Olight makes the lights compared here. Olight specs and regular prices come from its US product pages and user manuals as of September 2026. The per-dollar figures, lux estimates, outage math and scores below are calculations from those published numbers, not lab measurements.
⚡ TL;DR
The best budget flashlight if you can only own one is the Olight Baton 4 at $54.99: a 52.5 g rechargeable pocket light rated at 1,300 lumens and 170 m. We compared three Olight lights at $20, $55 and $90 on published specs. The $90 Perun 3 lights a blackout longer and frees your hands, but at 150 g it stays home.
If you are buying your first real flashlight, the choice feels impossible. One light has to live in your pocket, cover a three-night power outage, sit in the car and walk the dog on a dark trail. Small lights run out, bright lights are heavy, and the spec sheets all shout lumens. This guide scores the three budget tiers on eight jobs, shows the math behind every number and ends with a checklist.
This table shows the best budget flashlight for each situation, with Olight's ratings and regular prices from September 2026.
| Situation | Pick | Key specs (Olight ratings) | Regular price | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One light that goes everywhere | Olight Baton 4 | 1,300 lm, 7,225 cd, 170 m, 52.5 g, IPX8 | $54.99 | The lightest light here that still reaches 150 m and holds 300 lumens after 10 minutes |
| Home and camp, rarely carried | Olight Perun 3 | 3,000 lm, 6,400 cd, 160 m, 150 g, IP68 | $89.99 | Headband, red light and 120 lumens for 25 hours |
| Car kit or the tightest budget | Olight i3T 2 EOS | 200 lm, 963 cd, 62 m, 41.8 g, IPX8 | $19.99 | Runs on one AAA battery you can buy anywhere |
| Brightest budget flashlight | Olight Perun 3 | 3,000 lm for 2 min, then 800 lm for 180 min | $89.99 | Highest peak and highest 10-minute output of the three |
| Most beam distance per dollar | Olight Baton 4 or i3T 2 EOS | 3.1 m of rated beam per dollar each | $54.99 or $19.99 | Perun 3 returns 1.8 m per dollar |
📋 Table of Contents
- 1. Quick Answer: What Is the Best Budget Flashlight to Buy First?
- 2. What Should Your First Flashlight Do? Size, Brightness, Runtime and Charging
- 3. Best Flashlight Under 100 Dollars at Three Budgets: $20, $55 and $90
- 4. How the Numbers in This Guide Were Worked Out
- 5. What Is the Best Flashlight for Your Money?
- 6. What Is the Brightest Budget Flashlight?
- 7. Why Shouldn't Your First Flashlight Be the Brightest One?
- 8. One Light, Three Places: Home, Car and Outdoors
- 9. The One-Light Scorecard: How the Three Tiers Compare
- 10. Which Flashlight Do Navy SEALs Use?
- 11. Common Mistake: Buying the Cheapest Flashlight Just to Try It
- 12. What Should You Buy as a Second Flashlight?
- 13. Your One-Light Buying Checklist
- 14. FAQ
Quick Answer: What Is the Best Budget Flashlight to Buy First?
Buy a rechargeable pocket light around $55, such as the Olight Baton 4. At 52.5 g it rides in any pocket, its 170 m rated beam covers a yard or a trail, and it still holds 300 lumens for 73 minutes after its turbo steps down. A light you carry every day is the one you will have when the power fails or a tire goes flat.
The two other tiers make sense in narrower cases. At $19.99, the i3T 2 EOS is a good car or junk-drawer light because it runs on a single AAA battery. At $89.99, the Perun 3 is the stronger home and camping light, because it doubles as a headlamp and runs 25 hours at 120 lumens. But at 150 g and 116.8 mm long, it is a light you pack, not one you carry.
If you want to browse beyond these three, Olight's full range of flashlights is sorted by type, and the smaller EDC flashlights are grouped by pocket size. For picks across every price and job, see our best flashlights guide, which names the $69.99 Baton 4 Pro as its overall pick. It costs $15 more than the Baton 4 and carries a much larger 18650 battery.
