Best Hunting Flashlight in 2019

Are you worried about finding the best hunting flashlight for your next hunting trip? I think you will agree when I say – It’s EXHAUSTING to find a good hunting flashlight without knowing the buying factors. We know how important a hunting flashlight is. A highly functioning flashlight is VERY useful for hunting at night or in dark environments.

Well, you will be HAPPY to know there are some crucial factors that will help you select your desired hunting flashlights.
…. And today in this buyer’s guide:

We will walk through our ultimate guide to cherry pick all THE IMPORTANT FACTORS to choose the best hunting flashlight in 2019, explore the top 10 products, answer the most frequently asked questions and choose the best product.

What is the best flashlight?

There are thousands of flashlights for hunting at night and choosing one is challenging. That’s why you need to know which features make a flashlight the best. Once you understand the features perfectly, it will be easier for you to pick the right flashlight good for hunting.

Main features for choosing the best flashlight for hunting
When buying a good hunting flashlight, focus on some important factors like:

  • Size and weight
  • Bulb type
  • Light output
  • Battery type and runtime.

Size and Weight

Our expert team considers size and weight depends on personal choice. Some people like the compact sizes and others like a bulky flashlight. If you need a long time battery backup, there is hardly any alternative but going for a larger and heavier unit. On the other hand, i actual owners recommend going for a compact size hunting flashlight as they are much brighter than others.

The best small flashlight should be compact in size and weight. Military forces use these flashlights frequently for survival missions.

Bulb Type

The most important part of a flashlight is the bulb and the quality of the flashlight largely depends on it. Depending on the bulb, you will get battery backup and brightness which is the main priority. Previously there were various bulb types but due to the advancement of LED technology, other bulb types have gone to the wayside. Also there are very few models with krypton bulbs.

The reality is, it has become difficult to beat the energy efficiency and backup time of LED flashlights. Moreover, LED flashlights are considering the brightest hunting flashlights. To be the best-led flashlight for hunting, a good LED light is a must.

Function modes

While hunting, you use your light for different purposes like illuminating a dark area or simply lighting up a dark passage. A normal flashlight can’t help in those cases, and for that, you need a flashlight which can help switch to different modes.

While hunting, a narrow beam is important. If the brightest flashlight can’t throw light more than 100 feet, actual users say it can be considered useless.

If a flashlight wants to be best for hunting it should have different modes users can choose according to need. For better results, use a lightweight spotting scope tripod. By the way, do you want to know which is the best lightweight hunting tripod?

Fixed Beam Light

For hunting, there is no alternative but a brighter flashlight. A fixed beam light usually has a strong lumen, and can provide a specially formatted light beam. First, you need to know how much brightness you need to identify the perfect night hunter flashlight.

Our expert team believes the best flashlight for hunting at night is one which has a fixed beam light. Hunting at night is harder because there is lack of proper lighting. That’s why if you need brightness over different functions, we recommend you to go for a fixed beam light.

Mount of the Flashlight

Remember that not on every night hunter flashlight is mounted. To make hunting lot easier, there is no alternative but choosing a flashlight that has a mount. Moreover, you can’t choose the first option you like as you need to make sure it is compatible with your hunting firearm.

Source of Battery

No one wants to run out of juice in the middle of the woods. According to experts and owners, Lithium-ion batteries are the best power source for top class LED flashlights. This battery lasts long. Moreover, we recommend going for rechargeable batteries as they are more reliable and ensure you never run out of power.
Furthermore, they are cheaper. You can also go for disposable batteries depending on your needs.

 

