A penlight is an inseparable stuff, it is always with me in my pocket. Even though you are a woman don’t go out with only your lipsticks, It’s nice but can’t help you more in self-defense.
A penlight has been used in many cases: in households, works, and emergencies.
Fortunately, there are plenty of great penlights on the market today, and most of them are very affordable but not easy to choose from.
What is a Penlight?
A penlight is a small flashlight that has a similar size as a fountain pen.
Penlights have become incredibly compact than ever in recent years because of the efficiency of energy technology.
It has been able to generate huge amounts of very bright light from ordinary AA batteries or provide greater power for high-performance LED flashlights by lithium batteries.
It has many models, many features, and applications for everyday situations.
Why Should You Carry a Penlight?
Penlights are convenient and can serve many purposes in your home, vehicle, and workplace.
Not only do the best penlights as many usual flashlights, but their form is also small like a pen renders them suitable for everyday carry in your pocket or clipped to your shirt.
The people are probably doctors and nurses who need a penlight because they use them to check their patients.
Or you are police, maintenance mechanic,… you will need a serious penlight for work.
Another reason to have a penlight is that it can be great for a self-defense situation. Most of the modern penlights are very bright.
Having a penlight is always a good idea if you are walking around a night.
Its construction is durable and tough so that you can be used as a weapon similar to a tactical pen.
The flash of a penlight can make eyes blind temporarily if someone is threatening you, just flash the light in their eyes suddenly and you may have a couple of seconds to get away or maneuver into position.
If you are walking around in the dark and need to shine in a murky area, your penlight is perfect to identify threats around. It can easily help you in emergencies.
A penlight will not be as bright as many of the other tactical flashlights, but they have more benefit of being easy to conceal and carry since they are small and look like pens.
With a good penlight, you will be able to brighten up the dark situations with just the push of a button that is always ready in your pocket.
What is The Best penlight for mechanics 2024?
You ask yourself… What is the best penlight?
“Best” is very subjective. I have several penlights that I could consider the best for different reasons.
I think the biggest question that to know is how you will be using or select the light that’s best for yourself.
Maybe you want a penlight just always to have in your pocket, or perhaps you need a serious penlight for work or self-defense.
There are many different models of penlights on the market, and they can fulfill different purposes.
You need to consider your applications and your choice depends on the intended use.
There are some qualities that all flashlights should have.
So that please don’t look at price first because you have to look for reliance more than a cheap tag.
The Best Penlight has to Come in Handy for Many Reasons.
The first, in my opinion, the best penlight can have with me at all times.
Penlights are a great option for me since they will easily fit in shirts, pants, or even suit pockets. It is slim, compact, and conceals as a pen.
The second is durability.
Some penlights I have bought were broken down for few weeks. I felt very angry when I had to spend a lot of time choosing a new one.
A durable penlight will be made from a high-quality material of aircraft-grade aluminum, titanium, or some very special plastics.
The best penlights have a tide case that closes off the inside of the flashlight so dust, dirt, and water can not easily get into it.
Mostly, It will be able resistant to impact, waterproof.
The third is how many lumens do you need?
The definition of a lumen is a measure of the total amount of visible light emitted by a source. Your purposes will decide how many lumens you really need.
Most of the penlights are designed from 10 to 250 lumens.
A penlight with 10 – 50 lumens is good for Close distance tasks such as finding keys in your bag, checking the fuse, finding the keyhole in the front door, or using it in the household for times like when the power is out.
If you are looking for a penlight to carry camping with you, you are going to need from 60 – 250 lumens.
It also provides enough for general purposes as walking/hiking around the house, tactical work, and personal security.
Police officers have to carry a flashlight that has at least 100 lumens.
The last is what battery types are you need?
There are two types you can hear with batteries: rechargeable and disposable.
If you think you’ll be using your penlight every day or sometimes a week, you should choose a rechargeable battery.
You have to pay more dollars for the rechargeable batteries and charger, but you’ll offset these costs by not having to purchase disposable batteries frequently.
