A good flashlight is one of the most dependable tools a person can own. It rides in a glove box, hangs on a duty belt, clips to a helmet or waits in a kitchen drawer for the next power outage, and it has to work the moment it's needed. That's why soldiers, police officers, firefighters, divers and tradespeople often choose lights built to stricter standards than store-shelf flashlights.
Flashlights are still made here, and some of the best-known ones in the world come from American factories. Maglite machines and assembles its aluminum flashlights in Ontario, California, and SureFire machines its tactical lights from US-sourced aluminum in Santa Ana. Fulton Industries in Ohio is the only US military contractor for the classic MX-991/U angle-head light. Tektite molds, machines and assembles waterproof lights in New Jersey, and First-Light USA builds hands-free tactical lights in Illinois. Most LEDs are made overseas, so some lights use imported LEDs, and each listing says what is made here and what is bought in.
See also lighting, household batteries, lithium batteries and night vision, or browse all electronics.
First-Light USA makes hands-free tactical lights for the military, law enforcement, first responders and tactical professionals. Its lights include the T-MAX, its most rugged, with white light, strobe and color options including infrared; the TORQ, its most widely fielded, in glass-filled nylon with National Stock Numbers; and the original Tomahawk military light. Select models have a "blood light" red-and-green LED mix that highlights blood while muting other colors. Its patented TRS mounting system lets a light be worn on a belt or chest or attached to metal surfaces, and lights carry a five-year warranty.
First-Light USA has developed and made tactical lights in Tolono, Illinois, south of Champaign, for more than 20 years, with the motto "From the farm to the fight." Its lights have been supplied to the US military and to agencies including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security, and the company calls them "Proudly built in the USA."
Made in: Tolono, IL (lights developed and built).
Source: First-Light USA, 2026 · First-Light USA about, 2026, checked 10/2026
Tolono, IL
Fulton Industries makes industrial, government and MIL-spec flashlights. These include the classic MX-991/U angle-head military flashlight, right-angle and safety-approved lights for hazardous areas, heavy-duty and continuity-tester flashlights, waterproof personal flotation device lights, and portable bow and stern lights for boats. Many models carry National Stock Numbers for government buyers and are offered with LED or incandescent bulbs. Fulton is the only current US military contractor for the MX-991/U, and every GI-issue light is marked "Fulton."
Fulton was organized in 1939 and is one of the largest flashlight makers in the US, supplying lights from World War II to the space program. Its flashlight expertise led to a second business in deep-drawn and custom metal stampings, subassemblies and welded assemblies for automotive and other manufacturers. Both operations are in Wauseon, in northwest Ohio.
Made in: Wauseon, OH (flashlight manufacturing, metal stamping, assembly and welding).
Source: Fulton Industries, 2026 · Fulton about, 2026 · Wikipedia MX-991/U, 2026, checked 10/2026
Wauseon, OH
Maglite (Mag Instrument) makes aluminum flashlights for homes, law enforcement, first responders and the trades. Its current LED range includes the ML300L D-cell and ML150LR rechargeable lights, the Mini Maglite Pro, the Mag-Tac CR123 tactical light, the Solitaire keychain light and the Spectrum color series, alongside classic incandescent models, rechargeable systems and accessories. Its full-size lights are known for their machined, anodized aluminum bodies, and Maglite backs its flashlights with a ten-year limited warranty.
Founder Anthony Maglica started Mag Instrument in 1955 in a one-man machine shop in a Los Angeles garage, and its flashlights have been built by American workers since 1979. Maglite's only factory, in Ontario, California, employs more than 800 people. Its engineers, automation specialists and machinists all work there, machining the body parts and most other parts and assembling, packaging and shipping every flashlight. Maglite says some parts, components and accessories come from overseas suppliers.
Made in: Ontario, CA (bodies and most other parts machined; flashlights assembled, packaged and shipped).
Imported: some parts, components and accessories from overseas suppliers.
Source: Maglite USA manufacturer, 2026 · NewsNation, 2026, checked 10/2026
Ontario, CA
SureFire makes tactical flashlights, hands-free lights and WeaponLights for military, law enforcement and civilian users, along with sound suppressors, rifle magazines, hearing-protection earplugs, 123A lithium batteries and pens. Its lights are used by military special operations and police forces and are known for their machined aluminum bodies and durability under hard use.
