There's no need to spend a fortune on a flashlight because lumens come cheap these days. Here are five powerful options for $50 or less.
Foursevens Quark Click ($50)
gives you 780 lumens in a waterproof package that’s only four-and-a-half-inches long. A single button moves you through two brightness settings, and we like that the flashlight remembers which setting you used last and turns on with the same output.
LEDLenser T2QC ($45)
The waterproof is built for the outdoorsman, with four light modes for different activities. Use red for night vision, green when fishing, blue to track blood trails while hunting, and white for everything else. The 140-lumen beam extends 25 meters.
Manker E11 ($30)
The three-inch is small enough to fit in your pocket as an everyday carry light, but throws a whopping 800 lumens and comes with a beacon mode which pulses to help notify rescuers of your location.
Solaray PRO ZX-1 ($40)
This five-ounce torch packs and works with both rechargeable batteries and AAAs. We like the zoom function, which lets you focus or widen the beam.
Nitecore TIP CRI ($35)
Want lots of light at your fingertips at all times? This fits on your keychain and packs 240 lumens into a USB-rechargeable, stainless steel body that looks kind of badass, which is important if you’re carrying it around every day.