What Should Your First Flashlight Do? Size, Brightness, Runtime and Charging
Your first flashlight should pass four tests: it is small enough to carry daily, bright enough to reach about 150 m and hold usable output after the first minutes, long-running enough for an outage night, and easy to recharge or refuel. Water resistance and hands-free use come next. A light that fails the size test rarely matters, because it is not with you.
This table turns those four requirements into thresholds you can check on any spec sheet.
| Requirement | Threshold used in this guide | Why this number |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 60 g or less with battery | Light enough to forget in a pocket; both pocket lights in the main comparison fall under it |
| Brightness that lasts | 300 lumens or more at the 10-minute mark | Peak lumens often last 90 seconds to 2 minutes; the 10-minute level is what you walk with |
| Reach | Rated beam distance of 150 m or more | Covers a large yard, a parking lot or a trail bend |
| Runtime | One steady mode of 50 lumens or more for 10 hours or more | Enough room light for two outage evenings on one charge |
| Charging | Built-in rechargeable battery, or batteries sold anywhere | Either keeps the light running without a special trip |
| Water | IPX7 or IPX8 immersion rating | Rain, puddles and a dropped light in a sink |
| Hands-free | Headband, magnet or stand listed by the maker | Changing a tire or a breaker takes two hands |
Two of these need a note. Beam distance under the ANSI/PLATO FL1 standard is the distance at which the beam falls to 0.25 lux, according to Streamlight's FL1 summary, so it is a threshold, not the edge of useful light. And runtime is measured from 30 seconds after switch-on until output drops to 10% of that first reading, which is why a long rating can hide long stretches at low output. Our guide to flashlight runtime explains how cold, battery age and step-down change the real number.
Best Flashlight Under 100 Dollars at Three Budgets: $20, $55 and $90
The best flashlight under 100 dollars depends on how much you spend. At $19.99 the Olight i3T 2 EOS is a 41.8 g AAA light with 200 lumens. At $54.99 the Olight Baton 4 adds a rechargeable battery, 1,300 lumens and a 170 m beam. At $89.99 the Olight Perun 3 adds a headband, red light and 25 hours at 120 lumens.
This table puts the three budget flashlights side by side on Olight's published ratings.
| Spec (Olight rating) | i3T 2 EOS | Baton 4 | Perun 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular price (September 2026) | $19.99 | $54.99 | $89.99 |
| Max output | 200 lumens | 1,300 lumens | 3,000 lumens |
| Peak intensity | 963 candela | 7,225 candela | 6,400 candela |
| Beam distance | 62 m | 170 m | 160 m |
| Output steps at max | 200~100 lumens, 7 + 28 minutes | 1,300~600~300 lumens, 1.5 + 2.5 + 73 minutes | 3,000~800~600 lumens, 2 + 180 + 30 minutes |
| Longest steady mode | Low 5 lumens, 21 hours | Med 60 lumens, 8 hours; Low 12 lumens, 35 hours | Med 120 lumens, 25 hours; Low 30 lumens, 89 hours |
| Weight with battery | 41.8 g | 52.5 g | 150 g |
| Water rating | IPX8 | IPX8 | IP68 |
| Power | 1 x AAA (alkaline included) | 650 mAh 16340, 2.34 Wh | 5000 mAh 21700, 18 Wh |
| Charging | Replace the battery | MCC magnetic cable, about 1 hour | MCC3 magnetic cable, under 4 hours |
| Switch | Tail switch | Side switch | Side switch |
All three manuals state that their tables were "tested per ANSI/PLATO FL 1-2019 standard in Olight's labs for reference," and each lists a 1.5 m impact rating and a working temperature of 0 to 40 °C.
Olight i3T 2 EOS: The $20 Pick
The Olight i3T 2 EOS flashlight ($19.99, regular price, September 2026) solves one problem well: it runs on a single AAA battery, which you can buy at almost any store. Olight rates it at 200 lumens, 963 candela and 62 m, IPX8, at 89 mm long and 41.8 g with battery. Its High mode runs 200 lumens for 7 minutes, then 100 lumens for 28 minutes; Low gives 5 lumens for 21 hours.
