Newcomers, welcome to /r/flashlight! We discuss flashlights, headlamps, bike lights, work lights, batteries, chargers, and more.

I discourage unnecessary jargon use, but many people here don't care. We do have a glossary and an acronym dictionary.

Arbitrary list of popular lights

After you read the safety tips later in this post, you might want to check the arbitrary list of popular lights next.

Our recommendation form

If you want recommendations, please fill in our recommendation form. Please also tell us what your current favorite light is, and what you like and dislike about it.

Choosing a light

Contrary to popular belief: Fixed-focus lights are almost always better than zoom lights (focusable lights). Fixed-focus lights produce both spot and flood lighting at the same time. Zoomies can't do this. (Source.)

Lumen claims often refer to turbo mode. Turbo lumens may only last for a minute or two, and then the light may step down to high mode. Turbo mode puts out a lot of heat; manufacturers don't want to melt your hands. Don't just consider turbo lumens; also consider sustained lumens.

If you find a light on Amazon or another online marketplace, and the listing claims more than 5,000 lumens, it's probably a lie.

Alkaline AA batteries can leak and destroy your light (example). Rechargeable AA batteries work better, and are unlikely to leak. There are battery ratings on AA Cycler's website. Panasonic sells an excellent starter kit, which includes Eneloop batteries and a charger. AA cells are the safest cells, even when treated carelessly. AA-powered lights usually can't do turbo mode.

Don't catch on fire, and don't die

Here are my safety recommendations.

A light can turn on by accident. Don't burn your leg or your pants, and don't drain your battery. Before you put your light in your pocket or bag, lock it out. Just untwist the battery tailcap slightly, so that the light can't turn on. This is especially important for Convoy lights without temperature control.

While any battery is recharging, do not nap, sleep, or leave home.

Many of the lights we recommend contain loose cylindrical lithium-ion rechargeable batteries: for example, 18650 or 21700 cells. These look sort of like AA batteries, but are bigger and far more powerful. They are sometimes just called "cylindrical cells". The US government warns that they can cause injury or death, and claims that you shouldn't buy or use them at all. However, if you learn and follow all the cylindrical cell safety guidelines, I think it's probably reasonable to use them anyway.

Do not carry a loose Li-ion cell in your pocket or bag. Keep it in a plastic case.

Do not use a Li-ion cell if the plastic jacket is visibly damaged.

Use quality batteries, such as Sony, LG, Sanyo, Panasonic, Samsung, or Molicel. Batteries branded as Acebeam, EagleTac, Fenix, JetBeam, or Nitecore are "rewrapped", and are also excellent. Random Chinese batteries from Amazon may be fire hazards.

It might be safest to charge your Li-ion cells in an external charger ("Li-ion bay charger"), from a trustworthy company such as Fenix, ThruNite, or Tenergy.

Read all of the cylindrical cell safety guidelines before you order your light, and again once a year or so.

If you don't want to bother learning the safety guidelines, just buy a rechargeable light, and leave the battery permanently installed.

Conclusion

I thank all those whose posts and/or comments helped to make my post better. These include: /u/CynderPC, /u/eisbock, /u/Jaded_Disaster1282, /u/siege72a, and all those who have posted helpful content in online flashaholic spaces. If I forgot to mention you by name, please let me know.

If anything in this post was unclear, please comment below and ask for clarification. If you disagree with anything, or if I missed anything, please say so: I might edit my post.

If you have any other questions, please start a new thread. Thanks!

  • I would like to add:

    Please research beforehand in what light you're getting and how the UI (User Interface) could possibly work. Some of these light's use, what looks like, complex UI's but aren't in reality. Just read it through to have a vague idea of what button combination's does what.

    You wouldn't buy an exotic pet without doing the proper preparation, would you now.

    Anyhow, enjoy this hobby!

    parent

    Using this as a Semi-Thread of what to add:

    mention Molicel batteries
maybe mention that some lights (some convoys) don’t have temperature regulation and can prove to be more hazardous for burns and such. 
Maybe mention Xtar or Vapcell in the battery charger section. 
Other than those very minor things, this is a great post and will be helpful for the new folks after christmas time
    parent root

    I've edited my post to mention Molicel batteries.

