It’s no secret that severe weather events such as hurricanes are only growing more frequent and more severe, putting more of us at risk.
Any coastal areas in the US are at risk of being affected by hurricanes and the damage that they can reap. One of the biggest issues that arises during a hurricane is the power outage.
Being able to navigate efficiently in dark spaces is important during hurricane or post-hurricane conditions. This means choosing the right kind of flashlight. That’s what we’re here to do today, as we help you find the best flashlight for hurricanes.
Contents
- Key Takeaways
- Importance of Reliable Flashlights During Hurricanes
- What to Look for in a Flashlight for Hurricane Emergencies
- ROTHCO® SOLAR & HANDCRANK POWERED EMERGENCY FLASHLIGHT RADIO
- POLICE FORCE TACTICAL 6″ L2 LED FLASHLIGHT W/ HOLSTER 1000 LM
- ASP® SPECTRUM DF POLICE DUTY RECHARGEABLE LED FLASHLIGHT 300 LM
- HaloXT Tactical Solar Flashlight
- Mini Rechargeable Tact Flashlight
- BUYSIGHT Rechargeable Spotlight
- Sigoobal Rechargeable Flashlight
- RunningSnail Emergency Hand Crank Radio with LED Flashlight
- Voph Flashlight 2 Pack
- ENERGIZER LED Flashlight Vision PRO
- FAQ
Key Takeaways
- Hurricanes are becoming more frequent and severe.
- A good emergency flashlight for hurricane preparedness can illuminate dark areas so you can pass through them safely, search for people and objects, and avoid obstacles.
- There are several features to look out for in an emergency flashlight, including lumens, battery life, and durability.
Importance of Reliable Flashlights During Hurricanes
Power outages are extremely common during hurricanes, and this makes navigating difficult, especially when the sun goes down. This is the number one benefit of having a reliable flashlight during a hurricane, being able to navigate safely in the dark.
During hurricanes, there may be all sorts of debris spread around, areas that are submerged, downed power lines, and other threats to your safety, all of which you can avoid if you can just see them.
Being able to see obstacles and to find valuable items in the dark isn’t the only benefit that a reliable emergency flashlight brings you, because there are also many flashlights that come with SOS modes so you can signal for help.
The other benefit of having a reliable flashlight during a hurricane is that once the hurricane is over, and you need a source of light, a flashlight is much safer than any open flame. Gas leaks are also common after hurricanes due to damaged infrastructure, so open flames can present a threat to your safety.
Not only are power outages during hurricanes very common, but also unpredictable. In a disaster, it’s hard to know how long power outages will last, which means that having a flashlight with great battery life and durability is more important than ever before.
What to Look for in a Flashlight for Hurricane Emergencies
The best flashlights for emergencies are ones that have the following features, all of which can help make life easier when things get tough.
Lumens
The best flashlight for hurricanes needs to be bright, which means that it has to have many lumens. Lumens is the measure of light output from a light source, such as a flashlight. Flashlights can have anywhere from a few dozen to thousands of lumens.
The more you want to see, particularly in terms of distance, the more lumens a flashlight needs to have. If you can find a flashlight with 1000 lumens, then you might have just found one of the best emergency flashlights available.
Battery Life
Since power outages during hurricanes may last for days or even weeks, having a flashlight with good battery life is extremely important.
LED flashlights are well-known for having longer battery life than most other types of flashlights, so this is something to pay attention to.
Being able to charge the flashlight in question is essential. A flashlight that can last for several days on end without needing to be recharged is what you’re looking for.
Durability
A flashlight for emergencies should be made out of durable materials that can resist heavy impacts, and moreover, it also needs to be waterproof.
The higher the IPX rating of the flashlight, the more waterproof it is, with a rating of IPX7 being ideal for such situations.
Size and Weight
When it comes to flashlights for hurricanes, you want to go with something that has a good mix of weight and size. The flashlight shouldn’t be so large and heavy that you can’t easily store it in a reasonable place or carry it around for a prolonged period of time, but also not so lightweight and small that it becomes ineffective.
Solar Charging
Going back to battery life, a useful additional feature that a good flashlight for hurricanes may have is solar charging. This allows you to charge the flashlight without any kind of actual power source other than sunlight.
Hand Cranks
Having a hurricane flashlight with a hand crank might just be one of the best ideas ever. Hand cranks allow you to manually charge the battery of the flashlight through nothing more than turning a crank in a circular motion. As long as the crank works, you should be able to continuously charge the flashlight.
USB Ports
In the event that you have a power source, such as a battery bank, having a hurricane flashlight with a USB port for charging is useful.
Glass Breakers
The other additional feature you may want to look for with the flashlight designed for hurricanes is a glass breaker.
