My suggestion for the Jaxman has mostly to do with it robustness, the 3 levels with a good moonlight mode and the possibility to choose different LEDs.
Also, because it will give you long runtimes on the low settings in case you need it.
It is not the brightest AA flashlight you will get, but it is reliable.
About the other options you mention and some of the ones mentioned in this thread:
Lumintop EDC05:
I don’t have one, I guess the first batches had issues with the switch, but I don’t know much about it.
Manker E11:
It was my first serious AA light. What I can tell is:
-it has a good output even with Ni-MH/AA batteries, but it will shine immensely more with 14500 cells;
- it is quite small and pocket friendly;
- it has Cool White tint;
- it has 4 regular modes that can be configured in brightness;
- it has a direct access to the lowest mode, to the last used mode and to strobes/special modes; -
- it DOESN’T HAVE Reverse Polarity protection (meaning: never put an inverted Li-Ion cell onto it otherwise it may cause serious damage to the light, the battery and eventually the people around, in case it explodes - I am speaking with own experience);
- it will not give you access to the highest mode when the AA/Ni-MHbattery levels are lower than IDK what voltage;
- it is a reliable light, overal.
Lumintop Tool AA V2.0:
It is probably one of the most successful AA lights out there due to the price, the size and the output. You can find a great amount of reviews out there. In mine I showed the differences between AA, Ni-MH and 14500 cells: "DOUBLE REVIEW": Lumintop Tool AA V2.0 & Lumintop Tool25 [Pic Heavy]
What can I say:
- it has 4 modes with memory for the last used mode + strobe (hidden, click 6 times):
- it is small and lightweight;
- it is reliable;
- it has Cool White tint;
- it has a good output even with AA/ Ni-MH cells, but far from the max it gets with 14500 Li-Ion
- it is probably one of the best deals you can get for a good small light.
Sofirn SP10 “X”
I only have/had the SP10A and B versions, so I can compare with the SP10S.
I can tell it is a good light, but careful if it falls to the ground. For 2 times (the second one was definite…) one of those lights fell to the ground and stopped working. So…if you opt for it, take it into account.
Other lights you may consider, with pros and cons:
Skilhunt M150: good flashlight, better to be used with 14500 but can also be reliable with AA/Ni-MH (these cannot be recharged inside, if I recall correctly), but has 2 issues: high parasitic drain while locked up electronically, and a “weird” UI. Still, it is a good flashlight.
Convoy T2: robust flashlight, good ouput, has 3 or 4 modes with memory and double click for strobe (which is turned on very often due to the fast clicks when changing modes)
DQG Slim Ti : by far the smallest AA light in my collection, it is reliable, has 3 modes only without memory, has a more or less nice beam pattern with the original TIR lens, but it looks better with a more floody lens, it is lightweitght, but it is more expensive eventually.
Wuben E05 : seen as a very good light, with long runtimes and good output. It has 4 modes with memory, and shortcut to strobe (from ON) or turbo from OFF, it will have bigger output with a 14500 battery (USB rechargeable, included), has a strong magnetic tail, has a stock Cool White XPL-HD Led.
_
Here’s a glimpse at their size:
Sofirn SF10 > Sofirn SF14 > Convoy T2 > Jaxman E3 > Lumintop Tool (V1) > Nitefox ES10K > Nitecore D10 > Wuben E05 > Lumintop Tool AA V2.0 > Amutorch S3 > Sofirn SP10B > Manker E11 > DQG Slim ti
Please note that some lights were modded so their size or colour may not be the original ones.
Hope this helped and good luck with the search :+1: