Choosing the Right LED Flashlight for You Part 2

Reading the preceding blog post, “Choosing the Right LED Flashlight for You Part 1,” you get a good idea of what to look for when shopping for an LED flashlight. However, in Part 2 we talk about other important aspects you’ll want to consider.

ANSI-NEMA FL1 Standards

These are official standards for flashlights created by the Flashlight Standards Committee of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). You want to make sure that the flashlight has these standards.

Body Style

There are several different kinds of body styles including a straight body, a slimmer body with a larger head, etc. Depending on what you want the flashlight for, the body style is definitely something to consider. But it’s important to find a flashlight that feels comfortable in your hands.

Distance

With flashlights you’ll often hear the word “beam throw” which refers to the beam’s maximum distance in meters. It varies from flashlight to flashlight. Some flashlights have more of a flood light while others offer a focused beam. With a flood light you can illuminate a wide area whereas with a focused beam it provides more of a pinpoint beam and has a longer beam throw than a flood light. For hunting a focused beam would be very helpful but if you plan on working in the garage a flood light might be more useful.

Runtime

Finally, you want to consider the runtime of the flashlight. LED flashlights generally have good runtimes, but if you plan on going away for an entire weekend camping trip, you want to make sure the flashlight won’t run out of juice on you. In the FL1 standards on the box, the flashlight will have a maximum runtime on it and this refers to the maximum runtime on the lowest brightness level using a fully charged battery.

There you have it! Hopefully this guide helps you find the perfect flashlight!