Maglite vs Streamlight

The short answer

That is an unusually balanced answer for this site, and it is deliberate. Nearly every brand comparison here is settled by a gap — one company publishes a runtime and the other does not, one states a water rating and the other stays quiet. These two both document properly, so the decision moves to figures that genuinely conflict.

The usual test does not separate these two

The test this site applies first is whether a manufacturer prints a duration beside an output. A headline lumen figure with no runtime next to it is half a specification, and most of the category fails on exactly that. Neither of these brands does.

Streamlight publishes a runtime for every mode of every model: 2,000 lumens for 2 hours, 850 for 4 and 100 for 24 on the Stinger 2020; 500 lumens for 2 hours 45 minutes on CR123A primaries or 3 hours 15 minutes on its rechargeable pack for the ProTac 2L-X, which is the only light here documented for two different battery chemistries. Maglite publishes a runtime for each of its levels too: 1 hour high and 18 hours low on the MAG-TAC Rechargeable, 2 hours 30 minutes and 13 hours on the Mini Pro LED, over 3 hours at full output and up to 79 hours in eco on the ML150LR.

So both pass. What remains is two figures where they diverge sharply, and a third argument that is not a figure at all.

Maglite throws farther in all three tiers — and says by how much

Throw is governed by beam intensity, not by total output. A tightly focused 300-lumen beam will identify something at a distance that a floody 1,000-lumen beam cannot, and the figure that describes it is peak beam intensity in candela. Maglite publishes it. Streamlight publishes no candela figure for any handheld in its range, giving beam distance in meters instead — a number derived from candela, but not the same thing and not directly comparable against a brand that states intensity.

Match the two ranges tier by tier and Maglite wins reach every time: 458 meters against 315 on the duty lights, 185 against 165 on the tactical pair, and 172 against 68 on the pocket pair. The pocket comparison is the lopsided one — the Mini Maglite Pro LED publishes two and a half times the beam distance of the Streamlight MicroStream, at two thirds the price.

Streamlight survives water, and Maglite often will not say

This is the clearest advantage either brand has. Streamlight publishes IPX7 on both its duty and tactical lights — submersible to a meter for thirty minutes — plus a 2-meter impact rating on each. Maglite publishes IPX4 on the MAG-TAC Rechargeable and the Mini Pro LED, which covers rain and a splash and does not cover a light that goes into a puddle.

On the ML150LR, its flagship, Maglite publishes no IP rating at all on the product page. That is a conspicuous blank on a light sold for duty and vehicle use at several times the price of the value picks on this site, and it is the single thing we would most like the company to fix.

The pocket tier is the one place they tie: the MicroStream is IPX4 as well, so the only pocket light in either range you could drop in water is neither of them.

#	Light	Max output	Battery	Lumens / $	Price
1	Streamlight Stinger 2020 Highest output with a published runtime to match	2,000	Replaceable	16	$127.92 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 16 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
2	Maglite Mini Maglite Pro LED Best AA pocket light in either range	332	AA / AAA	13	$24.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 13 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
3	Maglite ML150LR Mag Charger The one built to be repaired instead of replaced	1,082	Replaceable	11	$99.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 11 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
4	Maglite MAG-TAC Rechargeable Best Maglite for a duty belt	740	Sealed	8	$94.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 8 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
5	Streamlight ProTac 2L-X Best documented tactical light	500	Replaceable	7	$66.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 7 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
6	Streamlight MicroStream USB Best pen-clip light with published runtimes	250	Sealed	7	$37.81 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 7 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

Prices pulled October 18, 2026. Lumens per dollar is the manufacturer's published maximum output divided by that price, recomputed every time the price moves.

The six lights, tier by tier

Read the runtime column against the output column and the trade becomes concrete. The Stinger 2020 produces nearly twice the ML150LR's output and holds it for 2 hours against the Maglite's 3-plus at roughly half the brightness. The ProTac 2L-X is dimmer than the MAG-TAC Rechargeable and runs almost three times as long. In the pocket tier Maglite is both brighter and longer-lasting, and cheaper.

1. Highest output with a published runtime to match

Streamlight Stinger 2020

Lumens per dollar

16

Two thousand lumens for two hours, 850 for four, 100 for twenty-four, 315 meters of throw, IPX7. This is what a 2,000-lumen claim looks like when the manufacturer stands behind it with a duration.

