Review: Duracell 350

Equipment, Illumination, Review

The Duracell 350 is a stout aluminum body flashlight that generates 350 lumens. I purchased a 4-pack of these lights from Costco for $20. My expectations were not high but these are surprising nice flashlights. The 350 uses three AAA batteries mounted in a cylindrical battery holder. The body of the light is fatter than most flashlights but it has a good feel in my hand. The knurling, heat sink bands, and fatter body combine to create a very good grip. When held in my hand the light is wider than my palm and it could be used tactically. The front strike bezel is fairly aggressive. I keep one at home and one in each car. It would not make a good everyday carry (EDC) light because of the size and it does not include a clip. I would recommend these flashlights because they work well, are bargain priced, and they use standard batteries. I would not purchase these for the Amazon price but if you can find them at a discount at Costco (or similar outlet) then they are worth the price.

  • Construction: Machined aluminum in a variety of colors
  • Size: 4.5″ long x 1.1″ diameter body with 1.3″ diameter head
  • Waterproof: IPX4 water resistant
  • Features: High, low, and strobe modes
  • Battery: 3 AAA batteries
  • Light Output: (high) 350 lumens at 5,000 candelas for 1 hour, (low) runs for 4 hours
  • Beam Pattern: At 3′ the total beam pattern is about 44″ with a 7″ hotspot

If you cannot find the aluminum version of these flashlights at a good price then consider the DuraBeam 350. I have not tried these but they look like a polymer version of the 350. The specifications look very similar and Duracell generally makes very good products.

Recommendations

Purchasing a 4-pack of these lights for $20 from Costco is a no-brainer. Put one in your car, have one in the house, and you could even use one in your hiking kit (if your headlamp uses AAA batteries). For a hiking kit I would prefer a flashlight with a longer runtime but 4 hours on low is still respectable. There is nothing fancy with this flashlight. It is just a good, economically priced, and capable flashlight.