Best Tactical Flashlight with strobe
If you are anything like me, you would not be someone who settles for anything mediocre. You would only opt for the best of the best. Now, flashlights are a necessity in most situations. But in these changing times, they could even be life savers, especially during emergencies. Hence, it makes sense to buy a tactical flashlight, especially with strobe. I did quite a lot of research on best tactical flashlight with strobe before zeroing in on my purchase.
Here is a list of the Best Tactical Flashlight with strobe
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Given below are the findings from my quest for a good tactical flashlight. I hope this would aid you in making your decision as well. Now, be warned, quality comes with a cost. So, some of these flashlights are expensive. But trust me, they are worth every penny. These flashlights are useful during camping, hunting, law enforcement or security work, military, hiking, fishing, night time long distance driving, or even for regular everyday use.
With the gun control laws tightening its noose day after day, tactical flashlights with strobe can be used for self-defense as a less lethal replacement. The strobe mode of these flashlights produces super-bright light, causing a disorienting effect on the attacker. The construction of these flashlights are also pretty robust, making them ideal for rough handling and usage.
Before I start listing out my finalists, here is a basic breakup of the components of a Tactical Flashlight with strobe.
Tactical Flashlight - basic components
- Light Source: Obviously, the most important part of a flashlight is its light source. It could be bulb or LED. Halogen bulbs lasts for long time, but drains batteries quicker. Xenon bulbs also last longer, but can produce glare. LED's, though small and energy efficient, costs more.
- Reflector: Reflectors helps in focusing the light, making it concentrated, and hence more efficient.
- Lens: Lens helps in controlling the amount of light produced by the flashlight.
- Bezel: Bezel surrounds the lens, and acts as a container for lens.
So, what is a strobe? The strobe function of the flashlight gives a focused beam of light that traverse to a very long distance. This is best used for tactical as well as emergency use.
Now that you are familiar with the basics, below are my top five finalists of best tactical flashlight with strobe, in no particular order.
Top 5 Best Tactical Flashlight with strobe
1 - TerraLUX TT-5 Dual Button Tail Switch Tactical Flashlight
Features:
- Consists of CREE LED, with three output modes. Has a high output of 900 lumens (for 3 hours), medium of 200 lumens (7.5 hours) and low of 10 lumens (295 hours)
- Dual button tail-switch for single handed operation
- Mode switch for quick access to strobe mode
- Low battery indicator
- Double sprung, hence provides recoil absorption and battery protection.
- 5.83" (L) x 1.37" (Head)1" (Body)
- Battery: CR123A batteries (2 numbers) or 18650 battery (1 number)
- Waterproof upto 2 meter depth
Pros:
- Well-constructed aluminum body and easy to handle
- Strobe feature is exceptionally bright, and travels for long distance (557 feet)
- Great battery backup. Can last for 295 hours in low setting
Cons:
- Higher cost
- When switching on and off, flashlight is not silent and causes noise
Verdict:
For the overall money paid, this is a pretty decent flashlight to own.
TerraLUX TT-5 Tactical Flashlight Video Review
2 - Fenix PD35
Available with Holster, clip, lanyard and two spare O-rings.
Features:
- Consists of Cree XM-L 2 (U2) LED with five oputput modes - Eco (14 lumen) lasting 150h, Low (50 lumen) lasting 38h, Medium (180lumen) lasting 10h, High (460lumen) lasting 3h 15min, and Turbo (960lumen) lasting 1h 10min
- Low voltage warning for battery replacement
- Made of aircraft grade aluminum, and has Anti-slip and anti-roll design
- Batteries: Two CR123A batteries or one 18650 Li-ion battery
- 5.5” (Length) X 1”(width)
Pros:
- High intensity light which is visible even at 682 feet
- Robust construction. It can survive falls and rough handling
- Contains reverse polarity protection for preventing incorrect battery installation
- Compact and easy to handle
Cons:
- There is no option to adjust the light to narrow down the beam
- Battery loses power even when idle
- Gets heated up quickly
Verdict:
For the money spent, it is definitely worth purchasing.
Fenix PD35 Compact Tactical Flashlight Video Review
3 - ShadowHawk X800
One of the top preferred flashlight by firemen.
Features:
- Contains 5 telescopic zoom options
- Light is from XPE 800 lumen LED bulb and is waterproof until 6 feet
- Contains 5 options - coded Strobe, SOS and High, Medium and Low lighting options
- 5.1” (Length) X 1”(width)
- Batteries: 3 AAA rechargeable batteries
Pros:
- Zoom feature is pretty amazing
- Quick coded lighting gives easy access
Cons:
- Quicker battery drains
Verdict:
This flashlight is a good value for money.
ShadowHawk X800 Tactical Flashlight Video Review
4 - Streamlight 88040
Streamlight 88040 is a good pick.
Features:
- Anti slip body that is checkered
- Weapon mounting options
- Size is 5.2 x 1.4 x 1.4 inches
- Batteries : two CR123A
- 600 Lumens LED bulb
Pros:
- Better beam spread when compared to other models
- Quick to switch between beam types
Cons:
- Very high heat output
- Output light reduces with longer usage
Verdict:
This is a good flashlight for regular use, as well as tactical use.
Streamlight 88040 Tactical Light Video Review
5 - SOLARAY PRO ZX-1
Features:
- Consists of CREE single LED with 1500 lumens and 5 modes
- Size is 6.25” (length) and 1”(width)
- Contains cordless battery charger that can be plugged into any outlet
- Batteries: 18650 3.7V Battery or 3 AAA batteries
- Contains zoom lens which can focus on distant objects with the flashlight
Pros:
- Versatile. Has a separate SOS and strobe modes
- Zoom feature is highly effective
Cons:
- A known issue with the flashlight is that the switch stops working at times
Verdict:
This flashlight is a great buy, especially looking at the overall cost.
Oh, and Just in case you are wondering, I ended up purchasing Fenix PD35. That, according to me, was the best tactical flashlight with strobe.
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