Bright lights, burly cases, fail-safe on/off switches, virtual indestructibility: there are very good reasons to rave about Mag Instrument flashlights. It goes without saying that a flashlight defeats its own purpose if it can't be trusted, which is why so many people spend a little extra for this four D-cell Mag-Lite. We've dropped ours off ladders, kicked it down stairs--just generally abused the thing--and it lights up now just as readily as it did when we first turned it on. Speaking of which, the on/off switch is one of the first things to fail on generic flashlights. Mag-Lite's switch is rubber coated and weather protected; frankly, it seems incapable of ever wearing out, even after thousands of clicks. Plus, twisting the flashlight's head gives you an option between a tight beam and a floodlight. More importantly, the combination of a supertough krypton gas lamp and high-quality reflectors provides unusually bright light. There's also an extra lamp in the tail cap so you've always got a backup--how many other flashlights deliver that?

But the Mag's indestructibility is its main selling point. Mag Instrument builds its flashlights with ultrastrong aluminum alloy cases that have been anodized both inside and out to resist rust. High-quality O-rings at both openings keep water away from the batteries. It's hard to imagine damaging one of these lights. Think of it this way: if, as one of our customers suggests, there were a kingdom of flashlights, Mag-Lite would be crowned king. --Jon Groebner