18650 usb rechargable recommendation for elderly mother

Sounds nice . I assume no step down ,since it does not get too hot? Protected cells fit ?

The X2R is a nice light but I do not recommend it for people who are not familiar with flashlights and who are not technology savvy.
The procedure to start charging is the opposite of user friendly. If you are doing one of several strange steps wrong it just will not load. I wonder why nobody ever mentions that.

It’s very much like a 4x7135 Convoy S2+ which is limited to 1.4A max, except with USB charging. The current limiter chips set the max current and so max brightness and heat. For the ones I made gifts of I included protected Panasonic NCR18650Bs, because I thought it was better for people not clued up on flashlights and with some possibility of grandkids opening them up. There were no problems fitting the cells.

Maybe no one mentions it because its not actually the case? There are two steps, plug the microusb connector into the light, switch the light on. The order doesn’t seem to matter. When you unplug the USB cable again, the light turns on, which is a good reminder to turn it off at the tail switch.

I agree though, the fact that it has a physical tailswitch, rather than an eswitch adds another step. I also agree that for many people that additional step is significant.

I disagree, My mother is 88, she’s not having a problem with it, she is not technology savvy.

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Personally I don’t agree, but that largely depends on the person using it.

Instructions:

1. plug in cable. (flashlight turns on, do not turn it off)
2. wait for blue light to come on, then click switch.

(EDITED to show the complete procedure).

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The X2R comes in under the $20-$30 budget the OP requires. The best scenario for recharging would be a magnetic docking base. As will34 said nothing is easier. But Olight is $75.00-$80.00. The Orcatorch is $70.00 Both great choices if you’re willing to spent that kind of money. The Orcatorch is especially nice since it turns on automatically when removed from the base, excellent for an elderly person! But it’s a pretty large light. In my case it’s too large for my Mothers bedside light, would be great for a “home utility” light. I’d love to see them make a smaller version of that for a lower price.

The NEBO Mag Dock is within the price range but reliability is questionable.

A low priced reliable light with charging dock and simple UI would be great, but as far as I can tell it doesn’t exist. The NEBO is the closest to that.

I want my mother to quickly and easily find the switch in total darkness, with the tail switch that happens, every time. And it’s a simple L-M-H-OFF. click-click-click-click, no remembering to hold down for half second/long press/short press/double click/strobes etc. Great for people who are “not technology savvy”

Ok, I will explain what I mean.

When you plug the USB connector in the X2R turns on. That is surprising. It is not what the average user expects. Most electric devices don’t do that. The user wants the light to charge, not to start running and discharging even more.
One automatic reaction is to turn the light off again. I witnessed this several times. (I remember the light starts in last memorized mode so it can be quite blinding.)

After a few seconds the X2R turns off again and the blue indicator light turns on. Everything fine? No. You have to press the button to start charging. Press the button as for switching the light on? We just had that. Unlike [beam0] said it is important to wait for the light to finish measuring the voltage and go out before pressing the button. If you press the button too early the light will not charge. And unlike [eas] said the order does matter. (I can’t find mine right now so I am only 90% sure that it will not charge when you plug it in while running.)
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To be sure I repeated the same experiment with five elderly people (family and frieds): I explained the charging procedure while showing it. After a week or two they had to do it on their own. Four of five could not.
They switched the light off when it turned itself on or they forgot to press the button to actually start charging when the indicator LED was already on. To me both mistakes are understandable, almost expectable.
Without written instructions you need a really good memory to do it right after a long time.
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That repeated experience is why I do not recommend the X2R for elderly people anymore. Your experience may differ.

A docking station type charger would definitely be more intuitive. Are there any budget ones that are of good quality?

Judging from comments on this thread and what I’ve seen looking around, there are no good quality docking torches available for less than at least three times the cost of the X2R. Don’t forget the O/P mentioned a price of $20-30 USD and a few other requirements.

There are several other USB rechargeable torches from suppliers who put out quality products for reasonable prices; Convoy, Eagle Eye, Thorfire and others. For what I had in mind, which was a USB rechargeable, medium-powered S2+ type light, the X2R is alone, AFAIK. No blinky modes, small and tough, no particular need to be thoroughly waterproof, no special adapter to get lost, not getting too hot to touch and a reasonable price.

The people I gave them to are elderly and have had no problems charging them.

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions!

I almost bought the X2R, and then I read about the strange charging procedure, and I am glad I did not purchase it.

I see some here find that their elderly relatives do not have an issue with the procedure, but I am quite certain my mother will not be able to follow the procedure reliably.

The Orcatorch and Olight are attractive, but both units cost more than I am able to spend at this time.

I think I will just try my luck with the NEBO despite it’s silly strobe mode and apparently non-replaceable battery. Wish me luck! :slight_smile:

Thanks for posting a detailed explanation of your opinion. Looks like it helped the OP in his decision!

Also, I edited my post to reflect the whole procedure.

The NEBO is the closest to that.

Always happy to help! The Nebo was 2nd on my list. And a good first choice if the X2R doesn’t fit the bill. The Nebo did get a lot of good reviews too, and an overall rating of 4.2 out of 5. Another feature I liked is it’s a zooming light.

Good luck with it and please return here and post some feedback after you try it out!

Tell you what. I have a 18650 zoomie over here that I really have no need for. It has a mini usb charging port. Twisting the head reveals the port as well as works the zoom feature. Very easy to rotate, you can even rotate it with your thumb while holding the light it’s that smooth. Easy operation. Click for high, click for low, click for off. That’s it. High is about 600 lumen or so maybe a bit brighter, low is probably in the 250 range. It will light up my half acre side lot on high and the zoom will spot trees out to 150 to 200 yards easy. If you think your mother would be able to use it let me know. I’ll throw it in the mail for you. If you need a battery I can throw one of those in too. I have a soft spot in my heart for moms.

It also has a hole in the tail cap for a lanyard, let me know if you might need one of those too, I got more than a few laying around I don’t need or use. I can throw that in as well.

What is that . Looks interesting .

It’s made by Promier. I had another one of their lights that went up in smoke on me. They were nice enough to send me that one and a Amazon gift card for twice the price that I paid for the original light. They claim it to be 900 lumens which might be close but I am thinking closer to somewhere between 600 and 700. Plenty of cool white light to light up a large area and provide a pretty nice spot. Super simple to operate, high, low, off. No crazy blinky modes or any weird button presses. I can get some beam shots tonight if you like. I have my fair share of zoomies and this one gets neglected by non use.

Got a link?

http://www.promierproducts.com/Promier-Rechargeable-800-Lumen-Flashlight_p_250.html

Not endorsing or trying to sell the product in anyway. Just giving some info on it. Can’t find anything about the actual pill that is in it. I’ll take it apart this evening and take a peak.

Thanks.

Totally agree. I gave it to my mother in law and she never remember the way to charge it. It should be like a cell phone: plug it… and nothing else