SureFire says it has been committed to US manufacturing since its founding, and its American engineers design its products in California. It machines US-sourced aluminum stock into light bodies and parts at its own Santa Ana turning center, then assembles, tests and ships products from its Fountain Valley facilities, employing hundreds of Americans. Its suppressors, magazines and pens are 100% made in the USA, and its earplugs and 123A batteries are also marked "Made in the U.S.A." Its flashlights and WeaponLights are designed, machined, tested and assembled in the US, but use a few imported parts, mainly LEDs, so they aren't marked Made in USA. Every SureFire product meets the Buy American Act.
Made in: Santa Ana, CA (light bodies and parts machined from US-sourced aluminum); Fountain Valley, CA (assembly, testing and shipping).
Imported: LEDs and a few other components in its flashlights and WeaponLights.
Source: SureFire Built in the USA, 2026, checked 10/2026
Fountain Valley, CA
Tektite Industries makes rugged LED lights for outdoor, marine, security and defense use. Its range includes waterproof flashlights, dive lights, strobes, marker and signal lights, and knives sold under the Tektite and Tekna brands. Its lights are used by the military, public safety agencies, divers and industry, and Tektite also makes private-label products and licenses its patented lighting technology to other well-known lighting brands.
Tektite was founded in 1990 and began by making dive lights for the Tekna/Ocean Edge scuba company. Between 2004 and 2006 it bought the Tekna brand and its production tooling and moved Tekna knife and flashlight production back to the US from Asia and Europe. It builds its own molds, molds its own plastic parts, assembles its own electronics, and machines and stamps its own metal parts at its New Jersey factory or with local suppliers. It uses US-made batteries whenever possible, buys US-made machine tools, and has been named a New Jersey Sustainable Business three years running.
Made in: Trenton, NJ (molds, plastic molding, electronics assembly, and metal machining and stamping).
Source: Tektite about, 2026, checked 10/2026
Trenton, NJ
Flashlight makers by state
- California: Maglite (Ontario), aluminum LED and incandescent flashlights
- California: SureFire (Fountain Valley and Santa Ana), tactical flashlights, hands-free lights and WeaponLights
- Illinois: First-Light USA (Tolono), hands-free tactical lights for military and police
- New Jersey: Tektite Industries (Trenton), waterproof flashlights, dive lights, strobes and signal lights
- Ohio: Fulton Industries (Wauseon), MX-991/U angle-head, industrial and safety-approved flashlights
Types of flashlights
Full-size flashlights run on C or D cells and give long runtime and a solid body, good for homes, vehicles and work sites.
Compact and everyday-carry lights run on AA, AAA or CR123A cells, small enough for a pocket or keychain.
Tactical lights are bright, rugged lights with instant-on tail switches and strobe modes for law enforcement and self-defense. WeaponLights mount on firearms.
Hands-free lights clip to a belt, vest, helmet or magnetic surface, often with red, green, blue or infrared modes that protect night vision or highlight blood trails.
Angle-head lights have a beam set at a right angle so the light can clip to a shirt or pack. They're a military standard since World War II.
Safety-approved lights are certified for hazardous locations with flammable vapors, gases or dust, used in plants, refineries and mines.
Dive and marine lights are waterproof to depth, and include strobes and signal lights for divers, boaters and rescue use.
Choosing a flashlight
- Look at more than lumens. Beam distance (meters), candela and runtime matter as much as peak brightness.
- Pick the battery type. Alkaline AA and D cells are easy to find. CR123A lithium cells store for years and work in the cold. Rechargeable models save money with heavy use.
- Check durability ratings. Look at impact resistance, water ratings (IPX7, IPX8 or depth ratings for dive lights) and body material, such as machined aluminum or glass-filled nylon.
- Match the controls to the job. Choose a tail switch for tactical use, a focusable beam for search work, or color modes for night operations.
- Check the warranty. Several American makers back their lights for ten years or more and repair them in-house.
Reading "Made in USA" on flashlights
Under FTC rules, an unqualified "Made in USA" claim means all or virtually all of the product is made here. An all-metal or plastic light with a US-made body and switch can meet that standard. But most high-performance LEDs are made overseas, and one imported key part can rule out an unqualified claim, even when the body is machined and the light is assembled in the US. Makers that are careful about this say "Built in the USA" or "Assembled in the USA with imported LEDs" instead. Government buyers may also look for Buy American Act compliance, which uses a different test.
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A company may be based in the USA while making some products elsewhere. Check the manufacturer's own site for where a specific product is made.