Flashlights are great gifts, especially to flashlight “virgins” that have limited experience with current high performance flashlights.
However if you gift a 18650 flashlight to a Li-Ion flashlight virgin, you also have to gift a few batteries and a charger. The batteries and charger means that the price of the gift easily doubles at least once…
The batteries should preferably be high end protected by a reputable brand, like a pack of two high capacity Panasonic batteries for instance.
I have no problem with picking out a nice flashlight or good batteries, but I have more problems figuring out a cheap but SAFE charger. The charger doesn’t have to be fast (slow is safer?) or advanced or even charge more than one battery at a time. Can be a dedicated 18650 charger, but more flexibility would be nice. And it should be cheap and sold with free international shipping… And as already said, above all be SAFE to use.
I have a nice Pila IBC for my own 18650 charging needs, but that feels like a slight overkill… :zipper_mouth_face:
Suggestions are welcome…
Edit: I got a lot of good suggestions, and settled for a Nitecore I2 Intellicharger. Not the best, not the cheapest, but perhaps the cheapest that is good enough.
Yes, I saw that as well. Otherwise that would have been a great solution.
Xtar and NiteCore seems a little expensive. Still, I am considering a NiteCore i2 or i4. Nice gift on its own… More expensive than a Convoy C8, but then so is two nice Panasonic 18650 batteries.
This IS a forum where it is OK to be a cheapskate? I hope… :bigsmile:
Yes, that is what I suspect. :~ I have no problem finding an expensive and safe charger for Li-Ion. I hoped to be wrong, and that “slow” could compensate.
No, I’m not after foolproof. Then I’d gift an alkaline flashlight…
Do you know if the SP2 version is the same thing, except 2 slot? Just hoping the quality is the same. Like the OP, Im looking to gift a LiIon torch to family, and want to provide a nice simple charger that is decent.
Since a less expensive alternative to the Nitecore i2/i4 is sought after, then this gets my next vote. It only charges one cell at a time, requires a usb port, and overcharges, but I think it's acceptable.
Cheap and safe and charger really doesn’t go together well in same sentence, affordable maybe a better word.
The I2 is what I consider a affordable safe charger. The I4 might be a little more useful for someone who needs to charge more than 2 batteries at the same time (like some of us crazy nuts here) but your every day person would find the I2 works just fine. Glad you decide to spend a little more.
Otherwise that would have been a great solution.