On the other hand, if you are only using your penlight during power out, or keeping it in your car or pocket, I think disposable batteries will be fine.
Non-rechargeable batteries have two categories that are standard Alkaline (aka AAA batteries) and lithium.
Most penlights use AAA batteries since it is easy to buy from the supermarket, cheap and handy.
However, lithium batteries have more power for a smaller size. It’s also harder to find and more expensive than AAA batteries.
Rechargeable batteries have a variety of shapes and sizes. The real advantage is that you’ll never be out of batteries and long runtime.
You can use maximum brightness mode as much as you like without worrying about buying new batteries.
They are lightweight and convenient that you don’t need to discharge the battery completely before charging it again.
Top 7 Best penlight for mechanics 2024 on The Market
Let’s make sure to shop only reputable brand names and find products that have plenty of good reviews.
You should spend some time to check out all seven of the options, some of them I have ever used, and my friends test some.
That is my personal list that I think is the best penlight based on my needs and budget.
Let’s check the list on the comparative table.
Keep reading the detailed review to know the best penlight suitable for you.
1 Brite Strike EPLI Executive Precision Lighting Instrument – Best EDC Penlight
The EPLI uses the latest Cree LED to deliver maximum power as 160 lumens for 30 minutes and 80 lumens for 6 hours. Even though it is just powered by two AAA batteries.
Although it is an expensive penlight, I think with the higher price comes more power.
It has three different brightness settings high (160 lumens), low (80 lumens), and strobe (160 lumens).
The strobe mode is used to help disorient a potential attacker. Compared with many flashlights in brightness, the EPLI has the same level without their weight and bulk.
Waterproof and shockproof features are advertised by the manufacturers, but I have never seen a rating for these.
It’s made from high-grade aircraft aluminum that has a graphite anodized finish.
The bezel is brass and polished stainless steel. The EPLI was designed as a beautiful writing instrument.
But don’t be a fool about the exterior cause it is very bright and has the power of an outdoor flashlight.
PROS
- Versatile in use.
- Incredibly durable light.
- Small enough to fit in any pocket.
CONS
- High price.
- Some customer complaint about the Streamlight button is harder to push on/off.
2 HP3R Rechargeable Focusing 245 Lumen Penlight – Best Technical Penlight
When I am looking for my new flashlight, I want a new model, brighter and handy.
I found HP3R Rechargeable Focusing 245 Lumen Penlight. I’m very impressed with its functionality and technical features.
The HP3R is very bright on high power, and the illumination range is also great. The two brightness-adjustable zooms are helpful.
It uses lithium or alkaline power. You can recharge the batteries quickly that all I have to do to recharge the battery is to plug in the USB cable.
Battery life is great in low mode, but it uses a lot of battery power in high-power mode.
In high-power mode, it’s too bright so be careful when you point it at someone.
It is built tough; lightweight aluminum casing resists corrosion. Water-resistant as well when I dropped it into water it has not stopped working.
PROS
- Small and compact, very easy to carry it in your pocket.
- Easy to recharge power.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Bright well and focusable.
CONS
- Steep price.
- The lowest power mode does not seem to provide much clarity.
3 Streamlight 66133 Stylus Pro USB Rechargeable – Best Brightest Penlight
The Stylus Pro USB is a new style product USB penlight, a super bright light I ever have.
I always use it for all kinds of applications around the home looking at a fuse box during a power outage or looking at a map while I am camping.
It machined aluminum alloy case, durable construction for water-resistant.
Weight is very satisfying in hand and attractive with matte black metal construction.
Runtime is stable in 3 hours at full brightness although indicated as 3.5 hours. That’s a pity.
The Stylus Pro USB produces 70 lumens during 3.5 hours, and the lithium-ion battery fully recharges in-product in 2.5 hours.
It allows the flexibility of charging on the go using the USB cord or the AC wall adaptor.
I find it quite convenient as already charging through a lot of devices via USB.
The USB is rechargeable through a charge port that is protected by a sliding sleeve from getting any dirt or water ingress into the port.
PROS
- The bright area is good.
