5 Best Flood Flashlights [Ranked & Reviewed in 2024]

Last Updated on November, 2024

Despite their high lumen count, I hated how none of my flashlights could cover much area. After losing too many opportunities, I realized I must fix a long overdue requirement.

That requirement is adding a flood flashlight to the collection.

The need for a flood flashlight is specific. That’s why I completely understand your situation; I was there a couple of months ago.

Now that all my related problems are sorted for good, I thought about sharing my experience with you; share the best five flood flashlights.

But why should you trust me?

Editor’s Choice
Thrunite TN42
Brightness
Beam distance
Runtime
Durability
Price

5.0

5.0

4.9

5.0

5.0

Overall Score

5.0

#2nd Best Choice
Imalent MS06
Brightness
Beam distance
Runtime
Durability
Price

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

Overall Score

4.9

#3rd Best Choice
Astrolux MF01S
Brightness
Beam distance
Runtime
Durability
Price

4.9

4.8

4.8

4.8

4.8

Overall Score

4.8

Why Should You Trust Me?

I actually bought around ten flashlights under a 30-day money-back guarantee via a vendor in my town.

And I then tested each attribute one by one carefully and kept notes. Out of the ten, these are the best five worthy enough to be on a top-5 list.

At the end of this read, I assure you that you’ll be able to choose the best flood flashlight.

Let’s begin!

Best 5 Tested Flood Flashlights 

1. Thrunite TN42 (Editor’s Choice)

If you didn’t know, Thrunite is based in China, like several popular flashlight brands in the US. I currently own two Thrunite flashlights.

So, seeing their TN42 flood flashlight was quite interesting.

What do you think I found?

Let’s start by looking at the design, dimensions, maximum mode characteristics, and resistance capacity.

The material is Al T6061-T6 (Aluminum Alloy) with a premium type III hard anodization.

Anodization’s purpose is not to limit but completely stop all sorts of oxidation that lead to rusting.

The TN42 has an anti-reflective coated ultra-clear toughened glass lens. The floodlight becomes very clean and clear when coupled with a smooth reflector.

By dimensions, this flood flashlight is 8.11″ in length, 3.93″ in head dia, and 2.04″ in body dia — all flood flashlights have a bigger head diameter, which is common.

It weighs around 30 ounces.

There are six operational modes, and the “turbo” mode is the maximum mode.

The lumen output is 2000 with a peak beam intensity of 600,750cd. The maximum beam distance is 1550m, and the runtime is 1.5 hours in this mode. When I checked it, it was around 1 hour and 20 minutes — numbers check out.

The longest run time is 58 days. Mine is on the 37th day, and it’s still running fine. In addition, the flashlight runs with rechargeable batteries.

With an impact resistance of 1m, the TN42 is IPX8 water resistant — submersible up to 2m.

Now, let’s move to operational modes, package details, and special characteristics.

The six operational modes are turbo, high, medium, low, firefly, and strobe. Here’s how each mode differs from the other.

How to switch between modes

  • Long press the side switch to cycle through the low, medium, and high modes when the light is on. 
  • Long press the side switch for the firefly mode when the light is off.
  • Double-click for the turbo mode whether the light was on or off.
  • Another double click for the strobe mode.

The turbo mode has 2000 lumens with 600,750cd intensity and a beam distance of 1550m.

In the high mode, the lumen output is 780, with a runtime of 5.3 hours. My counting was 5.0 hours.

The medium mode delivers 256 lumens in 17.8 hours, and I calculated around 16 hours 40 minutes.

You get 38 lumens in the low mode, and the TN42 will run for 4.3 days. Mine ran for four days.

In firefly mode, the lumen count is 0.8, and the runtime is 58 days.

The strobe mode brings you 680 lumens with a runtime of 10.8 hours. To me, it was around 10 hours and 30 minutes.

The package contained one TN42, one shoulder strap, one strap ring, one AC/DC adapter, one spare O-ring, one side switch cap, and one anti-dust plug.

