NEBO vs Streamlight

The short answer

These two brands are the ones most American buyers actually choose between, because they sit on the same shelves. Neither is a boutique enthusiast brand. The comparison below matches them in three pairs by job rather than by price, because on price it is not a contest.

NEBO publishes more than its reputation suggests

It is worth starting here, because the easy version of this page would be a hit piece and it would be wrong. NEBO publishes mode-by-mode tables that several better-regarded brands do not. The GALILEO 1000 lantern publishes a figure for all five of its modes: 1,000 lumens for an hour and a half, 300 for six hours, 100 for ten and a half, a 15-lumen red for twelve hours and a 2-lumen red for thirty. That is a complete disclosure and it is better than NITECORE manages on most of its range.

The TORCHY 3K publishes four of its five modes too: 800 lumens for two hours, 250 for three and a half, 50 for twenty. So NEBO is not a brand that refuses to measure things.

It just never publishes the number on the box

The TORCHY 3K is named after 3,000 lumens. That is the only mode on its specification table with no runtime beside it. Every other mode gets a duration; the one on the packaging does not.

Put the Streamlight beside it. The Stinger 2020 publishes 2,000 lumens for two hours, 850 lumens for four and 100 lumens for twenty-four, along with 315 meters of throw, IPX7 and a 2-meter impact rating. It claims a smaller number and then stands behind it with a duration.

The BIG LARRY 3 is the blunter case. NEBO publishes its outputs — a 600-lumen COB panel, a 220-lumen spot, a 40-lumen red task light — and publishes no runtime for any of them, and no water rating either. The Streamlight Syclone it competes with publishes a runtime for all five of its modes, including the flood modes work lights usually skip: 400 lumens of spot for two hours, 300 lumens of 90 CRI flood for the same, 100 lumens of spot for nine and a half hours.

Water ratings: one brand puts a number on it

Streamlight publishes a numbered IP rating on all three lights here: IPX7 on the Stinger 2020, IPX4 on the Syclone, IPX7 on the Siege AA, each with a 2-meter impact figure beside it.

NEBO publishes IPX6 on the TORCHY 3K, nothing at all on the BIG LARRY 3, and on the GALILEO 1000 it states the lantern is water and impact resistant without publishing an IP figure to say how much. We treat an unnumbered claim as no rating, because a word you cannot check is not a specification.

#	Light	Max output	Battery	Lumens / $	Price
1	NEBO BIG LARRY 3 Best cheap magnetic work light	600	AA / AAA	50	$11.92 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 50 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
2	NEBO TORCHY 3K Best big-box light if you want the headline number	3,000	Sealed	43	$69.40 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 43 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
3	NEBO GALILEO 1000 Best dual-power lantern for an outage	1,000	Replaceable	19	$51.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 19 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
4	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
5	Streamlight Syclone Best work light with a 90 CRI flood	400	Sealed	7	$60.99 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 7 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn
6	Streamlight Siege AA Best outage lantern that floats	200	AA / AAA	6	$32.49 on Amazon→ Price as of October 18, 2026 — 6 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 three pairs

Read the runtime column straight down and the pattern is unmistakable: three Streamlights, three durations; three NEBOs, one duration. Then read the output column and the other half of the story appears — in two of the three pairs the NEBO claims the bigger number. That is the whole trade in two columns.

1. Best cheap magnetic work light

NEBO BIG LARRY 3

Lumens per dollar

50

A 600-lumen COB panel, a 220-lumen spot and a red task mode, on three AA cells, with a magnet strong enough to hold it under a hood. It is the least glamorous light here and it is the one that gets used most.

Max output

600 lm

Runtime

Not published per mode

Battery

AA / AAA

Water rating

None published

What it gets right

• A flood panel is the right shape of light for working on something close up
• AA cells, so it survives a year in a toolbox and still lights
• The magnet is strong enough to matter

What it gets wrong

• NEBO publishes no runtime and no water rating for this model
• COB panels have poor color rendering as a class
• Not rechargeable, so the running cost is AA cells

Published specification

• COB work light: 600 lumens high / 150 lumens low — NEBO published specification
• Spot flashlight: 220 lumens high / 60 lumens low — NEBO published specification
• Red task light: 40 lumens high / 12 lumens low — NEBO published specification
• Battery: 3 x AA (included) — NEBO published specification
• Weight: 0.42 lb — NEBO published specification
• Fittings: Magnetic base, steel belt clip, wall-mount hole — NEBO published specification
• Per-mode runtime: Not published on the product page
• Water rating: Not published on the product page

Skip this one if

you need to see color accurately. For paint matching or diagnosing a wiring loom, a high-CRI light is worth the extra money.

Buy it if: the toolbox, the trunk and the shelf above the workbench.

• Output 6.5
• Battery 7.0
• Build 7.5
• Usability 8.5
• Overall 7.3

$11.92 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 50 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

2. Best big-box light if you want the headline number

NEBO TORCHY 3K

Lumens per dollar

43

Three thousand lumens on the box, and NEBO publishes a runtime for every mode except that one. High is 800 lumens for two hours, which is the number to plan around. Read the spec table and the light tells you what it really is.

