Best flashlights with holster

Olight Warrior X4

Olight flashlight with quick release holster

The Warrior X4 represents a paradigm shift for Olight with the onboard USB-C charging. It’s nice because now you aren’t stuck with the MCC system and can plug into any USB type C cable when needed (oh, and the MCC still works!). You also get a delightfully simple but very functional UI and a noticeable performance boost with more throw.

All the Olight pleasantries are here also, the fantastic build quality, attention to detail, and great handling as well as repeatable and verifiable advertised specs. There’s really nothing to nit-pick here, other than some somewhat-subjective points against the somewhat-too-simple UI and the continued use of proprietary batteries.

During our test, we measured Turbo mode at 2664 lumens after 30 seconds, which was higher than advertised!

Runtimes are really good as well, with Turbo mode running for almost 2.5 hours and Low mode for 8.5 hours.

Make sure you also check out our full review of the Olight Warrior X4

Olight Seeker 4 Pro

Hard plastic belt holster with built-in USBC charging functionality!

Since I tested the Seeker 3 Pro, I hoped to see an upgrade in sustained output. But alas, it wasn’t. They perform so close that it’s hard to call for a winner. However, the Seeker 4 Pro still has one of the highest sustainable outputs of any EDC flashlight, with some great new features.

Having said all that, the Seeker 4 Pro no longer has a proximity sensor like the Seeker 3 Pro, nor does it have a lanyard attachment. But it does have a few other feature changes as well. I mentioned them (as far as I could find out) in the review. But to sum them up quickly: bigger and better-rotating switch, no proximity sensor, long-press for unlock, the battery inserts the ‘normal’ way, and last but not least, the plastic holster has USB-C charging built-in.

The holster has a standard flap, but also includes a unique belt clip.

All in all, if you’re into larger lights for EDC, the Seeker 4 Pro should definitely be considered. If you’re not convinced yet, read our full Olight Seeker 4 Pro review.

Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR

Headlamp with long-distance beam (not for closeup work)

It looks like Armytek has another winner here; the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR CW can throw light as far as its name is long. It has to be a larger 21700-sized headlamp to do so, because that XHP70.2 is a hungry beast, but it gets the job done.

Plus, with its regulated output, you know how much light you’re getting and how long it’ll last. The only irritations it comes with are that you have to unscrew the tailcap to charge, and it takes seemingly forever to charge the 5000mAh battery, but if you don’t mind that or the weight, you might want to check this out.

Turbo2 mode runs for 2h 47 minutes until it reaches 10% output and then another 45 minutes before it drops below 1lumen output. Turbo 1 is relatively similar in performance. Main 3 ran just short of 7 hours. Even though we haven’t tested both Firefly modes, they are specified at 10 days and 62 days, respectively.

Just remember that this is not a normal headlamp; it focuses on long-range only. However, there is a trick for close-up use: adding some DC Fix film. This makes the beam go from narrow to wide in an instant. Just stick the film on the front lens and remove it when you no longer need it.

Before buying, we recommend reading our review of the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max LR. If you are interested in this headlamp but without the long-distance beam, have a look at its sibling, the Armytek Wizard C2 Pro Max.

NEXTORCH Saint Torch 30C

High output flashlight with 15,000 lumens and carry bag

Overall, I’m pretty impressed. I did have a bit of a hard time sorting the runtime tests, but that’s another issue and doesn’t detract too much from the overall impression of the Saint Torch 30C. Dave previously reviewed the flagship Saint Torch with 20,000 Lumens; I think this one is a good smaller alternative.

The great build quality, grippy, durable finish, easy handling, relatively lightweight, and overall usefulness were impressive here and represented a nice departure from the heavy, bulky competitors without skimping on features like 45W bidirectional charging and a fully regulated driver.

The beam was also nice and versatile, and despite having a small-ish battery capacity, the runtimes weren’t bad at all. The output tracked close to the factory spec as well. I like how NEXTORCH used some unknown LEDs here. I never expected to see these LEDs in a high-end flashlight, but it works.

