With so many available on the market, it can be difficult to know where to turn when looking for a good quality hand held torch. However, when you have a little bit of knowledge to pull on, finding the right product gets a lot easier. In this blog, we aim to give you that knowledge by covering some of the most important factors.
By reading to the end, you’ll understand what the best hand held torches offer and how to differentiate them from the rest. So, without further delay, let’s get started.
Knowing What a Great Hand Held Torch Light Looks Like
The very best hand held torches offer reliability, comfort, great features and performance, and it all begins with perhaps the most important factor of all…illumination!
Lumens & Beam Distance (Throw)
You buy a hand torch to give you light when you need it the most, right? As such, it’s important to ensure that the product you buy offers enough brightness. When it comes to modern torches, this brightness is measured in lumens, and you should be aiming for at least 2,500, as you’d get when purchasing the Olight Javelite Pro 2.
Beam distance, or ‘Throw’ is also important, no matter if your torch is used for hunting or general household reasons, so you shouldn’t compromise here either. The Javelite Pro 2 offers an incredible 1,050 metres in this regard - that’s over a kilometer!
Battery Life & Power Source
Hand held torches naturally require reliable power to offer dependable performance, meaning that the one you buy should have a good battery. Particularly when you’re out in the wild, it’s reassuring to know that your flashlight is going to work when you flick the switch.
Thanks to advances in torch technology and the widespread use of LED bulbs, any hand torch worth its salt should last for days rather than hours. Take the Olight Warrior 3S, for example, which can run for up to 55 days on a single charge.
You’ve also got to decide whether or not to go for a rechargeable hand torch or one that uses disposable batteries. Each have their benefits with the former being more eco-friendly and the latter offering more immediate power. That’s a call you’ll have to make yourself.
Adjustable Intensities & Focuses
Another feature that can be game-changing in the sphere of hand torches is the ability to adjust intensities and focuses. The best hand held torch models will usually offer a variety of different settings that give you more power when the situation calls for it and a dimming capability when there’s a requirement to conserve battery power.
As such, you should be looking for torches that might offer:
● Multiple brightness modes
● Strobe & signalling functionality
● A Low-level or ‘Moonlight’ mode
● Flood & spot settings
When needing to carry out a close-range inspection in the dark, a different intensity and focus is called for, and the best torches cater for it. What’s more, you should expect the torch in question to have an easy-to-use interface - something else Olight torches are known for.
Robustness & Water Resistance
If you’re an outdoorsy sort of person, you’re likely to be buying your hand held torch for outdoor pursuits, meaning that there’s the aspect of durability and water resistance to consider. Of course, there are some pretty decent products at the lower end of the price scale, but they tend not to have the resilience to cope with regular bumps and scrapes.
However, when you invest a little more in something like the Warrior X4, you get a torch that’s renowned for its ruggedness and durability. Add in its water resistance and you end up with a flashlight that you can depend on, no matter how active your lifestyle is.
Comfort in the Hand
While the issue of comfort isn’t particularly important for torches used around the home, it does matter when talking about use in the field. When hunting or in other situations when you might be holding your hand held torch for longer periods, a secure grip is a welcome feature to have at your disposal.
That’s because when you don’t have it, hand fatigue can set in. This can become an even bigger problem in adverse conditions, particularly in terms of manoeuvrability and grip. Also, you’re much less likely to accidentally drop your hand torch, and it’s for all these reasons that most Olight models come with an ergonomic grip as standard.
Safety Features Are a Must
When you take a closer look at super-powerful hand held flashlights like the Olight Marauder Mini, you realise just how intense some models can be. Offer a mind-blowing 7,000 lumens, this is the kind of illumination that you’d usually expect from a floodlight. What we’re talking about here is almost instant daylight!
However, some of the more powerful torches on the market have a habit of overheating, which can a) cause damage to the device and b) make them hot to touch and potentially dangerous.
That’s why this Olight beast has a built-in thermal sensor and cooling fins to prevent it. If you’re looking at a powerful hand held torch like this one that doesn’t have some kind of cooling technology included, you should perhaps avoid it.
A Long Warranty
Lastly, we have the topic of warranties. When a manufacturer stands behind their torches and they’re confident enough of their performance that they offer a long warranty, it’s typically because they offer good flashlights. A long warranty gives you peace of mind and an indication of reliablity and quality.
With one in place, a warranty offers protection, allowing you to get a repair or replacement in the event of it malfunctioning. This is something of a necessity with high-value torches and why we at Olight offer a lifetime warranty on everything we sell.