    Maybe mention that some lights (some Convoys) don’t have temperature regulation and can prove to be more hazardous for burns and such.

    [Edit: Done.]

    Xtar ... Vapcell

    [Edit: I'm not comfortable recommending cheap Chinese chargers from Xtar, Vapcell, or LiitoKala, especially to newcomers who might not follow the safety guidelines.] Cheap things may be popular, but they may not be the best quality. In fact, if you buy a cheap Chinese charger without external NRTL certification, and in the unlikely event it starts a fire: Your homeowner or tenant insurance policy might refuse your claim.

    The flashlight store in my city sells plenty of chargers, but none are made by Xtar or Vapcell. I dunno if it's even legal to sell self-certified Xtar or Vapcell chargers in the US.

    Nowadays, many homes are full of synthetic materials, including polyester carpets, synthetic furniture, and more. A fire can fully engulf a home in just five minutes. (Source.) It may be very rare for a lithium-ion battery to burst into flames, but it's happened before. It's worth spending a bit more to get a top-quality charger. If you can't afford new, you can buy used.

    I may be wrong, and I might like debating. Feel free to debate me. :)

    If you disagree with anything in this comment, please reply and say why this is.

    parent root
    parent root

    Some people have had issues with Xtar chargers. Here's a post in which /u/kosmatulovic got sparks, smoke, and a terrible smell from an Xtar charger.

    A good review from HKJ is helpful. However, it is not a sufficient substitute for NRTL certification (e.g. UL or Intertek).

    HKJ gets chargers for review from Xtar directly. Xtar might only send him individual units which they've already tested and found to be good.

    If HKJ gets a dud, he might withhold his review completely. (Source.)

    He does not love all of Xtar's chargers. The Xtar MC4S might be the one which he disliked the most. His review's conclusion begins: "Xtar has completely failed with this charger." (Source.)

    parent root

    Xtar might only send him individual units which they've already tested and found to be good.

    This may or may not be news to you, but this is exactly how NRTL testing works. Anything up for certification isn't part of regular production and has been selectively chosen to be the best of the best. And you don't know how many times a listed product failed certification until it made it through.

    You're not wrong that listed products are preferable, but your reasoning is flawed. You also did a lot of speculation, so I'll add some more: maybe Xtar's products are generally UL quality, but Xtar doesn't want to spend the $20k to get them listed.

    parent root

    If it’s UL regulated. UL will do a facility visit and can check items off the line. I don’t work with battery’s but I do work with UL and this is common across their testing during facility visits.

    parent root

    I'm not saying they're intentionally gaming the certification process by creating superior samples with a different process than standard production.

    Certification samples are made with the usual process and the best are hand-picked, or a technical person builds them to ensure best quality possible. But it's still the same product and most coming off the line should be able to pass UL, scrap excluded. You just don't want to submit that Friday 3pm part from the guy who's planning on dying from a heroin overdose on Saturday.

    parent root

    Genuinely something I have considered too. Like how some motor oils aren’t Dexos certified, (Full Synthetic High Milage), but the base model versions are. The company may simply not want to spend the money on certifications. It’s cheap no doubt, but it’s very possible.

    parent root

    This is concerning. I have an Xtar MC2 which I like because it has a single LED indication for charging. The LCD displays annoy me because you have to go right up close to them to determine whether it's finished charging. Might look at getting a different charger now though as I'd rather my house didn't burn down.

    parent root

    If a person is buying a new charger, I would recommend looking for a better brand than Xtar.

    If you already own one or more chargers, it's not clear to me that it's crucial to buy a new one which is better than Xtar. I've never heard of an Xtar charger actually burning someone's house down.

    If you already own a better charger than Xtar, use that.

    If not, maybe just follow all the cylindrical cell safety guidelines. And maybe also use your Xtar charger on a non-flammable surface, like glass, metal, or ceramic tile.

    If you have one room (e.g. a kitchen) with automatic fire sprinklers: Use your Xtar charger there.

    Xtar chargers eventually fail and stop working. When yours does, consider buying something better.

