Best Throw Flashlights
(Long Range Flashlights)

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These are the farthest throwing LED flashlights currently in production and for sale. This list includes only lights that are produced by major flashlight manufacturers and does not include lights that are modded or put together by individuals in small batches.

We have tried to put the lights with the longest-range in separate categories. These categories range from small pocketable lights all the way to the lights that need a shoulder strap for comfortable carry. Also listed are the different budget options available.

Once other flashlights are brought to market that throw farther, they will be listed here. This list contains lights that are currently available, although they may have been brought to market prior to 2020.  You may also check out our overview of the brightest flashlights on the market.

Smallest thrower in the world

Lumintop GT Nano

Smallest thrower in the world

Lumintop GT Nano in hand
Lumintop GT Nano runtime graph
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:We measured 35,000 cd / 374 meters / 409 yards at turn on
LED type:Osram KW CSLNM1.TG
Battery type:10180 / 10440
Charging:USB-C charging adapter included

The smallest thrower flashlight in the world. The GT Nano’s entrance into the tiny thrower scene is kind of ironic since Lumintop used to make the longest-throwing LED flashlight in the world (the BLF Gigathrower), but that title has been reclaimed by the Astrolux MF05/Mateminco MT90 Plus (also featured here).

A polar opposite from the Gigathrower, the GT Nano, really is nano! It’s a tiny light running off a tiny 10180 Lithium-Ion battery, but still manages to reach distances most larger lights cannot.

When you thought you’ve seen it all, Lumintop introduced this little monster. The baddest little thrower in the world! When I tested this flashlight I was surprised it could really produce more than 450 lumens. I even measured 525 at start. Of course, the output drops like a rock, but this must be the coolest little thrower in the world. Quite amazing for sure. And in terms of throw, I measured 35,000 cd which equates to a throw of up to 374 meters or 409 yards.

If you’re looking for a keychain-sized flashlight thrower, this is probably the one you are looking for. Read our full review of the Lumintop GT Nano here.

This is why we would recommend this little thrower:

  1. Smallest real thrower on the planet
  2. Pocketable
  3. Works on 10180 (for minimum size) as well as on 10440 batteries (for more power and long runtimes)

Best AA thrower

Wuben E6

Best thrower that runs on AA batteries

Wuben e6 holding
Wuben E6 runtimes
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:AA: We measured 18,800 cd / 274 meters / 300 yd at turn on
14500: we measured 51,800 cd / 455 meters / 498 yd at turn on
LED type:OSRAM KW CSLPM1.TG
Battery type:AA / 14500
Charging:No onboard charging

The E6 established itself as a very compact, but long-throwing flashlight from one of the flashlight world’s elder statesmen brands, Wuben, who have been in the business for over 40 years. Coming in at just 3.4 inches long, this light can run on AA NiMH or 14500 li-ion batteries. When running on the included 14500, we tested it at 42,500 cd for 425 meters of throw.

The Wuben E6 is the slightly larger alternative to the tiny Lumintop GT Nano, and puts up impressive throw and output figures. It features a nicely regulated driver, simple user interface, and comes as a complete kit, including a 14500 battery. Overall, it’s a highly versatile, compact flashlight with awesome throw capabilities. Check out our full Wuben E6 Review here.

This is why we would recommend this little thrower:

  1. Best thrower with AA batteries
  2. Pocketable, and yet still pretty bright and far-reaching
  3. Includes a 14500 lithium-ion battery for maximum reach
  4. The user interface is easy to understand

Best cheap single cell thrower around $20

Convoy C8+ with KW CSLNM1.TG

Best budget thrower

convoy c8plus
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:83900 cd / 598 meters (with the CREE version we tested)
LED type:CREE XPL-Hi (and many others)
Battery type:18650
Charging:No onboard charging, so you need a separate charger, or a battery with built in charging circuit

A single 18650 cell flashlight with over 100kcd of throw. For around $20, you can pick up this flashlight. Keep in mind that this particular model is available with several types of LED, and the one we tested measured almost 84 kcd. For that price, however, it gives up some creature comforts like onboard charging and a side switch. Although the C8 style flashlight has been around a long time, it’s come a long ways in quality and performance, so it’s nice to see it competing with newer lights in this category.

The C8 style flashlights have been around since 2012, and it’s probably one of the most-copied flashlights out there (besides the hordes of telescoping, 20,000 lumen zoomies), but it’s been only in the last 3-4 years have they become good quality. The KD C8 was a famous light back in the day. This Convoy C8+ brings the C8 family to the next level. Not only because of the quality of the light, it also is a much better thrower with this Osram LED. 

