Have you read our guide on how to choose a trusty flashlight? If you haven’t, I’ll urge to do so before continuing. If you did, maybe the decision is close at hand but you’re looking for inspiration to expand your research. Thus, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to 5 of the most popular EDC flashlight brands.
All brands on this list offer at least one EDC flashlight with the following characteristics:
- Made primarily of light and durable metals (i.e., aluminum, titanium) or polycarbonate.
- Mix of different sizes and form factors (pen, micro, tactical).
- Brightness output ranges up to 3000 lumens in most cases.
Combining a compact size with a long battery life and the right level of brightness, you should be able to light your way in many situations with any of these EDC flashlights. However, for more outdoorsy or extreme situations, you might need to expand your search to other brands offering bulkier yet more resistant products.
| Brand | Aluminum | Brass | Copper | Plastic | Steel | Titanium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CountyComm | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| CWF Custom Flashlights | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Fenix | ✔ | |||||
| Lumintop | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Prometheus Lights | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| ReyLight | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| RovyVon | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Wuben | ✔ | ✔ |
CountyComm
- Origin: United States
- Materials: Aluminum, copper, titanium
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Micro, standard, tactical
- Lumens: 1,050 – 3,200
- Prices: $32 – $79 (USD)
- Website: countycomm.com
Based in Sunnyvale, CA, CountyComm was established in 1992. They primarily manufacture and sell tactical gear to U.S. government agencies, but retail any excess inventories to the general public. Within those products, CountyComm offers normal size flashlights and a few compact EDC models. Their products are made from aluminum and come in micro, standard, and tactical form factors.
CWF Custom Flashlights
- Origin: United States
- Materials: Aluminum, brass, copper, titanium
- Sizes: Compact (pocket)
- Form factors: Micro, pen
- Lumens: 520 – 650
- Prices: $250 – $580 (USD)
- Website: cwfcustomflashlights.com
American brand CWF Custom Flashlights was established in 2014 by craftsman Charles Wiggins. They cater to customers who appreciate the finer things in life, as they provide high-end flashlights with refined taste and uncompromising standards (hence the hefty prices). CWF manufactures flashlights from various metals, including aluminum and titanium, exclusively in micro and pen form factors.
Fenix
- Origin: China
- Materials: Aluminum
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Micro, pen, standard, tactical
- Lumens: 70 – 3100
- Prices: $15 – $90 (USD)
- Website: fenix-store.com
Chinese brand Fenix was founded in 2001 in Shenzhen. They specialize in designing and manufacturing high quality personal lighting products, having developed into an internationally recognized brand producing high-end flashlights. Fenix produces flashlights in all sizes (compact, normal) and form factors (tactical, pen, micro, etc.). Compared to other brands, their products are made exclusively from aluminum.
Lumintop
- Origin: China
- Materials: Aluminum, brass, copper, titanium
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Micro, pen, standard, tactical
- Lumens: 120 – 6000
- Prices: $15 – $125 (USD)
- Website: lumintop.com
Lumintop is another Chinese manufacturer based out of Shenzhen and established in 2010. They provide high-quality flashlights that have undergone various rigorous tests, which can be used even in extreme environments. Lumintop manufactures flashlights in all known sizes and form factors, including micro, standard, and tactical. Their products can be made from various metals such as aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium.
Prometheus Lights
- Origin: United States
- Materials: Aluminum, brass, copper, titanium
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Micro, pen, standard
- Lumens: 90 – 1100
- Prices: $45 – $775 (USD)
- Website: darksucks.com
Prometheus Lights is based out of Mountain View, CA, and it was started in 2017. Their mission is to create products based on simplicity and usability without compromising quality. Prometheus Lights offers flashlights in normal and compact sizes, in either standard, micro, or pen form factor. Their products are made of various metals including, aluminum, brass, copper, and titanium.
ReyLight
- Origin: China
- Materials: Aluminum, brass, copper, titanium
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Pen, standard
- Lumens: 500 – 1500
- Prices: $30 – $700 (USD)
- Website: reylight.net
Our third Chinese producer, ReyLight, started in 2017 in the same city of Shenzhen. Their aim is to deliver the most unique, artistic, functional, and highest quality flashlights. ReyLight produces compact and normal flashlights using a large variety of metals and alloys, including copper, brass, and aluminum. Common form factors found in their products are primarily pen and standard.
RovyVon
- Origin: China
- Materials: Aluminum, brass, copper, polycarbonate, steel, titanium
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Micro, pen, standard, tactical
- Lumens: 200 – 3000
- Prices: $35 – $540 (USD)
- Website: rovyvon.com
Chinese brand RovyVon is probably the largest one located in Shenzhen and was established in 2018. Their priority is to always keep in mind is innovation, originality and quality when producing illumination flashlights. RovyVon offers flashlights in all known sizes and form factors, including tactical and standard. Contrasting with other brands, in addition to common metals, they also offer polycarbonate and steel models.
Wuben
- Origin: China
- Materials: Aluminum, polycarbonate
- Sizes: Compact (pocket), normal (backpack)
- Form factors: Micro, pen, standard, tactical
- Lumens: 130 – 3000
- Prices: $30 – $175 (USD)
- Website: wubenlight.com
Wuben, the last Chinese brand operating out of Shenzhen in our list, was started in 2015. Their inspiration was drawn from outdoors experiences, which prompted them to create easy-carry, portable lights suitable for them. Similarly to other Chinese brands we discussed, Wuben produces flashlights in every single common size and form factor. However, they do limit the materials used in their products to aluminum and polycarbonate.
Key takeaways
In conclusion, here are some pros and cons of choosing a product from any of these popular EDC flashlight brands.
Pros of an EDC flashlight:
- Compact and easy to carry in pocket or backpack
- High ingress protection and impact resistance
- Enough brightness for everyday carry and daily situations
Cons of an EDC flashlight:
- Usually less lumens output compared to larger form factors
- Some materials and craftsmanship can have a hefty price
- Constant recharging might be needed depending on use