Pros

  • Longer durability by distance
  • Longer beam distance
  • ITC technology (the light will lower when the temperature rises to 80 degrees centigrade)
  • Memory function (light will turn on the last mode accessed except firefly, turbo, and strobe)
  • Replaceable battery
  • Almost two months of maximum battery life

Cons

  • No tail switch

2. Imalent MS06 (#2nd Best Choice)

All I had to do was become an Imalent member by giving my email, and I got a 10% off the order.

That’s smart shopping for you.

Imalent’s MS06 is a high-performance flood flashlight that made it to the top 5.

Curious to see what made it that far? Let’s check it out.

The MS06 is pretty impressive, thanks to its aerospace-grade aluminum alloy body. Like the Thrunite flashlight we discussed earlier, this one also has a type II hard-anodized surface.

The light consists of 6 pieces of American CREE XHP70 2nd LEDs. These high-quality, high-performance LEDs are only seen in cutting-edge tech flashlights.

If you didn’t know, design features like these are primarily seen in brands with high brand value.

Imalent follows a simple method of showing how compact the flashlight is, as small as a soda can. Its height is 4.68″, head dia of 2.2″, and tail dia of just 2″.

Including the battery, the flashlight weighs around 20.2 ounces.

There are six operational modes; the highest mode is “turbo.”

Here are the operational specs in the turbo mode,

  • Lumen output range: 25,000-4000
  • Maximum runtime: 70s + 120min
  • Beam distance: 513m
  • Peak beam intensity: 65,800cd

The MS06 flood flashlight has an impact resistance of 1.5m and is IPX8 water resistant. Which means the flashlight is submersible for up to 2m.

Let’s move on to operational modes, package details, and special characteristics.

As I mentioned, here are the six operational modes. 

Now that you know about the turbo mode let’s look at the rest.

  • High: Lumen range is 9000-4000 with a runtime of 2min + 130mins
  • Middle II: 4000 lumens for 2 hours and 18 mins 
  • Middle I: 2500 lumens for 4 hours
  • Middle low: 1200 lumens for 8 hours
  • Low: 200 lumens for 31 hours

When I checked, the maximum reduced time was around 15 mins. Other than that, the numbers are accurate.

The package contains one MS06 flashlight, one holster, one USB charging cable, one lanyard, one 4000mAH 21700 li-ion battery (which are rechargeable batteries), and O-rings.

The lanyard definitely makes it easier to hold the flashlight. The battery indicator is another unique characteristic that I love. The light turns green at total capacity, red at low power, and red flashes when the battery is nearly dead.

The magnetic charging port on the flashlight makes it convenient to charge without removing the batteries.

There’s also a built-in intelligent temperature thermal control module. This helps the flashlight automatically adjust the brightness output according to the outer temperature.

This is a 25k lumen flood flashlight; that’s as impressive as a flashlight can get objectively.

Pros

  • High lumen output 
  • Battery indicator 
  • Multiple operational modes
  • High durability with resistance capacity
  • The thermal control module safeguards the flashlight

Cons

  • A bit on the heavier side

3. Astrolux MF01S (#3rd Best Choice)

Astrolux MF01S is another flood flashlight that’s not bigger than a soda can. It was the first time I bought one from the brand.

Astrolux was founded in 2015 and is a well-recognized Chinese brand. 

This feature-packed flashlight was good enough to make it to the top 5.

I can’t wait to tell you what I found out!

Let’s start with design, dimensions, maximum mode characteristics, and resistance capacity.

The MF01S is also made from aluminum alloy with type III hard-coat anodizing. 

The buttons are silicone rubber. All these characteristics increase the durability bringing operational convenience.

You can also buy the flashlight in seven colors, such as black, silver, sand, red, purple, blue, or green; I chose black.

Its height is 4.8″, head dia is 2.83,” and the body (or tail) diameter is 2.13″ while weight is approximately 24.7 ounces WITH the batteries.

