Whether you’re venturing through a covered cave, braving through a forest during the dead of night, or hiking through a canyon under the stars, when it comes to using a flashlight, the last thing you want is the battery dying, leaving you in the dark. This means you want a light source that will have the longest burn time as possible.
Below are some of our favorite flashlights and headlamps with a very reliable burn time.
Flashlights with Longest Burn Time
NEBO CSI EDGE 50 FLASHLIGHT
Starting off our list is a favorite to many, and we can definitely see why. This water-resistant flashlight only runs off one AA battery and still has a burn time of 5 hours. It also creates an incredible 50 lumens of light and has an anodized aluminum shell for maximum durability.
“Very pleased” – Jason C.
PELICAN 2370 3 COLOR LED FLASHLIGHT
This durable, LED flashlight has an 11 hour burn time when set on the dimmest setting and has a magnetic dial, allowing you to switch between three different colors, white, green and red. It also comes with a steel clip that can be fastened to any pocket or backpack.
“Bright and compact” – Bryan F.
STREAMLIGHT PROTAC 2AA ULTRA COMPACT TACTICAL LED FLASHLIGHT
This lightweight, waterproof flashlight runs on 2 alkaline batteries for up to 36 hours when set on the lowest setting. It’s made of impact-resistant glass and anodized aluminum for ultimate durability. This flashlight also has the ability to shine up to 155 lumens when set to the brightest setting.
STREAMLIGHT PROTAC 2L ULTRA COMPACT TACTICAL LED FLASHLIGHT 88031
This flashlight can burn up to 50 hours when set on the lowest setting but still has the capacity to shine up to 260 lumens when set to its brightest setting. It was specifically designed for law enforcement and has all the features for this role, including a strobe light mode to cause disorientation when needed.
ROTHCO MINI ANGLE HEAD LED FLASHLIGHT (BLACK) 528
This multi-colored flashlight runs on six AAA batteries and will provide you with up to 120 hours of burn time. The flashlight can display a green, white, red or blue light while measuring only six inches long, to take up the least amount of space as possible.
PETZL TACTIKKA+RGB HEADLAMP – 350 LUMENS
If you want a light source with a lot of flexibility, you might want to consider the TACTIKKA +RGB headlamp. When set to the lowest brightness of 6 lumens, this headlamp can provide up to 160 hours of burn time but when set to the highest brightness, this light can produce up to 350 lumens for 2 hours. This lamp is extremely lightweight (85 g) and can switch colors to white, red, green or blue light.
PRINCETON TEC FRED TACTICAL HEADLAMP
Last but certainly not least is the Princeton Tec Fred Tactical Headlamp. This lightweight headlamp has the longest burn time on our list by burning for up to 180 hours and only weighs 78 g. It runs on 3 AAA batteries and can produce a 45-lumen beam of light that will reach up to 35 meters away.
What is Burn time?
Burn time is how long a flashlight can operate without replacing or recharging the battery. This is usually measured by how long it takes for a flashlight to get noticeably dimmer.
Who Cares?
Anyone who doesn’t want to run the risk of being left in the dark during a detrimental situation.
