Whether it’s for your next camping trip, an everyday carry to keep around the house, or for your job, having a great flashlight is important. We searched for all the flashlights made in the USA so you can have something you can count on. Check out our complete list, including extensive details about each one, and some helpful shopping tips and other brands to watch out for at the bottom.
Complete List of Flashlight Brands Made in the USA
Maglite is a classic in the flashlight industry, and all of its flashlights are made in the USA by federal standards. However, Maglite manufactures its flashlights in California, which has stricter regulations on made in the USA claims. Since they switched from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs, there is a small microchip that they cannot get sourced in the U.S. (which is the same case for all of the other brands we found in this research). All other components are sourced domestically, though, and they assemble everything at their factory in California.
SureFire falls into the same bucket as Maglite – they have some globally sourced components, but that is par for the course in this product category. Here are a couple of good options.
The SureFire Titan Plus packs a lot of power for such a small flashlight. At full power, it reaches 300 lumens (it also has settings for 75 and 15 lumens). At 15 lumens, it can last up to 7 hours. The full power setting drains the battery much quicker, lasting a little over an hour.
If you’re looking for a super bright flashlight, then SureFire has created the P3X Fury for such needs. The max output on this LED flashlight is 1,000 lumens, powered by SureFire’s IntelliBeam technology. Your first click of the button (on the tail of the flashlight) gives you an auto-adjusting mode (hence where the word “IntelliBeam” came from), and subsequent clicks will get you to the 1,000 lumens max output mode, then lower modes from there.
Princeton Tec got started in 1975 making underwater stopwatches. They quickly expanded to underwater flashlights, and now have a wide range of lighting products for divers and land dwellers alike. Check out their headlamps too.
Prometheus Lights manufacturers high-performance flashlights in a variety of sizes – everything from regular handheld flashlights to keychain flashlights. They are super transparent with their manufacturing footprint, too, which we love. Most of their flashlights are made in-house, but they also outsource some manufacturing to other US companies.
Phantom Products is based in Florida and makes military and emergency flashlights. They also make some vehicle and equipment lighting if you need a mounted option.
First-Light USA makes high-performance tactical flashlights. Over 90% of their materials are sourced domestically and they assemble everything in their Seymour factory.
HDS Systems is a lesser-known brand that makes flashlights that are particularly useful for caving. However, they can still be used for a nice everyday carry.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Flashlights
How To Find Flashlights Made in the USA
Flashlight technology has come a long way in the last few years, and there’s now an abundance of great options available. Flashlights have gotten smaller in size while emitting a more powerful light. But if you’re in the market for an American-made flashlight, you may wonder how to find one if you’re doing your own research. Lucky for you, we’ve got the scoop! Here’s a guide on how to find quality American made flashlights.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
Before we dive into how to find flashlights made in the USA, let’s define what it means for a product to be made in the USA. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a product is made in the USA if “all or virtually all” of its components are sourced and assembled in the United States.
For more information on what “made in the USA” means, you can read about it in our handy labeling guide.
Materials
When shopping for a flashlight made in the USA, it’s important to research and look for certain key ingredients that can be sourced in the USA.
The casing can be made from various materials like steel, plastic, brass, or aluminum. All of these materials can be sourced from US suppliers, but it’s definitely worth double-checking the country of origin. The USA stands at number four in steel production worldwide, so finding a steel-cased flashlight made in the USA should be reasonably easy.
Similarly, the US has a sizeable plastic industry, producing 20% of the world’s plastic, behind just China and Europe. Brass is another material that is widely produced in the USA as well. Though most of the world’s brass comes from Chile and China, the USA comes in fifth.
On the other hand, aluminum is largely produced in China, and the US falls quite far behind in aluminum production. However, this does not mean finding aluminum made in the USA is impossible. It’ll just be harder on average to source aluminum made in the USA than steel, brass, or plastic.
Some flashlights also have a glass component around the bulb or lens. As with most other materials, China is the world’s largest glass producer, but the USA comes in close at third. So, finding US-made glass should not be too difficult.
Labeling
After you select a flashlight and have ensured that the materials are produced in the USA, double-check the labeling. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), any product labeled as “made in the USA” must meet certain criteria, including that all or virtually all components are sourced and assembled in America. So, if a flashlight is advertised as “Made in the USA,” you should be able to find evidence that it meets FTC standards on the label or packaging.
Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the United States Code is also a huge help in weeding out non-US-made products. This law states that all products made abroad must be labeled as such. So, in theory, when finding US-made flashlights, all you need to do is look for the “made in the USA” label and skip over any that say “made in China” or any other country.
However, it is not as simple as it seems. There is no pre-approval process for the “made in the USA” label, so the companies determine whether their products meet the criteria to be labeled “made in the USA.” And ultimately, it’s up to consumers to report any false usage of the label.
Furthermore, some companies use tricky wording and labels to confuse consumers into thinking their products are American-made. For example, labels like “assembled in the USA” or “manufactured in the USA” are often used. But these labels do not equal “made in the USA.” Or another popular label is “made in America,” but America can refer to both Canada and Mexico as well.
Other misleading practices include images of the flag on the product packaging. This could suggest that it’s made in the USA. However, it is not always true, as the use of the flag on the labeling is not regulated.
Other Tips
In addition to looking at the materials and labels, there are a few other tips to ensure you get a flashlight made in the USA.
Check The Company’s Website
Check the company’s About Us page or the product page. If the product is truly made in the USA, this should be loudly advertised, as it’s a huge selling point.
On the other hand, companies are not required to state the country of origin on any online or promotional materials. So, if the flashlight is made abroad, you may not see the country of origin stated anywhere on the website.
Check Social Media
Another great place to check is the social media handles of the company. They may have posted photos or information about their manufacturing processes. Or they may have mentioned that their products are proudly made in the USA.
Call the Manufacturer
Finally, if you still have questions about the country of origin of a flashlight, don’t hesitate to contact the manufacturer and ask directly. Most companies are more than happy to answer your questions. The customer service team should be able to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision when buying a flashlight made in the USA.
Flashlights Not Made in the USA
Here are a few popular flashlight brands that we came across in our research that are not made in the USA. We’ll keep updating this list as we find more.
- Fenix Flashlights – Based in Shenzhen, China, and made there.
- Elite Tac Flashlights – They have an American flag in their logo, but they are made in China.
