Everyone has a bit of a different idea what qualifies as everyday carry. For some, it's little more than your phone, keys and wallet. Others might not leave the house without survival gear like a fixed-blade knife, compass and first-aid kit. But that's kind of the point: figuring out a collection of gear that suits your needs best.
With that in mind, sometimes you have to whittle down what you want in your loadout to better match what you need — cutting out the fat, so to speak. And one thing most people can do without is an EDC flashlight. Here's why.
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Ledlenser P7R Core Rechargeable Flashlight Read More -
Fenix PD36R Tactical LED Flashlight Read More
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Imalent MS18 Flashlight Read More
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MecArmy X2S LED Flashlight Read More
6 Reasons Why You Don't Need a Flashlight
It might sound like blasphemy to some in the everyday carry community, and truth be told: I actually still carry a flashlight with me daily, a tiny keychain flashlight that I constantly forget to charge. That indicates I don't really need one — and you probably don't either. Here are six reasons.
Your Phone Has a Flashlight (and It's Pretty Good)
Just about every modern smartphone have flashlight functionality. And while the illumination isn't remarkably bright or focused — typically an output of 50 lumens, about the same as a lit candle — it's usually enough to help you find your way (or whatever it is you dropped) in the dark.
EDC is largely about using the tools you have at your disposal, but the one you actually use are often the first ones that come to mind. Since most of us have our smartphones practically attached to us, like cyborgs with built-in supercomputers, that flashlight is an easy go-to.
Batteries Can Be Wasteful and (Potentially) Dangerous
According to the EPA, millions of both single-use and rechargeable batteries are either thrown away or recycled each year. That means a fair chunk of them end up in landfills, which is pretty wasteful. A lot of flashlights — including household, emergency and EDC varieties — use these batteries as their source of power. That means it's actually less wasteful and more environmentally friendly to use your phone flashlight as opposed to a secondary, standalone flashlight.
But what about rechargeable batteries, like lithium-ion ones, you ask? Well, they come with their own risks — including fire (in 2022, there were 220 li-ion battery fires in New York City alone, up from 44 the previous year). I'm not trying to fearmonger here (after all, smartphones also usually utilize rechargeable batteries with the same suite of risks), but it's something to consider.
USB Flashlights Require Frequent, Regular Charging
Plenty of flashlights have onboard USB charging, where you can just plug a cable directly into the unit. That makes a dedicated flashlight a lot more convenient. But here's the problem: you have to remember to charge it.
Worse, most USB flashlights don't have a power indicator — meaning it's anyone's guess how much juice they have. So you have to charge them frequently, and, should you forget, you may end up with a dead flashlight when you need it most.
For the Outdoors, Headlamps Are More Practical
Most flashlights require the use of at least one of your hands, leaving you at a disadvantage if you need to perform any manual tasks, like tying down your tent, fending off wildlife and/or steadying yourself on rocky terrain. In these situations, a headlamp might serve you much better. These devices point the light directly where you're looking, allowing you to illuminate that area, completely hands-free.
Sure, you could pop the flashlight into your mouth, but then you can't really talk. And yes, some flashlights come with clips or magnets to turn them into hands-free devices. But I'd still argue a headlamp is better. Go for a jog with a headlamp and then another with a magnetic or clip-on flashlight and you'll see what I mean.
You Should Have Dedicated Emergency Flashlights That Aren't EDC
Especially after night falls, we humans rely pretty heavily on electricity for illumination. So what happens if that fails? We usually grab a flashlight — a handheld means of creating illumination that doesn't rely entirely on a power grid. This seems like the perfect time for an EDC flashlight. However, it might not be.
Typical EDC flashlights aren't the most powerful in regards to light output (aka lumens), usually ranging between 50 and a few hundred. (For reference, a lit candle is about 50 lumens, whereas daylight is around 6,000 to 10,000 lumens.) They're useful for basic tasks like finding a thing you dropped or putting your key into its respective keyhole. But in a real emergency you'll want something more powerful.
That's why I'd recommend keeping larger, brighter flashlights on hand — 1,000+ lumens is a good place to start — stashed in the places you spend a lot of time like your home, office and car. Something that doesn't rely on batteries, like a crank light, is even better.
