• The Maglite ML150LR is a rechargeable flashlight that actually outperformed our lumen test.
• Despite the company listing 1,082 lumens, it was brighter than that in our lab test and didn’t drop below 1,082 for three full minutes.
• The flashlight also has some heft in your hand, similar to the classic Maglites of the past.

Thinking about Maglite might stir up memories of D batteries and a 1970s cop tapping on the window of a pulled-over car. However, the flashlight brand has evolved with leaner, more efficient models that still have the heft and sturdiness that we’ve come to expect. The Maglite ML150LR flashlight is a perfect example of this. It isn’t meant for everyday carry in a backpack. It’s designed to sit patiently in a drawer until you need something convenient and powerful during a blackout, while fixing something under the sink, or as you’re searching for Christmas decorations in the attic.

This flashlight uses an LED bulb and is rechargeable, making it significantly more cost-effective. You’ll save money on batteries considering the dozen or so that the old-school lights seemingly gobbled up. At the same time, the flashlight doesn’t give up all of the hardiness and weight in the process.

Despite the rechargeable battery reducing the weight and the slim handle, the flashlight is quite sturdy. It still has the same heft in my hand as the classic Maglite from my childhood. The aluminum body backs that weight up with real durability. It won’t dent, crack, or snap if you drop it, which I did onto asphalt from about waist height a number of times. The aluminum is even anodized to better resist moisture and water. In fact, the flashlight is rated IPX4 for water resistance, so feel free to bring it with you when you’re out in the rain.

Like many other Maglites, the ML150LR has an adjustable lens that you twist to focus or disperse the light. If I want to see a beam deep into the night ahead of me, I can with a twist to the right. If I want a bright view of everything in the 10 feet in front of me, I twist the other way. The difference between each is extremely noticeable. Having both a spotlight and a floodlight provides value in different situations. I loved the spotlight when I was strolling through the darkness of my parents’ suburban neighborhood, but the floodlight serves me a lot better for lighting up my entire living room during a blackout, not just one circle on the wall. In both cases, I trust the Maglite specifically because of how incredibly bright it is.

My parents’ suburban neighborhood gets very dark once the park’s street lamps go out. Using the Maglite ML150LR, I was able to see far ahead of me, noticing bikers, potholes, and even a shifty possum several yards away.

Official brightness is measured in lumens. We’ve always been pretty skeptical of the specs provided by the brands themselves. Typically, the number is the absolute peak brightness and doesn’t last for more than 30 seconds. A lot of the numbers you see might even be a bit generous even under the most ideal conditions.

Instead of blindly trusting the number on the box, we use our own homemade integrating sphere to double-check the lumens ourselves. An integrating sphere is coated with reflective material and has two openings: One for the flashlight and one for the light sensor. We place the flashlight in the port at full brightness for 30 minutes to measure where it peaks, how long before it diminishes, and the endpoint brightness after it plateaus.

Test editor Brad Ford recorded that, not only did the ML150LR meet the 1,082 lumens that the company lists, it surpassed that figure at its peak. Ford recorded the flashlight brightness at a peak of 1,179 lumens and observed that it didn’t fall below 1,082 until after more than three minutes had elapsed.

Ideally, you’re only ever buying a flashlight once or twice in your life. If you’re going to settle on one to keep in your home for the next 20 years, this is the one. No need to overthink it; stick to this Maglite and you’ll likely not have to buy one again.

Full Maglite ML150LR Flashlight Review