Top Ten Lights 2025
State of the Industry
For both torches and knives, I think it warrants mentioning that all of these things tend to be discretionary purchases. If you have a knife or light and its not broken you probably don’t need another one. And as with all discretionary purchases when the economy gets bad, they don’t happen as often. The economy is not bad yet, but it is not healthy either. Radical instability and inconsistent leadership does not produce the predictable conditions businesses need to survive and thrive. So while things aren’t bad yet, they are scary enough for people to spend less of discretionary purchases and that is bad for the gear market.
Flashlights have been really fascinating this year. It has really been a Tale of Two Cities: the best of times in the production world and the worst of times in the high end market. There have been three releases that have really struck me: the VME from Malkoff x Kosun, the Exceed Rampant, and the Zebralight SC65c Hi (which I think debuted last year but was only really in stock in 2024). The gizmo light market continues apace, which is to say, at a breakneck speed. But the number of incredible enthusiast-grade offerings is as high as I have ever seen. There is a good case for each of these three lights as being the best light for most people.
While the Rampant is not my favorite light ever, it certainly makes a compelling case for being a light that can do everything. As the first real rival to the turnkey system that the BOSS35 represents (and with Oveready’s announcement) it is probably the most capable flashlight system in the world. I am thrilled at what this light can do and, more importantly, what it represents. Pick the emitter, pick the reflector, and everything else is wonderfully made and dead simple to use. How can you not like that?
The SC65 is brilliant. Its got an amazing tint, fixing the biggest legit gripe against Zebralights that people have. But it is not just good, its excellent. There is so much there in such a small package. It does everything and yet still kinda fits in your coin pocket. Tariffs have added to the cost, mine was $89 and it is now selling for $109, but even then its a steal.
But that is not all. This year saw the introduction of the VME. This is a performance tour de force. It makes choice after choice that proves its from the mind of two true flashlight enthusiasts. Brilliant hue, perfect body tube design, and a shot-through-a-gun-barrel-and-still-working build quality. You want a one-and-done, this is it.
But the high end market is at a bit of an inflection point. In two years we will be able to look back and see if this is was the beginning of the end or just another hand off from one generation of makers to another. Oveready, the force behind the truly superior BOSS system of flashlights, announced it was going into hibernation because of health and other issues (perhaps…tariff related problems?). HDS hasn’t updated their lights in 15 or so years. McGizmo doesn’t really make new stuff. Barrell, OKLuma, Hanko, and Yellow Day Energy still make stuff but not in numbers that matter even if the enthusiast market. And they aren’t staying up with tech. Why should I spend five to ten times as much on a light that doesn’t have the color rendering, output, or runtimes of the SC65? Custom flashlight maker just don’t last. And those that do, make stuff in such small batches that it is essentially unavailable.
Right now, only a few makers are really producing stuff. Dawson Machinecraft makes good stuff and it is readily available, for the most part. CWF makes stuff that is also readily available, as does Prometheus Lights. But beyond them its dribs and drabs at the high end. I am hopeful that this is merely natural turnover and not the end of the market, but it is hard to be hopeful. Frelux released a great torch, SPY is preparing for a second run of the Trek, and Georges Kymenes is still cranking on Facebook (ugh, can we switch to something else). The collapse of CPF has unquestionably hurt the market too, but when overseas companies are making truly outstanding stuff and selling it for under $50 it is incredibly hard for high end makers to survive.
This is the first time since the blog has been in existence that I am more pessimistic than not on the light market. Two things are causing huge pressures—tariffs and the collapse of the high end. While the high end market is not particularly large nor does it have much of an economic impact, it is the place where innovation thrives. The trickle down effects of the high end market are huge. And if it dies there will be almost no space for true blue sky, blank check light innovation. If there is a small, but real market willing to make $2,000 for a flashlight, people can innovate and make ridiculous stuff. Then the production companies can adapt it to large scale production and the market jumps forward. Without companies making stuff for those whales willing to pay insane prices, innovation is riskier and less likely to happen. When you couple that with the impact of rising costs and uncertainty from the tariffs, the production market is headed for choppy waters. I don’t think it will kill the market outright, but it could really hamper what things look like in 2-4 years. We will be looking forward to a new ano pattern on yet another oLight Baton instead of rolling our collective eyes. That will be a bad market for everyone.
