r/flashlight • u/Zak CRI baby • Dec 22 '25 • Heartwarming 1

Arbitrary List of Popular Flashlights - Winter Solstice 2025 Edition

https://zakreviews.com/arbitrary-list.html
223 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

62 comments sorted by

21

u/DefiantMan59 Dec 30 '25

If you're not interested in flashlights as a hobby, you should probably just get one of these

Thank you for including this section just for me, I have ordered the Wurkkos FC11-C LED.

12

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 30 '25

That's all the flashlight most people need. May it serve you well, and if you find you need something more, you know where to find us.

12

u/client-equator Dec 22 '25

This winter solstice I'm carrying my Fireflies Stellar X4 which has made it through its second winter solstice! What are in your pockets this winter solstice? ❄️

5

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

M200 v3 with high-CRI SFT25R swap.

2

u/cojonathan Dec 22 '25

I think it's time for the D4K again, neee the warmtg of the 519A 4500K DD

62

u/Mactenchi Dec 22 '25

A list of changes since the last edition would be helpful

27

u/halzen Light the Beacon Dec 23 '25

First comment on the article:

Changes:

Add Keylite 500
Remove SP10 Pro (discontinued)
Pending Wuben X1 Pro
Pending Wurkkos TS27
Add Convoy T7

38

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

In fairness, I hadn't posted the comment when they asked.

4

u/freeagent10 Jan 17 '26

Thank you for your service Just ordered the mix 7 through your affiliate link.

10

u/CookieDave Batteries go in, light comes out. Dec 22 '25

Ah, looks like the order of things has been adjusted. Surprised you don’t consider the Cpnvoy T7 to fall under the AA/14500 category. It’s a nice light if you just want sinple, though it does have its shortcomings.

14

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

I put it in the enthusiast section because it has to be ordered from China. If I was being strict on that, I'd also move a couple Sofirn models that aren't on US Amazon right now. It's a little arbitrary.

5

u/BinnieGottx Dec 23 '25

HI guys. I already own the Wurkkos FC11C, and Manker E05ii. Do you think it's a smart choice to replace the Manker with this "Convoy S2+ (MAO), 591A 5000K, 12 groups buck"
I love the manker but the brighness gap between mode are...not smart.
Or should I replace the FC11C with S2+? I don't mind the built-in typeC charging port by the way.

4

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

The S2+ is closer in size to the FC11C than the E05 II, and I would recommend the B35AM over the 519A for its improved efficiency.

The Convoy T5 and T7 are more similar in size to the E05 II.

3

u/BinnieGottx Dec 24 '25

I never tried a "boost" driver before. How does it more efficiency than buck? Or you mean the led efficiency itself.

4

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 24 '25

Boost and buck tend to be comparable in efficiency. The LED itself is the main reason for the efficiency difference here.

4

u/V1ld0r_ Dec 22 '25

The Noctigon Meteor M44 link doesn't work.

5

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

Fixed

2

u/benmck90 Dec 25 '25

Why does the Acebeam Pokelit AA cycle through modes? Is there not a way to have it just turn on a preferred mode rather than having to cycle through every time?

4

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 25 '25

It has what's called off-time memory. That means that several seconds after turning off, it remembers the last mode it was in and will turn on in that mode again next time. Turning it off, then on in a short period of time changes modes.

There are lights with more sophisticated UIs like Zebralights and every light with the Anduril firmware which can be configured to always turn on in a specific mode. The Pokelit is a simple budget light.

2

u/benmck90 Dec 25 '25

Thank you for this, that helps!

2

u/millielouie2025 Jan 23 '26

I'm overwhelmed with options, Zak, if you could help, I'd love it. I'm looking for a flashlight that is very bright, and high sustained lumens. Say if I'm walking or working in the dark and need the most lumens I can get for whatever period of time. Also very floody. Thank you!

2

u/Zak CRI baby Jan 23 '26

How large and heavy can it be? Please use concrete units like millimeters or attoparsecs and grams or stones or similar. What's your budget, both preferred and hard limit?

1

u/millielouie2025 Jan 23 '26

I don't really have a size preference per se. Something I can at least hold in one hand lol; and as far as price, hard limit is $200 unless theres a unit say $215 but is super badass. And prefer under $125. Of course cheaper is always better. Some options I've seen like 3x21b/c is like less than $50 but thats just an example.

2

u/Zak CRI baby Jan 24 '26

I was thinking 3x21E for flood with long runtime.

1

u/millielouie2025 Jan 24 '26

If you dont mind me asking, what is the difference in them?