Top 10 Best Hunting Flashlights

Product Bulb Type Function Modes Fixed Beam Light Mount of the Flashlight Source of Battery Size Weight
Escolite UV Flashlight LED UV UV Blacklight None 3 AA batteries 7 in. 0.63 lbs.
Maglite LED 3-Cell D Flashlight LED Spot Light and Flood Light White LED Light None 3 D-Cell batteries 10 in. 1.4375 lbs.
GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight S1000 LED Wide to narrow; High, medium and low strobe Strobe Light None 3 AAA batteries or one rechargeable 18650 battery 6.1 in. 0.32 lbs.
Wsiiroon 1800 Lumens CREE XML-T6 LED Flashlight LED High, medium, low, SOS and flood light; zooms in or out Strobe Light None 3 AAA batteries or one rechargeable 18650 battery 5.6 in. 0.2875 lbs.
J5 Tactical V1-Pro Flashlight LED High and Low Strobe Light Includes a clip one can use to attach it to clothing 1 AA battery 4 in. 0.03 lbs.
LOFTEK 51 UV Ultraviolet Flashlight 395 nMt LED UV UV None 3 AA batteries 5.9 in. 0.45 lbs.
MsForce Brightest LED Tactical Flashlight LED High, medium, low, strobe and SOS Strobe Light Includes belt clip, but no mount included 3 rechargeable 18650 batteries: 2 for the larger flashlight and 1 for the smaller Larger flashlight: 8.25 in.; smaller flashlight: 5.25 in. Larger flashlight: 0.43 lbs.; smaller flashlight: 0.22 lbs.
ZX-2 Kit High Lumen Flashlight LED LED Light LED Light Does not come with a mount, but can be clipped to clothes or mounted to a weapon 18650 lithium ion batteries or AAA batteries Larger flashlight: 5.25 in.; smaller flashlight: 3.6 in. 0.02 lbs. each
Ulako Single 1 Mode Zoomable LED 150 Yard Green Light Flashlight LED LED Light Green LED Light No mount included, but can be mounted to a weapon with separate mount 1 rechargeable 14500 battery or 1 AA battery 3.54 in. 0.13 lbs.
Nitecore P30 Flashlight LED Lower, low, medium, high, turbo, strobe, SOS and Location Beacon Strobe Light None 1 rechargeable 18650 battery 5.57 in. 0.364375 lbs.

If you plan to go out hunting for nocturnal game, among other things, an indispensable piece of equipment you’ll need is the best hunting flashlight you can find. Since you’ll be hunting at night and your prey will be hiding from you under the cover of darkness, you’ll need a well-crafted, long-lasting, bright, and effective flashlight to improve your degree of visibility. For your benefit, we’ve compiled a list of 10 of the best hunting flashlights to help you find what works best for you and gets you out tracking your prey.

1. Escolite UV Flashlight – Best Hunting Flashlight

Escolite’s UV Flashlight is made of a durable aluminum alloy, guaranteeing it will remain reliable for the duration. Like all of Escolite’s products, it’s well crafted and does what you need. The bright and widely-spaced LED bulbs are meant to cover a wide area and the UV blacklight is ideal for detecting things like pet stains, bed bugs, ants, scorpions, or other critters who may be crawling around where they shouldn’t be. Some of its main features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: UV.
  • Fixed Beam Light: UV Blacklight.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: N/A.
  • Source of Battery: 3 AA batteries.
  • Size: 7 inches.
  • Weight: 0.63 lbs.
Pros:
  • cheap
  • the light covers a wide area
  • bright
  • durable
  • the UV light is especially useful for detecting pet stains and bugs
Cons:
  • some lights tend to get dim with use over time

Verdict: All in all, this is a good hunting flashlight, particularly if you’re after smaller prey. The UV feature is especially useful. We recommend it.

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2. Maglite LED 3-Cell D Flashlight – Best Flashlight For Hunting at Night

MagLite’s LED 3-Cell D Flashlight continues MagLite’s tradition of making exceptionally bright, durable, and well-crafted flashlights. Shining with a scintillating 168 lumens that are guaranteed to cut through the darkness, this flashlight’s beam can be seen from up to 450 yards away. If that wasn’t enough to make it a great night hunting flashlight, it is also water resistant, strong enough to withstand a 1-yard drop and can run for up to 80 hours on a single set of batteries. A few of its other outstanding features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: Switches from spotlight to floodlight by rotating the head.
  • Fixed Beam Light: White LED light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: N/A.
  • Source of Battery: 3 D-Cell batteries.
  • Size: 10 inches.
  • Weight: 1.4375 lbs.
Pros:
  • very bright
  • extremely long-lasting battery
  • durable
  • water-resistant
Cons:
  • not rechargeable
  • the center of the bulb emits no light, so you only get a donut-shaped flare

Verdict: The unbelievably long battery life of this flashlight alone makes it worth getting. We recommend it.