Misses for the Saint Torch 30C? The limitations of the lighter weight and lower thermal mass necessitate lower sustained output than some of the competitors, which matters in this class. In addition, while not a deal-breaker given the application, the UI needs some tweaking to make it great. The method for disabling the proximity sensor is also cumbersome, and it’s a one-time use affair since it re-activates when turned off. I get it’s a safety feature, but it’s intrusive.

Fenix PD36R v2

Duty flashlight with holster

The Fenix PD36R V2.0 flashlight features a USB-C charging port on the side of the head which is protected by a rubber dust plug. According to Fenix, a fully depleted battery can be recharged within 2.5 hours using an 18W or higher-power fast charging adapter. The LED indicator shows red during charging and changes to green once charging is complete. In our tests, we observed a charge rate of 13.2 watts (1.48A at 8.94V) and the charging cycle completed in 2 hours and 19 minutes.

The Fenix PD36R V2.0 performed admirably in our tests. It exceeded the lumen specs, and the ramp-down in Turbo mode was smooth. It waited around 1 ½ minutes before beginning to ramp down and then took 2 minutes to gradually reduce the output. High mode was able to hold more than 900 lumens for 15 minutes before ramping down without getting anywhere near uncomfortably warm.

I’m not sure I’ve ever gathered intensity test results that were this close to the manufacturer’s specs. These measurements were within 1%. A side note… 40kcd isn’t going to set any records, but I’d say it is very respectable for this being a tube light.

For all the details, check out our full review of the Fenix PD36R v2

Fenix HT30R

LEP flashlight (extreme beam) with simple fabric holster

The UI of the Fenix HT30R is refreshingly simple, which is also fitting for an LEP flashlight. It uses two buttons, both of which are on the tailcap. The main button, which Fenix calls the “Tactical Switch”, is a forward-clicky that is responsible for on-off. The other button, which Fenix calls the “Functional Switch”, is a smaller, less pronounced e-switch used for “instant strobe” and mode switching.

The Fenix HT30R takes 21700 batteries, but in a pinch, you can use 18650s with Fenix’s ALF-18 battery holder. The light arrived with a Fenix ARB-L21-5000 V2 5000mAh 21700 battery inside, isolated with a little plastic protective disc.

Fenix also included a fabric holster for this LEP. The holster seems to work well and would probably be my preferred carry method if I wanted to carry the HT30R frequently.

Summary: Fenix really knows how to make a great light. The Fenix HT30R has such a nice build quality that you can tell it was made to be an actual tool—not just a run-of-the-mill flashlight.

For all the details, check out our full review of the Fenix HT30R LEP flashlight

Nitecore SRT6i

Police flashlight with holster, and with magnetic control ring

An upgrade from the SRT6, the Nitecore SRT6i boasts a number of major improvements, including doubling the output, redesigning the Smart Selector Ring, adding their patented Strobe Ready™ button, and using the high-powered i-Series battery.

The holster is made of tough webbing as most are, but on the inside, there’s actually a layer of stiff foam which helps protect the light. The flap is held down by hook and loop, and has a small tab at the end to help grasp and open it.

The second impressive feature of the tail cap is the switches. That’s right, switches; there are two of them. You might think that in a tactical light, that would make things confusing, but they’re designed so differently that there’s no way to mistake one for the other. If you push really hard, you might depress both of them (whichever is activated first will take precedence), but you will definitely not mistake them.

We refer you to our in-depth review of the Nitecore SRT6i for all details.

Nitecore P35i

Unique LEP + LED hybrid flashlight with nice quality holster

It’s a two-in-one flashlight with two very different beams—well, actually three beams because you can mix them as well.

There are 6 LEDs to produce a very wide beam for the close to medium range. There is also an LEP module for the extreme distance range, reaching almost 1800 yards. If you like both, it has a specific MIX mode, with 3 different mode outputs using both light sources. I love this feature.

The battery tube and tail cap use diamond-shaped knurling but are rather flat. So it doesn’t add much to its grip, but it’s not really slippery either. Nitecore added a holster that would fit the P35i just perfectly, but there’s no way to attach a lanyard.

Performance-wise, you can get over 3,000 lumens with LED and 459 lumens with LEP. That’s really good for a hybrid flashlight.

For all details, we refer you to our in-depth review of the Nitecore P35i