If you have to choose between the 4 modes or 12 groups, choose the 12 groups. And then you can set it to your favorite mode group.

This is why we would recommend this little thrower:

  1. Great affordable spotlight flashlight, for around $20-$30
  2. Lots of LED choices, including CREE XPL, but also the Osram
  3. Easy to fix in case it breaks because Convoy flashlights are not glued up
  4. You can choose between easy and advanced UI

Small throwers (lithium-ion)

Speras M4

Smallest far-throwing flashlight in production over 100kcd.

Speras M4 inhand
Speras M4 runtime 
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:652 meters (we measured 657 meters / 718yd / 107,900 cd)
LED type:unkown
Battery type:18350
Charging:Onboard USB-C charging

Newly released from one of the higher-end manufacturers, the Speras M4 is the answer to the like-in-kind Thrunite Catapult Mini. It’s extremely compact (even smaller than the Manker), but still manages over 100 Kcd.

The first thing that stands out about the Speras M4 is the compact size. At a hair over 3 inches long with a 40 mm diameter head, it easily fits into a pocket. It also features a very unique, new LED out of China. Commonly referred to in enthusiast circles as the YinDing 5050 LED, this LED features a round light emitting surface, which creates an extremely uniform and focused beam. This LED helped the M4 produce over its rated candelas (108,000 Kcd and 657 meters as tested). It also has a nicely regulated driver for consistent output, and being a Speras product, the build quality is top-notch. Our reviewer gave it a 4.5-star rating. Check out our full Speras M4 Review here.

This is why we would recommend this little thrower:

  1. Very small and yet still very powerful.
  2. Nice user interface
  3. Comes with a rechargeable 18350 battery
  4. The flashlight has onboard charging

Best single cell throwers

Noctigon K1

Second farthest reaching flashlight with 1 battery

Noctigon K1 in hand
Noctigon K1 runtime turbo mode
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:(we measured 1549 meters / 0.96 miles / 600,000 cd)
LED type:Osram KW CSLNM1.TG
Battery type:21700
Charging:Onboard USB-C charging

A great throwing single-cell 21700 flashlight. The Noctigon K1 has been around for a couple of years now and was only just usurped by the Maxtoch X Pro as the best LED thrower with a single battery. But it’s still a great light and features one of the best enthusiast user interfaces, Anduril. It’s available with the most popular thrower LEDs around in a variety of anodization and switch LED colors.

The Noctigon K1 is the first Noctigon flashlight using the famous Osram KW CSLNM1.TG LED. The LED die is only 1mm in diameter. Without producing a high amount of lumens (780 lumens measured), it still throws extremely far. Please check out our full Noctigon K1 review for all details. It throws exactly 600 Kcd /1.5 km /0.96 miles,  which is extremely far. The hotspot is small, and is the typical pencil-beam for a thrower.

So if you’re not into the simplistic UI like the Maxtoch X Pro

This is why we would recommend this little thrower:

  1. Extremely far-reaching flashlight with just a single battery
  2. Better build quality than its rival, the Maxtoch X Pro (which is also discontinued now)
  3. Has onboard charging, so you can charge it anywhere

Acebeam L19

The farthest tactical flashlight with a single 21700 battery

l19 with lanyard
acebeam l19 runtime
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:1300 meters (we measured 1312 meters / 430,300 cd)
LED type:Osram KW CULPM1.TG
Battery type:21700
Charging:No onboard charging, but 21700 battery has USB-C charging

The Acebeam L19 is our number 3 pick for the longest throwing single cell flashlight, but it’s also the farthest throwing tactical flashlight. The L19 features a tactical-use design with a rear forward clicky switch paired with a side e-switch. Its Osram Boost HX LED is  available in cool white or green, which is great for hunting (and boosts the throw).

Acebeam recently added the more powerful Luminus SFT-40-W LED to the L19, which boosts output quite a bit, but doesn’t throw as far. One thing that makes it even more useful is the 2-way USB charging. You can charge the included 21700 battery, but you can use the same charging port to charge your phone from it—the L19 functions as a power bank. A single IMR21700NP-510A Li-ion battery is included in the package. This means you don’t need to buy a dedicated lithium-ion battery charger. On the contrary, the battery is too long for general lithium-ion chargers anyway. So this is just a great package to gift for non-flashoholics.

