The best torches are versatile enough to be used in multiple scenarios, whether you're trying to navigate a campsite at night, walk your dog on a dark winter's evening, or if there’s a power cut at home and you need a form of emergency lighting. Keyring torches are also handy for illuminating your car door or front door if you can’t see clearly enough to insert your keys.
Camping lanterns are better for creating wide arcs of light in your tent, but a handheld torch can be very useful for directing precise beams of light if you’re looking for something in your tent or car.
Mini torches with a narrow beam can also be used for spotlight reading once everyone else is asleep in the tent and the lantern has been switched off. So it pays to keep a compact torch or a keyring torch in your backpack when you’re out hiking, and one in your car or campervan when holidaying in the wilds.
Ready to find the best torch for your needs? Let’s take a look now…
Olight is a serious name in the world of flashlights, and the S30R Baton III is its best torch for all-round outdoors use. It’s compact in the hand and easy to grip; is fully rechargeable and comes with a USB desktop charging dock.
The S30R Baton III has a maximum lumens rating of 1,050, which is plenty bright enough for illuminating your path outside at night and for shining a light on specific areas. The beam range is 188 meters, and the torch will run for two minutes in full-pelt Turbo Mode before dropping down to a 500-lumen High Mode.
There are five lighting modes in total: Turbo (1,050 lumens; 2 minutes runtime), High (500 lumens; 3.5 hours runtime), Mid (120 lumens; 15 hours runtime), Low (12 lumens; 130 hours runtime) and Moonlight (0.5 lumens; 100 days runtime). The lower power indicator under the side switch enables you to see at a glance how much power you’re working with; the indicator dial also glows red when the torch is low on juice.
You might think a 1,050-lumen torch would be too hot to handle, but Olight has sorted that by building in a ‘thermal management’ system. This basically protects your hands from any heat generated by the torch.
The SR0R Baton III automatically returns the last brightness level, while a handy lockout function stops you from accidentally switching it on. We also like the magnetic tail cap, which means you can stick the torch to a magnetic surface to work hands-free.
When you first hold this mini torch in your hand, you’ll have a hard time believing it can throw out as much light as it does. Well, we’ve used the S1R II Baton when camping and walking at night and can testify as to how bright it is – 1,000 lumens at full whack.
The light beam is precise too, stretching out to a maximum distance of 145 meters, which is ample when you’re traipsing to the toilet block at night or coming down from the trail after dark. It’s very lightweight too, and is easy to grip, thanks to a texturised ‘milled’ body, even if you’ve built up an admirable sweat adventuring.
Olight’s rechargeable mini light is the perfect pocket torch for when you need to keep pack weight down yet still require a powerful light source for a variety of scenarios. It comes with a removable stainless steel clip, so you could attach it to belt, jacket or the outside of your backpack for fast retrieval
those times when only the widest, brightest source of light will do, draft in this affordable yet heavy duty portable floodlight torch. It generates up to 7,000 lumens, which pretty much turns darkness into daylight at the flick of a switch. So if you’re searching for something outdoors at night, this is the torch to help you find it.
The Alflash Rechargeable LED Floodlight Torch has a beam range of up to 800 meters, so not much will escape its bright glare. And it’s splash-proof, so you’ll be able to use it in the rain. Because it’s made of an aluminium alloy, it’s also shock-proof and able to withstand being thrown in the back of a truck or van.
You won’t always need to use its super-bright flashlight mode, of course, which is why there are four other lighting modes to explore too. Keep it juiced via the including USB rechargeable power bank, which can also power up your phone in an emergency. Torch shoulder strap included.
If you’re looking for an affordable, do-all flashlight to keep in your campervan, trailer or even around the house when you’re back from your latest camping trip, look to this heritage torch brand and its classic Mag Charger LED Torch.
Using the Quick-Click settings system you can easily ‘click’ (cycle) between modes: Full Power (643 lumens; 4 hours), Low Power (148 lumens; 17 hours) or Eco Mode (66 lumens; 37 hours). The latter boosts the torch’s runtime to 37 hours per charge.
This Maglite classic has a generous beam range of 407 meters, enabling you to see a greater distance in front of you, and with its rugged hard anodised finish, doesn’t care about being out in the rain or snow, either
LED Lenser, like Olight, has a raft of great torches for a range of outdoors and everyday use, but none are more fun or usable on the regular as this one. The PX4 Pen Torch is sheer genius. Clip it onto your belt or shirt pocket, or stick it in your backpack, and you will have an immediate source of light should the power cut out.
Ok so it doesn’t actually double as a pen like you know James Bond’s would, but it’s just the ticket for using as a nifty little inspection light. Also break it out for nighttime reading when camping. Use it on the lowest setting (10 lumens) and it will run for up to 20 hours.
The PX4 Pen Torch isn’t rechargeable, sadly, so it does require batteries, but it is splash-resistant so – like many of the other models in our best torches buyer’s guide – can be used in the rain without issue. Buying it as a gift? That’s handy, because it comes in a presentation box.
