First recommendation:
Any budget light that does NOT have a LatticeBright emitter! These junk LEDs have become the bane of the budget flashlight world.
Second recommendation:
~$10-$15
Single-AA/14500 operation
Smooth body but with good knurling
No crenelations or sharp edges
Quality anodizing, possibly in an array of colors
Deep-Carry pocket-clip
Genuine Cree XP-G2 emitter (my personal preference is for cooler tint)
Light-OP reflector
Regulated Three-mode Lo-Mid-High no-strobe/SOS driver
Tailcap clicky.
Copper mcpcb, integrated shelf thick enough to handle heat, direct driven xp-l Hi with a primary clicky switch in the rear and a secondary momentary switch for changing the 4 modes from moonlight to turbo with a hidden strobe mode.
Personally I have little use for any flashing options in most of my lights, I just want high, medium, and low settings. I’m on the copper mcpcb bandwagon.
Ability with a shortened tube (included) to be used with CR123a yet still look sexy, not just stumpy.
Tailstander.
Raw, rough, tarnishable finishes, be they steel, aluminium, copper, brass with metallic switches to suit (or even contrasting switches, for example steel body, copper switch)
Oversizing - at least in terms of large and mega deep canyon-like knurling, super-big lanyard hole that would take 550 paracord, oversized head and (removable) bezel with smooth and crenelated varieties included in the box.
Omni-use clips. Reverse mountable so they offer complete deep carry either head up or head down. Easy cap-peak fitting if that floats your boat. Make sure there is an equivalent clip (or the flashlight is so engineered) that the same Omni-use abilities are present when using a shortened tube.
Improved srk style light with removable carry handle, moonlight and ramping, 2s2p 18650 with tail end battery replacement, square threads, thick integrated shelf, extended external cooling fins, longer head, deep op reflector, and xhp-70 emitter on a copper dtp mcpcb with options of warm, neutral, or cool white.