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3. GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight S1000 – Best Flashlight For Hunting

This is a pack of two tactical flashlights from GearLight, each is an excellent flashlight for hunting. With bright lights that are visible even 1000 feet away and zoom beams that can go from dispersing a wide array of light to a narrow and focused beam, these flashlights are extremely useful for hunting, whether you’re doing general preliminary tracking or you want to concentrate light into a specific area to close in on your target. Some of the principal features here include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: Switches from a wide to a narrow focus of light and also between a high, medium and low strobe light.
  • Fixed Beam Light: Strobe light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: N/A.
  • Source of Battery: 3 AAA batteries or one rechargeable 18650 battery.
  • Size: 6.1 inches.
  • Weight: 0.32 lbs.
Pros:
  • very lightweight
  • durable enough to survive a 10-foot drop
  • includes two flashlights instead of one
  • bright
  • water-resistant
Cons:
  • no brighter than many other flashlights on the market (about 500 lumens)

Verdict: If ease of use is a priority, these flashlights are very handy. Small, light, portable, and fairly bright, they have everything a nighttime hunter could want. We recommend them.

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4. Wsiiroon 1800 Lumens CREE XML-T6 LED Flashlight – Brightest Hunting Flashlight

For this fantastic 2 pack of flashlights from Wsiiroon, the central idea is simple: brightness is the name of the game. At an impressive 1800 lumens, these flashlights can be seen clearly and distinctly at an impressive 660 feet and their light still remains visible even at a distance of 1000 feet. They are so bright they are almost blinding. Each is an excellent long-distance hunting flashlight and works well in rough weather, though at closer quarters, you should be aware their extreme brightness might get the attention of your prey and scare it away. This flashlight’s salient features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: High, medium, low, SOS and flood light. Can also zoom in or out.
  • Fixed Beam Light: Strobe light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: N/A.
  • Source of Battery: 3 AAA batteries or one rechargeable 18650 battery.
  • Size: 5.6 inches.
  • Weight: 0.2875 lbs.
Pros:
  • extremely bright with varying levels of brightness
  • very lightweight and portable
  • a wide range of modes
  • very long range depending on the mode
  • water-resistant and works in heavy rain
Cons:
  • some have complained of a brightness level far below 1800 lumens

Verdict: This is an extremely bright flashlight and its diverse range of features and settings makes it all the more attractive. We recommend it unreservedly.

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5. J5 Tactical V1-Pro Flashlight – Best Flashlight For Hunting

This compact and astonishingly lightweight flashlight from J5 Tactical shines at a fairly bright 300 lumens, making it a decent hunting LED flashlight, it’s particularly ideal for outdoor activities like climbing, camping, or cycling. The camouflage coloring only serves to increase its apparent suitability for such activities. It conveniently only requires one battery to power it. Other notable features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: High and low.
  • Fixed Beam Light: Strobe light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: Includes a clip one can use to attach it to clothing
  • Source of Battery: 1 AA battery.
  • Size: 4 inches.
  • Weight: 0.03 lbs.
Pros:
  • extremely small, portable and lightweight
  • uses only 1 AA battery
Cons:
  • has few settings compared to other hunting flashlights
  • only average brightness

Verdict: Although it’s hard to beat this flashlight in of portability and ease of use, in other areas, it’s quite average and is exceeded by a number of the other flashlights on this list. We recommend buying it if portability is indispensable to you.

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6. LOFTEK 51 UV Ultraviolet Flashlight 395 nMt – Good Hunting Flashlight

LOFTEK constructed this handy ultraviolet flashlight out of 51 miniature UV bulbs. Working in concert, they produce an impressive beam. The bulbs have an impressive 100,000-hour lifespan. As you might know from reading other hunting flashlight reviews, UV flashlights like this are especially useful for finding bed bugs, scorpions, or other smaller animals that tend to crawl around. Some of the flashlight’s other properties include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: UV.
  • Fixed Beam Light: UV.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: N/A.
  • Source of Battery: 3 AA batteries.
  • Size: 5.9 inches.
  • Weight: 0.45 lbs.
Pros:
  • Useful for detecting critters that crawl around in your house at night
  • useful for close-up appliance repair in addition to hunting
  • cheap
Cons:
  • features only one mode
  • not useful for hunting larger animals

Verdict: This is a typical and inexpensive UV flashlight. Although useful for tracking small animals, this is not a good flashlight for hunting bigger game. There are, however, better UV flashlights available, so exercise caution with this one.