A glass breaker will allow you to break through windows, particularly automobile windows, which can be useful in the event that you are trapped in your vehicle. In this case, a good hurricane flashlight is essential to have as part of your car emergency kit.
Now that we know exactly what to look for in the best flashlight for hurricanes, let’s take a look at some of the top models that the market has to offer.
ROTHCO® SOLAR & HANDCRANK POWERED EMERGENCY FLASHLIGHT RADIO
Here we have a rather perfect emergency flashlight, one that also happens to be an emergency radio, a very useful feature for hurricane situations.
Features & Benefits
Perhaps the most useful feature of this emergency flashlight is that it has excellent battery life. The batteries on this flashlight should be able to last for a couple of days at least without needing to be recharged.
The nickel-cadmium batteries are rechargeable. Using either the solar panels or the hand crank built into the unit, you can easily charge the flashlight.
Having your phone charged is essential for emergency situations, and this flashlight comes with a USB charging port so you can do just that. Coming in at 7.5 by 3 by 4 inches also makes it a rather ideal size for emergency situations.
The fact that it comes complete with an emergency siren to signal for help, as well as both an AM and FM radio so you can listen to news updates, makes it one of the best emergency preparedness flashlights in the world. It’s also built out of relatively durable materials, although we wouldn’t recommend submerging it in water.
POLICE FORCE TACTICAL 6″ L2 LED FLASHLIGHT W/ HOLSTER 1000 LM
Here we have what has to be one of the brightest flashlights on our list today, complete with a whopping 1000 lumens, making it perfect for a variety of situations.
Features & Benefits
As you can tell by the name, this flashlight is technically designed for police and tactical use. This is why it features an L2 LED bulb with a 1000-lumen output. That is extremely bright and should illuminate even the darkest of spaces, and even better is that the beam of light can reach up to 360 meters, or close to 1200 feet.
If you need to save battery life, you can also turn it down to the low or medium modes, which feature 250 and 500 lumens respectively. There is also a flashing stroke function and an SOS signal mode so you can signal for help in the event of an emergency.
This flashlight features an IPX4 water-resistant rating, which means that it can handle getting a little bit wet, not to mention that it is made out of impact-resistant military-grade aluminum alloy. It’s strong enough to resist an impact, yet light enough to carry around with ease, coming in at just 0.85 lbs.
ASP® SPECTRUM DF POLICE DUTY RECHARGEABLE LED FLASHLIGHT 300 LM
Here we have a special police-issue flashlight that has many different functions, particularly in terms of bold colors, which can come in handy in emergency situations.
Features & Benefits
The defining feature of this flashlight is that it features various modes. It is able to put out red light, which is ideal for preserving your night vision, green light which is ideal for preserving battery life, and blue light which allows you to easily see through fog and mist.
There are also normal operating modes, with the primary one putting out 300 lumens, and the lower mode putting out just 15 lumens. It might not seem like many lumens, but thanks to the special LED bulbs, the beam can reach nearly 300 feet. The battery life on this unit is very good, although it has to be charged with a USB port, so you will need a power source.
It also features an O-ring seal to make it water resistant, as well as an all-weather foam vinyl wrapping to provide both durability and a non-slip grip. It may be an expensive flashlight, but it features excellent battery life, many useful modes for emergencies, and an exceedingly high level of durability.
HaloXT Tactical Solar Flashlight
Here we have the HaloXT, a great flashlight to have in emergency situations due to the many features it has.
Features & Benefits
The genius of this flashlight is that it features 50 mAh silicone solar panels for easy recharging. In the event that there isn’t any sunlight, there is also a USB recharge option available. All in all, the battery life is quite decent and should last for several hours, particularly if you use the right modes.
In fact, the battery life here is so good that you can use the USB charging port to charge your other devices.
This is an ideal flashlight for emergency situations, particularly as it comes with a red SOS light, work lights, a compass, a magnet, a glass breaker, and a seat belt cutter. These are all valuable tools to have on your person in the event of an emergency, each of which might just save your life.
Mini Rechargeable Tact Flashlight
Bigger isn’t always better, and that’s pretty evident with this mini rechargeable flashlight that comes in at just $20. It’s a great budget-friendly emergency flashlight to have.
Features & Benefits
This is a very simple flashlight, one that features 130 lumens of light output through the main bulb, and 250 lumens of output through the floodlight sidebar.
It should be more than enough to see great distances, at least 100 feet. Just in case you need to signal for an emergency, there is also an SOS emergency flashing light mode.
The body of the flashlight is made out of aluminum, so it should be able to handle some impacts, although it’s not overly water resistant.
What really stands out about it however is its size, as it comes in at under 5 inches in length, therefore making it highly portable. The battery capacity here is 400 mAh, which is fine for short-term use.
BUYSIGHT Rechargeable Spotlight
If you need something bright that can cut through the fog and darkness, then this is most certainly it.