Max output

3,000 lm

Runtime

Not published at turbo; 2 h at 800 lm high

Battery

Sealed

Water rating

IPX6

What it gets right

• NEBO publishes a full mode-by-mode table, which is more than several rivals manage
• USB-C, magnetic base, detachable clip
• Sold in stores you can drive to, and returnable to the same counter

What it gets wrong

• The battery is built in — when it dies the whole light is refuse
• No runtime published for the 3,000-lumen mode the box is named after
• IPX6 is splash and rain, not submersion

Published specification

• Turbo: 3,000 lumens, 150 m — no runtime published — NEBO published specification
• High: 800 lumens, 2 hours, 80 m — NEBO published specification
• Medium: 250 lumens, 3.5 hours, 40 m — NEBO published specification
• Low: 50 lumens, 20 hours, 20 m — NEBO published specification
• Battery: 2,200 mAh 3.7V Li-ion, built in — NEBO published specification
• Recharge time: 2 hours, USB-C — NEBO published specification
• Water rating: IPX6 — NEBO published specification

Skip this one if

you expect the 3K on the label to be a mode you can use. The mode you will actually use is the 800-lumen one, and there are cheaper lights that do 800 lumens for two hours.

Buy it if: somebody who wants a decent light today, from a shop, with a receipt.

• Output 8.5
• Battery 4.0
• Build 7.5
• Usability 8.0
• Overall 7.0

$69.40 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 43 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

3. Best dual-power lantern for an outage

NEBO GALILEO 1000

Lumens per dollar

19

A thousand lumens for ninety minutes, or a hundred lumens for ten and a half hours, and it takes D cells when the pack is flat. In an outage the second number and the D cells are the ones that matter.

Max output

1,000 lm

Runtime

1.5 h

Battery

Replaceable cell

Water rating

None published

What it gets right

• Runs on D cells when the rechargeable pack is dead, which is the whole point in an outage
• Runtime published for all five modes
• USB output doubles it as a phone power bank

What it gets wrong

• NEBO states water resistance without publishing an IP figure
• Ninety minutes at full output is short for a lantern
• Half a pound before you add D cells

Published specification

• High 360 degrees: 1,000 lumens, 1.5 hours, 21 m — NEBO published specification
• High 120 degrees: 300 lumens, 6 hours, 17 m — NEBO published specification
• Low, fully dimmed: 100 lumens, 10.5 hours, 7 m — NEBO published specification
• Red high: 15 lumens, 12 hours — NEBO published specification
• Red low: 2 lumens, 30 hours — NEBO published specification
• Battery: Flex-Power: included rechargeable pack or D cells — NEBO published specification
• Weight: 0.5 lb — NEBO published specification
• Water rating: Water and impact resistant; no IP figure published — NEBO published specification

Skip this one if

you want a lantern for camping in the rain. Without a published IP rating, plan on keeping it under cover.

Buy it if: a kitchen table during a storm, and the shelf it lives on the rest of the year.

• Output 7.5
• Battery 7.5
• Build 7.0
• Usability 8.0
• Overall 7.5

$51.99 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 19 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

4. 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

5. Best work light with a 90 CRI flood

Streamlight Syclone

Lumens per dollar

7

Four hundred lumens of spot for two hours or 300 lumens of 90-CRI flood for the same, in a 5.3-ounce body that clips, magnets and stands. Every mode's runtime is published, including the flood modes most brands ignore.

Max output

400 lm

Runtime

2 h

Battery

Sealed

Water rating

IPX4

What it gets right

• A 90 CRI flood, which matters more than lumens when you are diagnosing anything
• Spot and flood in one body with runtimes published for both
• Magnet, clip and a stand that lets it point where you need it

What it gets wrong

• Sealed lithium-polymer cell
• IPX4 — it handles a splash and not a puddle
• Four hundred lumens is modest if you want to light a whole garage

Published specification

• Spot high: 400 lumens, 141 m, 2 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Spot medium: 200 lumens, 95 m, 4.5 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Spot low: 100 lumens, 72 m, 9.5 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Flood high: 300 lumens, 48 m, 2 hours, 90 CRI — Streamlight published specification
• Flood low: 75 lumens, 24 m, 8 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Battery: Lithium-polymer, USB rechargeable, 4.5 h charge — Streamlight published specification
• Water rating: IPX4 — Streamlight published specification
• Impact: 2 m tested — Streamlight published specification
• Weight: 5.3 oz (150 g) — Streamlight published specification

Skip this one if

you need to flood a large space. This is an arm's-reach light; a lantern or a panel does big areas better.

Buy it if: mechanics and electricians who need to see true color at close range.

• Output 6.5
• Battery 5.0
• Build 8.5
• Usability 9.0
• Overall 7.6

$60.99 on Amazon→

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

6. Best outage lantern that floats

Streamlight Siege AA

Lumens per dollar

6

Two hundred lumens for seven hours, fifty for thirty-seven, and a red night-vision mode Streamlight rates at 192 hours. It runs on AA cells, it is IPX7, and it floats. For a storm shelf that is the correct specification.