- Easy to reach the button.
- Penlight fits in hand.
CONS
- Be careful when you are plugging and disconnect pull your charger out gently because It can break very easy.
4Tactical 5.11 Unisex TMT PLx Penlight – The Best Tactical Penlight
I just want to say it’s a very effective tool, not cumbersome, affordable, easy to use, and extremely bright.
The TMT PLX is not the most strengthen flashlight on the market, but for under $30, will be hard to find one better.
I’m satisfied with the battery life. It is powered by two AAA batteries can offer four hours of runtime on a single charge.
It has a good click feature, but the rubber button has worn off, and the on/off switch is exposed.
Construction is tough and ruggedized ensures lasting durability, enough to take a beating and also make it a viable self-defense weapon.
It can resist impact when dropping it a few feet, and it still works. It comes with an integrated clip securely to the shirt or pant pocket.
PROS
- Affordable.
- Bright enough for everyday use.
- Won’t blind you in the dark.
CONS
- Don’t have any solid point of attachment for a lanyard which needs for camping and hiking.
5 Pelican 1920 LED Flashlight – A Simple Penlight
I typically like simple flashlights. Pelican 1920 is single-mode and runs on 2 AAA batteries.
It has a high mode of 120 lumens and a low mode of 12 lumens.
The runtime on low is 9 hours and approximately 3 hours on high. So that you should use high mode when you need it, the low mode will save your battery to last longer.
It was advertised as water-resistant, but It is not sustained for more than 30 minutes.
The body is made of aerospace-grade aluminum, solid construction, durable does not scratch easily.
Although it is a small and lightweight but great quality of light and good beam size.
PROS
- Lightweight and compact.
- Lumens range from 12 to 120 very handy.
CONS
- It eats batteries like crazy on high mode.
6 Streamlight 88033 ProTac 2AA High-Performance Alkaline Flashlight – A Durable Penlight
I chose this light for some of the reasons. The ProTac 2AA has the perfect length to use as an impact weapon if needed, yet it is 90% conceals in hand.
It has used C4 LED technology for the brightest tactical personal carry lights.
It provides ranging from 11 lumens to 155 lumens.
Three different operating modes (high, low, strobe) are easily clicked by the rubber push-button tactical tail switch for one-handed.
It comes with two 3V CR123A lithium batteries and a nylon holster, but the holster is somewhat flimsy. You should invest in a better holster for using frequently.
It is made of high-quality material – Anodized aluminum, durable and lightweight.
It’s good bright, with long battery life, runs on more common AA batteries.
PROS
- Waterproof and impact resistance tested.
- Tough and slim construction.
CONS
- Pocket clip loosens up quickly.
7Fenix LD22 215 Lumen Flashlight – 4 modes in 1
After a lot of research, I decided to choose one brand over another.
Fenix seems to be less popular than other brands that mean I don’t have as many reviews about my light. But I don’t regret my decision.
I got a Fenix LD22 light, and I never saw a flashlight having such high output for how small the led and battery size.
It is powered by standard AA batteries, not much power but you can find them anywhere, and they are cheap. It also uses lithium batteries.
Unfortunately, the AA battery life on the highest level is too short.
It provides 4 brightness modes that can adjust by a rubber button: Turbo – 215 lumens, High – 105 Lumens, Medium – 50 lumens, 14.5-hour runtime, Low – 3 lumens, 150-hour runtime, Strobe – 215 Lumens, SOS – 105 lumens.
The highest bright level is enough to stun and it’s a perfect addition to your pistol for zombie sweeps.
PROS
- Very bright.
- Compact form, lightweight.
- The pocket clip is removable.
CONS
- Consume too many batteries in high brightness level.
Conclusion
That is my whole experiences for choosing the best penlight, and I hope that gives you some helpful information.
If you are going to make an effort to buy a penlight for yourself, you should keep all tips in your mind.
You don’t need to consider a single one the “best” because they all serve different purposes.
Remember “There is no ‘best’ penlight, just as there isn’t a ‘best tool. There is only the right tool for the job.”
