Last year, we did a post on the LED Flashlights blog about Fenix flashlights with the longest run times. That’s pretty much all the post consisted of—Fenix flashlights with the best run times from that brand. I realized since then, though, that there is quite a bit to know about run time. Here is some more detailed information that should help you better understand what run time is and how you can get the longest runtime flashlights can offer.
How is Run Time Measured?
Run time is pretty easy to understand; it’s the amount of time a flashlight can run on one set of batteries. You’ll typically be able to compare run times most accurately by finding flashlights with this symbol on the package: The FL1 Standard measures run time based on set, specific criteria for each flashlight. If you get a flashlight that has a run time but it’s not based on the FL1 standard, it’s a bit harder to compare run times because you don’t know exactly how the run time is being measured. The way run time is measured might also seem self-explanatory, but the method is actually news to me. You’d think that a flashlight’s run time would be measured from the moment it turns on from the moment the batteries die, right? Wrong! Run time isn’t measured until the flashlight has been on for 30 seconds, and the time stops when the light has reached 10 percent of its initial output. This is good to know, because it is likely that your flashlight will have a slightly longer run time than the time advertised on the package. Obviously run time is measured with brand new batteries in the flashlight, so don’t put batteries that have already been used in your flashlight and expect to get the maximum runtime out of it.
Getting the Longest Runtime Flashlights Offer
There are surprisingly quite a few factors that can affect the run time of your flashlight. If your flashlight just has one mode, then the run time is going to be very straight forward. If the flashlight has multiple modes, however, then that might change things. The lowest setting will obviously yield the greatest run time, but if you’re on the highest setting or you’re changing settings frequently, that will negatively affect the overall run time of your flashlight. The weather can, surprisingly, also affect the run time of your LED. Very hot, cold, or humid weather can affect the run time of your LED flashlight. I’m not sure how great of an impact the weather has on run time, but it’s good to be aware of, nonetheless. The size and number of batteries in a flashlight can also contribute positively or negatively to run time. From the research I’ve done, two batteries are better than one, as far as run time is concerned, and larger batteries typically also provide a longer run time than smaller batteries.
What Run Time is Right for Me?
Run time may or may not be that important to you, depending on what you’re using your flashlight for. If your LED flashlight is strictly for keeping around the house when you have to find something in the depths of your garage or check on the pipes under your sink, then good run time is a good thing, but not absolutely necessary since that flashlight probably won’t get lots of consistent use. If you’re going on a backpacking or camping trip though, you probably want a flashlight with a long run time. You definitely don’t want to run out of battery power when you’re in the middle of nowhere. Your emergency or 72 hour kit is another great place to put a flashlight with a long run time because in a natural disaster or serious emergency, you have no idea when you’ll be able to get a hold of extra batteries again. Does that answer all of your questions about run time? If not, tell us what you’re curious about in the comments section below, and we’ll get right back to you! We hope you can now achieve the longest runtime flashlights can offer now! Don’t forget to get all your LED flashlights from Blade HQ!