The light source has 18 SST20 LEDs with the highest CRI up to 95.

Note: CRI stands for color rendering index. It measures how accurate the colors are when illuminated by a light source. Although 80-90 is desired, having 90+ makes the flashlight an exception.

The Anduril Ul enables seven operational modes. Amongst these, these are operational parameters in the maximum “turbo” mode,

  • The lumen output of 15,000
  • Peak beam intensity of 95,000cd
  • Maximum beam distance of 616m

Regarding the resistance properties, the flashlight is IPX7 water-resistant rated, and impact resistance is up to 1 meter.

Now, let’s move on to operational modes, package details, and special characteristics.

You can press and hold the main button to ramp up the brightness conveniently. 

So, there are no specific operational modes because of this. You can have your desired lumen output between 0 to 15,000 lumens with a beam distance up to 616m.

Theoretically, the MF01S is a compilation of 14,999 flashlights in one (I omitted the 0-lumen output because why would you buy a 0-lumen flashlight?)

Apart from the main operational modes, the Anduril UI brings another set of modes; flashing modes.

Double tapping and then holding from off is how you access the flashing modes. There are five flashing modes by design. They are,

  1. Candle mode
  2. Bike flasher
  3. Party strobe
  4. Tactical strobe 
  5. Lighting strobe

In addition to that, different battery powers, and different voltages, will light different colors. You can conveniently choose to disable this AUX LED function too.

On top of all this, there’s an intelligent temperature control function. When the temperature exceeds 55 degrees Celsius, the lumen output will drop. In addition, there are four heat sinks and five heat slots for more prolonged operation in the turbo mode.

Finally, Astrolux recommends their MF01S for activities such as adventuring, household, emergency, search and rescue, and camping. All of these are tested to perform one-handed.

My wife isn’t the strongest person at all, but even she can use this flood flashlight with one hand.

Pros

  • Five years of warranty
  • Instead of modes, there’s a range of brightness (0-15,000 lumens)
  • Multiple flashing modes
  • Increased durability in terms of design and resistance capacity 
  • Smart temperature control 
  • High CRI for the highest color clarity 

Cons

  • Gets a little too hot 

4. Acebeam X65

I own one regular Acebeam flashlight, and that definitely encouraged me to check out their X65.

The X65 is a rechargeable flood flashlight, one of the brand’s most wanted flood flashlights.

I’m sure you’ll like this one.

Design, dimensions, maximum mode characteristics, and resistance capacity: that’s what we start with.

I love the aluminum housing and the crenelated stainless-steel bezel.

The toughened glass lens with anti-reflective coating delivers 98.3% transmittance.

The X65 is designed to last longer.

The dimensions are such that; 10.9″ in length, 5.1″ in head dia, and 2″ in tail dia, weigh 44.8 ounces.

In the maximum “turbo max” mode, you’ll be able to achieve 12,000 lumens for one hour, thanks to the five Cree XHP35 LI LEDs in the light source.

The maximum beam distance is 1301m by design. The maximum candela count is 423,000, which is pretty impressive.

The X65 is also IPX8-rated, which means you don’t have to worry that much about trouble from water. The impact resistance height is 1.2 meters.

Now, let’s move on to operational modes, package details, and special characteristics.

The runtime of the X65 varies between one to 450 hours. When I checked it, the flashlight stayed on the lowest mode for around 18 days — the numbers checked out.

The runtime depends on the internal battery, whose capacity is 6800 mAh.

There are seven operational modes, and here are their respective lumen counts and estimated runtimes.

  1. Turbo max – 12,000 lumens for one hour
  2. Turbo – 6000 lumens for two hours 
  3. High – 3500 lumens for 3.5 hours
  4. Medium – 1500 lumens for 8 hours
  5. Low – 500 lumens for 28 hours 
  6. Firefly (lowest) – 4 lumens for 450 hours
  7. Strobe mode (for signaling or self-defense) – 6000 lumens for 7 hours 

You can swiftly switch between each mode by the side push button.

