Top Ten Lights of 2026
State of the Industry
There are more lights and light brands than ever before, but the quality of lights is dropping. One simple indicator? Zebralight’s UI is now “not terrible.” In a field that had the HDS Rotary, the McGizmo Haiku, and the JetBeam RTT0, it was atrocious, but now, with Anduril 2 and the dials, sliders, and knobs on many modern lights, it looks streamlined. Things are getting worse.
And it’s not just on the UI front. The number of new lights with user-replaceable batteries is going down every year (hence the change in the scoring system). This is a negative trend and one I will note in future reviews with a specific section on batteries. Would you buy a cordless drill that didn’t have a user-replaceable battery? Would you buy a lawn mower that couldn’t be refueled? Of course not. Now there are some things where the batteries are too big or complex (like a fuel cell on a car) but there just aren’t that many cases where consumers are hurt being being able to fix, repair, and replace stuff on the things the buy. Don’t let them convince you otherwise. Unless there is some HUGE advantage, all the built-in battery trend portends is planned obsolescence. For something like the Nitecore TINI3, I get it, kind of…maybe. For everything else, it strikes me as stupid. Stuff like the Wuben G5, which is a veritable tour de force of stupid design choices, and the oLight Arkfeld are just ways to ensure that you have to buy a new flashlight instead of a new rechargeable battery.
All of this comes against background of practices within the flashlight retail market that are normal but pretty stupid. Peak lumens is a measurement that is 100% useless. In the first instance lumens aren’t all that important. Runtime is much more important. Second, this measurement is actually just a false high that lasts for about 90 seconds. After that all lights on the market (save one, see below) fall back to about 300-400 lumens even on high. Third, often these peak measurements are at the emitter measurements instead of out the front. Lenses on lights, which all emitter light must pass through, eat up some of the lumens and so you get inaccurate numbers using just the “at the emitter” measurement. This trickery has gone on for years. This says nothing for the widespread adoption of terrible UIs and LEDs with pukey tints. Suffice to say the flashlight market is generally pretty awful with lights that are more gee whiz paperweights than tools you use and carry everyday.
Its bright, easy to use, durable, has modestly okay throw, is easy to find in the dark, is inexpensive, is dual fuel with user replaceable batteries, and the included battery has built-in charging . The Tool AA v3, with its delightful RGBs in the tailcap, is a gateway drug to enthusiast grade lights. The problem is, given how competitive the package is, it might be hard to get people to move on to something more expensive. The VME and a host of other lights are better, clearly and obviously better, but in ways that take years to fully appreciate. Given what you get with the Tool AA v3, if it is a gateway drug, it might also be a stealth one-and-done light. It is really, really good and really, really cheap. And thank God we have RGBs instead of tubes of radiation for light finders.
Best Light for People that Don’t Like Removable Batteries: Nitecore TINI 3 (review and link)
This is the only light on the list without a user replaceable battery, and for good reason. Those lights are the epitome of planned obsolesce. Do not buy them. The thing that kills me is the irony. People that carry lights do so to be prepared for all sorts of things, but then people that carry lights without user-replaceable batteries are dependent on the whims of rechargeable battery technology AND know that one day they will scrap the entire light for no reason other than the fact that manufacturers started making lights so well that natural wear and tear was not enough to motivate people to buy new lights. DON’T buy these lights and NEVER depend on them. They just don’t work in the long term. But, if you must, in the short term (like casual workplace EDC), the TINI3 is a good light that offers features you can’t find on similarly sized or priced lights with user replaceable batteries. The ability to switch tint AND see exactly how much juice you have left is tremendously useful, though, for me the tint thing is like moveable shelves on a bookcase—they let me pick placement, but I am never actually moving them. For the size and price, and with the caveat about built in batteries, this is a good purchase and a very competent EDC.
Best 1xAAA: Reylight Mini Pineapple v3 (review and link)
The 1xAAA is my favorite format for a light. It’s small, it is easy to carry, and with a few clever design elements, like a good reflector, it can do everything you’d need a light to do. One of my two favorite high end lights is a 1xAAA clicky. All things equal, this is the perfect foundation for a light. And when you add to that foundation as Reylight has, it is hard to end up with a bad final product. Don’t bother with titanium. Get an aluminum version and you will be set for lights for a good long while. The Surefire Titan Pro came out 11 years ago and it is still brighter than most 1xAAA production lights and it is in the same lumens ballpark as this light. Ron Popeil would tell you this is a “set it and forget it” EDC torch.
