General purpose
Wurkkos TS22 5000k : 3000 lumens on start, 3 hours at sustained 700 lumens, magnetic tail, power bank function, built in charger, high cri for 30 bucks
Thrower:
Convoy L21B SFT40: throws 1200 meters for 40 bucks, there is no match for this guy at this price range.
Power outage:
Sofirn SP33S: 6 hours at 600 lumens with 5000 mAh battery, power bank function, got one for 26 bucks!
Home indoors light:
TS10 4000k: pocketable sun high cri for 16-19 bucks. Very useful beam
Monster lumen:
Q8 plus: 24.000 lumens with p45B for 80 bucks
The light I remember that seemed like the best value for the dollar at the time was the Astrolux FT03. Large head with incredible throw but is only pocket-able in a jacket pocket.
Perhaps there should be a qualifier in the title like:
*that you would actually want to own
I don’t know of a lot of flashlight enthusiasts really wanting to get $1 lights. They are better than nothing in the dark, but even for the budget-conscious, not terribly desirable.
Best cheap, best inexpensive, best dollar?
It’s all the same question.
The best one is going to be the one that you carry or keep near you and actually use. And enjoy using. That means you like the UI and the beam and the color temperature and the size and how it charges etc.
If you have not bought enough to experiment to know what you like then you will either just use them and not be fully happy or keep buying inexpensive lights that don’t necessarily make you happy until you figure it out. Convoy lights do allow you to experiment with a lot of different LEDs but UI choices are limited at this point.
I have a lot of lights that I never use. Many seemed relatively cheap at the time so I was willing to overlook some things that I didn’t like about them when I purchased them. In the end they helped me identify what I like and what I don’t like and what I enjoy using.
My favorite light cost just under $100.
My second favorite light cost just over 20. It’s not perfect.
My third favorite light cost just under 300.
They all serve very different tasks for me.
Once you know what you like and want and will use don’t be afraid to buy it.
I was aiming for the best value for your money kind of discussion. I hate this phrase and I was trying my best to avoid using it but “best bang for your buck”. I like to think theres a sweet spot between the most expensive lights on the market and the cheapest walmart light where you get amazing performance and quality but you’re also not spending a lot to get it. I just wanted to hear different peoples opinions, I know there’s not definitive answer and people like different lights for different reasons. I guess i could just asked whats everybody current favorite light or the light they use most often. I guess I thought of it this way because when I first got interested in these sweet flashlights I started wondering what the cheapest light I could buy that would still be a really badass quality device.
As long as you don’t mind buying a charger and battery separately the Convoy S2+ or (S6 if you want more throw) is tough to beat. They’re cheap, easy to pocket-carry and I really like the UI. I set all of mine to the 1%, 10%, 30%, 100% group and memory off, knowing that it’s always going to come on in the lowest mode is something I value and even for outdoor use 10% is generally enough light.
If you don’t know which emitter to get, go for a 519a in the colour temp of your choice for general use (5000K is pretty much bang-on neutral white), or an SFT-40 if throw is more your thing. Get the buck driver because it’s the most efficient.
Simple! I’ve reviewed tons of lights, cheap and very expensive. Best value per $ currently (based on my testing and observations). These are all coming in under or right around $20 to $40 US.
Wurkkos TD01C
Wurkkos TS26S
Wurkkos TS23
Convoy M21A (xhp70.3 variant)
Convoy M21H (xhp70.3 variant)
Convoy C8+ (any variant with the 5A or 8A buck driver or boost driver-the xhp70.3HI version is particularly nice)
Convoy S2+ with 5A buck driver
If you can get it on sale, the Fireflylite X4 with sft25r or ffl351A are also nice but a bit more expensive than Convoy or Wurkkos at around $65-$70.
These are affordable but decent performing lights. They have fully regulated drivers for smooth output and great efficiency. Any will be a good choice.
Wurkkos really seems to have a nice selection of budget-friendly small “flood” lights, especially with their use of onboard charging. You get a complete package. I’m waiting on one to arrive.
Wurkkos FC11C - Comes with a519a (that you can easily dedomed). Can get it with a battery. Has USB-C charging. Can get it for under $20. For a non-enthusiast, this is the best ‘bang for your buck’ flashlight you can purchase.
Also, a $1-$2 flashlight is going to have garbage batteries or none at all. Even most flashlights at Walmart are going to run more than that. I think a cheap 18650 LED light is actually better value long term. It really is 10x better
