Our test group included 16 models from six manufacturers. They came in three types: plug-in, recharge- ables and self-powered (dry cell batteries).

If you’ve ever tried to locate a channel marker on a dark night, or to read the number on an unlit buoy in the rain, you already know the value of a handheld spotlight. While other types of lights such as fixed-mount spotlights or flashlights have their uses, they also have their limitations. In terms of flexibility and convenience of use, there’s nothing like the bright, narrowly focused beam of a good handheld unit.

In recent years, the manufacturers of these spotlights have been indulging in the optical equivalent of the old automotive horsepower race. Who can claim the highest candlepower number? Well, brightness is indeed important, but it’s certainly not…