As per the special characteristics, there’s a lockout function that prevents unintentional activation. To enable this mode, press and hold the side switch for two seconds. Remember, if you hold the side switch for less than two seconds, the flashlight goes to firefly mode.

When you want to unlock it, all you need to do is press and hold the side switch for two seconds. Again, the flashlight will go to low mode if the duration is less than two seconds.

There is intelligent temperature control in the Acebeam X65 too. The turbo max setting will automatically step down to turbo mode when the internal temperature of the light reaches 158 degrees Fahrenheit.

Acebeam recommends this flashlight for search and rescue, security, hunting, and even camping.

All things considered, Acebeam’s X65 is another excellent flood flashlight packed with many useful features.

Pros

  • 12,000-lumen output for maximum illumination
  • Multiple operational modes
  • Convenient side switch for swift shifting between the modes
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Almost three weeks of most extended battery life
  • Excellent design criteria 
  • Intelligent temperature control mode safeguards the flashlight

Cons

  • The battery cannot be removed

5. Acebeam X70

By now, you should know slightly about LEDs in flood flashlights. The moment CREE LEDs come into the picture, the quality of the flashlight increases.

That’s why Acebeam’s X70 becomes one impressive flood flashlight.

Acebeam is known for producing flood flashlights. You’ll realize that there’s no favoritism when you read what’s below.

Acebeam flood flashlights are genuinely that good.

Let’s start by looking at the design, dimensions, maximum mode characteristics, and resistance capacity.

The X70 flashlight is also made from durable aerospace–grade aluminum alloy with the premium type III hard anodized anti-abrasive finish.

With the toughened ultra-clear glass lens with anti-reflective coating, the light’s CRI skyrocketed. This is backed up with integrated precision optics technology. That ultimately increases the performance of the reflector.

The light source is made of 12 CREE XHP70.2 LEDs and one CREE XHP35 HI LED at the center for a light with high CRI.

Its head diameter is 4.6″, its length is 11,” its body/tail diameter is 2″, and its weight is around 64.2 ounces. 

There are twelve operational modes under two main operation categories. Out of them, turbo mode in the power mode is the highest operational setting.

The lumen output in this maximum mode is up to 60,000 lumens, with a runtime fluctuating between 50min to and 55 seconds. The peak beam distance is 1,115m, and the peak beam intensity is 311,000cd.

Pretty impressive, huh?

Acebeam X70 is IPX8 waterproof rated, which means it’s submersible up to 10m.

Now, let’s look at operational modes, package details, and special characteristics.

As I said, there are 12 operational modes altogether under two main modes. These are the two main modes,

  • Power mode (higher power)
  • Eco mode

Under each mode comes the same six operational modes. Let’s look at how they differ.

Under the power mode,

  • Ultra-low: 625 lumens for 24 hours 
  • Low: 3250 lumens for 5 hours 
  • Mid: 8000 lumens for 2 hours
  • High: 25,000 – 16,000 lumens for 8min + 48 mins 
  • Turbo: 60,000 – 18,000 lumens for 55s + 50 mins
  • Strobe mode: 10,000 for 3 hours and 30 mins

Under the eco mode,

  • Ultra-low: 625 lumens for 24 hours
  • Low: 3250 lumens for 5 hours
  • Mid: 8000 lumens for 2 hours
  • High: 15,000 – 11,000 lumens for 40 min + 15 mins
  • Turbo: 35,000 – 15,000

How to switch between power and eco modes:

When the X70 is turned off, every 10-times, click cycles between power and eco movies. Triple beam flicker goes to power, while twice beam flicker goes to eco mode (eco mode will worm by default)

It took me around 3 hours to charge, and it checked out with the specs. 

The package includes one X70 flashlight, one strap (to carry), six O-rings, one car charger, one user manual, one warranty card, one AC/DC charger, one hexagonal wrench, one battery warning card, and one removable handle with the cooling fan.