The tail switch is simple. The i3T 2 EOS user manual says a light press turns it on momentarily, a firm press clicks it on, and you can set which level it starts in. Olight also says a protected 10440 Li-ion cell (maximum length 44 mm) can raise output to 300 lumens, but that cell is not included, and every rating in this guide uses the included AAA.
The limit is endurance. One AAA holds about 35 minutes of useful High output, so the i3T 2 EOS is a backup light, not an outage light. Its 62 m beam also falls short of the 150 m test. The manual warns not to give it to children to play with, "in order to avoid accidental swallowing."
Olight Baton 4: The $55 Pick and Overall Winner
The Olight Baton 4 EDC flashlight ($54.99, regular price, September 2026, OD Green; several colors were listed as sold out) is 63 mm long and weighs 52.5 g, yet Olight rates it at 1,300 lumens, 7,225 candela and 170 m, IPX8. Its full mode list: Turbo 1,300~600~300 lumens for 1.5 + 2.5 + 73 minutes, High 600~300~60 lumens for 7 + 72 + 16 minutes, Med 60 lumens for 8 hours, Low 12 lumens for 35 hours and Moon 0.5 lumens for 30 days.
For a one-light owner, the manual adds three useful details. A two-second press from off locks the switch, which stops the light from turning on in a pocket. An auto shut-off timer can be set for 3 or 9 minutes. And the magnetic cable recharges it in about 1 hour.
The limits are real. The standard Baton 4 charges through its MCC magnetic cable, not a USB-C port (the Premium Edition's charging case can also recharge it), so if you lose that cable, you need a replacement MCC cable. If magnetic cables and customized cells are your main doubt, our guide to is Olight worth it weighs those tradeoffs line by line. Its steady Med mode lasts 8 hours, short of the 10-hour outage test used in this guide. And it has no headband or red light.
Olight Perun 3: The $90 Pick
The Olight Perun 3 headlamp ($89.99, regular price, September 2026) is a flashlight and headlamp in one. Olight rates it at 3,000 lumens, 6,400 candela, 160 m and IP68, and lists a headband, magnetic tail, clip and lanyard. Modes: Turbo 3,000~800~600 lumens for 2 + 180 + 30 minutes, High 600~120 lumens for 300 + 30 minutes, Med 120 lumens for 25 hours, Low 30 lumens for 89 hours, Moon 5 lumens for 20 days, and red light at 60 lumens for 14 hours or 15 lumens for 70 hours.
Its 18 Wh battery is the reason it wins outage and camping jobs. The National Park Service's Ten Essentials guidance says, "Headlamps are the recommended light source because they are hands-free." The Perun 3 is the only light of the three that fits that advice.
The limits: 150 g is almost three times the Baton 4, the full charge takes under 4 hours, and Olight's product page notes that the headlamp mounting bracket "is METAL - it is expected to scratch the body of the torch if taken in / out repeatedly."
How the Numbers in This Guide Were Worked Out
Every figure here is either an Olight rating copied from its US product page or user manual, or a calculation from those ratings. Nothing was re-measured. The table below shows the source, method and count behind each number, so you can repeat any of it with a calculator and the spec sheets.
This table lists each measure, where it comes from, how it was handled and how many lights it covers.
| Measure | Source | Method | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumens, candela, beam distance, runtime | Olight product pages and user manuals, September 24, 2026 | Copied as published; FL1 basis per each manual | 3 lights, every white mode |
| Weight and battery energy | User manuals (weight with battery, Wh) | Copied as published | 3 lights |
| Price | Olight US store, regular price | Non-promotional price, September 2026 | 3 lights |
| Output at 10 minutes | Published step-down stages | Read the stage in effect at minute 10 | 3 lights |
| Lux at distance | Peak candela | Lux = candela divided by distance squared | 3 lights at 10 m and 30 m |
| Reach after step-down | Candela scaled by the lumen drop | Assumes the beam shape stays the same; beam distance = 2 x the square root of candela | 3 lights |
| Lumen-hours | Steady-mode lumens x hours | One full charge or one AAA battery | 3 lights, 2 modes each |
| One-light score | 8 pass-or-fail tests from the requirements table | 1 point per pass | 3 lights, 24 checks |
What Is the Best Flashlight for Your Money?
