Key Takeaways

Overall, tactical flashlights are made in a way that allows them to double as a weapon or survival tool.
High brightness and many versatility modes.
Reliable, tough, and durable. Made from strong material.
Designed for tactical use with user-friendly operation.

What Is A Tactical Flashlight & When To Use One

With the emergence of tactical flashlights, it makes you wonder “What makes a flashlight tactical?” Well, I would like to start with a definition of the word tactical. According to Google’s dictionary, tactical is “(of a person or their actions) showing adroit (skillful) planning; aiming at an end beyond the immediate action." I will like to first say that I love this definition because usually, people assume tactical flashlights are for military or law enforcement personnel. With this definition in mind, we see that a tactical flashlight is a flashlight for anyone who likes to prepare themselves for whatever is to potentially come.

So this means that a tactical flashlight is a flashlight that is designed to assist in dealing with situations that aren’t immediately apparent. Such as fighting off a robber, or breaking a glass window to get out of a burning building or car, and many other situations. Now there is not necessarily one specific aspect or characteristic that makes a flashlight a tactical one, but instead, it is many features that together help transform a regular flashlight into a tactical one. Overall, tactical flashlights are made in a way that allows them to not only provide light but double as a tool for use in a survival situation, which also means they can be used as a weapon.

High Brightness & Versatility Modes

The first consideration in all flashlights period and probably the first in tactical flashlights, brightness. When considering brightness for a regular flashlight you usually go based off of what you might think is necessary or what you want. For a tactical flashlight, oftentimes people consider what is enough to temporarily blind or disorientate a potential assailant. Of course in our everyday life, we don’t run into someone trying to harm us or mug us on a daily basis, hopefully. But the idea is that we would be prepared for all situations and our flashlight is one tool that can contribute to that preparedness.

So it’s important to consider how powerful the flashlight is, many tactical flashlights today go by a bare minimum of 1000 lumens which in a low light setting is enough to temporarily blind anyone. There are also different brightness modes that flashlights now have that can assist in disorientation. These modes are usually different strobe modes, the flickering light causes serious disorientation. There is a science behind it but I will not get into that.

Durable Build

A tactical flashlight should be tough and durable. If a tactical flashlight is made from plastic, chances are, it will not stand the test of time and potentially might not pull through in a survival situation. Good tactical flashlights are usually made from military-grade aluminum or another durable metal. This ensures that the flashlight can take a beating and still be able to perform exceptionally well in any situation.

If you need your tactical flashlight to break a window for you or if you need to use it as a self-defense weapon, then you don’t want it to break upon its first time hitting something. So it’s important to consider the material that the flashlight is made with when considering purchasing a tactical flashlight.

Tactical Design For Efficiency

The overall design of the flashlight is to serve a tactical use. From the material that it's made of to the layout of the buttons on the flashlight. Everything on the flashlight serves a tactical purpose. For example, the tail switch, is it one button or two buttons on the tail? Does it have any buttons on the side? These all serve different purposes in how the flashlight is intended to be used such as how you hold and operate it.

Another big feature is the bezel on the head of the flashlight. Tactical flashlights often have a crenulated bezel or spikes on the head. This can serve a range of purposes, one of the most common ones being for breaking glass.

Also, some tactical flashlights automatically go to their turbo mode anytime that they are turned on, regardless of what mode was last used by the user. For some people, this is important because they might work or be in a situation where they need the brightest light output whenever they turn on their flashlight.

Protect Yourself With A Tactical Flashlight

As you can see, there are quite a few features that contribute to making a flashlight a tactical one. Most importantly it is good to keep in mind that tactical flashlights serve the purpose of being a tool that helps you prepare for any potential events. Of course, law enforcement and military personnel mainly use these flashlights but that doesn't mean we common folk are excluded from using them. Sadly, regular people get put in life-threatening situations often, and having a tactical flashlight is a good tool to have been equipped with. If you want to learn some more about tactical flashlights, check out our Tactical Flashlight Guide, or shop from our top of the line assortment.