LED Flashlights – Why You Should Get One

Light emitting diodes, or commonly known as LEDs, have been around in all sorts of devices. You have seen them around in traffic lights, watches, remote controls, television sets, etc. Only recently though, have dropping semiconductor prices allowed LEDs to gain popularity in everyday consumer lighting appliances, i.e. our common flashlight.

Unlike ordinary incandescent bulbs, LEDs are illuminated by the movement of electrons, and do not have a filament that will burn out. As a result, they do not heat up easily, but still last just as long, or even longer, than a standard bulb.

This difference contributes to the main advantage of LEDs: efficiency. The traditional process producing light of conventional incandescent bulbs involves heating up the filament until light is given out. This process is highly inefficient, as it generates a lot of unnecessary heat. This heat does not produce any light, and the energy needed to produce that heat also drains your batteries.

LEDs, on the other hand, generate relatively little heat. More of the power from your batteries goes to producing actual light, which means you get to use smaller batteries, or enjoy longer battery life.

The more compact LED is another advantage in that it allows for flashlights with smaller form factors. And unlike traditional flashlights, LED flashlights also do not force your eyes to re-adjust to the darkness every time you use them.

More advanced LED flashlights have also incorporated microchip controllers and multiple LEDs to increase the brightness of the light. Manufacturers like SureFire and Tektite have specialized LED flashlights that have extremely durable and powerful, and supply models to various military organizations worldwide.

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