Having dedicated emergency flashlights means you'll know where to find them when you need them most, and you can worry less about whether they have power available (especially if they run on a manual crank). Some also have other benefits, like a lantern mode or a striker bezel (for self-defense).
Flashlights Take Up Valuable EDC Space
Most folks are already carrying around a phone, keys and wallet. And then there are other dedicated tools, like pocket knives. How much more room does that leave for other EDC gear? Not much unless you're hauling a bag around every day.
If you want to keep your pockets uncluttered, you'll want to start excising the gear that's redundant or unnecessary. Since you're not ditching your phone (which almost definitely has a flashlight function), a dedicated EDC flashlight, even a keychain one, might fall in that category.
4 Reasons You Might Want a Flashlight After All
Sure, they can be a bit extraneous most of the time, but they also can come in handy in the right situation. With that in mind, I've come up with some counterpoints, and they're not as esoteric or forced as you might think. If any of the following scenarios apply to you, an EDC flashlight makes more sense.
You Work or Live in an Area with Bad Illumination
According to the Pew Research Center, around 46 million Americans live in the country — meaning not in the city or suburbs. That's no small number. And what's a big difference between the country and the city? Access to public illumination. There's just not as much infrastructure to reasonably have street lights every 50 or so feet. That can leave long stretches of darkness from edifice to edifice.
If you live somewhere where starlight is brighter than streetlight, you might want to have an EDC flashlight with you all the time. Once the sun is down, you're probably left to your own devices, so to speak. Might as well have one designed to illuminate.
Your Phone Battery Is Chronically Low
Take a gander at Apple's community forums and you're going to see a lot of people complaining about the battery life of their new iPhones. Even in a best-case scenario, according to Tom's Guide, the average phone battery will only last about half a day — less if you're using it constantly.
If you have to choose between using a phone flashlight and having enough juice to call 911, please don't use your flashlight. If you have a habit of letting your phone battery get dangerously low, a dedicated EDC flashlight may help you save that last bit of juice for when you really need it.
You Want to Be More Prepared for Emergencies
This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the above issue. If the electrical grid goes down, you won't be able to charge your phone (unless you have battery backups or a solar charger or something similar) and saving the juice to keep in touch with the world is probably more important than lighting your path.
Even a somewhat mundane issue like your car running out of gas (or electricity, if you have an EV) in the middle of the night on a dark road, can become dire if you also use you rely on your phone's flashlight. Having a standalone option can buy you some valuable time.
You've Found a Reasonable Compromise
The aforementioned keychain flashlight is small enough that I honestly forget it's on my keys most of the time, so space is not a problem. Plus, when I'm away from home, I almost always have my keys and, therefore, always have my flashlight.
If you can find a similar compromise, go for it. Just remember to charge it, or else it's useless.
If You Do Want a Flashlight, Pick One of These
Clearly, there are times when a dedicated flashlight is much better than the one on your phone. If you prefer being safe over being sorry, check out the excellent illumination options below — and you'll never be caught alone in the dark.
Ledlenser P7R Core
With a pretty incredible output range of 15 to 1,400 lumens, this might be the most versatile LED flashlight you can buy. While it may be slightly too big for your normal EDC loadout, it's a great option to stash in your coat pocket, backpack, glove box or bug-out bag.
Fenix PD36R
Smaller than the P7R Core and with a couple hundred more lumens of output, this Fenix flashlight is our top EDC LED pick. While the light output itself is enough to earn the top spot, it has a bunch of other features that set it apart, like a two-way pocket clip, IP68 waterproofing, impact bezel (great for self-defense) and more.
Imalent MS18
If you've ever wondered what it might be like to carry the power of the sun around in the palm of your hand, this might be the flashlight for you. Our pick for the brightest LED flashlight you can buy, it has a truly blindingly bright 100,000-lumen output and can throw light a whopping 1,350 meters (that's about 4/5 of a mile, for those counting). For serious emergencies, this flashlight will definitely light your path (and then some).
MecArmy X2S
This is a version of the keychain flashlight I carry. It is tiny — we're talking shorter-than-a-key tiny. But it's surprisingly bright for its size, and it's micro USB rechargeable. If you're seriously limited on EDC space but still want a flashlight, I highly recommend this one.