Features & Benefits
This spotlight features 120,000 lumens, making it by far the brightest flashlight on the list so far today. It can easily see several hundred meters into the distance, or well over 1000 feet. Yes, being so bright means that it uses a lot of battery life, although it comes complete with a 9000 mAh battery, which is absolutely massive.
On the high mode, it can last for 10 hours, and up to 24 hours on the low mode. To signal for help, it features a flashing SOS mode, in which case the battery can last for up to 15 minutes. What’s neat is that the side of this spotlight opens up, so you can also use it as a camping flood light.
This unit is guaranteed to last for at least 1000 charge cycles, and charging is easily done using the integrated USB port. In terms of overall durability, the casing is made out of aluminum, so it should be able to handle some impacts. With that being said, it does not appear to be overly water-resistant.
Sigoobal Rechargeable Flashlight
Here we have what is seemingly one of the brightest flashlights in existence, and also one of the most durable, making it perfect for emergency situations.
Features & Benefits
The Sigoobal Flashlight features 900,000 lumens, which allows for a maximum beam distance of 1650 feet.
That should be more than enough for any emergency situation, as it also comes with seven light modes; three main modes, including high, medium, and strobe, as well as four sidelight modes.
It’s made with a durable aluminum shell and features an IPX6 waterproof rating, which means that you should be able to drop it in a puddle of water without anything bad happening to it.
It’s so durable and tough that it even comes with its own two-year warranty. The only problem with being so bright is that the battery doesn’t last all that long.
RunningSnail Emergency Hand Crank Radio with LED Flashlight
Hurricanes require great preparedness, which makes this combination of flashlight, radio, and power bank one of the most useful items on the list today.
Features & Benefits
This model should be bright enough to see a couple hundred feet into the distance, but remember that the flashlight function is just one of many features that this unit has.
It comes in at just 0.5 lbs and 5 inches long, making it extremely compact and portable, no larger than your average smartphone. To make sure that you stay safe during an emergency, it comes complete with both FM and AM radio, as well as NOAA weather alerts.
There is also a 2000 mAh power bank included here, so you can charge your phones and other important devices. To make sure that the battery doesn’t run out, it can be charged with the integrated solar panels or the hand crank, and if those fail, USB charging is a possibility as well.
Voph Flashlight 2 Pack
If cost-effectiveness is what you’re going for, then this two-pack of flashlights that comes in at a very low price is a rather perfect option.
Features & Benefits
Besides the fact that you get two flashlights for a low price, another benefit is that the flashlight itself has 2000 lumens of brightness, so it should be able to see over 600 feet in the distance. It also features a variety of modes, including low, medium, and high, as well as SOS and strobe, so you can easily signal for help when needed.
Being able to zoom in to see long distances, or zoom out for near-distance floodlight purposes, is yet another benefit.
These flashlights are made out of premium aircraft-grade alloy complete with a type 3 hard anodized anti-abrasive coating, to ensure great impact resistance and weatherproofing. This is a kind of flashlight that can easily survive the rain. The only real drawback is that this flashlight operates on AAA batteries, and it is not rechargeable.
ENERGIZER LED Flashlight Vision PRO
Energizer is certainly a trusted name in the world of flashlights, and they haven’t failed to produce a high-quality yet affordable model here.
Features & Benefits
This flashlight from Energizer is made out of aircraft-grade aluminum, so it should be able to survive some pretty big drops and impacts. It also features an IPX4 water-resistant rating, which means that it can handle a bit of moisture without breaking.
With 1300 lumens on high mode, this flashlight should be able to see several hundred feet into the distance. It also comes with an energy-saving mode to prolong the battery life, which is already quite good to begin with. That said, this flashlight uses AA batteries, and it doesn’t feature any charging methods, which can be a drawback.
However, the flashlight is very bright, it’s durable, and it even has a safety strobe mode so you can signal for help when needed.
FAQ
Are LED Flashlights Better for Hurricane Emergencies?
LED flashlights are generally considered better for hurricane emergencies when compared to the alternatives because LED bulbs tend to last longer and use less battery life.
Can a Flashlight be Too Bright for Emergency Use?
As long as you don’t shine the last light directly into somebody’s eyes, then no, a flashlight really can’t be too bright for emergency use. The brighter it is, the further and the more you can see.
Is it Worth Getting a Flashlight with a Hand-Crank Feature?
Yes, getting a flashlight with a hand crank feature is worth it for emergency situations. If you don’t have any power, you can’t charge your flashlight with electricity, and if there’s no sunlight, those solar panels won’t do you any favors either.
How Important is Waterproofing a Hurricane Flashlight
Seeing as water is one of the largest components of a hurricane, having a waterproof flashlight is therefore very important.
