellow, to red, then to flashing red when batteries reach the end of their usable life) • Material: Durable, polymer construction with rubber molded base that provides stability on slippery or uneven surfaces • Waterproof: IPX7 waterproof to 1m submersion, floats; 2m impact resistance tested • Weight: 1 lb 14 oz • Color: Coyote All the best flashlight’s, lanterns, battery powered lanterns, LED Lanterns, headlamps, and other lighting. Great for when the power goes out in bad weather, or when you are on the road, as a backup for emergencies in your vehicles, for your work desk, or remote job site, or while you are camping with your family. Also great to be prepared for fishing trips, hunting trips, hiking trips. It’s important to get the best quality, most durable, longest lasting, and brightest lighting with the latest technology so you have the best lighting for the job, trip, or need at hand. Don’t get stuck replacing costly batteries in your flashlights, headlamps, or lanters, get the kind with the high end rechargeable batteries. You can get a portable battery bank powerstation to take with you, to recharge the batteries, and keep your electronics powered up. The portable battery banks are great because you can charge them at home, before you trip, and bring them on your trip, and they can keep all your electronics charged up and ready to go. They even have models that have a jump starter for your car, in case your car battery goes dead on your trip. Pretty amazing, and simple to use, and they are very small in size. The light output, measured in lumens, of today’s battery powered LED lighting is super bright, and really can replace the light output from propane lanterns, and gas lanterns. Super bright lighting to light up everything you need. Whether it’s your lantern, a flashlight, a headlamp, or even LED lighting around your campsite, the latest lighting technology is amazing. Don’t fall into the trap at buying a cheaper, low quality, light to compare. You won’t be happy. You have to spend a little more for good quality lighting, but you get what you pay for. It will be brighter lumens, more light output, less battery drain, more durable, water resistant, or waterproof, and will last a generation or more. It’s important to invest in something that so important as light, as it really provides for more safety when you need it, so you can see what you are doing, or see what may be watching you in the woods. About The Author Mike Mendenhall is the the founder of Mendenhall Outdoors. This website is an extension of the Mendenhall family’s lifestyle and passion for the great outdoors. Everything that they learn, and experience, along the way that they find may be valuable to our website visitors is on the site for you to enjoy. We highlight products and services that you might find interesting. We frequently receive free products from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. If you click a link on this page, then go on to make a purchase, we might receive a commission – at no extra cost to you, and does not impact the purchase price of any products that you may purchase. The Best Lanterns, Flashlights, and Headlamp Lighting Experience Awaits!