Having a reliable EDC flashlight is essential. When the lights go out humans quickly become disadvantaged. We aren’t owls, we aren’t nocturnal. In other words, we can’t see if it’s too dark. A flashlight changes the game. Why specifically an Every Day Carry flashlight? Well, for it to be useful you need to have it on you in the dark.
That’s right, what good is a flashlight if you can’t find it when needed? Naturally, you can store one in your go-to ‘junk drawer’ (yeah, we all have one of those). But what if you’re forced outside to quickly chase after the family dog? What if your car breaks down at night? How about when the power goes out and you have 3 kids, plenty of stairs, and you aren’t near the infamous junk drawer? Conversely, that’s where the EDC flashlight comes in.
There are so many instances where having a quality flashlight provides value – and each situation might require a different type of light. EDC flashlights provide the added benefit of being on your person at all times. At least the times when you aren’t sleeping – although I wouldn’t judge you if you had a light under the pillow. Let’s look at what makes a great EDC flashlight first.
- Lumens
- Modes
- Size
- Cost
- Quality
EDC Flashlight Lumens
First and foremost, you need to consider is how bright your EDC flashlight needs to be. If you have a keychain light, you’re lucky to get a few hundred lumens. Sure, that’s great if you need to brighten up a backpack or glove compartment. But beyond that, you’re pretty limited. On the other end of the spectrum are spotlights with over one million lumens. Yeah, that’s great too if you need to shine hundreds of yards at a time from the car. But good luck carrying that clunker around.
It’s likely that you want something in the 750-2000 lumens range. This covers household blackouts easily. It can be ideal for lighting up the path at night on a dog walk. It’s even a solid range for a hunting flashlight. If you have a flat tire at 10pm and need whoever is riding shotgun to hold a light, bingo. Maybe you hike into the fishing hole before dark. Other times you might want a light to browse the crawl space during spring cleaning. 750-2000 lumens covers all of these scenarios.
Furthermore, if you’re like me, you have plenty of flashlights. I’ve got headlights, handheld flashlights, spotlights, keychain flashlights, police-style “club” flashlights…you get the point. Each one of them fits a certain situation better than the others. They each have a typical lumens range. It all comes down to what situation you find yourself in most. That will help determine the brightness you need, and the size of the light you’re looking for.
Modes
Next, having a versatile EDC flashlight is important. If you opt for 1000 lumens, is that it? One mode of 1000 lumens? That can be useful, but it isn’t versatile. Most EDC flashlights have a couple or more modes. What this means is that it might have a ‘maximum’ mode of 1000 lumens, a ‘normal’ mode of 500 lumens, and an ‘eco’ mode that could be as low as 5 lumens. This last mode is useful when you need to dig through a fanny pack, EDC pouch, glove compartment, or looking under the couch.
Get creative
Now, here is where you can play around with different options on the market. Some EDC flashlights come with different lumens options, different colors, SOS modes, and more. A nice option to have is a ‘strobe’ mode. This mode is the highest lumen output the flashlight offers, but it blinks at high rates.
The reason for this is self defense. A strobe light in the face of an attacker can very effectively disorient them and buy you time for a quick escape or to grab a more physical defense tool. Plenty of people are not comfortable owning, or carrying, guns and pepper spray. There are valid arguments to both sides of that can of worms. One thing is for sure is that a powerful strobe can help many people. Furthermore, it can also be used if you’re lost and people are looking for you.
Also, red lights are also important in the hunting community as most game animals don’t see colors too well. This allows a hunter to navigate through the dark without alerting the animals as easily. Again, if you plan on carrying your EDC light in the woods for hunting, bear this in mind.
Size and shape
Next let’s look at size. I also added ‘shape’ in here as a catch-all term. I mentioned headlamps and spotlights. Those I’d put in their own categories and not in with EDC flashlights. They have their own use cases and they fit them very well.
Additionally, an EDC flashlight cannot hinder your day to day activities. It needs to be discrete, almost forgotten at times. They should fit in most pockets and bags. It shouldn’t be too heavy and it should not require two hands to use. In my opinion, this factor on the list is the most subjective.
For me, I find somewhere in the 4″-6″ range to be the ideal size. It easily fits in all the right pockets, drawers, and bags. Typically it won’t be very heavy either. Therefore, what you’ll find is that as you go outside of this range you begin to sacrifice on the other four categories fairly quick. A 1″ flashlight is not going to pack enough lumens, and a 12″ ‘club’ style flashlight isn’t fitting in many pockets. Again, they have their uses. Most of these flashlights don’t fit the EDC mold.
Cost
If money weren’t an option, we’d have the best version of everything. However, if you’re reading this blog, that likely isn’t you. Or me, don’t worry. In addition to the first four options, cost is potentially the most important.
EDC flashlights have a fairly wide range in price. Also they can be as low as $10 and far into the multiples of $100 for the really elaborate options. Of course, this decision is very dependent on your own situation and how much you value an EDC flashlight. Additionally, once you decide on the former three categories you sort of pigeon-hole yourself into a price range. In my opinion, great EDC flashlights run about $50-$100. On the other hand, there are some solid options in the $25-$50 range, but you likely won’t get the lumen output that I typically find best.
Again, f you’re looking at around 1000 lumens with several output modes and in the ~5″ range, I’d be willing to bet you’re looking at around $50-$100. Shop around, you’ll find sales on various brands and websites. As with anything, don’t rush the decision and make sure you’re getting what you want within your budget.
Quality EDC Flashlight construction
Lastly, once you decide on the previous categories, materials sort of shake themselves out. You still want to pay attention to the key aspects. I’d assume you won’t come across many cheap plastic models, but I’d be wary of something like that. Most flashlights use some sort of hardened metal or aluminum. You want something with a bit of grip to it instead of a slick body. Perhaps a hole to fit a lanyard or keychain ring through is desirable too.
Be wary here of the marketing gimmicks like ‘ultra-clear’ lens and the like. Maybe this is important to you, but I’ve never owned a flashlight that I ended up wishing for clearer glass.
Lastly, one thing that could be important is water resistance. If you plan on using it in the rain or out fishing, then you likely want something at least IP68 rated for waterproofing. You can read up further on waterproof ratings to see what fits your lifestyle best.
My go-to EDC flashlight
I use the Fenix PD35 Tac flashlight. Unfortunately this specific model is discontinued, but there are next generation models such as the PD35 V3.0 from Fenix that is a strikingly similar option. Fenix is an elite brand in the flashlight world. I have a few of their models and have been extremely happy with each of them. You can buy directly from their website or even on Amazon.
Admittedly, I think the PD35 range is the ideal EDC flashlight model. Some might think it is slightly on the larger side at 5.5″, but it works perfectly for me. It fits in my EDC pouch, in all of my pockets, and fits in the hand perfectly without feeling to small or too heavy. It slides into the tech pocket on my favorite all-season jacket and in each of the six pockets on my Filson Mackinaw Wool Cruiser Jacket.
In addition to walking the dog, I bring it hunting, and I keep it nearby in the house for a blackout or when I’m searching in the basement corners. It’s 1000 max lumens are great for the car as well. It has 6 modes including a strobe which is ideal for me. It comes with me in the pouring rain and hasn’t batted an eye at the moisture.
Furthermore, the key is understanding what scenarios you most find yourself in and determining which flashlight is likely the best fit. Use this guide to ensure you’re checking all the boxes that you care about. If you don’t like the price, adjust either the lumens you’re looking at or potentially the size and modes.
Be prepared
EDC gear is supposed to make life easier, safer, and more convenient. Don’t overthink it. Life throws a lot at us, don’t let darkness stop you in your tracks.
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