So, “Zoomies” as they are commonly referred to, aren’t always held in the highest regard. Compared to other types of lights, they often have more issues with water resistance and dealing with heat. However, they fit certain use cases extremely well, and some of our members love zoomies the most! There’s two really cool, recent options for zoomies I’d recommend looking at right now: The Convoy Z1 and the [On The Road Z821](404 page here”:“REVIEW”: On The Road Z821 - Zoomable – 1x18650 – 940 lumens [Pic Heavy] ).
USB-charging built into the light has its pros and cons. For some of us, it often makes modding the light difficult (or, modding it is easy, but we lose charging). To others, it’s a critical point of failure for water resistance. Other possible cons are charger compatibility (Micro-USB vs USB-C, and in many cases USB-C not working with C-to-C charging), proprietary standards (there’s several “magnetic charging” methods used by various manufacturers that use a special USB cable), battery compatibility (some lights, like some Olights, require a special battery to use on-board charging), and increased size of the light to accommodate the circuit and the physical port itself. On the flip side, USB charging is awfully convenient sometimes. Many of us do not carry 18650 (or 21700, 26650, whatever) chargers everywhere we go - but it is much more likely you’ll be able to find a USB charger handy, whether on your person, in your car, or from someone nearby - even a nearby shop!
Anyways, I say all this to inform. Know the pros and cons of features, and know how you plan to use your light, and pick the right one for you!
Also, the r/flashlight subreddit maintains a list they call their “”Arbitrary list of popular lights”“:https://www.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/hermh9/arbitrary_list_of_popular_lights_summer_solstice/ , which they update twice a year (more or less at each solstice). It features a variety of popular lights in several different categories, with some brief details about the light like why it’s good or what options are available. None of the options listed are objectively bad, and they try to have enough in each category to suit a variety of tastes.
Also, Welcome to BLF!