Years ago, buying a spotlight wasn’t as complicated as it is today simply because there was not as much choice on the market. Today, however, many people seem to have a hard time finding the spotlight that best fits their needs because they overthink every single feature it can have. But you don’t have to – here’s a short guide on what to look for when shopping for a hand spotlight.

Bezels

I know this may sound strange to you but the type of material a bezel is made from can play a major role in a spotlight’s durability and quality of light. It’s best you avoid bezels made out of glass or plastic, as the former breaks easily and the latter changes colour over time. It’s best to go for a hand spotlight that has bezels made out of Lexan or Pyrex.

Batteries

Depending on your use and the type of spotlight, you can choose between a primary and a secondary battery. Both of them can be rechargeable and non-rechargeable, but my advice is to get a rechargeable one as it will last you longer. As a matter of fact, you can end up having good battery life from both of them if you don’t use them that much.

hand spotlight

Lumens

Lumens can make or break a hand spotlight. Basically, the more lumens a spotlight has – the better lighting it will provide but it will also have a higher wattage. 12V spotlights are the standard ones. If a spotlight has a very high wattage that means that the lumen count is very high.

Reflectors

Years ago it wasn’t possible, but with today’s variety of complex materials, manufacturers are able to change the output of light. With some spotlights, you can illuminate a very wide area and with others, you’ll be able to focus the beam on longer distances. All this is possible by enhancing or changing the surface behind the bulb.

hand spotlight

Beam

When talking about types of illumination, you will have to consider the distance of the beam a spotlight has. You already know that this is possible by changing the surface behind the bulb, but what you may not know is that this doesn’t always make for interchangeable levels of illumination. Some are fixed to either a long distance beam or a wide one but there are some that allow you to change between the two.

Filters

Filters are really important if you are going to be using a hand spotlight in dark areas a lot. In the absence of filters, you and your workers can mess up your night vision. You might experience what is called “lag time”. In order to avoid that, using a red blue or green infrared filter is vital as it can help you reduce that strain on your eyes.