Best budget 2xAA flashlight on Aliexpress

After Sofirn and Zanflare stopped their 2xAA flashlights, what is the best 2xAA on Aliexpress?

Look at jaxman!

I would say the Lumintop Tool 25, but it is not on sale on AE anymore.
You also have:

- Nicron 3W 2xAA

  • Fenix E20 V2.0 (I remember seeing a store with a deal with less than 30€ on this one)

May I ask why do you prefer a 2AA set flashlight ?
There are so many AA/14500 flashlights available. Also, there are also a lot of options for 2AAA flashlight.

I am asking because it seems like a very small market that most Flashlight maker just abandons now. 2AAA used to be more popular back then.
BTW, I see Sofirn SF13 (2*AA) sometimes still pop up on Aliexpress around $12-15 if you are lucky.

We are using 2AA for gift. Pricepoint around 15$ is OK.
I will check 2xAAA models.

Nitecore MT22A One of my favorites.

There are some pretty good options out there right now, though I haven’t found any to be my “grail” 2AA light.

Fenix E20v2 - Just awesome for a general purpose light. Always starts in low (both a good and bad thing). SST-20 is cool white and puke green at the same time on my example. Why didn’t Fenix just use the 4000k 95cri?!

Nitecore MT22A - Another great 2AA light. I do not like the memory mode but the tight-loose UI is excellent. Another cool white emitter.

Jaxman M2 - Wow. Excellent fit and finish. Feels like a beast of a 2AA light. Plenty bright with a well balanced beam shape comparable to various Malkoff drop ins. Low mode is not low. Size is very large for a 2AA light due to an oversized reflector to shape the XML2 output.

Dereelight Javelin - Not sure if this is available at all anymore. I acquired one by emailing Dereelight about 3 years ago. Takes P60 drop ins so pretty customizable. The negative spring contact shelf is anodized for god knows what reason so you will need to address that. Also a little large for 2AA since its a P60 host.

MiniMag Light - This might be a really good option for many people. Decently compact. Easy UI. Couple variations out there including a High/Low UI as well as the “Spectrum Series” with a warm white LED. Not bleeding edge specs.

Foursevens Quark QK2AA MkIII - One of the nicest 2AA lights I’ve ever seen. Excellent UI with a couple of options. Excellent beam shape. Excellent clicky switch. Excellent bezel down pocket clip. the 319A LED is well balanced between tint/CRI/output. Can take a 1AA or 1CR123 body. May or may not have reliability issues. On my sample I had to disassemble and reassemble it before it would work right as well as customer service being less than helpful; YMMV.

Fenix L2Tv2.0 - Best 2AA I’ve ever owned. Its highly dated now but back in the day had excellent specs. Love the two mode twisty UI with tail clicky switch. High was truly high (in its time) and low was usefully low. Super durable for me.

The various Lumintop models are Disqualified for me as they are all memory mode lights. I have some of the earlier IYP365 2AAA lights which are excellent with a MLH mode order. If they did a 2AA like that I’m sure it would be one of my primary choices. Alas they do not.

Good summary from Buck91 there.

I buy 2AA lights to give to people I would not trust with li-ion recharging. Surprising how many people that is.

I note with disappointment that the price of the Sofirn SF13, which they apparently discontinued, has gone up from $9 to $20 online.

Another vote for the Jaxman M2, and especially the 4300K version. It’s a fantastic light with a wonderful beam and simple UI. The output and battery life are nicely balanced across the two modes. It’s also very comfortable in hand. I always find myself resting my thumb in the smooth little indents at the base of the head. I really miss those when I’m using my Convoy C8+.

I don’t care that the “low isn’t low”. The size and form factor keep this from being an EDC or all-purpose flashlight. This is a dedicated grab-and-go outdoor light for night walks, camping, caving, emergency situations, etc. If I want to read in a tent or something, I’ll use the actual “low” on whatever 1xAA or 1xAAA that’s already an independent part of my EDC. I usually get by on low with the M2, which offers plenty of light for a good long time. I only occasionally use the high, which is nice and bright for when I want it.

Very good post here :slight_smile: :+1:

Me too i search.

Sofirn’s 2xAA had an issue in the tail cap so that could be why it’s been pulled.

All of my stock would not turn on if the tail retaining ring was tightened. I had to build solder up on rear switch board to stop this happening. The factory started doing this on some of them but not enough solder used to stop the issue entirely