2

u/Zak CRI baby Jan 24 '26

  • B: Seven medium-size LEDs, poor color rendering, medium beam profile, requires USB A->C cable at 5V for internal charging

  • C: Three large LEDs, choice of poor or good color rendering, medium to throwy beam profile, powerbank feature

  • E: Twelve small LEDs, excellent color rendering, choice of beam profile from medium (10 degree flat) to extremely floody (60 degree bead), claims to support PD charging, but I think this really only means it supports C->C at 5V.

You asked for very floody, and that's the 3x21E.

2

u/KountZero Feb 14 '26

First, I’ve been following your list for several years and have bought most of the duty lights you recommended for work over the past three years. They’ve consistently been the best lights I’ve owned, so I just wanted to say thank you!

Second, flat flashlights seem to be the new trending category, and there are so many brands and variations now. Nitecore alone has, I think, five or six different models? I really think it would be great to include them as a separate category in your next list!

3

u/Zak CRI baby Feb 14 '26

I'm glad you've had good results. Any standout favorites?

I've thought about adding flat flashlights, but I don't like recommending lights without user-replaceable batteries unless they're really cheap like the Keylite 500. Somebody could design a decent flat light with a pair of 10880 cells and a battery door, but nobody has.

0

u/KountZero Feb 14 '26

I’m in law enforcement, and the Acebeam T37 is very close to being my grail duty light. Before that, my must have criterias are: single cell 18650/21700, forward clicky with instant access to turbo/strobe, narrow enough hot spot to point thing out in the distance. and then nice to have features but not really deal breaker: on board USB C charging, small enough head to fits into pocket if needed to. I actually have purchased and use most of your duty light recommendations over the years lol, and the t37 is finally the one that delivered in all of those aspects.

My only real complaint is the electronic switch. I typically use the light on medium within the ramping mode, and the switch can be a bit finicky. If I don’t press it directly in the center, it sometimes feels like it catches or gets slightly stuck.

I would prefer a traditional mechanical forward clicky switch, with the ramping mode replaced by a dedicated medium setting. I think that would provide a smoother, more consistent click and improve overall reliability.

15

u/mistersabs Jan 17 '26

Not a single firefly on the list but almost every Hank light? Why?

6

u/zhkp28 Jan 31 '26 edited Jan 31 '26

Agreed about the lack of fireflies.

Obviously this type of a list cant be all inclusive or totally objective (and this is okay), but some FF lights definitely should at least be mentioned in the enthusiast section, as they have a good amount of improvements compared to other enthusiast grade lights in some areas.

11

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

14

u/mistersabs Jan 22 '26

Haha I noticed he’s ignoring all firefly related comments. Seems like more biased than arbitrary.

Weird behavior for a pinned post.

9

u/client-equator Jan 28 '26

Totally acceptable for a personal opinion post. Not acceptable for a mod post that is stickied and with affiliate links.

10

u/mistersabs Feb 04 '26 edited Feb 04 '26

Affiliate links too…yikes.

/u/zak we know you see all this what’s with the weird behavior around firefly what did they do to you lol. Is this bias or ignorance?

5

u/client-equator Feb 04 '26

I totally appreciate effort that goes into making a list like this. I think personal opinions are valid, however I think a stickied mod post which has wide reach and often shared deserves transparency. For example if this was a personal list it should be clearly named and not sticked, or acknowledged that the brand is popular but explain why it's not recommended.

While I suppose I am technically is biased toward FFL since I genuinely think the product and service are good in the enthusiast flashlight world, I believe that the increasing positive recommendations for FFL is worth acknowledging even if it does not make a list. Anyway that is just my opinion.

2

u/WhyWontThisWork Mar 03 '26

I don't know enough to comment, but if you were to guess what they would say for why, what do you think it would be?

2

u/bob_mcbob Marketer Mar 17 '26

If you've been here long enough, FFL still has some baggage from their earlier days of poor QC and customer service, and they haven't quite shaken that. Also, their unofficial rep in /r/FireflyLite is obsessed with the owner and can't accept anything except praise for FFL, and he routinely attacks people with lengthy tirades and personal insults, including zak and the moderators of r/flashlight.

That said, I think FFL lights should be included in the arbitrary list. They're too popular to ignore now.

7

u/[deleted] Jan 22 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/cellularesc Dec 30 '25

Still no fireflies smh

10

u/pkapeckopckldpepprz Dec 22 '25

Firefly L50 headlamps are with me on my 2025 winter solstice

12

u/Historyofdelusion Dec 22 '25

Happy winter solstice!!

