Tactical Flashlights for Self-Defense Part One

Flashlights can serve you in so many ways. They’re not just a tool you pull out whenever there’s a blackout (although they really are necessary for that), but tools that you can implement in your daily life. And some flashlights even come with multiple functions so they’re more than just an illumination tool. I could go on and on about what flashlights can do in your daily life, but today I want to focus on a really important function of tactical flashlights and that’s self-defense. So I’ve compiled a list of tactical flashlights that will have your back when you most need it. At first I wanted this list to be around 5 flashlights, but I couldn’t stop finding some terrific self-defense tactical flashlights. I’ve trimmed the list down a bit and still ended up with quite a few tactical flashlights that vary in size, power, and features, but are all excellent self-defense tools. This blog will be a part 1 of Tactical Flashlights for Self-Defense and we’ll publish a part 2 next week.

What to Look For in a Self-Defense Flashlight

Rather than go on and on about each feature of each flashlight, I’ll only provide the highlights of the flashlights and the tactical features that aid in self-defense. If you’re interested in learning more about any of these flashlights, don’t worry! I’ll include a link to each one at the bottom of their descriptions. Before I get started with my list I just want to quickly say what we’re looking for in a good self-defense flashlight:

• Power
• Bezel
• Momentary On
• One-Touch Strobe
• One-Touch Turbo

A good self-defense flashlight should have at least three of the things on this list, but preferably more. Each flashlight that we list has at least three of these features. So let’s get started!

Tactical Flashlights

Klarus XT11GT

It makes sense to start with one of the most popular tactical flashlights of 2017. This flashlight is a compact tactical beast that delivers up to 2000 lumens! It’s a flashlight that can easily be carried around using the pocket clip or holster that are both included. The XT11GT is all about versatility and being the flashlight that everybody can use. It has a dual tail switch and a side switch that operate independently so you can choose which switches you’d prefer to use. It also has three different programmable settings: the Tactical Setting, the Outdoor Setting, and the Advanced Tactical Setting. On top of that it is USB rechargeable and has momentary-on, a memory mode, a battery capacity/charging indicator, and more goodies that make it awesome.

So why is this XT11GT great for self-defense? Well, first of all, it’s compact and lightweight so it’s easy to carry around. Depending on your situation this can be really useful. If you’re out camping, you need a tactical light for your work, or you just want a little added protection, it helps to have a flashlight that’s easy to carry with you. It also has a small strike bezel. This bezel probably won’t do a ton of damage, but with a good amount of force you can hurt someone who is attacking you very easily. The XT11GT does have the one-touch turbo and one-touch strobe as well as momentary-on which is exactly what we want in a self-defense flashlight. That strobe mode can easily disorient an attacker and at 2000 lumens, they’ll be blinded for a good bit of time. Read more about the Klarus XT11GT here.

Klarus XT12GT

The Klarus XT12GT is the bigger brother of the XT11GT. It’s bigger and has a few different features. It delivers 1600 lumens and is only operated using the dual tactical tail switch. It features two operation settings: the Tactical Mode and the Outdoor Mode. A really cool feature of the XT12GT is the magnetic charging function. This function makes it easy to charge the XT12GT securely and it’s easy to attach and detach the magnets.

The XT12GT is just as tactical as its younger brother. It features a strike bezel that you can use for self-defense and has momentary-on, one-touch turbo, one-touch and one-touch strobe. It’s not as compact as the XT11GT, but it can still be carried around using the included holster or the pocket clip. I want to mention why the one-touch turbo is important. If you’re walking in the dark with your flashlight on a low brightness level and someone is approaching you quickly from behind, you can use that one-touch turbo to illuminate the person so you can see who it is and disorient them a bit just by shining a powerful flashlight into their eyes. Read more about the Klarus XT12GT here.

Klarus XT1C

I want to take a look at a smaller tactical flashlight because some people who would like to use flashlights for self-defense, want a flashlight that can easily fit in their pocket and that’s exactly where the Klarus XT1C comes in! It’s less than three inches in length and has a handy little pocket clip so you can easily carry it with you. It delivers 700 lumens so it’s really powerful, and it has a dual tactical tail switch so you can operate it with a single hand easily. It also features two operation settings: the Tactical Mode and the Outdoor Mode.

The XT1C may not have a bezel, but it’s powerful and still has tactical features! For those who want a smaller tactical flashlight that they can carry, the XT1C fits the ticket. It has momentary-on, one-touch turbo, and one-touch strobe. Momentary-on is important because in an emergency situation you don’t want to have to wait that extra second to press the switch down all the way in order to see in the dark. The momentary-on gives you immediate access to the turbo mode with just a small amount of pressure on the switch. Read more about the Klarus XT1C here.