Max output

200 lm

Runtime

7 h

Battery

AA / AAA

Water rating

IPX7

What it gets right

• AA cells store for a decade and are available anywhere, including mid-outage
• IPX7 and it floats, which is the correct answer for a flooded basement
• Runtime published for all five modes, including the 8-day red mode

What it gets wrong

• Two hundred lumens is dim next to a rechargeable lantern
• No rechargeable option in this version
• Removable cover changes the beam pattern and is easy to lose

Published specification

• White high: 200 lumens, 7 hours — Streamlight published specification
• White medium: 100 lumens, 15.5 hours — Streamlight published specification
• White low: 50 lumens, 37 hours — Streamlight published specification
• Red high: 0.7 lumens, 192 hours (8 days) — Streamlight published specification
• SOS flash: 0.7 lumens, 288 hours (12 days) — Streamlight published specification
• Battery: AA alkaline — Streamlight published specification
• Water rating: IPX7, 1 m — and it floats — Streamlight published specification
• Impact: 2 m tested — Streamlight published specification

Skip this one if

you want a bright camp lantern. This is an endurance light, not an area light.

Buy it if: the storm shelf, the boat and the basement that occasionally has water in it.

• Output 4.5
• Battery 9.5
• Build 9.0
• Usability 8.5
• Overall 7.9

$32.49 on Amazon→

Price as of October 18, 2026 — 6 lumens per dollar. #ad How we earn

Where NEBO genuinely wins

Price, and it is not close. The BIG LARRY 3 costs roughly a fifth of the Syclone. A buyer who needs four work lights — one in the truck, one in the garage, one in the kitchen drawer, one in the shed — can have all four NEBOs for less than one Streamlight, and four lights that are present beat one light that is elsewhere.

Battery independence, in two pairs out of three. The BIG LARRY 3 runs on three AA cells, so it survives a year in a toolbox and lights when you pick it up. The GALILEO 1000 takes D cells when its rechargeable pack is flat, which during an outage is the only specification that matters. The Streamlight Siege AA matches that with AA cells; the Syclone does not match it at all, because its cell is sealed in.

And availability. NEBO sells through stores you can drive to, with a counter to return it to. That is worth something real to a buyer who does not want to mail a flashlight back to anyone, and it is the reason the TORCHY 3K ends up in so many hands.

Where Streamlight genuinely wins

Everything you can check. A runtime beside every mode, a numbered water rating, a stated impact distance in meters, and on the Stinger 2020 a replaceable cell on top. If the light has to work for a known number of hours, or get rained on, or be dropped, Streamlight has told you in advance what will happen and NEBO largely has not.

The Siege AA is the clearest single win on this page, and it is also the cheapest Streamlight here. Two hundred lumens for seven hours, 50 for thirty-seven, a red mode rated at 192 hours, IPX7, and it floats. The GALILEO 1000 is brighter and dies in ninety minutes at that brightness, and it has no IP figure. For a storm shelf the Streamlight is simply the better-specified object, and for once it is not the more expensive one.

One fairness note the other way: the Syclone's 90 CRI flood has no equivalent in the NEBO lineup here. COB panels like the BIG LARRY 3's render color poorly as a class, and if you are matching paint or tracing a wiring loom that difference matters more than any runtime figure.

Which one should you actually buy

• You want one good light and will keep it for years — Streamlight. The documentation is the product, and the Stinger 2020's replaceable cell means the light outlives its battery.
• You want several cheap lights in several places — NEBO. Four BIG LARRY 3s cost less than one Syclone, and a light you actually have beats a light with a better spec sheet two rooms away.
• You are buying for an outage — the Streamlight Siege AA, and it is cheaper than the NEBO it beats. If you want the brighter lantern and will accept ninety minutes at full output, the GALILEO 1000 and its D-cell fallback is a reasonable second.
• You are working on something close up and need true color — the Syclone, for its 90 CRI flood. No NEBO here matches it.
• You want the most lumens per dollar of either — neither. A direct-selling brand like Sofirn or Wurkkos beats both on raw output per dollar, on standard replaceable cells, while giving up warranty coverage and shop returns.

How we ranked these

Published output over the live price, adjusted for battery architecture and published ratings, exactly as everywhere else on this site. Two adjustments shape this table. An unpublished runtime at the headline output earns no credit for that output, which is why the TORCHY 3K's 3,000 lumens does not carry it up the ranking. And an unnumbered water claim counts as no rating, which costs the GALILEO 1000 and the BIG LARRY 3. Price pulls hard the other way, so the cheapest NEBO still places well — as it should, because it is genuinely good value.

What we cannot tell you

We have not used any of these six lights. Nothing here is a claim about how a NEBO survives a drop or how Streamlight's warranty service behaves — neither has been tested by us. We also cannot tell you how long the TORCHY 3K holds 3,000 lumens, because NEBO does not publish it and we are not going to estimate it; that blank is the finding, not a gap we can fill. This page compares what each manufacturer publishes against what each light costs today.