Types of Flashlights to Make Your Brand Shine Bright

An emergency flashlight for a power outage, a keychain flashlight for a parking garage or a menu over candlelit dinner; a light bar for a shop project—there are so many occasions where the right type of flashlight simply saves the day. And when your logo’s on the handle of any of these light sources, your small business gets the credit for coming to the rescue!  

Provide a promotional gift that’s useful to your audience and chances are good it will keep your name in circulation. But which flashlight type is right? Below we break down all the variables, including different bulb and battery options, so you can find the perfect match—er light—for your small business brand. 

What Flashlight Types Are Best for Different Tasks?

The best promotional flashlight is useful to your customers and affordable to you, and has a battery life that extends its usefulness (as well as your brand exposure). Match the task and target audience with the types of flashlights below: 

Light Bar Flashlight

Unlike a typical flashlight that shines light in a beam or a circle, a light bar spreads the illumination to cover a larger area. This makes them useful for lighting up a room, workshop, closet, or car engine. Choose one that includes a pocket clip so it’s at the ready when bright light is needed. These are great for auto shops, home and appliance repair, hardware stores, and home centers. We like this one: 

6 SMD Utility Light Bar: Impress your customers with a light bar that will shines brighter than the rest! SMD LED bulbs tend to be brighter and offer a wider spectrum of light compared to traditional LED bulbs.   

Flashlight Pen

Multi-use means more brand exposure and a well-designed flashlight pen provides writing, lighting, and even swiping all in one giveaway. Flashlight pens make a welcome business gift at trade shows and special events. We like this one:  

Cabaret Flashlight Pen with Stylus Tip: This flashlight pen manages to look sophisticated and still offer light and a stylus tip along with a ballpoint pen. Great for special events and fundraisers.  

Solar Powered Flashlight

No battery, no worries when you’ve got a planet-friendly, solar powered flashlight in hand. Solar powered flashlights tend to use LED bulbs because they require less energy to emit light. A solar powered flashlight will usually include a hand crank that generates power after the flashlight has been in the sun. They are great for emergency use and make a good gift with purchase for emergency preparedness kits and seminars. 

Flashlight Keychain

For those who need light close at hand, such as healthcare patients, senior centers, and employees coming to and from parking garages, a flashlight keychain is a practical solution that keeps your name in pockets and on nightstands. Most keychain flashlights include two or three LED bulbs and use button cell batteries. Provide bright light in a lightweight style with these popular flashlight keychain options: 

Engraved 3 LED Flashlight Keychain: With bright blulbs, vivid barrel colors, and your logo laser engraved, this flashlight keychain boasts staying power inside and out. 

Mineral Soft Touch 3 LED Flashlight Keychain with Rose Gold Trim: More elegant than your average flashlight, your customers will add this to their keys as a fashion accessory!  

Multi-Purpose Flashlights

Not sure what they need? Multi-purpose flashlights are a safe bet for customers, college students, and new employees. For maximum brand visibility, pick a flashlight that shines light and then some! Check these out: 

Magnifier and LED Light Keychain: Looking at a restaurant menu? How about directions in fine print on a bottle? This keychain light includes a magnifier to get it all read! Great for senior centers and pharmacies.   

Basecamp® Explorer 2200 mAH Powerbank Flashlight: With a li-ion battery, this flashlight delivers serious light and comes with a powerbank to keep your accessories charged up on the road, trail, or anywhere you need light and a charge at the ready. 

What Type of Bulb Is Best for My Promotional Flashlight?

Most flashlights will use an LED or SMD bulb. Let’s look at the characteristics of the most common options:

• LED Light Bulb: Less affordable than the incandescent bulb but very popular due to its extreme energy efficiency. The LED, or light emitting diode bulb can last 50,000 hours while the incandescent might last 2,000. As mentioned above, the LED bulb emits light evenly whereas the incandescent bulb emits a beam of light. Rather than burning out like an incandescent bulb, an LED bulb will simply get dimmer over time.

• SMD Light Bulb: SMD, or surface mounted diode bulbs are a kind of LED bulb that is brighter, lasts longer, and delivers a broader spectrum of light. SMD bulbs are great for bright illumination in a broad area.
• Incandescent Light Bulb: Light from an incandescent bulb is emitted by heat. This traditional lightbulb tends to be more fragile, less environmentally friendly, and more dangerous due to heat generation. The incandescent bulb projects a beam of light whereas the LED bulb emits a more diffuse light.

What Types of Batteries for Flashlights Are Best?

The best flashlight battery depends on the type of flashlight and the intended use. Some batteries are strong but heavy, so not ideal for a flashlight keychain. Others are powerful enough for a multi-use flashlight and power bank tool. Below we break down the most common options: 

• 1.5V Battery: This is the most common battery type and the one most of us have handy. 1.5V batteries range in size from small to large and include AAA, AA, C, and D. These are usually not rechargeable.

• 3V, or Button Cell Battery: The button cell battery is popular for use in flashlights with the CR123A button cell being the most common. Button cell batteries have a higher voltage than a AA battery, so some flashlights using CR123A button cell batteries will put out more light than a flashlight using a AA battery.
• Li-Ion Battery: Lithium-ion, or li-ion for short is a powerful battery that is also rechargeable. It’s great for flashlights that come with a powerbank or other form of wireless communications or mobile computing. A li-ion battery is among the lightest available while providing the largest energy density for its weight.

Let There Be Light, and Branding, All Year Long

Choose the type of flashlight that suits your style and budget, and distribute with confidence, knowing everyone feels just a little more secure with extra light on hand. See all our custom flashlight promotional products and pick the one that matches your budget, occasion, and target audience.