LED vs. Incandescent Lamps
There are two types of commonly used lamps in flashlights and headlights, the more familiar incandescent and the more recent LED. Both have their place depending on your budget and the anticipated use.

Incandescent
Incandescent lamps produce light by sending an electric current through a tungsten filament, which then gets hot and glows. Many of these bulbs are filled with a gas such as Zenon. The Zenon gas reduces the rate at which tungsten atoms boil-off the hot filament, thus increasing lamp life and brightness. Others may be Halogen lamps. These bulbs are filled with Halogen gasses that combine with the errant tungsten atoms, form a vapor, and are deposited back on the filament.

The main advantage of an incandescent lamp is the lower cost per lumen relative to an LED lamp. Generally speaking, a manufacturer’s brightest lights are usually some type of incandescent. Many of the lights used by military and law enforcement professionals are Zenon incandescent lights. These are considered tactical lights that are used to temporarily impair a subject’s vision with a very bright light as well as provide general illumination in dark places.

LED lamps
LED lamps have come a long way in recent years and now are becoming the lamp of choice for many applications. LED is an acronym for light emitting diode. These are derivatives of those little colored indicator lights that appear on so many of our electronic devices. LEDs emit light when electrical voltages travel to the anode-cathode junction of the diode and release energy in the form of photons. Recent technological advances have made LEDs more practical by lowering the cost and by creating a whiter light that is more pleasing than the bluish light of early models.

Because LEDs are solid state devices they are far more durable than incandescent lamps. An LED lamp will probably last as long as you have the light and are always rated in thousands of hours. Incandescent lamps will need replacing much more often depending on the specific design of the lamp and its intended use. Also, LEDs are far less susceptible to shock and mechanical breakdown. Higher quality LED lights have built-in power regulation that provides the best combination of brightness and battery life.

How to choose?
For most outdoor activities an LED light is the best choice because of the durable solid state design and long lamp life. Fishermen, hunters, campers, climbers, hikers and others will appreciate the reliability of an LED lamp.

Incandescent lamps are well suited for uses that call for the brightest possible light, for instance, personal protection, navigation, signaling and inspections. This type of light would be a good choice for the home, car or boat, for frequent travelers and for security professionals.

Constant Off?
An important consideration when choosing a flashlight is the power switch. A switch that can be locked in the off position as well as the on position will help guarantee that your light is ready to use when you need it. Very often flashlights will accidentally turn on when jostling around in a backpack. Another important feature can be a momentary or intermittent mode. This feature is most useful when signaling. A series of three flashes is recognized as a universal distress signal. Signaling of this type can be visible over long distances.