A Perfect EDC: FourSevens Mini Turbo Mk 3 (review)
Recently I lost the Ti version of this light and I was a bit in mourning. That launched a search for a replacement. Unfortunately, even all these years later there is still no light with same great attributes—small size, decent optic, decent output, and excellent battery set up. It wasn’t a short search and I even considered purchasing one of the last CR123a Zebralights on eBay. The entire problem was solved when, after a month of looking, I found the Ti version. Stock is low, so if you want one, I’d go grab one. Even years later there is nothing just outright better.
Best High End Light: Kosen Malkoff VME (review)
No light on the market (i.e. no light still being made) is quite as good as the VME. It is a perfect light for even the most demanding user. Its robust and stout. Its got a great UI. All of the components are ultra-premium. And then there is the tint. Nothing is even close. It is so accurate and so clean that even the sun is jealous. On our nightly walks I am constantly surprised and delight when I hit a red stop sign or a green recycling bin and it looks EXACTLY like it does during the day. No washed out colors or disco tints. I even like the lack of high output step down. No phony 90 second high. This overclocked beast will run high until it gets hot. Like well made brisket, everything has been trimmed away or evaporated during cooking and the only thing that is left is pure perfection.
Bomb Proof Light: HDS Rotary (review)
In an emergency—a power outage, a bump in the night, or a sprint to a bathroom spot while camping in the woods—you don’t want something that is hard to use, likely to fail, or fiddly. 15 years after the light was released, there is no better bombproof, one and done light than the HDS Rotary. This light is one of the high watermarks of the flashlight world. If you don’t have one or haven’t tried one get a Rotary. It will never be obsolete, even as its lumens count looks low (remember most modern lights default down to around 300 lumens after 90 seconds), because it does everything so well and it could survive being run over by a firetruck.
Best Flashlight System: Exceed Rampant (review)
The light itself is great. It runs on a great battery and is dual fuel compatible. Plus there are dozens upon dozens of combinations of tints, finishes, optics, and accessories. But all of this is really the side dish. The main course is the UI. Oh sweet lovely, if you have used a light switch or a TV remote you can use this thing. The light itself is a little long, but that makes it good in hand even if it is a bit challenging to store in your coin pocket.
Best “Big Cell” Light: Zebralight SC65 Hi (review)
I generally don’t go in for big cells, and I will fully concede that an 18650 isn’t exactly a huge cell, but it is bigger than any battery you can get at a hardware store. I also don’t generally like 18650 lights because, just like the batteries, they are too big. Our gear is carried 99% of the time and used 1% of the time, so prioritizing how well it carries just seems obvious to me. But there are dozens upon dozens of threads on Reddit with EDCs that includes torches that run on 21700 batteries. I just can’t figure out how folks ride in a car or sit at a table with those lights in their pockets. So if you want the runtimes and punch of these bigger batteries, but want a light that can actually fit in your pocket, this is the best choice. The tint and optics are good too. And there is the Zebralight UI, which is, well…the Zebralight UI.
Too Good Not To Mention: Dawson Machine Craft Hoku Clicky (review)
This torch doesn’t fit anywhere on the list, but it is just too good to miss. Its remarkable how good the beam is on this light. The form factor and the clip are also stellar. Its not cheap, but it does everything you want in an EDC flashlight exceptionally well.
The Light that Defies its Specs and Impresses Torch Muggles: Surefire EDC-1 DFT (review and link)
Don’t sleep on this torch. Its not the newest or the brightest, nor does it have a multi-color LED screen or RGBs in the tailcap. But it is old school flashlight magic—a light that seems to break the rules for how bright it is and how far away it can illuminate. I know its specs but all I can tell you is this—it seems way brighter and throws way farther than you would expect. And here is the weird thing—the Surefire EDC-1 DFT is a light that seems like it should be easy to make, but no other company makes something that works this well. Weltool, Cloud Defensive, and Modlight all swim in these same waters too, but having tried them all, I still think the EDC-1 does this kind of light better than anyone else. If you need a duty light, this is a great choice. If you need a compact-ish light that can throw, this is a great choice. If you work at night or take walks in the dark, this is a great choice. And its not wimpy or overly complex. It fits the role its designed for so well and thoughtless, that it is a very hard light not to recommend. I probably wouldn’t have this be the ONLY light in my collection, but if you are going to have a light collection, it probably needs to include one of these. And just add $40 to the price tag—the tailstanding cap is a must. Its a little big for EDC and a little awkward to pocket, but its a powerhouse you could use as a crowbar in a pinch.
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