I have several Maglites, and they are good quality. Sometimes I use them around the house.
But I ultimately realized that I wanted the following from an EDC light:
- Pocket sized
- Beam balanced between spot & flood, but fixed is fine, doesn’t need to be adjustable
- A turbo/maximum brightness mode of at least 1500 lumens (more is better). It’s OK if it can only operate at this level for a relatively short period of time continuously due to thermal constraints. I just need to be able to light up a dark alley, clearly illuminate the equipment at the top of a 40’ power pole, be able to find that next trail blaze at night, etc.
- A moonlight/eco/ultralow mode of 1 lumen or less, with a runtime of at least 500 hours (more is better). I find this a good level for up close activities such as reading, middle-of-the-night bathroom trips, etc. It can be left on all night as a nightlight over the course of a several-week trip. It is enough light to navigate by if your eyes are well adjusted to the dark.
- A couple of brightness modes in between the previously mentioned two, for general use, typical nighttime navigation, etc.
- Impact resistant and functionally waterproof
- One flashing mode is useful (I like it when walking through a dark parking lot or near a road at night), but it isn’t a hard requirement. Multiple flashing modes, like SOS, beacon, and strobe options on the same light seems like kind of a waste, especially when weighed against the potential for additional brightness levels instead of more flashing modes.
- Pocket clip and lanyard hole
- External USB-C charging port
These requirements have led modern 21700-powered lights to be my go-to options, At least until something better comes along.