Top Ten
Best Light for Most People: Zebralight SC65c Hi
This is a perfect set of design compromises. A bigger battery is married to a comparatively tiny body tube. The side switch, which can be a hotpocket problem on inferior designs, is exceptional, never causing a problem. The emitter is absolutely state of the art and produces sun-like rays. And its all for sale for not that much money (though more now thanks to…tariffs). Its peak output is not at the top of the market, but I think evaluating torches based on lumens is stupid, and, it is bright enough. This is the best light for most people.
Best Coinpocket Light: FourSevens Mini Mk. III Ti
The previous best light for most people and only a small (if at all) step down from the SC65. This light offers a tantalizing package—thumb-sized body, real reflector, and a decent high. Its no longer using a bleeding edge emitter, but it is still pretty good. If the Sc65 is too big, which I can see, then this is a great alternative.
Best High End Light: Frelux Synergy 3LT/Dawson Machinecraft Hoku Clicky
You can actually buy these lights. I know it is weird to have to say that for a product designed to be sold, but there are some makers who seem more into running lotteries than producing lights in a number that works. There is the old adage: make for the classes, eat with the masses, and while I don’t think that is necessarily true, high end makers that want to have a sustainable business or side hustle need to actually make enough lights for people to buy.
Both Frelux and DMC do that and these are my favorite lights from each brand. Both are dead simple to use, are built with a finicky attention to detail, and produce beautiful light.
Best REALLY High End Light: SPY Trek
Cool Fall makes such extraordinary lights that just making a new one changes how the high end market operates. These are truly the Pagani or Koeneggsig of flashlights. The Trek, which borrows from the 007 but adds a bevy of new features looks amazing and will be made again some time 2025. If you have $2000 and want to spend it on something that makes light this is the way to go.
Best Night Stroll Light: Surefire EDC1 DFT
Yeah its a bit bulky, especially given the battery format (1xRCR123a) but its build quality, easy of use, and throw make it a pinnacle in the flashlight market. It will endure bumps and drops with aplomb and still light up a stop sign a half mile away. For someone that walks at night everyday, this is your choice if you like torches. And given that we have a fat ass bear in our neighborhood, I like being able to see far away on our nightly jaunts.
Best Light to Loan to Muggles: Exceed Design Co. Rampant
Imagine if an F1 car was as easy to drive as a minivan? That is what you get with the Exceed Design Co. Rampant. It can perform with the best lights on the market and yet its UI is incredibly easy to use. If you have used a remote with a volume rocker, which is basically everyone, you understand how the Rampant works. That’s pretty incredible when you think about it. This light is basically the next gen version of the HDS Rotary, albeit with a slimmer form factor. That’s high praise, especially when you are talking about UI.
Best Light for Flashoholics: Malkoff x Kosun VME
If you think that tint is 100x more important than lumen count or you look down on gizmo modes with the same disdain that monster truck fans look view the Cyber Truck, then this is the light for you. It is a masterpiece. It does everything flashlight fans like really, really well. Hourglass body tube? Clicky with precise debounce times? A high with no throttling at 90 seconds? Its all here and it is wonderful. Its hard to say that a light is timeless, but the VME is close.
Best Keychain Light: Sofrin SC01
Did this get taken out of production? I am not sure, but you can find it on AliExpress. Its excellent. A twist, twist more UI and a built in charger for 10180 batteries. Try to find just a charger for those batteries and you will realize why this is such a good light. Its less costly and more functional. There are lots of keychain lights, but this is still the best one out there.
Best Light in an Emergency: FourSevens Maelstrom MXS/Streamlight ProTac 1L-1AA
Two different ways to address an emergency—one that trips on automatically and the other that can run on multiple battery types. I have had both for years and it is hard to pick which is better. I have the MXS centrally located in the part of the house with bedrooms. I have the ProTac 1L-1AA in my car. I like the HDS here too, as its robust built and perfect UI make it perpetually useful, but these two are a step up in terms of making an emergency power outage less problematic. For the record, the ProTac makes an excellent glove box light.
Best Muyshondt Light: Muyshondt Aeon Mk. 3
I can’t go without mentioning this light because it is so good. I am not sure there are lights out there that are better in terms of EDC and ease of use. It carries like a dream, it is bright enough, and the emitter sips batteries. I think, even now, a decade on, this is one of the more compelling lights. I think it is out of production, but for the Ti version, but its worth hunting down. Its truly excellent, especially when paired with a custom knife like the Small Shamwari.