Want to know more? Check out our Acebeam L19 review and the updated, but less far throwing  Acebeam L19 v2 Review

This is why we would recommend this thrower over the others :

  1. If you want a tactical flashlight with great throw capabilities
  2. Included 21700 battery has USB-C port for charging but also has the capability to be used as a power bank
  3. Has more accessories than the others

Get a whopping 15% off your next order at Acebeam.com with the following discount coupon: AE15. Simply add the coupon code at your checkout.

Best Long Range LED Flashlights in the world

BONUS
Don’t forget to check out our LEP-Flashlight overview for other crazy throwers. There are referred to as “White Laser flashlights” and throw farther than regular LED flashlights. Check out the LEP Flashlights

#5

Astrolux MF04 / Mateminco MT35 Plus

side view
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:2000 meters (we measured 2182 meters / 2386yd / 1,190,000cd)
LED type:CREE XHP35 hi
Battery type:4*18650
Charging:No onboard charging

The Astrolux MF04 (also sold at the Mateminco MT35 Plus) holds the distinction of being one of the cheaper (sometimes sold for $200) multi-cell long-range thrower flashlights. In fact, when it was introduced in 2018, the MF04 was the first flashlight to out-throw the Lumintop BLF GT (by a fair margin). Astrolux also makes an S version for more output (but less throw).

Check out the Astrolux MF04 review for all the details. It beat sthe famous Lumintop BLF GT by a fair margin. Check out the review for some comparison beamshots. With a simple UI, the Astrolux MF04 is an extremely nice flashlight. It is available in CW (cold white) and NW (neutral white). Your choice depends on your personal tint preference.

This is why we would recommend this thrower

  1. One of the most affordable Big Head LED flashlights that can reach 2,000 meters
  2. Very easy to use User interface
  3. It has a tripod mount, which could be very useful

Use our 1lumen discount code at Nealsgadets to get a nice discount: 1Lumen711

#4

Amutorch DM90

Amutorch DM90 holding in my hand
Amutorch DM90 runtime 5min
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:2474 meters (we measured 2330 meters / 2548yd / 1,358,000cd)
LED type:Luminus SBT90.2
Battery type:3*21700
Charging:No onboard charging

Directly from the review:

Overall, this is a nice in-between for someone shopping for a big SBT90.2 thrower who wants 21700 compatibility and a bit more reach than a WT90 or TN42 V2. Despite the quirks, I liked the option of smooth or stepped or ramping UI, I liked the detachable carry handle and tripod-friendly mount. There’s also plenty of heat sinking for extended runs at high output as well. All good stuff for a light of this type. Now, I am not a fan of the wonky smooth ramping, and if Amutorch could fix that, the UI would be excellent. I didn’t care for the abrupt LVP shut down either, and the carrier needs stronger springs. My light had some surface defects in the finish and machining as well, and that’s a bit unacceptable on a $220+ flashlight (Amutorch is actually forthright about the defects on their site). The other issue is the manual, or lack thereof. Amutorch, can non-Chinese-speaking flashaholics get a manual too? Although the DM90 doesn’t perform to the same spec as the GT90 or the K75, it gets close, and costs quite a bit less, so I still give it my recommendation.

This is why we would recommend this thrower

  1. One of the most affordable flashlights in this top 5!
  2. Runs on 3 batteries, so easier to replace

Use our exclusive discount code at Nealsgadets to get a nice discount: 1Lumen711

#3

Wuben A1

Wuben A1 with carry handle
Wuben A1 runtime first 10 minutes
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:2500 meters (we measured 2466 meters / 2697yd / 1.53miles / 1,520,000cd)
LED type:4*Luminus SBT90.2
Battery type:8*21700 battery pack
Charging:USB-C onboard charging, including power bank feature

While the Wuben A1 wasn’t designed to be an enthusiast flashlight, it made the list because we tested it and found it has specs that nearly match the BLF GT90 (with some other perks). The caveat? It’s about $900 (excluding our discount code).

The Wuben A1 throws nearly as far and gets about as bright as the BLF GT94, but the main advantage is the output in Turbo and High modes is maintained longer and is much more consistent. It’s also the first flashlight with a wireless remote control (it works great!). Bottom line, the Wuben A1 is a more useful and user-friendly alternative to the BLF GT94 (if you can afford one). It’s truly an amazing flashlight. Want to know more details? Read our full review of the Wuben A1.