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7. MsForce Tactical Flashlight – Brightest Hunting Flashlight

This package from MsForce includes two LED flashlights – a larger one that shines at an impressive 1080 lumens and a smaller shining at 650 lumens. The larger is ideal for exploring in the dark, as well as slowly stalking or tracking game. Because the smaller flashlight is more portable and easier to maneuver and wield, it can be held along with a weapon and is, therefore, better suited for the final stage of the hunt. Both have a useful zoom in/out feature and are functional in temperatures ranging from -4 to 158°F, and are both water and drop-resistant. Each makes for an excellent hunting flashlight. Some other important features are:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: High, medium, low, strobe and SOS.
  • Fixed Beam Light: Strobe light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: Includes belt clip, but no mount included.
  • Source of Battery: Larger flashlight takes 2 18650 rechargeable batteries, and the smaller one takes 1 18650 battery.
  • Size: Larger flashlight is 8.25 inches long, smaller flashlight is 5.25 inches long.
  • Weight: Larger flashlight weighs 0.43 lbs. and smaller flashlight weighs 0.22 lbs.
Pros:
  • includes two flashlights instead of one
  • can be used in rough conditions
  • durable
  • lightweight
  • bright
Cons:
  • batteries have sometimes been reported to be unreliable

Verdict: This is a useful and reliable pack of hunting flashlights. If you can look past or find a way to deal with the occasional battery issues, you’ll be satisfied.

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8. ZX-2 Kit High Lumen Flashlight – Top Rated Hunting Flashlight

This two-flashlight kit from Solaray comes with 2 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and a charger included with your flashlights. Both flashlights are water-resistant and made of aluminum alloy. Given these flashlights are standard issue by the fire department, FBI, and Coast Guard, it’s clear that any of them can also serve as an excellent flashlight for hunting. Some of their features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: Led light.
  • Fixed Beam Light: LED light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: Does not come with a mount, but can be clipped to clothes or a belt. Can be mounted onto a rifle or another weapon with a separate mount.
  • Source of Battery: 18650 lithium ion batteries or AAA batteries.
  • Size: Larger flashlight is 5.25 inches long and the smaller flashlight is 3.6 inches long.
  • Weight: 0.02 lbs. each.
Pros:
  • extremely lightweight
  • can be attached to a weapon (though a separate mount is necessary)
  • very bright
  • water-resistant
  • durable and reliable
  • trusted by law enforcement
Cons:
  • a little more expensive than flashlight kits

Verdict: The fact that law enforcement agencies regularly use these flashlights should tell you everything you need to know about their reliability and functionality. If you’re willing to pay a little more than you would for similar flashlights, these are well worth the price.

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9. Ulako Single 1 Mode Zoomable LED 150 Yard Green Light Flashlight – Best Flashlight For Deer Hunting

Although this flashlight by Ulako has only one mode which shines a green LED light, this mode is in many ways ideal for hunting. First, green light strikes a perfect balance between being bright enough to allow you to see (unlike some red flashlights) and being so bright your prey gets spooked and runs off – often the case with a white light. If attached to a rifle or another weapon, this flashlight is perfect for hunting with a night vision scope. Other notable features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: LED light.
  • Fixed Beam Light: Green LED light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: No mount included, but can be mounted to a weapon with a separate mount.
  • Source of Battery: 1 rechargeable 14500 battery or 1 AA battery.
  • Size: 3.54 inches.
  • Weight: 0.13 lbs.
Pros:
  • the green light is ideal for hunting
  • very lightweight
  • can be attached to a weapon for hunting
  • cheap
Cons:
  • even if one mode is good for hunting, there is still only one mode

Verdict: Don’t be fooled that this flashlight has only one mode. It’s still a very good hunting flashlight and we wholeheartedly recommend it.