The X70 is loaded with special characteristics.

However, its most unique characteristic is none other than the patented removable handlewith the cooling fan.

The fan is designed to lower the heat as much as possible regardless of the operational mode. It’s only 6.6″ in length and 2.3″ in height and easily removable. All you need to do is unscrew it.

Click the button on the handle once to turn it on and long press it to turn it off. When the fan is on, you can single click to cycle between gears I and II.

There are two LED indicators on the X70. With the power symbol embossed, the square button will turn red if the power is less than full power and green if fully powered.

You also get low voltage protection, although not explicitly told. The light on the handle will be green if the battery’s voltage is more than 12V, red if less than 12V, flashing red if 11.5V, and powered off if less than 10.5V.

Because the battery back of 8 units of 18650 batteries comes with a built-in safety control circuit, overcharge protection and overheat protection, the risks are minimal.

Pros

  • The free detachable cooling fan + handle
  • Twelve operational modes to choose from
  • Extremely high lumen output 
  • Highest protection to the batteries 
  • 1km+ maximum beam distance 
  • Five years of warranty

Cons

  • A little heavy

Top Factors to Consider in Buying a Flood Flashlight

  1. Design features, including dimensions (and weight)
  2. Characteristics in the maximum mode
  3. Resistance capacity
  4. Beam and flood distance
  5. Number of operational modes and their variety in terms of lumen output, distance, and runtime
  6. What is included in the package?
  7. Special features such as response to overheating, attachable, etc
  8. Brand value for resale value 
  9. Warranty period and conditions 
  10. Whether the battery is removable and rechargeable 
  11. Operational convenience in terms of switching between modes

Beam Throw vs Flood: The Difference

Beam ThrowFlood
The maximum distance the light beam can reach.The maximum area around the beam that can be illuminated
The narrower the beam, the longer the throwThe broader and more spilled the beam, the more the flood
High lumen, high luxThe width of the light beam angle
High lumen, low lux

Checkout the Best Long Throw Flashlights.

Benefits of a Flashlight With Broder Flood

  1. Illuminate a broader area effortlessly 
  2. Longer lifespan (even up to 500,000 hours)
  3. Environmental friendly heat dissipation 
  4. Use as an emergency light for both interior and exterior areas
  5. Higher battery life

Here’s the list of the Best LED Flashlights in the market.

In Conclusion 

Thrunite TN42 effortlessly takes the first place surpassing Acebeam X65 and Acebeam X70 merely by the superiority of the features.

You won’t invest in flood flashlights often, so I recommend going for a high-quality product because you cannot easily replicate the work performed by a flood flashlight.

Now you know what to look for. You also know the best five flood flashlights in the market and the best one on the list.

Isn’t it just a matter of deciding at this point?

FAQs

Flood is a term used to describe the width of a flashlight’s beam angle.

No, a regular flashlight is not a good alternative for flood flashlights, as regular flashlights have narrow light beams by design.

Lux is a unit of measurement for illuminance, which is the amount of light falling on a given surface area. One lux is equivalent to one lumen per square meter.

OUR #1 RECOMMENDATION
Thrunite TN42
Brightness
Beam Distance
Runtime
Price

4.9

4.9

4.9

5.0

Overall Score

5.0

visa, master, amex, paypal
Pros
  • Longer durability by distance
  • Longer beam distance
  • ITC technology (the light will lower when the temperature rises to 80 degrees centigrade)
  • Memory function (light will turn on the last mode accessed except firefly, turbo, and strobe)
  • Replaceable battery
  • Almost two months of maximum battery life
  • Get the BEST PRICE until the end of November
Cons
  • No tail switch

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Author
Dillon Morrison
I have been involved in the flashlight community since 2007. My brother has a flashlight shop from where I have tested and reviewed more than 600+ different types of flashlights. You can find more about me here.

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