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Until now, there have been no standards-based methods to evaluate flashlights. Customers couldn’t tell how a flashlight would perform until they bought it and tried it for themselves, which sometimes resulted in a costly mistake. In addition, there was no way to police false product claims made by manufacturers.

New flashlight bulb technologies haven’t helped to eliminate the confusion. LED flashlights and xenon flashlights have become popular selections. Other bulb technologies include krypton, halogen, HID (high intensity discharge) and fluorescent.

A number of manufacturers formed a coalition of industry leaders to create standardized tests and a uniform rating system for flashlight equipment. The result of their efforts is called the ANSI (American National Standards Institute)/NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) FL1 Standards.

Developed with the guidance of NEMA and representatives from 14 different flashlight companies, the new standards help customers rate and compare the most important features of personal lighting tools. They are a culmination of more than two years of research, discussion and testing among the participating manufacturers who set competitive differences aside to arrive at the standards consensus.

The standards help customers rate and compare the most important features of personal lighting tools, including: peak beam intensity, beam distance, impact resistance, run time, light output and water resistance. Included in the standard is a series of icons which the 14 participating manufacturers will display on their websites, packaging and in catalogs, along with a rating that indicates how each light will perform.

While compliance with the standards is voluntary, the coalition hopes that all flashlight manufacturers will adopt them. Each participating manufacturer conducts its own tests, adhering to very specific guidelines. Symbols can only be displayed on product packaging if the light has been tested to a specific standard, and companies may not “pick and choose” which symbols they display. If, for example, a company claims compliance with a standard for Peak Beam Intensity for a flashlight, any other marketing claims on packaging must be made in accordance with the relevant standard(s).

For more information on the FL-1 standard, visit www.nema.org/stds/fl1.cfm. Following are the six features that are covered by the standards, along with the icon that represents that feature. (While consumers may see variations of these icons, these are the only authorized symbols):

Understanding Bulb Differences

Flashlights come with several kinds of illumination, with the biggest differences being the amount of brightness, longevity and cost. Here is a review of bulb choices:

• Incandescent These filament-based bulbs use gas-filled Xenon and Halogen lamps for high performance. Incandescent bulbs provide high output for their size and a white, natural appearing light. Easily focused, they require periodic replacement and can fail on extreme impact. Halogen lamps “blacken” less as they age and may have longer life than Xenon bulbs. While they cast a bright, long distance beam, in many cases, these bulbs are now being equaled or surpassed by advances in LED technology. Incandescent bulbs are generally less expensive than LEDs.
• LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) Made from solid-state construction, durable LEDs can offer up to 100,000 hours of life and are highly energy efficient. They do not require periodic replacement. While once considered the best choice for close-up work because of their soft focus, new power “C4”LED versions are capable of projecting a powerful long-range beam. Although slightly more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they can deliver extremely long runtimes at low illumination levels.
• Super High Flux LEDS Providing the reliability of an LED with the performance of an incandescent, Super High Flux LEDs are also extremely durable. They typically last 10,000 to 50,000 hours.
• Power LEDs New power LED technology (referred to as C4® LEDs by Streamlight) uses a new type of diode chip, which, when combined with advanced Streamlight engineering, generates up to three times more light intensity than Super High Flux LEDs. Users get both the long run times and the indestructibility of an LED with new levels of brightness and a long distance range, equaling and even surpassing incandescent lights. Now being incorporated into a wide variety of hand-held lights, lanterns and right angle lights, power LEDs are becoming increasingly popular, as brightness levels continue to increase.
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) These rugged, high pressure arc lamps generate more lumens per watt than LEDs or incandescent lamps. HID lamps can produce thousands of lumens, offering a long- range, high intensity beam characterized by incredible brightness. HID lamps are particularly useful for large-scale scene lighting. Information courtesy of Streamlight, Inc.