Like room fans or vegetable peelers, flashlights are utilitarian things that are so common, you don’t realize you’ve been using a bad one until you discover a great one.Before working at Wirecutter, I had used only two types of flashlights: the one on my phone, and thick rods hefty enough to double as a weapon. But my phone’s light is awkward to hold and mostly useful for squinting at a menu in a dim restaurant. I love the look of a D-battery-stuffed baton, but more than once I found myself acting like a doomed camp counselor in a scary movie, banging on the handle as the light flickered out.I used to edit Wirecutter’s emergency-preparedness guides, and that’s when I got my hands on the ThruNite Archer 2A V3, one of our flashlight picks since 2017. It was recently bumped down to runner-up status, but the new top pick is a near-identical model and I haven’t had a need to upgrade just yet.After more than five years of guiding me to the woodshed for late-night firewood, locating Lego bricks that had skittered into the murky depths beneath my couch, and delivering me safely from room to room during many a blackout, the Archer 2A V3 has earned a spot in both my go bag and my everyday tote.Runner-upMy favorite flashlightThruNite Archer 2A V3This flashlight has a wide range of brightness settings, an easy-to-use and versatile two-button interface, and an overall satisfying design.$28 $20 from AmazonYou save $8 (29%)Top pickA bit brighter and rechargeableThruNite Archer 2A CThe Archer 2A C has all the same features as the 2A V3, but it shines brighter on high settings and can run on either two AA batteries or an included rechargeable.$40 from Amazon