The best flashlight for your money is the one that returns the most useful light per dollar, not the most peak lumens. By sustained output at 10 minutes, the Perun 3 leads at 8.9 lumens per dollar. By beam distance per dollar, the Baton 4 and i3T 2 EOS tie at 3.1 m. By weight carried, the Baton 4 wins.
This table divides each rating by the regular price, so the three budget tiers can be compared on value.
| Value measure | i3T 2 EOS ($19.99) | Baton 4 ($54.99) | Perun 3 ($89.99) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak lumens per dollar | 200 / 19.99 = 10.0 | 1,300 / 54.99 = 23.6 | 3,000 / 89.99 = 33.3 |
| Lumens at 10 minutes per dollar | 100 / 19.99 = 5.0 | 300 / 54.99 = 5.5 | 800 / 89.99 = 8.9 |
| Rated beam meters per dollar | 62 / 19.99 = 3.1 | 170 / 54.99 = 3.1 | 160 / 89.99 = 1.8 |
| Steady-mode lumen-hours per charge | 5 lm x 21 h = 105 (per AAA) | 60 lm x 8 h = 480 | 120 lm x 25 h = 3,000 |
| Steady-mode lumen-hours per dollar | 5.3 (first battery) | 8.7 | 33.3 |
The price steps are equal: $35.00 from the i3T 2 EOS to the Baton 4, and $35.00 again to the Perun 3. What each step buys is not. The first $35 buys 6.5 times the peak output (1,300 vs 200), 2.7 times the reach (170 m vs 62 m), three times the 10-minute output and a rechargeable battery, for 10.7 g more weight. The second $35 buys 2.7 times the 10-minute output, 6.25 times the steady-mode lumen-hours, a headband and red light, but 10 m less reach and 97.5 g more weight.
That is why the Baton 4 is the value pick for a single light. The first step changes what the light can do everywhere. The second step changes what it can do at home and in camp, while making it harder to carry. For a deeper look at sustained output per dollar across five lights, see our guide to the brightest flashlight under $100, which reaches the same 8.9 and 5.5 figures.
What Is the Brightest Budget Flashlight?
The brightest budget flashlight of the three is the Olight Perun 3 at $89.99: 3,000 lumens for 2 minutes, then 800 lumens for 180 minutes. It also stays brightest at the 10-minute mark, with 800 lumens against the Baton 4's 300 and the i3T 2 EOS's 100. Brightest does not mean farthest: the Baton 4's 7,225 candela out-reaches the Perun 3's 6,400.
Lumens tell you how much light comes out. Candela tells you how far it goes. Lux, the light landing on a target, falls with the square of distance: lux equals candela divided by distance squared. The table below applies that rule to the published candela figures, and then estimates the reach after each light's first step-down.
This table shows how much light each budget flashlight puts on a target at 10 m and 30 m, and how far the beam reaches before and after its step-down.
