Streamlight Rechargeable Flashlights

I get a lot of questions about choosing a good rechargeable flashlight, so I thought I would put together a comprehensive guide that could be freely shared here. I have found that most of my recommendations also point to the Streamlight rechargeable flashlights as the “go to” light for most users.

Streamlight has a long history of developing top quality lights – and their rechargeable series is no exception. They pride themselves on being “users” – not just developers. Their staff hunts, shoots, and even attends firefighter training – just they really understand the requirements of the users of their lights.

Which Streamlight Rechargeable Light is Right For You?

There are several decisions you will want to consider before investing in a rechargeble light from Streamlight.  What type of bulb – LED or Xenon?  What type of battery?  Hand held or weapon mounted?

Now if you are the average consumer you might be saying – heck I just need a Maglite rechargeable – I don’t need one of these fancy police type lights.

Nothing could be further from the truth!  For about the same money as the Maglite, the Streamlight rechargeable flashlights give you much high quality of product, and typically in a much smaller form factor.  If you have never experienced a flashlight other than a Maglite, you don’t know what your missing!

Streamlight Stinger Rechargeable Flashlights

The Stinger series is the most popular line of Streamlight rechargeable flashlights.  These lights were developed for the damanding environment that the average law enforcement officer lives in every day.  The Stinger series comes in two different bodies – one made of polycarbonate and one made of machined aluminum.  If you are interested in a light weight flashlights – the Poly-Stinger is the way to go.  However, I have found that most people prefer the added weight and durability of the machined aluminum Stinger – which has a tough anodized coating.

The Streamlight Stinger series offers two different choices when it comes to bulbs.  The offer an LED or Xenon bi-pin bulb.  It really comes down to personal preference.  When you study the light outputs for each bulb type, there is no difference.  The biggest difference is the rugged durability of the LED bulb.  You NEVER have to worry if you broke the filament when you dropped your flashlight if you go with the LED bulb.

Streamlight offers a variety of choices when it comes to the charging methods for the Stinger rechargeable flashlights.  They offer both 12V DC as well as 110V AC chargers.  Multiple charging banks are also a possibility – so if you have 5 lights to charge at the same time – you are covered.

Streamlight Strion Rechargeable Flashlights

The Strion series from Streamlight is one of the new rechargeable flashlight series.  The Strion lights tend to be a bit smaller than the Stinger lights due to the nature of the use they were designed for.  Not only can these light be handheld, but they can also be weapon mounted – typcially to a rifle mounting rail system.  I personally think there are better and smaller options if you are looking for a handgun mounted light.

The Strion series features rechargeable lithium batteries for the power source.  The beauty of using a lithium battery is that once the battery is charged, you can remove it from the charger and the batteries will not “self discharge” like a NiCAD battery tends to do.  So even if you haven’t charged the flashlight for 6 months, or used it, it will still be at almost full charge when you need it.  They come with advanced chargers – some of which provide a full charge in just 2.5 hours.  With lithium batteries the charging technology is very important due to fire and explosion hazards with this type of battery.

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