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10 Best Handheld Spotlights in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks
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If you’re looking for a handheld spotlight, you know that there are a million products out there that promise brightness, but they don’t all deliver. Sometimes they’ll work for a few weeks or months, only to break when you need them the most. So, we tracked down 10 of the best handheld spotlights on the market today. There’s also an in-depth buyer’s guide that will help you pick out the perfect spotlight!
If you’re looking for the best overall handheld spotlight on the market, this is it. It’s a great mix of price and performance, giving you 1,000 lumens of power and the ability to light up over 2,100 feet at one time.
At maximum power, you get 9 hours of battery life, and if you’re using it on the lowest setting, you get 72 straight hours of light.
Furthermore, the handheld spotlight is waterproof, rugged, and lightweight, making it easy to pack into any kit for a hike or an adventure. While it’s not quite as powerful as the most expensive options out there, it’s more than enough for most situations, and you don’t have to break the bank to get it!
The Energizer LED Portable Spotlight might not be the most powerful handheld spotlight on the market, but it’s hard to top for what you’re paying. It gives you 600 lumens of light, and it can light things up almost 400 feet away.
Furthermore, there are two different lighting modes to choose from: a low-light and high-light mode, and it can run for 4 hours straight at the highest setting. Using the USB-style recharger to get it back to a full charge after use couldn’t be any easier.
So, while it might not have the longest battery life on the market or the longest beam distance, for the low price tag, we think it’s worth it. It’s definitely the best handheld spotlight for the money.
If you’re not too worried about how much your handheld spotlight is going to cost and you want the best of the best, consider the Streamlight Waypoint Rechargeable Spotlight. It’s expensive, but it has a high-quality lightweight construction that will last year after year, and the light itself is extremely bright.
We do wish that the battery life lasted a bit longer on the highest setting, but since it fully recharges in just 4 hours, even that’s not a huge deal. When you consider that it lasts a full 87 hours on the lowest setting, the only reason that it drains out so fast at the top setting is due to how powerful it is!
Pros
High-quality construction
Bright design
Three modes: low, medium, and high
Decent battery life for power (up to 87 hours on low setting)
The Cyclops Thor X Colossus is a powerful handheld spotlight that you’ll want to consider if you want maximum brightness. It provides 1,500 lumens of light intensity, but it can easily cover over 2,000 feet of space with its light beam.
Furthermore, it’s a halogen bulb, which gives off a wider space of light than some LED handheld spotlights. It’s straightforward to use, and you can set it up in an area and step away from it to do some work.
Even considering how bright it is, it does have an issue with the battery life. It only works for 33 minutes at maximum power, and it takes 20 hours for a full recharge. It lasts longer at lower settings, but it’s still quite short.
Second, this light is heavy. It comes in at just under 10 pounds, while most other options are under 2 pounds. It is an excellent choice for lighting up large areas, but you should know what you’re getting.
The Stanley FatMax is one of the most popular handheld spotlights out there and for good reason. It’s available for a great price, and it lights up large areas, which is a real win-win. You can cycle through five different light modes to get precisely what you want, and the trigger lock lets you walk away and still light up an area.
Furthermore, you can charge this light with either the AC or DC charging adapter that it comes with, which means you can charge it from your home or your car!
The biggest drawback of this handheld spotlight is the battery life. While it can last up to 10 hours, that’s at the lowest light setting. If you’re looking to use the higher settings, you should expect much shorter usage times before you need to charge it again.
20V tools come with many perks, and the DeWalt 20V Max LED handheld spotlight is no exception. Not only does the 20V battery provide an impressive 1,500 lumens of light, but it also allows for up to 11 hours of use at this setting!
It shines up to 1,500 feet, meaning you can easily light up large areas. It’s easy to transport because the light itself only weighs 1 pound, though you do need to add about another 1.5 pounds for the weight of the battery.
There are two different brightness settings that you can cycle through. However, this is an expensive option, and if you end up needing another 20V battery or battery charger down the line, those are expensive too.
If you work with tools long enough, it’s only a matter of time until you own something by Black+Decker. It’s a massive name in the industry because it’s constantly putting out high-quality tools.
This handheld spotlight has a lumen count of 750, with a low price tag that reflects that. It can also easily last 7 hours between charges, and you can quickly charge it with either AC or DC power with the included adapters.
The entire spotlight only weighs 2 pounds, which makes it easy to pack up and take with you no matter where you go. The downside of this handheld spotlight is the low maximum lumens, but since you’re not overpaying for it, that’s not a huge deal.
