Could you help me choose a flashlight for my 93 year old neighbour?

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

Hi people. Hope you are all OK.

My neighobur is 93 years old, and is using a flashlight/torch (Im from england so we say torch :stuck_out_tongue: ) from the pound shop, which is the equivalent to a dollar store.

The bulb has gone on it, and he is going to buy a NEW BULB for it, it will cost more than the torch does, and even in the dark the amount of light it puts out is nothing.

I want to get him something at not as small as the Tank 007, as he saw my mums and really liked it,but he will lose it being that small.

So I was thinking a step up to a AA torch, and I will buy it for him as a surprise with the batteries, when they run out I will charge them for him, but NO LI-ION batteries, he is 93 and it would be an accident waiting to happen.

An ideal torch would be AA powererd, not TOO small, just big enough for the AA batteries. Say a DUAL AA torch would be perfect size, OR if they exist a SINGLE AA would even be OK, as his sight is not actually bad for a 93 year olds, he just wears glasses and has a dark coloured lounge, so something dark and small like the tank could easily get lost for him.

Oh yeah, it HAS TO BE EASY to turn on, as he is 93, if it is difficult he will just use a crappy torch that puts out less light than a candle

(Seriously, he thought his torch was great bless him, but it honestly was outputting a few lumens maximum, I want it so he can actually SEE in the dark. I would get him an S2+, but I don’t want him using Li-ion’s as he is a bit deaf, and probably would over discharge the cell from not listening, or forget due to his age, so thats another pointer to AAA or AA batteries)

If someone could recommend me a cheap but OK torch, that provides at least the same amount of power as the Tank 007, that is a similiar price, up to £15, as I will also get batteries for him, that would be fantastic. I guess being AA or dual AA would give him more lumens? Honestly he was amazed by my mums tank, it was the brightest he had seen, I am going to show him my Convoy S2+ later :stuck_out_tongue: .

I just don’t want him wasting his money buying an incandescent bulb when he could have something much better, he is a good friend to us, my mum makes him dinner every day and he, at 93 goes shopping, walking like a 30 year old, he walks faster than ME and I am 25, and bring my mum milk and bread when we are low, and we do the same in return.

Never known a man like him, and never will again, he is a diamond so I want to get him something better than the pound shop/dollar store torch he will waste money on.

It just has to be larger than the tank 007, the convoy S2 is actually maybe a little wide, something slim and tall would be ok, Or short and stumpy. Just bigger than a key ring torch.

Thanks everyone. Conan.

2

maybe an olight s15r? http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_112105.html

3

does the one he has now feature a side switch or tail switch? is he comfortable using it? i have an olight t25 which uses 2 aa batteries, and gives off about 200 lumens. i currently have problems with my joints and i’m finding tail switches painful to use after i get off of work (i had operations on both thumbs). do you have access to aa led maglites? see if he’ll like the way those turn on or off.

4

the sk68 is nice also and very inexpensive. i would say stay away from the nitecore ea11. the switches are kind of small, and i’ve been thru 4 batteries in 4 weeks and i barely use it. i think it’s coming on in my pocket without me knowing it, and you can buy 7 sk68’s for the same price

5

I am quite low on funds at the moment, and see that the Cree Q5 7W is less than £4 AND in the UK.

With it being cree, and Single AA battery, plus easy click on off for him, is this a good torch for the price?

6

He is still actually very nimble for 93 years old, and could operate my Tank 007 with ease.

He liked the double AA battery torch as he could put it in his sock and poke someone in the throat with it if attacked, BUT he also carries his keys in his hand if he goes out alone after dark so he can bring the fronts of the keys and sharp keyfobs, slamming his grip on top of the attackers head or dragging down their face cutting it open, so a single AA battery would be OK for him he said.

7

Oh the SK68 IS the actual flashlight that is under £4 in the UK! I will get him that one.

8

yep.. single mode (max 2 modes).... definitely not a olight s15r!!

this comes close to a topic I opened a long time ago, about flashlights dedicated for older people, or people that cant memorize an UI...

maybe a sliding mechanism as can be found on classic flashlights

SK68 single mode could be great!

and a little upgrade, maybe a Klarus P1A (2modes, but only when you twist the head)

or I would suggest giving him a Meteor m43 LOL

Just to let you know, that last one was a joke :p

9

Convoy BD02.
Just ordered it for my father 75. I wanted it to be resonable size in the palm, side switch, easy modes/no blinkies, 18650 built-in charger.

10

At his age I think the best thing you could do for him is get his old light working.
Every time I go into a Radio Shack there is an older person buying a new battery for their cordless phone. I always stand a watch as they spend $20 or so for a battery. The older we get, the more important that everything remains the same.
(keep EVERYTHING the same EVERY day, and you’ll live forever!)

11

Hugsby XP-12
2AA will give you better efficiency. It’s one mode and well built for it’s price

Or XP-2 for AAA format

12

I have found with older people 70+ they don’t like things to be to small when it comes to things they want to grab hold of in emergencies. You might be better off going for a larger rubberised torch like you get at Maplin. Something like one of these:-

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/9-led-rubber-torch-a78rn

13

This is what I would get him!

Thanks, and have a Great Day!
-Chuck

14

PM sent

15

I would definetely get him something better than the sk 68 to be honest. For less than $2 more on your budget you could get a thrunite t10
http://www.thrunite.com/thrunite-t10/ The thrunite with half press interface might be tedious for him though.

A xeno03 flashlight from ebay ($25) is a good alternative or a fenix e05, fenix e12 in the same price range.

There are other quality flashlights that can be obtained in the AA format in this price range…

16

Oh, this might just fit your budget with change to spare :smiley:

http://www.gearbest.com/led-flashlights/pp_44134.html

17

I’ve used a 2-AA Fenix LD20 as an EDC for years. It was my first real LED flashlight. It’s been dropped, banged-around, gotten-wet, tools have fallen on it…you name it. But it still works as well today as when I bought it. I realize it’s out of his price range but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to someone looking for something reliable.

18

Also — get him lithium AA primary cells — for the flashlight and for the parts drawer.
They’ll last a long time, they won’t corrode away inside the light (and with LEDs, the light can still be plenty bright-looking while the alkaline has started to leak inside, you don’t get the orange dimming that incandescents did to spur you to change the battery).

19

For multi modes 2AA around that price can get Crelant V21A
I prefer Jetbeam BA20 but currently can’t find on promo, it’s not new model so may be can ask Banggood or Gearbest for discount.

20

My dad was 93, lost him at 96 a couple of years ago.
He liked these coin lights.
One on each key ring and every place else he might need one.
Also extras to give away to friends.
http://www.fasttech.com/products/1604/10000369/1058600-22000mcd-white-light-led-flashlight-keychains

Or just buy a SK 68.
(get both )
A Jetbeam BA10 - single AA - would be nice but is about $32 US.