Max output

2,000 lm

Runtime

2 h

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

IPX7

What it gets right

• Two thousand lumens with two hours beside it, published together
• Twenty-four hours on low makes it viable as an outage light
• Duty-grade build with the warranty and spares to match

What it gets wrong

• Twelve and a half ounces — this is a belt light, not a pocket light
• Priced well above everything else in the value tier
• Charging is via a cradle, which is another thing to own

Published specification

• High: 2,000 lumens, 315 m, 2 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Medium: 850 lumens, 200 m, 4 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Low: 100 lumens, 70 m, 24 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Strobe: 3.25 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Water rating: IPX7 — Streamlight published specification
• Impact: 2 m tested — Streamlight published specification
• Weight: 12.3 oz (350 g) — Streamlight published specification
• Length: 7.67 in (19.48 cm) — Streamlight published specification

Skip this one if

you want value. On lumens per dollar it will lose to a Sofirn every time; what it buys is the certainty that the number is real.

Buy it if: professional use, and anyone comparing a budget light's 2,000-lumen claim against a documented one.

• Output 9.5
• Battery 8.5
• Build 9.5
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 8.4

$127.92 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 16 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

2. Best AA pocket light in either range

Maglite Mini Maglite Pro LED

Lumens per dollar

13

Three hundred and thirty-two lumens, 7,399 candela and 172 meters on two AA cells, for less than twenty dollars. It is the cheapest light either of these brands sells here, the only pocket light of the six that takes a battery from a corner shop, and it publishes a runtime for both its modes.

Max output

332 lm

Runtime

2 h 30 min

Battery

AA / AAA

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• Runs on two AA cells, which store for a decade and can be bought absolutely anywhere
• Three hundred and thirty-two lumens and 7,399 candela published, at the lowest price of any light here
• Runtime published for both modes: 2 hours 30 minutes high, 13 hours low
• Nothing to charge, so it works after two years in a drawer

What it gets wrong

• IPX4 only, so rain is fine and submersion is not
• A 167.8 mm barrel is long for a pocket, and it rolls
• No USB-C charging and no rechargeable option in this model
• Three hundred and thirty-two lumens is modest next to a sealed-cell pocket light of the same size

Published specification

• Maximum output: 332 lumens — Maglite published specification
• Peak beam intensity: 7,399 cd — Maglite published specification
• Beam distance: 172 m — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, high: 2 hours 30 minutes — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, low: 13 hours — Maglite published specification
• Battery: 2 x AA, included — Maglite published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Maglite published specification
• Drop resistance: 1 m — Maglite published specification
• Weight: 4.15 oz (117.75 g) with batteries — Maglite published specification
• Length: 6.607 in (167.8 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Head diameter: 1 in (25.4 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Barrel diameter: 0.709 in (18 mm) — Maglite published specification

Skip this one if

you want the smallest possible pocket light or the brightest one. This is a long, thin AA body, and a sealed-cell light of the same length will produce several times the output.

Buy it if: a glovebox, a toolbag or a drawer — anywhere a light has to work the first time without having been charged, and where losing it should not be expensive.

• Output 5.0
• Battery 9.0
• Build 7.5
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 7.4

$24.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 13 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

3. The one built to be repaired instead of replaced

Maglite ML150LR Mag Charger

Lumens per dollar

11

A thousand and eighty-two lumens for over three hours, 79 hours in eco, a 458-meter beam, and a LiFePO4 pack rated for cycle counts nothing else here quotes. It costs several times what the value picks cost and it is the only light here likely to outlive its owner's interest in flashlights.

Max output

1,082 lm

Runtime

Over 3 h

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

None published

What it gets right

• Runtime published at full output, not just at the mode that flatters it
• Replaceable pack, spare parts, and a ten-year warranty
• Charging cradle that lives in a vehicle or on a wall

What it gets wrong

• Its lumens-per-dollar figure is poor and always will be
• No published IP rating on the product page
• The cradle system is convenient in a truck and awkward anywhere else

Published specification

• Maximum output: 1,082 lumens — Maglite published specification
• Runtime at full output: Over 3 hours — Maglite published specification
• Eco mode runtime: Up to 79 hours — Maglite published specification
• Beam distance: 500 yards (458 m) — Maglite published specification
• Battery: Rechargeable Mag Charger pack, replaceable — Maglite published specification
• Fast charge: To 80% in about 30 minutes — Maglite published specification
• Weight: Under 1 lb — Maglite published specification
• Warranty: Ten-year limited — Maglite published specification
• Water rating: Not published on the product page

Skip this one if

you are shopping on value. This light is bought for its service life and its parts availability, and if those do not matter to you it is simply expensive.

