I’m looking for a new led flashlight. I’m tired of the 3 AAA flashlights I’ve bought locally that become unreliable after having been dropped a few times.
This flashlight will be used many times per day, so needs to be reliable.
Here are my requirements:
LED
AA or AAA or multiples of those
3-5 lumens or thereabouts
Long runtime on batteries
Cheap - under 30 dollars and bought off ebay, preferably from China because of cheaper shipping to Europe
Push button, not screw
It should be able to stand - not necessarily tailstand
Not too small, preferably, but negotiable
Now, I just bought Thrunite TI, and the firefly (3 lumens) on that is ideal. Great keychain light. But since this flashlight will be used so much, I want something that’s easier to operate - a push button one, instead of a screw I need to be very careful to not screw too far. I have a lot of those cheap 3 AAA flashlights, but by now they’re all unstable (they cost about 5 dollars). I’m looking for a better construction.
I’ve always been into flashlights, fascinated by EDC, but not looking to start a collection… I’m female, and I collect other stuff…
My old flashlight isn’t much brighter than that with batteries that have been used for a while, and that has become unstable. I tested the Thrunite TI, and the firefly on that is sufficient for my use. I doubt a CREE led will be that dim unless it’s a multiple mode flashlight, but I’ll take your recommendations for if I should go with a CREE light or if another type of LED is enough.
I can only tell you that I can find my way in the dark with the firefly. I only need to see the steps in a dark staircase and some light in an area I know like the back of my hand. Judging from the runtimes on the Thrunite, a low mode will significantly increase runtimes, so I’d like one that doesn’t throw out more light than I need. Oh, and throw is better than spot, obviously.
And the Rayovac might be a contender, even if the low mode is brighter than I said. I did find one of their models on ebay. Any others?
It doesn’t need to tail stand, as long as it doesn’t roll off the surface - meaning I’ll place it head down.
The one from DX is out - no low mode and murders batteries according to one of the reviews. DX is an alternative to ebay for me, BTW.
The one from the other site is not a contender at that price. It need to be under our customs limit, which is about 33. Just cents over the limit, and the customs fee will make it a no go.
Different UI types, glow mode lasts a year on a 9volt. Rubber body so it’ll survive a fall.
I like em, I have two in my sons room for changing diapers at night
The contenders of the ones you’ve mentioned so far are:
Rayovac
Safelight /PALight
The rest are either too expensive, too many lumens, I can’t find enough info on them or sold on a website that isn’t workable to Europe.
I found a few on ebay that I wonder if you guys know more about? It doesn’t say on the auctions how many lumens the low modes are, and I wonder about quality:
In terms of quality the Fenix E01 and Gerber infinity are among the most robust lights around. Problem is they lack a true low mode.
I have a klarus ST20 with a low mode in that range, it’s more than plenty to navigate around the house with and can even light up trees in a moderately lit neighborhood.
I think its the low output that’s difficult… Mostly, people complain the low ain’t low enough, hence your problem, as an example, I just recieved a light, I can hardly tell the difference between hi/mid/low, it has blinkies too, may as well be single mode… It’s no issue, I bought it planning to swap both the driver and use the emitter elsewhere.
I did want to suggest the ti’s big brother the t10, but its twisty too,
I could send you a side clicky 3aaa light that’s available here in England, but its gone up to £8, might bust the budget with shipping, but if your interested pm me an address and I’ll find out the shipping cost, let you know, you can pick candy red or candy blue.
Find a light with the battery and body size/style you like and use some kind of cheap filter to diffuse the light. This will give you less light and softer too. I use a single layer of scotch tape, also bought these silicon diffusers from from intl-outdoor