This is why we would recommend this thrower

  1. When you want the highest possible quality
  2. When you want the flashlight to take care of charging, instead of using your own battery charger to charge 4 or 8 batteries
  3. USB-C PD charging, so you don’t need to buy 1 or 2 battery chargers (and 4 or 8 batteries)
  4. Have the ability to use your flashlight as a power bank
  5. If you want the beam to be as bright as possible and as wide as possible, with the maximum throw

Get 20% off at Wuben with the following code: wubena1

#2

Acebeam K75

holding the Acebeam K75 with the handle
Acebeam K75 runtime chart
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:2500 meters (we measured 2502 meters / 1.55 miles / 1,565,000cd)
LED type:Luminus SBT90.2
Battery type:4*18650
Charging:No onboard charging

Acebeam has done it again. Instead of copying another throw flashlight, the went back to the drawing board and designed a thrower flashlight. The result: They added an SBT90.2 LED producing over 5500 lumens and capable of 1.85 Mcd. It’s also relatively compact when compared to the competition. Both the Lumintop BLF GT and Astrolux MF04 have about 2000 Lumens. But the K75 beats them both in output and reach. Check out our in-depth review of the Acebeam K75 for more information.

This is why we would recommend this thrower

  1. If you want something much smaller and more comfortable than the Lumintop GT90 and Astrolux MF05
  2. If you need the ability to use your 18650 batteries

#1

Astrolux MF05 / Mateminco MT90PGT90

holding the Astrolux MF05 in a hand
Astrolux MF05 runtime graph in Turbo with and without cooling
Specification:Highlights:
Max. beam distance:3162 meters (we measured 3373 meters / 3669yd / 2.1 miles / 2,844,000cd)
LED type:Luminus SBT90.2
Battery type:8*18650
Charging:No onboard charging

the Astrolux MF05 (also sold as the Mateminco MT90 Plus) burst onto the scene and systematically dethroned both the Acebeam K75 and Lumintop GT90 in one fell swoop. With 6000+ lumens and an as-tested max beam intensity of 2.8 Mcd and 2.1 miles of beam distance, you need a big host, and the MF05 is indeed big with a 6.3 inch head and an overall length of over 16 inches.

Loaded with eight 18650 batteries, it weighs in at 3.4 kilograms (8.1 lbs). All the details and full test results can be found in our Mateminco MF05 review. To keep the heat in check, they include a handle with a cooling fan built-in. 

Currently, this is the longest-throwing production LED flashlight available.

This is why we would recommend this thrower

  1. It’s the number one LED flashlight thrower in the world, reaching over 3 kilometers
  2. If you don’t want anything less than the best
  3. Comes with a carry handle with built-in cooling fan, to keep the output as high as possible

Use our exclusive discount code at Nealsgadets to get a nice discount: 1Lumen711

BONUS: other long-range flashlights that don’t fit the lists above

Highest candela flashlights

The longest-throwing lights do not have LEDs. Instead, they utilize a relatively new technology called LEP, short for Laser Excited Phosphor. Also referred to as “White Laser flashlights” and in addition to puting up some really impressive candela figures, they are much smaller than similar-performing LED flashlights. See our recommended LEP flashlights: Check out the LEP Flashlights

A flashlight thrower buyers guide

What do you need to look for in a flashlight to know that it can reach far?

Manufacturers’ claims for candela and beam distance are not always accurate. In fact, in many cases, they are very inaccurate. If you want to test lights yourself, you need to buy a LUX meter and do a little math. However, before you dive into that, you need to get a thrower flashlight, but which one? Choosing a thrower flashlight requires answering some questions first. Here are some important points to consider. 

  1. What will you be using it for?
    1. Hunting?
    2. Just for around the house/farm?
    3. As a backup flashlight?
    4. Really just for fun?
  2. Do you know how to safely handle lithium-ion batteries?
    1. Big throwers often use 3 or more 18650 or 21700 lithium-ion batteries that require special care and attention to handle them safely. If not, (and you are NOT willing to take time to learn how to do so safely) please stick to the AA-powered flashlights or those with built-in lithium-ion battery packs.
  3. Who will use the light?
    1. If you have a family that uses the light as well, consider the following:
    2. Lithium-ion powered flashlights are more powerful than AA flashlights of the same size, and at the same time more dangerous. Lithium Ion powered lights ARE NOT TOYS!! Lithium batteries need more attention than regular NiMH batteries like Eneloop
  4. Do you have a  battery charger capable of charging lithium-ion batteries?
    1. If not, and you choose a thrower without onboard charging or don’t want to wait until your retirement benefits mature waiting for batteries to charge, pick up a good quality charger like the VapCell S4+.
    2. If you don’t want to hassle with a charger, consider a flashlight with onboard charging.
  5. Do you want a very large, or a smaller flashlight?
    1. Size matters. If you want the most throw possible, you’ll be buying a large light. The Astrolux MF04, Acebeam K75, and Lumintop GT90 all have reflectors over 5 inches in diameter. These are not pocket lights.
    2. Weight is also a factor. The biggest throwers are not very portable, with the top 3 picks all weighing in over 2 lbs. Shoulder straps or harnesses are your friend.