| Light | Lux at 10 m | Lux at 30 m | Rated beam distance | Output at 10 minutes | Estimated reach at 10 minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| i3T 2 EOS | 963 / 100 = 9.6 | 963 / 900 = 1.1 | 62 m | 100 lumens | about 44 m |
| Baton 4 | 7,225 / 100 = 72.3 | 7,225 / 900 = 8.0 | 170 m | 300 lumens | about 82 m |
| Perun 3 | 6,400 / 100 = 64.0 | 6,400 / 900 = 7.1 | 160 m | 800 lumens | about 83 m |
The rated distances check out against the FL1 definition: 2 x the square root of 7,225 is 170 m, of 6,400 is 160 m and of 963 is 62 m. The step-down estimates assume the beam keeps its shape as output drops, the same method our brightest-under-$100 comparison uses across five lights. On that basis the Baton 4 at 300 of 1,300 lumens holds about 1,667 candela (about 82 m), and the Perun 3 at 800 of 3,000 lumens holds about 1,707 candela (about 83 m). After 10 minutes, the two reach almost the same distance, so the Perun 3's extra lumens go into a wider beam, not a longer one. The new number here is the i3T 2 EOS: at 100 lumens it keeps about 482 candela and about 44 m.
Why Shouldn't Your First Flashlight Be the Brightest One?
Your first flashlight should not be the brightest one because peak brightness is the spec you use least. The Perun 3 holds 3,000 lumens for 2 minutes, then 800. What you use most is a light that is on you, and the brightest budget light here weighs 150 g, almost three times the 52.5 g Baton 4. Weight decides whether a light leaves the house.
Three facts from the ratings make the case. First, peak output is short: 1.5 minutes on the Baton 4, 2 minutes on the Perun 3, 7 minutes on the i3T 2 EOS. Second, after 10 minutes the Baton 4 and Perun 3 reach about the same distance, as the table above shows. Third, extra output costs battery: the Perun 3 carries a battery with 7.7 times the energy of the Baton 4's (18 Wh vs 2.34 Wh), which is much of why it weighs more.
There is one case where the brightest light is the right first light: when it will never leave the house or the tent. If your one light lives on a hook by the back door, the Perun 3's headband, red light and 25-hour Med mode matter more than its weight.
Safety note: Do not shine any of these lights into someone's eyes. The i3T 2 EOS manual warns that looking directly at the light source "may cause temporary blindness or permanent damage to the eyes," and a 1,300 or 3,000 lumen beam at close range is far stronger.
One Light, Three Places: Home, Car and Outdoors
One budget flashlight can cover home, car and outdoors if you plan around its weakest spot. At home, the risk is an outage longer than one charge. In the car, the risk is heat. Outdoors, the risk is needing both hands. The playbook below shows where each tier falls short and the one habit that closes the gap.
At home: the outage math
Ready.gov's power outage guidance says: "Have flashlights for every household member." Its basic disaster supplies kit lists a flashlight, extra batteries and a backup battery for your phone. So "only one flashlight" is really one per person. The question is whether that light lasts.
This table assumes you need about 5 hours of room light per evening and shows how many evenings each light covers before it needs a charge or a new battery.
| Light and mode | Rated runtime | Evenings at 5 hours each | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perun 3 Med, 120 lumens | 25 hours | 25 / 5 = 5.0 | A long weekend outage on one charge |
| Perun 3 Low, 30 lumens | 89 hours | 89 / 5 = 17.8 | Over two weeks of dim room light |
| Baton 4 Med, 60 lumens | 8 hours | 8 / 5 = 1.6 | Recharge every other evening |
| Baton 4 Low, 12 lumens | 35 hours | 35 / 5 = 7.0 | A week of dim hallway light |
| i3T 2 EOS Low, 5 lumens | 21 hours per AAA | 21 / 5 = 4.2 | Enough to find things, not to read |
| i3T 2 EOS High, 200~100 lumens | 35 minutes per AAA | About 8.6 batteries per evening | Not an outage light |
The Baton 4's short Med runtime is less of a problem than it looks, because it recharges in about 1 hour. Three evenings at 5 hours each is 15 hours of Med light. One charge covers 8 of them, so with the phone power bank Ready.gov already recommends, a three-evening outage needs one mid-outage recharge.
In the car: the heat problem
The i3T 2 EOS manual says, "Don't store, charge or use this light in a car where inside of temperature may be over 60°C, or similar places." Sixty degrees Celsius is 140 °F. The National Weather Service notes that "a dark dashboard or seat can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to over 200°F," as explained on its children, pets and vehicles page. The Baton 4 and Perun 3 manuals list a 0 to 40 °C working range. The U.S. Fire Administration's lithium-ion battery safety page adds: "Do not charge them at temperatures below 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) or above 105 degrees F (40 degrees C)." So never leave a rechargeable light charging in a parked car.
