2025 was such a good year for flashlights, I wrote a whole article about this.
I’ll spoil it here though: it’s the Skilhunt M150 v4, because it’s the first flashlight I know of to get AA/14500 right. That means:
- Modes and mode spacing are sensible with both battery types.
- Low voltage protection works for both battery types.
- The bezel diameter is substantially smaller than any 18650 flashlight - 21mm or less.
- The driver is efficient and well-regulated with both battery types.
It has been common for lights to get three out of four of these criteria right for several years now. The previous M150 failed on the last point, using a linear driver for Li-ion. Several popular lights like the Emisar D3AA and Skilhunt EC150 fail the third, performing well but having fat heads.
One other light I know of satisfies all four criteria: the boost driver version of the Emisar D2. The Noctigon KR1AA should too, but I’m considering the early copies of that sold so far to be prototypes.