How to measure “throw” yourself?

How do you measure the throw distance of a flashlight?

Measuring the beam distance of your thrower isn’t difficult. All you need is a lux meter, measuring tape; and do some math.

I have 5 lux meters, a cheap HS1010A, a SkyTronic LX-101, 2* Extech SDL400, an Extech HD450, and a professional Hagner E4-X. They all show different lux numbers, but for measuring throw, I just use the Hagner E4-X, because it’s calibrated by the manufacturer. 

Luxmeters measure the light intensity of the beam and display it in lux which is converted to candelas, which is then converted to a distance figure. You don’t need a very expensive luxmeter to do these measurements, like mine. A cheap lux meter like the Uni-T UT383S (for around $30 direct from Uni-T) works just fine. This is how I do my measurement:
Measure at 5 meters only for EDC and keychain lights. If you have a more powerful thrower like an LEP flashlight, you should measure at 20, or even better, at 30 meters.)

Warning: Never measure from a 1 meter distance, because this will always produce inaccurate numbers, and in many cases, the lux meter won’t be able to even measure it. 

To measure beam distance, you need a bit of space. The minimum distance used for measuring is 5 meters (16 feet  4.8504 inches), but this is mainly for lower-output throwers. To measure larger, longer range throwers, you need a minimum of 10 meters to 20 meters. For extremely long range throwers, you can go to 30 meters. Keep in mind, these longer distances are challenging to manage. You can measure indoors, but outdoors is preferable because light reflection off objects should be kept to a minimum. Position the lux meter sensor at least 1 meter off the ground to reduce reflection.

Follow these steps below to get the beam distance measurement.

  1. Position the flashlight level with the sensor
  2. Turn the flashlight on a lower mode to check the beam position. The brightest part of the hotspot should be covering the sensor
  3. Set the lux meter to Max mode (if it has it) so it will record and save the highest value it measures. If you don’t have a Min/Max function, you can set a cell phone set to record video of the lux meter screen and review the playback to get the highest value.
  4. Turn the flashlight on
  5. Wait 30 seconds
  6. Move the hotspot to get the brightest part of the hotspot so you get the highest reading
  7. Once you have the lux measurement from the meter, you can use a conversion tool like Rapidtables Lux to Candela Calculator to get the candela figure.
  8. Divide the candela figure by 0.25, and square root that value to get the calculated beam distance figure

How to calculate throw? Calculate Candela to Meters and Miles

The flashlight wiki gives a simple example of how to calculate Throw in meters from candela (candela)

An actual distance for throw can be directly calculated from the candela value and will be given in meters. The FL-1 standard does just this by providing a light intensity reading in candela and converting this to throw in meters by calculated the distance at which the light will generate 0.25 lux. Throw is just the square root of the light intensity in candela divided by 0.25 lux which gives meters.

Here is an example of calculating 100,000 cd (100 kcd) to meters. 100,000 divided by 0.25 = 400,000
The square root (√) of  400,000 = 632.45
So the throw at 100kcd = 632 meters.

On a calculator do: 100000/0.25 and press the √ symbol.

Long distance flashlights: an overview of candelas and distance

CandelasMetersYardsMiles
1,000 cd63690.04
2,000 cd89980.06
3,000 cd1101200.07
5,000 cd1411550.09
7,000 cd1671830.10
10,000 cd2002190.12
30,000 cd3463790.22
50,000 cd4474890.28
75,000 cd5485990.34
100,000 cd (100kcd)6326920.39
200,000 cd8949780.56
300,000 cd109511980.68
500,000 cd141415470.88
600,000 cd154916940.96
700,000 cd167318301.04
1,000,000 cd (1 Mcd )200021871.24
1,200,000 cd219123961.36
1,400,000 cd236625881.47
1,500,000 cd244926791.52
1,700,000 cd260828521.62
2,000,000 cd282830931.76
2,500,000 cd316234581.96
3,000,000 cd346437882.15
4,000,000 cd400043742.49

Found a better thrower?

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