    In general, I try not to buy anything which draws 110+ volts or comes with a rechargeable lithium battery, unless it's from a Western company with no typos on the product page. Often, companies which care about spelling also care about product quality.

    parent root

    How much evidence is there of xtar chargers actually being subpar? They specialise in chargers and seem to adhere to international certifications, I'm not entirely convinced that a scattering of reports of faulty units is sufficient to label them subpar. Even iPhones, one of the most premium products on earth, have been known to occasionally catch fire.

    parent root

    Self-certification logos on a Chinese product, such as FCC, CE, RoHS, and/or CEC, are basically worthless.

    Some chargers have certification by an external NRTL certification body such as UL or Intertek. Others, such as Xtar chargers, don't. Especially when recommending chargers to newcomers who might not read or follow the safety guidelines, I think it's best for us to recommend chargers with external certification.

    Xtar chargers are popular because they're cheap. A lot of people want cheap things, and don't care very much about quality.

    parent root

    I'm curious how you would apply this logic to Weltool. Everything they make is top notch quality but as far as I know they are a Chinese brand and don't have external certification of their chargers.

    parent root
    parent root

    It turns out that even Nitecore's current chargers don't actually have external NRTL certification. I thought Nitecore chargers were premium products, but I was likely mistaken.

    I've edited my original post.

    /u/CynderPC, /u/eisbock: Thank you. I've credited you in my original post.

    parent root

    Not going to try and start any sort of argument here...It is your post after all.

    Convoy: Many people start out with S2+'s, they are great cheap beginner lights, iirc they don't have temp control, kind of a niche thing.

    Xtar: It's more than likely legal to sell them in the US, 18650BatteryStore, Amazon, Lion Wholesale, and more sell them. Not sure why you're specifically looking for an NRTL certification, from the research I did neither Fenix nor Nitecore have NRTL certifications that are publicly available. Looks like they have FCC, CE, and RoHS along with CEC, my Xtar charger has all of these besides the CEC certification.

    I will say this is all just quick google searching, if you can provide me with somewhere that says the Fenix, and Nitecore both have some sort of NRTL certification, I will gladly accept that, and maybe even return my 8-bay Xtar that I am getting.

    As far as the Vapcell chargers go, I don't own one, just know they are recommended here and there, figured it was worth a mention.

    I'm going to reiterate it, I'm not looking to argue, more or less just for some insight on what the problem is with Xtar chargers. You seem to know what you're talking about so I'm sure you can explain it to me.

    parent root

    I don't think you're being argumentative. I do want to edit my post and improve it.

    I've added mention of Convoy to my post.

    FCC, CE, and RoHS are not NRTL certifications.

    [Edit: Various Fenix and ThruNite chargers have UL certification. See, for example, file E483382, among others.]

    I hope to look into Nitecore soon. I'm not sure whether or not DC-powered chargers normally have or can get NRTL certification.

    The basic problem with Xtar products is that they're sold by a Chinese company with no US presence and likely no official US distributor. Therefore, they don't really need to follow any US laws or carry any required US certification(s). Because they're in China, they may basically not be liable at all for any problems which their products may or may not cause in the US. As the authors of this book might say: When you get the "China price" on a product, quality is not really guaranteed.

    Online stores, unfortunately, do sometimes sell uncertified products. Do you know of any physical retailers which sell Xtar?

    parent root

    Yeah I know the FCC, CE, and RoHS are not NRTL. Those 3 are all european standards that aren’t really standards, just basically self certified. I did see one Fenix light with UL mentioned in one of the images but that was all. So let just say all of Fenix’s chargers are all UL certified (I doubt it, but maybe), why are Nitecore’s chargers up there with them? They are also a chinese company with very little presence in the US, and the same certifications on their products. So how are they any different than Xtar?

    I personally don’t know of any physical retailers that sell Xtar, but I also don’t know of any physical retailers at all. Not sure that there is any in my area.

    I will pitch in about the DC part. Looks like the wall wart on the VC8 Plus is ETL certified, I don’t have mine yet, so i can’t see the actual charger part itself yet, I’m assuming the same FCC, CE, RoHS.

    parent root

    +1. I assume Nitecore is trustworthy, since the only flashlight store in my city does sell Nitecore chargers. But I could be wrong. [Edit: I was wrong.]