If you’re looking for a spotlight with a high lumen count, this is it. It offers 9,000 lumens on its highest setting, which is more than enough to light up almost any area. Therefore, it might surprise you to find out just how affordable this handheld spotlight is.
It also comes with a kickstand, so you can step away from it while you’re lighting up an area, and it can light things up over 1,600 feet away!
Additionally, it’s easy to use, charges quickly, and is lightweight. But while there’s plenty to love about this spotlight, it doesn’t have the most durable design.
Bercol offers a 2-year free replacement for the product, but there’s a good chance that you’ll need to replace it outside of that window. Still, at this price, it’s a great value.
Rayovac might be better known for its batteries, but the Rayovac Sportsman deserves attention. While it doesn’t have the highest lumen count at 500, it is one of the most rugged and dependable handheld spotlights on the market.
It comes with a lifetime warranty, but you’ll likely never need to use it. Even the lens and reflector are built for the wilderness, as they have a shatterproof design.
It is a bit expensive considering the maximum lumen count of 500 is on the lower side of things, though it can still light things up about 1,000 feet out.
The Durapower Rechargeable Spotlight is a high-quality option that you can rely on. It has a high maximum lumen count of 5,000, and the battery life can last an impressive 24 hours on a lower setting!
But the most impressive part of this handheld spotlight is how waterproof it is. Not only do you not have to worry about rain or dropping it in the wrong place, but you can also recharge this spotlight underwater!
Regardless, it doesn’t have the most rugged design, and it was made in China. So, while you’ll likely love this spotlight for a while, don’t expect it to last forever.
Pros
Good mix of price and performance
High maximum lumens
Long battery life
Completely waterproof, can even be charged underwater!
Cons
Not the most rugged design
Made in China
Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Handheld Spotlights
There are tons of great handheld spotlights on this list, so you’re not alone if you’re feeling overwhelmed after reading through the reviews. That’s why we developed this comprehensive buyer’s guide, to walk you through everything that you need to know to get the perfect one for you.
How Many Lumens Do You Need?
There’s a bit of a misconception out there when it comes to lumens and light. People think that the higher the lumens, the farther the beam of light goes. That’s not always the case.
Lumens refer to the total brightness of the bulb. That means you need to collect all the light from all the places where it shines. If it goes wide, it likely won’t shine very far.
For the most part, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 lumens is likely enough to meet your needs. However, if you’re trying to light up a large area of land, you might need more lumens.
LED vs. Halogen
Almost every light out there used to have halogen bulbs. But over time, LEDs started to take over. The advantages of LED bulbs are clear: They’re lightweight and more energy-efficient and typically last longer.
However, they do have two significant disadvantages. First, they tend to cost more. While the cost of LED lights has dropped significantly since they first came out, they still cost more than halogens.
Second, you typically can’t replace them. While they can last up to 50,000 hours of use, when they burn out, you’ll have to replace the entire light. Halogen assemblies generally let you just replace the bulb.
Image Credit: Hassas_Arts, Pixabay
Things Affecting Battery Life
It’s important to remember that many things can affect how long a battery lasts. The most important is the setting that you’re using it on.
The higher the setting, the shorter the battery life will be, and this distinction is not insignificant. A battery that can last over 80 hours on the lowest setting might last less than 10 on the highest setting!
The second most important factor to consider is the age of the battery. The specifications for each handheld spotlight are for when the battery and the spotlight are new. Batteries wear out over time, so you should expect the battery life to shorten after a year or two.
How Far Can It Really Shine?
Many manufacturers will advertise how far their bulbs can shine. While that number is a great reference point to use, it’s important to remember that it represents ideal conditions.
There are a ton of conditions that can affect how far the bulb in the spotlight will shine. Factors like ambient light, fog, and even the surfaces around you will greatly affect the maximum range. So, don’t be too surprised if your new handheld spotlight doesn’t shine quite as far as the manufacturer says.
Conclusion
There are many great options on this list, and it’s not surprising if you’re having trouble picking one out. The Browning High Noon is our top choice for a reason, as it expertly combines price and performance. But if you’re worried that it’s not going to give you enough light, you can’t go wrong with the Streamlight Waypoint Rechargeable Spotlight.
These are all super-bright handheld spotlights, and what they can do might just surprise you when you finally get one!
Robert’s obsession with all things optical started early in life, when his optician father would bring home prototypes for Robert to play with. Nowadays, Robert is dedicated to helping others find the right optics for their needs. His hobbies include astronomy, astrophysics, and model building. Originally from Newark, NJ, he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where the nighttime skies are filled with glittering stars.