Buy it if: someone buying a tool for a decade rather than a purchase for this year.

• Output 8.0
• Battery 9.0
• Build 9.5
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 8.0

$99.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 11 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

4. Best Maglite for a duty belt

Maglite MAG-TAC Rechargeable

Lumens per dollar

8

Seven hundred and forty lumens, 8,545 candela and 185 meters from a 159-gram machined body on a LiFePO4 pack that recharges in two and a half hours. Maglite publishes the candela figure Streamlight withholds, and then rates the light IPX4 where Streamlight rates its equivalent IPX7.

Max output

740 lm

Runtime

1 h

Battery

Sealed

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• Publishes peak beam intensity in candela, which Streamlight does not do for any handheld
• Runtime published for both of its output levels, 1 hour high and 18 hours low
• LiFePO4 chemistry, which tolerates far more charge cycles than ordinary lithium-ion
• Machined aluminum body at 159 grams, with Maglite's US parts and service behind it

What it gets wrong

• IPX4 is a splash rating — the Streamlight tactical light it competes with publishes IPX7
• One hour on high is short for a duty shift, and it is the honest published figure
• Maglite does not state the pack capacity or whether an owner may replace it
• Seven hundred and forty lumens is modest for the money against a direct-selling brand

Published specification

• Maximum output: 740 lumens — Maglite published specification
• Peak beam intensity: 8,545 cd — Maglite published specification
• Beam distance: 185 m (approx. 607 ft) — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, high: 1 hour — Maglite published specification
• Runtime, low: 18 hours — Maglite published specification
• Battery: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) rechargeable pack — Maglite published specification
• Recharge time: Approximately 2.5 hours — Maglite published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Maglite published specification
• Drop resistance: 1 m (approx. 3.3 ft) — Maglite published specification
• Weight: 5.61 oz (159 g) with battery — Maglite published specification
• Length: 5.8 in (147.32 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Head diameter: 1.050 in (26.67 mm) — Maglite published specification
• Modes: Full Power, Momentary, Power Save and Strobe via the tail-cap switch — Maglite published specification
• Battery capacity: Not published on the specification page
• Battery replaceability: Not stated on the specification page; the pack is listed as an included component

Skip this one if

the light will get wet. IPX4 handles rain and a splash, not a dropped-in-a-puddle recovery, and a tactical light that cannot be submerged is a narrower tool than one that can.

Buy it if: somebody who wants a machined-aluminum duty light from a company that still sells parts for it, and who values a published candela figure over a published submersion rating.

• Output 7.0
• Battery 6.0
• Build 8.5
• Usability 7.5
• Overall 7.3

$94.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 8 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

5. Best documented tactical light

Streamlight ProTac 2L-X

Lumens per dollar

7

Five hundred lumens with the runtime published for both battery types, 165 meters of throw, IPX7 and a 2-meter impact rating. Streamlight publishes what most brands leave out, and the numbers hold up when you divide them.

Max output

500 lm

Runtime

2 h 45 min (CR123A) / 3 h 15 min (SL-B26)

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

IPX7

What it gets right

• Runtime published for every mode and both battery chemistries
• IPX7 plus a stated 2 m impact test, not a vague claim of toughness
• Runs on CR123A primaries when the rechargeable pack is flat

What it gets wrong

• Five hundred lumens is modest for the money in raw terms
• CR123A cells are expensive if you run it on primaries
• No high-CRI option

Published specification

• High: 500 lumens, 165 m, 2.75 h on CR123A / 3.25 h on SL-B26 — Streamlight published specification
• Low: 40 lumens, 49 m, 30 hours on either battery — Streamlight published specification
• Strobe: Up to 3.25 h (CR123A) / 4.5 h (SL-B26) — Streamlight published specification
• Battery: 2 x CR123A or the SL-B26 rechargeable pack — Streamlight published specification
• Water rating: IPX7, 1 m for 30 minutes — Streamlight published specification
• Impact: 2 m tested — Streamlight published specification
• Weight: 3.9 oz with CR123A / 4.4 oz with SL-B26 — Streamlight published specification

Skip this one if

you want the biggest number per dollar. Streamlight charges for documentation, warranty and consistency, and none of those show up in a lumens-per-dollar column.