    I'm hopefully gonna try to figure out whether the top-left certification mark on this Nitecore charger is from an NRTL. [Edit: It's not. See /u/eisbock's comment below.]

    [Edit: I've removed mention of Nitecore chargers from my original post.]

    Looks like the wall wart on the VC8 Plus is ETL certified

    Wall warts are AC-powered and always require certification. Certified wall warts aren't expensive, so the ETL mark could easily be real. Still, once the wall wart arrives, please tell us the manufacturer of the wall wart, and the tiny numbers below the ETL logo.

    I personally don’t know of any physical retailers that sell Xtar, but I also don’t know of any physical retailers at all. Not sure that there is any in my area.

    Walmart, hardware stores, Home Depot, and Costco all do sell flashlights from time to time. They may even be USB rechargeable. Unfortunately, they may not be as good as lights you can get online.

    I don't think any of those stores sell Li-ion bay chargers. Loose cylindrical cells are not safe for use by Muggles who don't read instructions.

    parent root

    I'm hopefully gonna try to figure out whether the top-left certification mark on this Nitecore charger is from an NRTL.

    That's a C-Tick, and it's not from an NRTL. In Australia, it's a declaration of electromagnetic compatibility. It's also obsolete and has since been combined with the A-Tick into the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM).

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_Compliance_Mark

    Similar to the CE mark, the RCM is not a quality indicator nor a certification mark.

    parent root
    parent root

    That looks like it might be an off-the-shelf wall wart with an Xtar logo added onto it. (Source: the fine print near the very bottom of the adapter.)

    It's definitely a good start that Xtar is using a wall wart with external certification.

    But does the charger itself also need certification? I dunno.

    I've made a post to /r/batteries, to try to find out the answer.

    parent root

    I would assume that the wall wart doesn’t provide a blanket certification. After all there is quite a bit of circuitry in the charger. PM if there’s any major updates on that post.

    parent root

    as an fpv pilot who puts 6s lipos in dangerous flight situations constantly, and is also very, very firesafe at home with them - all the concerns about li-ions are just so cute xD

    parent root

    Li-ion cells can catch on fire too.

    parent root

    i am aware. but people who work on 240v commercial electricity probably laugh at my lipos.

    parent root

    Do you have any specific chargers you recommend ?

    parent root

    No. You can buy anything from Fenix, ThruNite, or Tenergy. I think all three of those companies get electrical certification for the chargers they sell.

    parent root

  • I wish I did this before I went down the hole. I just bought what I like and it's a different flavor each week. Now, most of them are not being used to their full potential and/or are just gathering dust, yet I'm having a hard time culling the herd because of my emotional attachment to some of them.

    I like Anduril and Zebralight's UI by the way.

    parent

    I'm having a hard time culling the herd because of my emotional attachment to some of them.

    Maybe you could give them away to cherished friends or relatives. This may work better if the lights accept AA or AAA batteries, or have USB charging built in.

    If you have any AliExpress special "1,000,000 lumen" zoomies, or some green-tinted 9.5 CRI 7500K CCT flashlight gloves: You could give these as a birthday present to a least-favorite cousin. :)

    parent root

  • Thank you. I’ve been lurking here for a few weeks, and y’all speak a different language.

    parent

  • While any battery is recharging, do not nap, sleep, or leave home.

    Why? I don't treat other devices with rechargeable lithium cells this way. And there are a lot of them these days. Power tools, lap tops, toys, phones.

    parent

    dedicated chargers have their contact points wide open. Something could fall on it, short it out, and cause a fire.

    There are also some extremely cheap chargers that genuinely pose a hazard.

    parent root

    Which I totally get. But that should be added. Vs the blanket statement of don't charge any li ion cells unless you are sitting right there watching it. Charge responsibly.

    parent root

    A couple of years ago a dive boat caught fire off Catalina Island in California, killing all but a couple of those aboard. The source of the fire was traced to batteries for dive lights, cameras, etc, being charged above decks. I believe any safety reminder is worth risking a bit of redundancy and blanketing. Just a humble opinion.

    parent root

    I appreciate you.

    parent root

    I'm extra cautious. I try not to even charge my laptop or cellphone while I'm sleeping. Charging while awake provides an extra measure of safety. It can prevent fires.