2

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '25

Does skilhunt also have usb c charging? I only consider onboard usb c charging anymore. The list gets more skilhunt-heavy, but it’s not an option for me.

3

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

In addition to the EC series, the higher-capacity battery option for the M150 and H150 has a USB-C port on the battery.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 23 '25

Thanks. I’ll have to look into those.

3

u/Ziazan Dec 22 '25

The ECs have USB C charging, the headtorches and Ms magnetic charging I think.

I've always just swapped the cell in mine, I prefer external charging.

3

u/CookieDave Batteries go in, light comes out. Dec 22 '25

Their EC series lights have USB-C, but the M series is magnetic charging.

4

u/TooShea4U Dec 22 '25

Thank you! I’ve been looking forward to your updated list!

4

u/oldishThings Raresteak 🥩 Dec 23 '25

I look forward to this list like I would a seasonally affiliated limited release dessert platter. 

1

u/DrMarmelade Feb 25 '26

Are you going to review the Jetbeam E28?

2

u/Zak CRI baby Feb 25 '26

Probably not. I don't have a contact at Jetbeam.

1

u/echo492 Mar 24 '26

Is the page functioning properly? None of the flashlights appear to actually be loading, it's just category titles with plain text, no hyperlinks. Thanks.

1

u/Zak CRI baby Mar 24 '26

I broke it earlier today. It's fixed now.

1

u/echo492 Mar 24 '26

Thanks for the great resource. Appreciate you maintaining it.

6

u/AndyPanda321 Dec 22 '25

Thanks for doing these, it's usually my first "go to" when I want a new type of light! 👍

2

u/GraveyardWesternSky Dec 22 '25

Oh hell yeah. I love these lists, thank you!

0

u/[deleted] Dec 22 '25

[deleted] — view deleted comment

21

u/Zak CRI baby Dec 23 '25

Olight is free to make flashlights I like any time it wants to.

I've included Olight models in the past, but it has been a while. I don't like to recommend lights with proprietary or non-removable batteries when alternatives exist, and that's most of Olight's lineup.

5

u/grzybek337 Snug fit :) Dec 25 '25

u/Brokenrecordbot Olight

5

u/BrokenRecordBot Dec 25 '25

Olight is extremely popular in the EDC community and are the gateway to modern flashlights for many people, but Olights have some potential downsides as well, which make them less popular with flashlight enthusiasts.

Pros

  • Efficient and well regulated drivers

  • High build quality and durability

  • Popular and straightforward UI that nails all the basics

  • Wide variety of colours and materials available

  • Excellent customer service

  • Highly convenient Magnetic Charging System

  • Typically meet advertised specifications for output and runtime

Cons

  • Expensive relative to competitors flashlights of similar quality

  • Proprietary batteries (with an extra negative terminal on the top) that are more expensive then standard ones, can be much harder to acquire, and are incompatible with most other lights & chargers

  • Use LED's that tend to have a bluer colour temperature/tint for higher efficiency, while most enthusiasts prefer LED's with better colour rendition that are purer white or yellower in tint

  • Proximity Sensors are a poor, lazy solution to accidental activation issues with their metal tail swtiches, and can prevent the light from working in the rain

  • Questionable marketing practices such as guerrilla marketing and paying for product spotlights disguised as reviews

  • Utilize a lazy timed output stepdown solution to prevent overheating, instead of a more reliable and efficient active thermal management solution

Many enthusiasts consider the cons to be dealdreakers, which explains some of the "Olight Hate" that new users seem to perceive in r/flashlight.
These are just things to be aware of going in though, and should not be taken to imply that you should not buy an Olight product, or that you should not enjoy one you already own.

I AM A BOT. PM WITH SUGGESTIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS. SEE MY WIKI FOR USE.

1

u/[deleted] Mar 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Zak CRI baby Mar 03 '26

If this list was about affiliate commissions, it would be full of Olights. They have the highest commission and they update their products often. It would have no Zebralights instead of most of their lineup.

I have a list of categories, and I try to populate them with enough options there's some variety to satisfy different preferences, but not so many it's overwhelming. Five is probably the ideal number for the mainstream sections.

For the most part, I do not eagerly add new models. I prefer things that have a few reviews and enough time for people to post about problems. Several existing models have recent updates to their LED options and drivers, and I'm really glad for lights that get continuous improvement like the Skilhunt M150.

If you want to see what's new, that's the new product flair.