Buy it if: someone whose light has to work every time and who would rather have a small honest number than a large unverifiable one.

• Output 6.5
• Battery 8.5
• Build 9.0
• Usability 8.5
• Overall 8.1

$66.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 7 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

6. Best pen-clip light with published runtimes

Streamlight MicroStream USB

Lumens per dollar

7

Two hundred and fifty lumens for an hour and a half, fifty for three and a half, at 1.2 ounces. The battery is sealed, which caps its lifespan, but every other number on the sheet is published and checkable.

Max output

250 lm

Runtime

1 h 30 min

Battery

Sealed

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• Every mode's runtime is published, which is why it scores well here despite modest output
• Deep pocket clip that actually holds in a shirt pocket
• 1.2 ounces — it is easy to forget you have it

What it gets wrong

• The cell is sealed in; when it fails the light is finished
• IPX4 splash rating only
• 250 lumens is not enough to light a yard

Published specification

• High: 250 lumens, 68 m, 1.5 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Low: 50 lumens, 31 m, 3.5 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Battery: Lithium-ion, charges in-product in 4 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Streamlight published specification
• Impact: 1 m tested — Streamlight published specification
• Weight: 1.2 oz (34.1 g) — Streamlight published specification
• Length: 3.87 in (9.83 cm) — Streamlight published specification

Skip this one if

you want a light you can re-cell. For a keychain-sized light with a replaceable battery, look at the Sofirn SC21 Pro instead.

Buy it if: a shirt pocket, a scrubs pocket, or anyone who wants a light without a bulge.

• Output 5.5
• Battery 4.5
• Build 8.5
• Usability 9.0
• Overall 7.2

$37.81 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 7 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

The argument that is not a figure

Maglite's real pitch is not on the spec sheet. It is a ten-year limited warranty, a company that still sells spare parts for lights it made decades ago, and a LiFePO4 pack in the ML150LR rated for up to 2,000 charge and discharge cycles — a cycle count almost nobody in this category publishes, and one that makes the light's service life a matter of record rather than hope.

That changes the arithmetic over any period longer than a warranty. A light that costs three times as much and lasts four times as long is cheaper, and our lumens-per-dollar column cannot see it, which is why we say so in prose on every Maglite page. The same logic is why the Mini Pro LED on two AA cells is quietly one of the better buys in this comparison: there is no battery to degrade, so the light's life is set by the aluminum.

Streamlight's counterweight is narrower but real: its own warranty and parts network, and a documented track record in duty use. Neither company's durability claims are things we have tested, and this page is not a judgment about which one survives being dropped off a tailgate.

Where each brand is the wrong answer

• Buy neither if you are shopping on lumens per dollar. Sofirn publishes 2,000 lumens for the SC31 Pro at a small fraction of the Stinger's price, and takes a standard 18650 you can replace for a few dollars. Both brands here charge for documentation, warranty and consistency, and none of those shows up in the value column.
• Skip Maglite if the light will get wet. IPX4 on two models and no published rating on the third is the weakest water story on this page, and no amount of throw compensates for a light that was never rated for submersion.
• Skip Streamlight if your actual problem is distance. It publishes no candela for any handheld, so you cannot compare its throw numerically against a brand that does, and on published beam distance it loses all three tiers here.
• Skip the MAG-TAC Rechargeable specifically if you need a shift of light. One hour on high is the published figure, and the Streamlight tactical light beside it runs 2 hours 45 minutes.

How we ranked these

Published output over the live price, adjusted for battery architecture and published ratings — the same method as every other page here, which is why a 332-lumen AA light finishes well up a table containing a 2,000-lumen duty light. Two adjustments do most of the work in this particular matchup. A missing water rating is treated as a missing rating, not as a pass, so the ML150LR is marked down for a blank its competitor fills. And a battery whose replaceability the manufacturer declines to state earns no credit for being replaceable, which is why the MAG-TAC Rechargeable scores below what its output alone would suggest.

What we cannot tell you

We have not used any of these six lights. Both of these companies have reputations for durability and for standing behind their products, and we have tested neither reputation. We also cannot tell you whether Maglite's beam distance figures and Streamlight's were measured the same way, because neither states ANSI FL1 conformity on the pages we read — so the throw ordering above is sound and the exact margins are not precision figures. What this page compares is what each manufacturer publishes against what each light costs today.