AA/14500-flashlights Review Guide (2014-2019, single and multiple battery)

Added 6 reviews

Lumintop Tool AA V2.0 & Lumintop Tool25
ReyLight Pineapple Nichia
Lumintop Tool AA 2.0
Xtar WK007 Zoomie
DQG Slim AA Ti
Lumintop GT micro

This is great. Single AA/14500 is my favorite form factor. Good performance and size for EDC. I love the lumintop tool AA 2.0

Some more adds:

Livarnolux 314791 (2xAA)

Skilhunt M150

https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/58229

Eagletac GX25A3 can digest 3 of either type, AA or 14500 (button tops only).
gx25a3 specs
Not sure if there was a review on BLF.

1 Thank

Added 12 reviews

ThruNite T10T V2
Skilhunt M150
ReyLight LAN
Speras M1
Lumintop Tool AA 2.0 Ti
Lumintop Tool AA2.0 HM Homemade EDC Flashlight Kit
Livarnolux 314791
Wuben E05
Fenix WT20R
Nicron N7
Jetbeam E10R

Wow, thanks for the work!
Nice to see that some of my simple-ish reviews made the spot too :smiley:
Nostalgia and good memories of flashlight obsession, lol!

Nice, this thread should keep me busy for a bit!

So sad almost none have usb-c charging. Thatā€™s keeping me from buying the 14500 lights.
Smaller should mean more hassle free, not less.

Smaller usually means no room for external charging ports though.

This.

Adding a charging port to a small light can substantially increase the size of the light. Much more so than in a larger light.

I also dislike charging ports because most have rubber covers over the port. Unless very well designed, these covers can fall off or dangle from the light. And any rubber cover can eventually wear out and break.

Sure that size is an issue? :wink:

SC01 isnā€™t a 14500 light.

Add a charge port to something like an SP10 and it would be as long as some 18650 lights.

And thatā€™s why there is TIRā€™s.

Itā€™s not the size that is the problem, itā€™s most of these lights being multi-fuel so alkaleak, NiMH, Li-ion and the rest. It makes onboard loading way more complicated and even dangerous as idiots go try charge non-rechargeable batteries. Thereā€™s AA-sized light with USB but these work with one battery-type only mostly being 14500.

Should not be that hard to implement a function that only charge if voltage is above 2V. (Per cell)

The utility of an onboard charger also depends on how you typically use your lights.

If youā€™re like me and already have an external charger to charge batteries, an onboard charger is just a waste of space.

Using an external charger has many advantages:

  • can use the light while it is charging if you have an extra battery.
  • smaller light
  • less risk of compromising the waterproofing
  • less stuff inside to break

Onboard charging seems more like a feature for muggles who only own one light and no charger, or maybe for traveling if you donā€™t want to bring a charger.

On board chargers are an entry point for water. Also, you canā€™t use your light while charging. IMHO, itā€™s just marketing nonsense. No substitute for a quality external charger. Like I said, this is my opinion.

Not if they are magnetic like the Skilhunt M150 !
But then people will complain about proprietary charging :person_facepalming:
And the loop restartsā€¦

So youā€™re saying that by upping the voltage and mAh of the cell it would require a much larger circuitry to handle it? Something that large to make it 18650 sized? Iā€™m not proficient in electronics, so Iā€™d like to understand the limitations.

There are many, many uses of flashlights where water submersion is a non-issue. And yes, if one has a constant need for illumination there is always the impetus to have a backup. A built-in charging light can take a rest.

I use a Skilhunt H03 as a charging host when I travel, so I donā€™t have to carry a separate portable charger. And when need be, the H03 can serve as a backup light. Also note that most chargers arenā€™t sealed units. They do have vulnerability. What if some water accidentally strikes a charger? With a sealed light, thereā€™s much better protection. This is also why I like the Skilhunt proprietary magnetic chargers, as thereā€™s no chance for water ingress into the light.

Magnetic chargers have their own issues.

  • Some Olights have magnetic chargers. Users discovered that if you shorted between the charger contacts on the tailcap the tailspring would melt down due to a dead short. This is not a good thing for a small pocket light where your keys or change could easily cause the tailcap contacts to short.
  • Some people, myself included, dislike magnets on their pocket EDC lights. If kept in the pocket with wallet there is concern the magnet might demagnetize credit cards or I.Dā€¦ If kept in the pocket with keys, the magnet tends to stick to them making it harder with withdraw from a pocket.

Also, NO type of onboard charging allows you to use the light away from an outlet while the light is being charged. With an external charger, you can have one cell charging while the other is in your light in your pocket nowhere near an outlet.

Not quite what I said.

I said, adding onboard charging would probably make the light longer than some 18650 lights. An 18650 light would still be wider and heavier, especially with the weight of a heavier cell.

A charge port and related circuitry can add up to 1 cm in length to a typical small light.

  • Sofirn SP10b is 89mm in length.
  • Zebralight SC64 is 92mm in length. DQG Tiny 18650 is also 89mm in length.
  • Adding a charger circuit to the Sofirn SP10 would probably increase it to closer to 100mm in lengthā€¦. thatā€™s not a good thing for those who want the smallest possible pocket light.

Personally, I find onboard charging to be mostly a useless gimmick. Itā€™s like those 2-way clips that seem to be all the rage with manufacturers these days. It has some slight situational use, but overall lights are much better without it.

That said, if youā€™re going to add charging to your light, do it right, like in the Sofirn SC21:

  • Make sure the charger port cover is firm and will not come out accidentally.
  • Use true USB-C charging.