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10. Nitecore P30 Flashlight – Good Hunting Flashlight

With the P30, Nitecore may have produced the ultimate night hunting flashlight. Shining up to a blisteringly bright 1000 lumens, this flashlight is so bright you’ll be able to see it as far as 676 yards (2028 feet) away. The battery can last between 1 hour and an astonishingly long 680 hours depending on the setting. The flashlight is perfect not just for hunting, but also for everything from search and rescue missions to nighttime exploration. Some other features include:

  • Bulb Type: LED.
  • Function Modes: Lower (1 lumen), low (70 lumens), medium (220 lumens), high (400 lumens) and turbo (1000 lumens). Also has a strobe, SOS, and location beacon modes.
  • Fixed Beam Light: Strobe light.
  • Mount of the Flashlight: N/A.
  • Source of Battery: 1 rechargeable 18650 battery.
  • Size: 5.57 inches.
  • Weight: 0.364375 lbs.
Pros:
  • has a very wide range of modes and features
  • can shine extremely bright
Cons:
  • very expensive

Verdict: This flashlight offers a lot of power and versatility, but given how expensive it is compared to other flashlights we’ve discussed, it’s hard to justify recommending it unless you have plenty of money to spare.

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Most Common Questions About Hunting Flashlights

With our reviews of some of the best available hunting flashlights complete, we thought we’d round things out by discussing a few questions purchasing a hunting flashlight typically poses. We hope to provide a more fleshed-out picture of what to look for in a hunting flashlight and make you into a more aware and better-informed shopper.

1. Is green or red light better for nighttime hunting?

On the whole, green is more suitable for hunting during the night. Even the brightest red LED flashlight tends to be somewhat limited in brightness and insufficient brightness is bad because it can lead you to misidentify the animal you’re looking for. Even with the best red lens flashlight out there, you might find yourself struggling to track and locate your prey on a particularly dark night. On the other hand, white light tends to be so bright it can easily scare an animal off. Greenlight strikes the perfect brightness balance between red and white lights.

However, this is not universally true. There are some animals who are more sensitive to green than to red light. When hunting, it may be best to use red light. For this reason, you should always know your prey.

2. What flashlight has the highest lumens?

Lumens are a measurement of the brightness of a given light. Of all the flashlights that we’ve discussed here, the CREE XML-T6 LED Flashlight by Wsiiroon emits the brightest light, coming in at an impressive 1800 lumens. However, there are flashlights available with much higher luminous flux readings than this, if you should need a brighter light. Some go as high as 32000 lumens. However, a light that bright would not make a good flashlight for hunting, as its intense brightness would almost certainly scare animals away.

3. What is the best light for coyote hunting?

Although green tends to be brighter and more effective in most hunting situations where it is especially dark, coyote hunting is one of the major exceptions to this rule. Coyotes can hardly see the red light, whereas green light is likely to tip them off a hunter is on their trail. We, therefore, recommend using a reliable and direct red light as part of your coyote hunting flashlight.

4. Do more lumens equate to a better flashlight?

The short answer to this question is: not necessarily. More lumens means a brighter flashlight, and while brightness and the capacity to provide reliable illumination are certainly desirable qualities in a good hunting flashlight, this quality should always consider an excessively bright light can scare away potential prey. You should strive to hit the sweet spot in flashlight luminosity: bright enough to let you see clearly at night, but not so bright it immediately scares away every animal you track.

Conclusion

We’ve thoroughly discussed 10 of the best hunting flashlights currently available to give you a real feel for the state of the market, and in our judgment, the Escalate UV Flashlight is the best of the bunch. It comes with our unreserved recommendation, particularly to those who are just starting out and looking for their first hunting flashlight. It’s cheap, bright, portable, durable, and has an useful UV light feature that has multi-purposes, making it a life-saver for other activities like chasing bugs or other annoying critters from the nooks and crannies of your house.

However, the other flashlights we’ve mentioned are all worth a look, including:

  • the Maglite LED 3-Cell D Flashlight
  • the GearLight LED Tactical Flashlight S1000
  • the Wsiiroon 1800 Lumens CREE XML-T6 LED Flashlight
  • the J5 Tactical V1-Pro Flashlight
  • the LOFTEK 51 UV Ultraviolet Flashlight 395 nMt
  • the MsForce Tactical Flashlight
  • the ZX-2 Kit High Lumen Flashlight
  • the Ulako Single 1 Mode Zoomable LED 150 Yard Green Light Flashlight; and
  • the Nitecore P30 Flashlight

We strongly suggest checking them all out.

With our help, we hope you now have the knowledge required to at least get started on your journey to finding the best hunting flashlight, if you haven’t already found it, choose from among our selection and pick one out. Happy hunting!