ARTICLE – I asked everyone on The Gadgeteer team who has reviewed flashlights this year to tell me their favorites so we could share what we think with all of you, and here are the results!
Julie Strietelmeier
WUBEN Lightok X3 Owl EDC flashlight
Somehow, I only ended up reviewing two flashlights this year! It wasn’t hard to pick my favorite because I just reviewed it this past week. I like the WUBEN X3 for its size and the fact that it can charge on a Qi charger and that the head can rotate. The fact that the tail is magnetic is also a nice feature.
Where to buy: WUBEN ( save 20% with code gadgeteer20 ) and Amazon
Steve Holt
urFlamp V63 retractable flashlight
urFlamp V63 retractable flashlight review – You choose the battery and the size!
I never actually knew what I was missing when it came to flashlights until I reviewed the urFlamp V63 retractable flashlight! You just don’t think about it, honestly. When you need a flashlight you head to your favorite hardware store and drop $10 for a cheap plastic flashlight. Then a year later, you do it again when the cheap flashlight quits working. Lather, rinse, repeat. It wasn’t until I experienced a professional-level flashlight in the urFlamp V63 that I saw the value of buying some quality.
It has several unique features, like the retractable body that can hold two different sizes of batteries, the handy carrying case, and the magnetic base. Not to mention the incredibly bright light that this little powerhouse puts out! Say goodbye to those cheap, plastic flashlights like I did.
Where to buy: urFlamp
Dave Moore
WUBEN E6 flashlight
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Your phone has a built-in flashlight, so why should you EDC a dedicated flashlight? Because stuff happens. Trying to hold a phone while changing a tire, consuming your phone’s valuable battery life, or needing to see something further away than lost dropped keys are just a few of the gazillion reasons for having a friendly flashlight always available. The Wuben’s E6 has been my constant companion since writing the review (read it here). The combination of brightness, pocketable size, throw distance, and the ability to use standard AA and 14500 batteries is unbeatable. I liked it so much I bought one as a spare!
Where to buy: Wuben and Amazon
Kenneth Woodham
Fenix WF26R flashlight
Fenix WF26R flashlight review – high performance, cradle charging duty flashlight
I haven’t reviewed a ton of flashlights during my tenure as a Gadgeteer, but I have had several this year.
My favorite one has to be the Fenix WF26R. I initially thought it’s a great flashlight but too big for EDC. So, I figured it would be a standby for emergencies, but I was wrong. Even though I have a
flashlight on my keyring and in my EDC wallet, I find myself going to grab the Fenix WF26R. It’s got
several different modes of brightness that serve my needs. It fits great in my big hands at just over 6”
long and a body diameter just a hair over a 1”. It’s powered by one 18650 battery and comes with a
magnetic charging cable that attaches to the flashlight, so you don’t even have to remove the battery to
charge it. This thing is built like a tank. It can take a beating and being submerged in about 6’ feet of
water for up to 30 minutes. No, it doesn’t fit well in a pocket, and no, it’s not bite friendly. Oh, come on, you know you’ve stuck a flashlight in your mouth when you needed to use both hands. I have to say that I was a little surprised that when I thought about it, the Fenix WR26R is go to.
Where to buy: Flashlightgo and Amazon
Lex Strickland
Olight Warrior Mini 3, Baton 3 Pro, and iMorse keychain flashlight
An Olight flashlight has been in my pocket over most of this year. I almost always carry the Olight Warrior Mini 3 or the Baton 3 Pro in casual clothes. These two send very bright light up the street or into the woods, but also have a good variety of brightness levels, including ‘Moonlight’.
Both are pictured in this review:
Olight Warrior Mini 3 flashlight review – For light or fight?
With dress slacks or business attire, I use one of a variety of small lights including the Olight iMorse, seen here:
Olight iMorse keychain flashlight review – A little lumen launcher
Where to buy Olight Warrior Mini 3: Olight and Amazon
Where to buy Olight Baton 3 Pro: Olight and Amazon
Where to buy Olight iMorse: Olight
Now it’s your turn. What is your favorite flashlight of 2023? Share in the comments below!
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
huge fan of the surefire brand…pelican makes some really good lights and becoming a fan of olights…
Definitely the olight nano! 1200 lumens in either beam or strobe in the size of a swiss army knife! Plus various battery saving lower output options and convenient magnetic USB recharging. As a retired federal LEO I really wish something like this was available “back in the day.”
Nice!
I’m working on a project where I need a really small flashlight that packs a punch, so I’ll take a look at that one.
you can’t beat these i3E EOS Keychain Flashlight for the size and cost…i have 4 of them…takes an AAA and puts out 90 lumen for 144 ft of throw…i use one at work all the time…
Big fan of the Rovyvon S-3 series. A bit pricey, but absolutely worth it. I have the S-3 titanium rechargeable light with multiple modes, replaceable battery, pocket clip, with a tapped hole for pole/tripod mounting, 1,800 lumen turbo output, ceramic bead for glass breaking, and optional tritium vial. Absolutely pocket friendly.
That was stupid. Who’s the best????
There’s no “best” flashlight for everyone. This article is about each individual writer’s favorite flashlight of all the lights that they reviewed this year.