5 Best Handheld LED Flashlights

Handheld flashlights are extremely useful to have because they tend to be the most versatile flashlights. They are the most popular category of flashlight and it’s no surprise why. If you’re interested in learning more, this blog addresses what a handheld flashlight is along with the 5 best handheld LED flashlights we like. So keep reading!

What is a Handheld Flashlight?

While handheld flashlights is a pretty broad category of light, there are certain aspects that make a handheld flashlight. One of which being that it can easily be held comfortably with a single hand. They’re often compact and lightweight enough that you could carry them with a holster or by clipping them onto your pocket. This is why so many users prefer handheld flashlights. Whether you need a flashlight for work, for outdoor adventuring, or just around the house, a handheld flashlight is easy to carry around and doesn’t take up too much space.

Top 5 Handheld LED Flashlights

So now that we talked about what a handheld flashlight is, we're going to take a look at our best five LED handheld flashlights. These flashlights vary in use, size, and power. Each of these flashlights is unique in its own way to give you a wide variety to choose from. One thing they all have in common is that they are USB rechargeable flashlights. A recharging function is a big bonus to any handheld flashlight. So let's get started and talk about these awesome flashlights!

Klarus XT11X

The first flashlight we're going to talk about is the Klarus XT11X. This is an extremely bright flashlight delivering up to 3200 lumens of blinding power. It has an excellent diffused beam that allows you to see every nook and cranny around you. It has a good beam throw at 283 meters, but it's definitely not considered a throw light. The XT11X tactical flashlight fits easily and comfortably in your hand and is simple to operate. It features a triple switch design with dual tail switches and a side switch that functions independently so you can choose which way you'd like to operate your flashlight. While the dual tail switches feature a momentary on, a One-Touch Turbo, and a One-Touch Strobe or a One-Touch Low, the side switch features a built-in memory function and a One-Touch Low. So you get a lot of features already with the triple switch design.

The XT11X also features six total outputs that includes a strobe mode and an SOS mode. You're also able to choose between two programmable settings: the Tactical Setting and the Outdoor Setting. Both of these settings affect only the tail switches. The Tactical Setting gives you a One-Touch Turbo and a One-Touch Strobe and you'll only be able to cycle through three out of the four brightness levels. However, you can still access the four brightness levels through the side switch. In the Outdoor Setting, the dual tail switches give you a One-Touch Turbo and a One-Touch Low and you'll be able to cycle through all four brightness levels. It's pretty easy to switch between these two settings giving you a lot more versatility.

The XT11X is an 18650 flashlight but is able to run on two CR123A batteries or two 16340 batteries. It has an Intelligent Battery Identification System so that it will adjust the output to make sure that whatever battery you've equipped, it will be safe to use. As I mentioned before, it's also USB rechargeable and you're able to monitor the battery status by checking the indicator. The XT11X is truly a phenomenal flashlight and it is certainly a user favorite. Make sure to check out the Klarus XT11X tactical flashlight.

Klarus ST15R

The Klarus ST15R was built to be an outdoor flashlight and has a lot of great features. It delivers 1200 lumens and has a maximum beam distance of 260 meters so that you're going to get a pretty decent focused beam with a nice spill to it. Operating it is simple with a tail switch and a side switch. The tail switch will turn on and off the flashlight while the side switch allows you to cycle through all the different outputs. Speaking of outputs, the ST15R features 7 total outputs and that does include a strobe mode, and a SOS mode, and a beacon mode. This flashlight also features a built-in memory function that will remember the last brightness level you used and turn on to that level.

The ST15R is an 18650 flashlight and can also run on two CR123A batteries and two 16340 batteries. It's extremely lightweight and incredibly easy to carry with you no matter where you go. It's extremely durable so that it can withstand harsher environments. It is USB rechargeable and features a battery capacity indicator and charging indicator so you can know the status of the battery at any time. The great thing about the ST15R is it's perfect for any outdoor activities but it's also really great to just have around the house or to use for a professional work. Make sure to check out the Klarus ST15R.

Klarus XT21X

This is Klarus’ newest release, the XT21X. This is an extreme tactical flashlight that delivers up to 4000 lumens. It's slightly bigger than any of the other flashlights on this list, but given the amount of power it has behind it, that's not really surprising. It's extremely similar to the XT11X especially in the user interface. It features that same triple switch design as well as the same two programmable settings. The XT21X features 7 outputs and that includes a strobe mode and an SOS mode.

This flashlight runs on a single 21700 battery which is an extremely powerful battery. The XT21X is USB rechargeable and actually features a 2A USB fast charging so that it doesn't take very long to charge that battery. It has a lot of protections in place and is extremely durable. Make sure to check out the Klarus XT21X.

Klarus G10

The Klarus G10 is another excellent flashlight for outdoor activities or for professional work. It's very compact and lightweight and delivers a powerful 1800 lumens. A major difference between the ST15R and the G10 is that the beam on the G10 is actually quite diffused. It has a maximum beam distance of 250 meters. So if you want a floodier light, I definitely recommend the Klarus G10.

The user interface is one of our favorites on this flashlight. It features a side switch and a tail switch that function independently from one another so you can choose how you prefer operate this flashlight. Both switches have access to a One-Touch Turbo, but the tail switch has access to One-Touch Low whereas the side switch has access to a built in memory function. Thsi user interface is extremely intuitive and very fast to learn.

The G10 features 6 total outputs which include a strobe and SOS mode. It is USB rechargeable and has a lot of protections in place to make sure that it remains safe. It can run on a single 18650 battery, a pair of CR123A batteries, or a pair of 16340 batteries. Like I said before, it's an excellent general use flashlight that's wonderful for any professional work, or just keeping around your house. Take a look at the Klarus G10.

Klarus FX10

Now we're onto the last flashlight which is the Klarus FX10. This is another tactical flashlight but, unlike the XT11X and the XT21X, the FX10 features the Klarus Focusing System so it actually has an adjustable focus. This makes the flashlight a lot more versatile as you can choose between a spotlight or a flood light. The FX10 delivers up to 1000 lumens and has a maximum beam distance of 300 meters using that spotlight focus. If you choose the flood light focus it has a maximum beam distance of 54 meters. This gives you a great idea of the difference between those two beams.

Just like the XT11X, the FX10 does feature a triple switch design as well as those two programmable settings. They function pretty much exactly the same as the XT11X. With this user interface, you get a lot of versatility and when you add that with the adjustable focus, there's no stopping the FX10.

It features 6 total outputs and that doesn't include a strobe mode and an SOS mode which gives you a lot of options to choose from when it comes to the brightness levels. The FX10 is also USB rechargeable and does feature a charging indicator that doubles as a battery level indicator. There are many protections in place to keep the flashlight safe to use at all times and it's extremely durable. It is able to be equipped with a single 18650, two CR123A batteries, or two 16340 batteries. The FX10 is an excellent flashlight if you're looking for something that is extremely versatile. Check out the Klarus FX10 flashlight.

Concluding Remarks

We really love handheld LED flashlights at FlashlightZ! They are versatile, robust, and often very powerful. We've listed five of the best handheld LED flashlights in our opinion and we try to make sure that the list included a good variety. So whatever it is you're looking for, hopefully we covered it here.