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Hey – if you are in a hurry to get to your shift, my top pick for a Law Enforcement Flashlight is the Olight R50. Keep reading to find out why!
For Security and Law Enforcement officers, lighting up the night is essential to your situational awareness. What comes to your mind when determining the best law enforcement flashlight?
In this article, we review the best law enforcement flashlights that you as a Law Enforcement Professional can use whenever you are on patrol. We also discuss the things to consider when buying the best law enforcement flashlight to suit your needs.
Here’s the quick list of the Best Law Enforcement flashlights:
What To Look For In A Law Enforcement Flashlight
Law Enforcement Officers need to depend on their gear in a way that civilians don’t understand. Certain factors are important to consider when selecting your flashlight that may not be relevant in other situations.
Battery
Batteries are the single most important factor to consider when choosing a flashlight for Law Enforcement. Batteries affect not only the weight of the flashlight but also the run time and the brightness.
To put it simply, a rechargeable Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery has more energy density than a standard Alkaline. Li-Ion batteries put out a whopping 3.7v per cell compared to an Alkaline cell at 1.5v. This results in much brighter light with Lumens to deploy.
Nobody wants to be stuck with a dead rechargeable flashlight (they can take hours to recharge), so a replaceable Li-Ion cell and/or a flashlight that can be continually charging in your vehicle is also an important consideration.
Check back soon for our upcoming Guide to Flashlight Batteries for more info!
Learn everything you need to know about Batteries with our Ultimate Guide to Batteries!
Size
The size will be a personal preference depending on your situation. You may want a pocket carry light that you can carry in your vest or pants. Or you may prefer one with a bit more heft that might deter an assailant.
There’s a reason that Law Enforcement officers would carry a hefty D-Cell Mag Light over their shoulder when approaching cars on a traffic stop. They can make great clubs!
Type of Bulb
Incandescent Bulbs have their place, but for Law Enforcement and Tactical applications, you need the brightness of an LED bulb to light up the night. An LED bulb is much brighter and smaller than a corresponding Incandescent Bulb. There really is no comparison.
Light Output
Lumens matter when selecting a tactical flashlight. For Law Enforcement you need to decide if you want your light to have a narrow beam and long-throw for searching and following, or a wide beam to light your immediate area and increase your situational awareness.
Our Lumens, Lux, and Candela article is a great resource to learn more about Lumens and light output
Material
Since law enforcement flashlights are basically meant for tactical use, the material used to make them ought to be heavy-duty and long-lasting. You will need to choose between metal for its’ smaller size and weight, and polycarbonate material. It is really a matter of preference here.
What is not a matter of preference is durability. Your light must take whatever you dish out, and do it in all weather. Go for an IPX rating of 4 or higher.
The 5 Best Law Enforcement Flashlights
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Specs
- Battery: 2x 18650 or 4x CR123A batteries
- Rechargeable: 2-Port Charger
- Beam Tint: Multi-LED
- Modes: 4 modes
- Lumens: 2150
- Candela: 1500cd
- Throw: 269 yards
- Beam Shape: Narrow
- Alternative Colors: Red, Blue, Green, and UV
- Weight: 8 ounces
Nitecore SRT9 is one of the most powerful law enforcement flashlights that deliver up to 2150 lumens for optimal performance. This makes it ideal for exploring and searching since it comes with multiple light colors. This is the most versatile flashlight any security guard should wish to have. The flashlight also comes with a durable aluminum body construction. This die-cast body improves the overall performance of this flashlight greatly.
Pros
- It is a high-performer with 2150 lumens
- Durable with aluminum body construction
- A long battery run time of up to 250 hours
Cons
- The battery cap is easily dislodged when the flashlight is button end down
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Specs
- Battery: 2x CR123A
- Rechargeable: AC/DC
- Durability: Aircraft-grade aluminum
- Beam Tint: warm white
- Modes: 4 + strobes
- Lumens: 1000
- Throw: 656 ft
- Beam Shape: Wide
- Dimensions: 6 x 3 x 1 inches
- Weight: 3.1 oz (without battery)
This is a pocket-size law enforcement flashlight that provides higher performance with the focus being on tactical utility. It uses high-quality LEDs that come with over 50,000 lifespan hours. The LEDs provide amazingly bright and useful light, especially when taking patrols. Its body features long-lasting aircraft-grade aluminum that makes it anti-abrasive and durable. Most importantly, it comes with easy to use side switches.
