LED Flashlights – The 21st Century Flashlight.

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LED flashlights are all the rage these days and the tiny little lights are showing up everywhere. But are LED flashlights just a new toy or really a great new technology? Now you can purchase flashlights that use LEDs instead of the standard old incandescent bulbs. These are the same LED lights that have been around for 40 years in your favorite electronic gadget. In the past they only produced light in a few colors. The most popular were red and green variations and they were not much use as a real light source. White LED lights were not available. The real breakthrough came in the early 90s. A guy named Shuji Nakamura created the world’s first white LED light. To be completely accurate, the LED light that was created is not really white at all. It is a blue LED that has a micro thin layer of that fluoresces when the blue light passes through. This process actually creates the white light effect. Because of this breakthrough, LED lights can now be used in everyday things like flashlights. But why is this important and what was wrong with the old incandescent bulbs we have used for eons? Well, LED lights have several advantages to their incandescent cousins that make them particularly good for a flashlight.

            One of the main advantages is battery life. LED lights are more efficient and will extend battery life in a LED flashlight. LED flashlights will last way beyond anything you would expect from a standard flashlight. Battery life varies depending on type of batteries used, how many LED lights, etc….            

            Shock resistance is another advantage LEDs have over conventional light bulbs. This becomes obvious for flashlights. How many times have you dropped a flashlight on concrete and the shock has broken the fragile filament in the light bulb? LED lights are far more durable and can withstand a fairly tough shock and continue to work. (Sometimes the LED light can be dislodged by the shock and has to be pushed back into the socket to work correctly.)

            The light produced by white LEDs is not as a bright as halogen or xenon beam but they are better than a cheap single bulb incandescent flashlight. One great feature is your eyes adjust easily to a white LED beam over the harsh light of an incandescent bulb. Also, as battery power begins to run out the LED light just becomes dimmer at a slower rate and an LED flashlight stays usable. LED lights do not suddenly burn out like an incandescent, they just dim out. This gives you plenty of warning when its time to change them. A standard flashlight bulb can just burn out and literally leave you in the dark.

            LED flashlights offer lots of features that make them far superior to your old standard flashlight and will quickly become your favorite “new toy”