A practical post just to counter everyone else on here and be a bummer:
You probably shouldn’t spend $300 on flashlights, especially since you don’t plan to do anything outdoors. Hell, a $6.50 bojuit headlamp would be fine. (Though an upgrade to the skilhunt h03 would probably be better).
HAVE to spend $300? I’d aim for variety but still not blow a ton of money.
Buy:
- Charger (home): Miboxer C4-12 for speed or Folomov A4 if you want cheaper. Even liitokala 500. $20-$30ish
- Charger (portable): Liitokala 100 for ~ $2-$3
- Batteries: (2) NCR18650GA for capacity, (2) Sony VTC6 for more power (~$6/battery)
- Headlamp: Skilhunt H03 still. Not worth the extra for zebralight. $25
- Small EDC: A zillion options here. If you are actually carrying it AA or AAA might make sense. I hate heavy things in my pockets. Zebralight is the most loved but $80ish. I’d just get something like a Lumintop Tool AAA Nichia, etc. Here’s a favorite AA thread: Best Single AA flashlight for 2017/18 ?. Manker E11 looks pretty nice. AA gets you a lot more capacity than AAA (2500 vs 900mAh).
Optional:
- Handheld: Emisar D4 ($40) or BLF A6 ($25). For high power.
- Throwy: Sofirn C8T ($18) or splurge on Emisar D1S ($40)
- Lantern: no good option right now, wait for the BLF project to be ready ($40ish)
Notice that these are nearly 18650 lights. That’s because I think in most use cases they just make a lot more sense than AA. Headlamp/hiking? The h03 is super light and AA models like the Thrunite Th20 are mere ounces lighter. Handheld for home? No reason to be small. Same for throwy. Only an EDC I’d say justifies AA or AAA if you are pocketing it.
Typical battery capacity/weight ratio:
3500mAH 18650 / 47g = 75mAH/g
2550mAH eneloop pro / 30g = 85mAH/g
950mAH eneloop pro / 13g = 73mAH/g
Surprisingly I thought 18650’s almost always won this battle. Looks like the eneloop pros are actually more dense. (The standard eneloops at 2000mAh are only around 66mAH/g)