Warning: In hot months, do not leave any of these lights on a dashboard or seat in the sun. If you keep a light in the car, keep it out of direct sun, check it at every season change, and carry your main light on you rather than storing it in the vehicle.
Battery makers say the same about heat. Energizer's E92 AAA datasheet lists an operating range of -18 °C to 55 °C (0 °F to 130 °F) and a shelf life of 10 years at 21 °C. Duracell's battery FAQ warns, "Extreme temperatures reduce battery performance and may also lead to leakage." For a car kit, the i3T 2 EOS with a spare AAA in its original packing adds 11.5 g for the Energizer cell, bringing the pair to 53.3 g, about the weight of a Baton 4.
Outdoors: hands and night vision
Outdoors, the Perun 3 is the strongest of the three. It is the only one with a headband, the only one with red light, and its magnetic tail sticks to a car door or a steel post. The Baton 4 covers the reach test at 170 m but needs a hand. The i3T 2 EOS is a pocket backup on a trail, not a primary light.
Tip: Before a trip, lock the Baton 4 with a two-second press from off. The manual says a locked Baton 4 shows its battery level with one press instead of turning on, so you can check charge without wasting it.
The One-Light Scorecard: How the Three Tiers Compare
On eight pass-or-fail tests, the Perun 3 scores 6, the Baton 4 scores 5 and the i3T 2 EOS scores 3. But one test works as a gate: if the light must go with you every day, the Perun 3 fails it at 150 g. Among lights that pass the carry gate, the Baton 4 scores highest, which is why it is the best budget flashlight for a one-light owner.
This table applies the thresholds from the requirements section to each light's published ratings.
| Test (threshold) | i3T 2 EOS | Baton 4 | Perun 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Carry gate (60 g or less) | Pass, 41.8 g | Pass, 52.5 g | Fail, 150 g |
| 2. Lasting brightness (300 lm or more at 10 min) | Fail, 100 lm | Pass, 300 lm | Pass, 800 lm |
| 3. Reach (150 m or more) | Fail, 62 m | Pass, 170 m | Pass, 160 m |
| 4. Outage night (50 lm or more for 10 h or more) | Fail | Fail, 60 lm for 8 h | Pass, 120 lm for 25 h |
| 5. Hands-free (headband or magnet listed) | Fail | Fail | Pass |
| 6. Rechargeable in the light | Fail | Pass | Pass |
| 7. Batteries sold anywhere | Pass, AAA | Fail | Fail |
| 8. Immersion rating | Pass, IPX8 | Pass, IPX8 | Pass, IP68 |
| Score (of 8) | 3 | 5 | 6 |
Read the scorecard by the job, not by the total. If your one light lives in a pocket, the Baton 4 is the answer. If it lives by the back door or in a camping bin, the Perun 3 is. If it lives in a glove box for rare use, the i3T 2 EOS is the cheapest way to have a working light there, as long as you respect the heat limit.
Which Flashlight Do Navy SEALs Use?
No official public source names one. We could not find a U.S. Navy or Special Operations Command document that names a standard handheld flashlight for Navy SEALs, and the brand lists that circulate online come from retailers, forums and AI summaries, not from the Navy. What you can copy is the requirement behind any duty light: a rated drop and water test, a simple switch, and a runtime you understand.
Those requirements are exactly what the ANSI/PLATO FL1 standard lets you check. Streamlight's summary says that for impact resistance, "Dropped samples must not exhibit any cracks or breaks and must remain fully functional in order to pass the Impact Resistance test," and that water resistance covers temporary immersion, continuous immersion and splashing. Our ANSI FL1 guide walks through all six numbers.
