The Best 800 Lumen Tactical Flashlights
The Best 800 Lumen Tactical Flashlights
Something customers tend to ask for is an 800 lumen tactical flashlight. We're not sure why! Why not 700 lumens, or 900 lumens? Why is it right there, hovering just below the 1000-lumen benchmark and so high above the 300- or 400-lumen level so many American-made lights are satisfied with? Perhaps it's the sense of balance which lights in this range have. A tactical flashlight with about 800 lumens has awesome brightness and very respectable range, but is not yet at the point where it requires multiple batteries or becomes large and unwieldly.
We can't be totally sure why this lumen range is so popular, but when our customers tell us what they want, we listen! Here is our list of the great 800 lumen (more or less) tactical flashlights on the digital shelves at FlashlightZ!
1) MecArmy PT10
MecArmy is known for their innovative rechargeable pocket light, the PT16, which blurs the line between tactical and keychain light. But did you know the PT series has a range of sizes? If you're seeking a trusty, dependable 800-lumen flashlight you can use for everyday carry, look no further than the PT16's spunky kid brother, the PT10.
The smallest and slimmest of the PT series, this light is definitely easiest to keep in your pocket or car while you're on the go. And yet, for its size, it may rank among the most powerful lights on the market at (remember the article title!) 800 lumens. Three CREE XP-G2 LEDs are embedded in this 30 mm wide head, giving this little light awesome power. This comes in handy for nighttime searches or utilizing the strobe function for self-defense, which the light's wide flood make a great option.
Despite the aforementioned flood, though, it still has a great range at 126 meters. Throw in that this light is IPX-8 waterproof (watertight up to two meters below the surface), impact resistant up to 1.5 meters, and recharges itself in just an hour and a half...what you've got is an absolutely fantastic everyday carry option.
Nitecore has a great reputation for making quality lights, and its P series (for 'Precision') is no exception. The P10 is perhaps one of the best examples of the advantages of lights of this list, showcasing its best attributes in perfect balance. The P10's CREE XM-L2 LED has the 800 lumen output that put it on this list, with an excellent 4 1/2 hour minimum runtime on any 18650 battery. This makes it an excellent tool for weekend excursions or professional work, as you can depend on it to last you longer than other lights.
The P10 also utilizes a dual-switch setup on the tailcap, which gives the user instant access to either the strobe or the flashlight. The beam has a 193-meter range, an awesome precision beam which gives the light its name. And all of this can be expertly operated through one of three user settings.
Since the light also has a bevy of accessories, including a gun mount, remote pressure switch, and high-quality lanyards, it's clear Nitecore is intent on giving the user maximum control over their P10 experience. Throw in that it conveniently comes with a holster, making it easy to carry with you anywhere right out of the box, and you've got yourself a fantastic all-around professional or outdoor flashlight.
Designed to be an intuitive and straightforward tactical flashlight for the average consumer, the ST-series eschews Klarus's typical patented dual-switch design. Instead, it utilizes a single switch for all operation, keeping the interface as user-friendly as humanly possible. To activate and change the brightness level on the ST12's CREE XM-L2 U2 1A LED and its powerful maximum 900 lumens, you only need a simple short press of the switch. A long press turns the light off, and a double-press activates the strobe. That's all you need to know in order to work this flashlight. It even comes with a lock function so that there are no accidental presses of the switch.
But don't think just because this light is so user-friendly that it is any less tough than another tactical light. The ST12 is made of the same aircraft-grade aluminum as the toughest tactical lights, it's impact resistant up to 1 meter, and IPX-8 (meaning the light can be submerged in up to 2 meters of water and still operate).
Of all of these flashlights, the FH10 may be the most useful. The beam, first of all, besides being a CREE XP-E2 P4 LED with 700 lumens to boast of, also has the best range of any light on this list at an absolutely astounding five hundred meters. That's about a third of a mile! How is it possible? By the FH10's aspherical lens design and its adjustable zoom, which allows the user to focus its beam angle to a laser-like nearly perfectly straight angle. This alone makes the FH10 a nearly ideal outdoor light, since it can be adjusted to wide-angle flood for searching immediate surroundings, use for spotting distant targets, or anything in between.
But the light has still other features which make it an incredible outdoor illumination tool. Most notably, it has different color LEDs built into the head, and these are easily switched between. So the user has access to a red LED for hunting, tracking, and preserving night vision, and a green LED for map reading. Both of these LEDs can also be modified with the adjustable zoom, giving this light incredible versatility.
Of course, it goes without saying that this is also an incredibly tough light. But we'll say it anyway! The FH10 has the same ultra-tough, aircraft-grade aluminum body as the other lights on this list, and it's rated IPX-6 so it's completely weatherproof.
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That's it for our list of the best 800-lumen (or thereabouts) LED tactical flashlights! Check out these and more excellent lights and light accessories on our digitial storefront!