Pros
- Easy to use with simple side switches
- Durable with rugged aircraft-grade aluminum
- It comes with LEDs that provide remarkable brightness
Cons
- Slightly expensive
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Specs
- Battery: 4x 3V Lithium-ion or 2x 18650 Li-ion
- Rechargeable: USB Charge
- Durability: Aluminum
- Beam Tint: White
- Lumens: 2200
- Candela: 30,000cd
- Throw: 346M
- Dimensions: 8.68 x 1.24 x 2.35 inches
- Weight: 1 pound
This is the newest flashlight in the ProTac series, and it provides you with the latest model of power LED technology. It is a dual fuel that takes two battery types and comes with 3 different selectable programs from which you can choose the one to use. This model weighs just one pound and can produce a bright beam of up to 2200 lumens in order to see as far as 346 meters away. It is constructed from aircraft aluminum with an anodized polish to make it long-lasting. With its rubber sleeve, you can be sure to have effective thermal insulation as you hold it in your palm with a confident grip.
Pros
- Produces a great brightness
- It is long-lasting thanks to its aluminum body
Cons
- Short battery life
Olight R50
Specs
- Battery: 4500mAh Lithium-ion
- Rechargeable: 1.5AC Adapter and 1.5A Car Charger
- Durability: IPX8 Waterproof
- Beam Tint: Cool White
- Modes: 4 +strobes
- Lumens: 3200
- Throw: 250M
- Dimensions: 5.03 x 1.6 x 1.25 inches
- Weight: 9.24 ounces
The Olight is specially designed and made for people looking for high light output in a law enforcement flashlight. It features a higher capacity 4500mAh lithium battery that is also rechargeable to give you exceptional power and longer runtime. The docking cradle ensures that the flashlight is always ready when you need it. With its reflector well paired and slightly concave-shaped, the coated lens creates a superior cool white beam that is well balanced. The IPX8 waterproof grade aluminum used to make this tactical flashlight protects it against water damage.
Pros
- It is sturdy with aluminum body
- It is easy to operate and use
- Produces a brightness that you can rely upon with up to 3200 lumens
Cons
- Heavy weight
Pelican 7600 Rechargeable
Specs
- Battery: Lithium-ion
- Rechargeable: USB
- Durability: Aluminum construction
- Beam Tint: White
- Modes: 4 (high-medium-low-strobe)
- Lumens: 944
- Throw: 225M
- Alternative Colors: White, Red, Green
- Dimensions: 6.2 x 1.4 x 1.3 inches
- Weight: 0.65 pounds
This tactical flashlight from Pelican is designed and made specifically for use in a wide range of professionals such as aerospace, firefighting, in the military, and in the police force among others. It is constructed to be sturdy with aluminum while the light offered by the LED is superior to what most flashlights provide. It also comes with four modes with white, green and red LED colors. It comes with a lifetime warranty, which means that you will be able to get a replacement for any defects.
Pros
- Bright Lumens
- It is compact and lightweight
- USB Rechargeable
- Well made with quality material
Cons
- Very expensive
What Is The Best Law Enforcement Flashlight?
Hopefully, you are better equipped to find the best Law Enforcement flashlight for your particular needs. I have provided a few selections, but you will see by browsing Amazon that there are many more you can choose from now that you are armed with a little knowledge.
Of the flashlights selected here, I would strongly recommend the Olight R50. This is because it offers you over 3200 Lumens of white light that is bright enough to light up any situation you find yourself in. The multi-color LEDs that can also be useful in a number of ways, including preserving your night vision or moving about in the dark without being seen.
Take care and be safe.