All three budget lights here carry FL1-style ratings in their manuals: a 1.5 m impact rating, IPX8 or IP68, and step-by-step runtime tables. Treat "military grade" on a cheap light's box as a marketing phrase unless the maker states which test it passed and at what level. A budget light with honest FL1 numbers is a better buy than an unrated one with a military story.
Common Mistake: Buying the Cheapest Flashlight Just to Try It
Buying the cheapest flashlight "just to try" usually costs more, not less. If you start with a $19.99 AAA light and upgrade to a $54.99 rechargeable later, you spend $74.98, which is 36% more than buying the $54.99 light first. And a weak first light can teach you that flashlights are not worth carrying.
The trial also tests the wrong things. The i3T 2 EOS is an honest light with published FL1 numbers, but its High mode lasts about 35 minutes per AAA and its beam reaches 62 m. If you judge "flashlights" by that, you will not learn what a 170 m beam or an 8-hour Med mode feels like.
Unrated bargain lights are a bigger risk. Without a stated beam distance, runtime table and water rating, you cannot compare them with anything. Check for four numbers before you buy any budget flashlight: lumens, candela or beam distance, a runtime for a named mode, and an IPX rating.
There is a smart way to spend $20 first. Buy the i3T 2 EOS as the light that lives in the car or on a keychain, knowing it will stay useful after you buy a main light. Just follow Duracell's advice to take batteries out of a device "if you suspect it will not be used for several months," which the i3T 2 EOS manual repeats for long-term storage.
What Should You Buy as a Second Flashlight?
Buy a second flashlight that fills the gap your first one leaves, not a brighter copy of it. If your first light is a Baton 4, add a headlamp such as the Perun 3 for hands-free work and red light. If your first light is a Perun 3, add a Baton 4 for pocket carry. An i3T 2 EOS makes a cheap third light for the car.
This table maps each first light to the second light that adds the most, using this guide's eight-test scorecard above (our second flashlight guide uses a different set of eight scenarios, so its pair totals differ).
| First light | Best second light | Tests the pair passes (of 8) | Added cost | Gap it fills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton 4 | Perun 3 | 7 (all but batteries sold anywhere) | $89.99 | Hands-free, red light, outage nights |
| Perun 3 | Baton 4 | 7 (all but batteries sold anywhere) | $54.99 | Daily pocket carry |
| i3T 2 EOS | Baton 4 | 6 (fails outage night and hands-free) | $54.99 | Reach, lasting brightness, recharging |
The Baton 4 and Perun 3 pair costs $144.98 and passes 7 of 8 tests. Adding the $19.99 i3T 2 EOS brings the total to $164.97 and passes all 8. Our second flashlight guide works through the same logic for other first lights.
Note: If you can stretch $15 past the Baton 4 for your first light, the Olight Baton 4 Pro flashlight ($69.99, regular price, September 2026) adds a 3,500 mAh 18650 battery, 1,600 lumens, 200 m and a 120-lumen Med mode rated at 18 hours 30 minutes, at 114 g and 111 mm long. That weight fails the 60 g carry test here.
Your One-Light Buying Checklist
Use this checklist to pick the best budget flashlight for your situation in five minutes. Each step points to one of the three tiers, and every number comes from the tables above, so you can check it against the spec sheet before you pay.
- Decide where the light will live. Pocket: Baton 4 ($54.99). Back door or camping bin: Perun 3 ($89.99). Glove box or keychain: i3T 2 EOS ($19.99).
- Check the 10-minute output, not the peak. You want 300 lumens or more for walking and searching.
- Check the rated beam distance. Aim for 150 m or more if you have a yard, a rural road or trails.
- Count outage evenings: divide the steady-mode runtime by 5 hours. Plan a power bank for anything under 3.
- Keep the light out of a hot car interior, and remove AAA batteries for long storage.
- Learn the lockout, the low mode and the charging cable on day one, before you need them in the dark.
- When you are ready to add a second light, choose a different form, not a brighter copy.
FAQ
Changelog
- September 23, 2026: First published.
