The best torches

The best torches are a godsend to have at hand when you can't just flick on the light switch. Whether you're camping, in a power cut or blackout at home, or your car's broken down at night, you need a battery-powered or rechargeable torch you can rely on.

We've tested bestsellers from LED Lenser, Maglite, Nebo, Energizer and more, spending nights outside in the dark measuring beams, brightness and battery life. We've found several Best Buys and a superb Great Value option that costs less than £15 to buy.

The best torches from our tests

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The torches we tested

All the torches we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

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Energizer Impact 632630

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Stated lumen 100lm

Approx. battery life (maximum brightness) Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.

Batteries required 2x AAA

Waterproof rating Not stated

Need to know 105g, one brightness setting, rubberised grip, folding stand

Halfords 9 LED Aluminium Torch 589475

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Stated lumen 100lm

Approx. battery life (maximum brightness) Log in now or join Which? to instantly reveal.

Batteries required 3x AAA

Waterproof rating Not stated

Need to know 35g, one brightness setting, available in black, grey, and blue

iGadgitz Xtra U4456

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Stated lumen 8lm

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Batteries required None - hand crank/solar-charged

Waterproof rating Waterproof to five metres

Need to know 180g, two brightness settings, strobe setting

LED Lenser P3 Core

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Stated lumen 90lm

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Batteries required 1x AAA

Waterproof rating IP54 (protected from water sprays from any direction)

Need to know 42g, three brightness settings, belt clip

Lifesystems Intensity 480

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Stated lumen 480lm

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Batteries required 2x AA

Waterproof rating IPX6 (protected from sustained water jets from any direction)

Need to know 100g, four brightness settings, strobe setting, adjustable beam focus, wrist strap

Linkax Transparent P19

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Stated lumen 800lm

Approx. battery life (maximum brightness) Log in now or join Which? to instantly reveal.

Batteries required 3x AAA

Waterproof rating Not stated

Need to know 134g, three brightness settings, strobe setting, adjustable beam focus, wrist strap

Maglite Mini Maglite Pro

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Stated lumen 332lm

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Batteries required 2x AA

Waterproof rating IPX4 (protected from splashes from any direction)

Need to know 70g, one brightness setting, adjustable beam focus, end can be detached for using the torch as a lamp, available in red, black, grey, and blue

Nebo Big Larry 2

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Stated lumen 200lm (torch light), 500lm (work light)

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Batteries required 3x AA

Waterproof rating IPX4 (protected from splashes from any direction)

Need to know 217g, brightness adjustable from 100% to 30%, beam settings include torch light, work light, red work light, and red strobe, brightness memory, belt clip, magnetic base

Nebo Torchy 2K

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Stated lumen 500lm, 2,000lm on temporary turbo setting

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Batteries required None - USB rechargeable

Waterproof rating IP66 (dust-tight and protected against strong jets of water)

Need to know 113g, four brightness settings, turbo setting lasts for 30 seconds at a time, strobe setting, brightness memory, belt clip, magnetic base, wrist strap

RAC ‎RACHP392

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Stated lumen 200lm

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Batteries required 4x D

Waterproof rating Not stated

Need to know 267g, one brightness setting, wrist strap

Stanley 65428

Available from Screwfix (£9.98)

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Stated lumen 300lm

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Batteries required 3x AAA

Waterproof rating Not stated

Need to know 106g, two brightness settings, strobe setting, adjustable beam focus, wrist strap

Xtralite Nitesafe Torch

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Stated lumen 80lm

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Batteries required None - recharged at plug socket

Waterproof rating Not stated

Need to know 70g, two brightness settings, strobe setting, torch switches on automatically in the event of power failure when sat in plug socket charger, automatic night light when sat in plug socket charger

How we test torches

To pick out the best torches, we line up bestsellers from the places search data tells us people mostly shop for them. These include Screwfix, Millets, Argos, Torch Direct, and Amazon and take them outdoors after the sun sets to compare their beams and brightness.

We purchase all the torches we test and use Best Buy batteries to test torches that require batteries. See our batteries reviews for our top picks of AAA and AA batteries.

Beam reach and width

• We switch on each torch to its brightest setting and record how well it lights up a set area at distances of 5 metres, 10 metres, 25 metres, 50 metres, and 75 metres.
• We also compare how widely and evenly all the torches we test spread light at a distance of 10 metres.

Ease of use and comfort

• Five testers of various genders and ages score the torches for how easy it is to operate controls and settings with bare hands and while wearing gloves.
• We also use Cambridge gloves to investigate any particular challenges users with limited hand movement might find with the torches but so far have found none are extra difficult.

Battery life

• We charge up the rechargeable torches and use fresh batteries for those that require them, and then switch them onto their brightest settings to time how long they last before running out of battery or having significantly reduced brightness.
• We then recharge the rechargeable torches for 10 minutes and test how long they last on the brightest setting again, to see how long they'd last on a quick charge.

Durability and water resistance

• We subject each torch to a heavy shower for several minutes and inspect the lamps and battery casings for water ingress.
• Each is then dropped several times onto a hard surface to see how they cope.

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Why do torches have red lights?

Several of the torches we've tested have red lights, which is a useful feature for those wanting to avoid the harshness of white light while still being able to see.

Red light is much less likely to dazzle you if you were to look directly at the torch directly by accident. If you're on a night hike and want to see some wildlife, red light is also far less likely to spook animals than white light is.

Compare our pop-up tents reviews.

How bright is a 100 lumen torch?

This isn't a straightforward question to answer without also taking into account the width of the beam, but generally speaking a 100 lumen torch on a spotlight setting should be bright enough for you to easily scan across a room or a small garden.

For outdoor pursuits where it's important to see further, you'll most likely want a torch that has more than 100 lumens. We find that 300 lumens is generally a good level for activities such as camping and night-time walks.

See our recommendations for camping stoves.