    But the guideline is especially important for users of loose cylindrical cells and inexpensive Chinese flashlights.

    parent root

    Totally appreciate that

    parent root

    While any battery is recharging, do not nap, sleep, or leave home.

    I wonder if I should weaken that warning. I could make it refer to flashlights and cylindrical cells only, and exclude laptops, phones, and other devices.

    parent root

    tbh I always charge my phone when awake since I unplug at about 80% since I keep them for 5+ years and read that not charing to 100% all the time is better.

    parent root

    not [charging] to 100% all the time is better

    This is true.

    In advance, I usually set a charge alarm on the "AccuBattery" and/or "BatteryBot Pro" Android apps. I set them to make a sound and notify me when the battery reaches my desired amount of fullness.

    parent root

    Using iphone, so I set an automation to popup a notification at 80%. Sounds like essentially the same thing that you have set up on android but yours has sound too.

    parent root

    I burned a cellphone with a cheap charger before, it melted the cord and the port on the phone.

    parent root

  • What's the difference that makes these batteries unsuitable for newcomers vs someone that's experiencd? It comes across as gatekeeping if you don't explain why they're worse. It's much easier for someone to just add a battery to their flashlight order and those are typically going to be house branded (e.g. Wurkkos and Sofirn). Why exactly are you suggesting a newcomer not purchase those?

    parent

    I don't have enough information to evaluate the Chinese batteries which Sofirn and Wurkkos tend to rewrap. Therefore, I'm not comfortable recommending them to newcomers who might not even read or follow the battery safety guidelines in the first place.

    Sofirn and Wurkkos batteries might not be worse than Samsung or Molicel. In fact, they might even be better. I just don't have enough information to evaluate them. Therefore, my post says nothing about them.

    Why exactly are you suggesting a newcomer not purchase those?

    I'm not sure I ever suggested such a thing.

    If you read my post carefully, it doesn't tell users to use or to avoid Sofirn or Wurkkos batteries. It simply is silent about the matter.

    parent root

  • Add Xtar and Vapcell to good chargers. Should also add Vapcell to good batteries, as well as Sofirn and Wurkkos branded ones.

    parent

    My post recommends batteries and chargers to newcomers who have never used cylindrical cells before. I hope they'll follow all the safety guidelines, but I fear that they may not. In order to reduce the risk of harm, I want to encourage them to use only batteries and chargers which I know are top-quality.

    Xtar and Vapcell chargers were discussed earlier. Personally, I'm not comfortable recommending them when better chargers (e.g. Fenix, ThruNite) are available.

    Some Vapcell batteries are rewraps of quality cells. However, other Vapcell batteries are custom products which may not have UL certification. (Example.) So I'm not comfortable making a blanket statement that all Vapcell batteries are recommended.

    I looked online. Sofirn and Wurkkos batteries may all be rewraps of Chinese batteries from manufacturers which I've never heard of. The batteries might not be worse than Samsung or Molicel. In fact, they might even be better. However, I don't have enough information to evaluate them. Therefore, my post says nothing about them.

    If you disagree with anything in this comment, please reply and let me know what you disagree with. Thanks!

    parent root

    You asked for feedback, I gave it.

    UL listing is bullshit, and I don't think they even do list individual cells (after all, handling one does have inherent risks). No idea who makes Fenix's chargers.

    You are ignoring a lot of popular battery and charger brands lots of people here use with never a problem.

    parent root

    The UL standard for loose cylindrical cells is UL 1642, or maybe UL 62133-2.

    I don't think we can claim that any given battery or charger brand is problem-free. Even some Samsung Galaxy Note 7 batteries caught fire. I hope to steer newcomers towards what I hope are top-quality batteries and chargers. But, in the end, it's up to them what to buy.

    I do appreciate your feedback. I might not agree with 100% of everything that you say, but I've definitely learned from some of your many helpful /r/flashlight comments. In general, I think you know significantly more about flashlights than me. Maybe one day I can become as knowledgeable as you are.

    I'm not an expert in how UL certification works. Still, I think it's useful when a third party takes a second look at a product, to try to make sure it's made well.

    At least where I live, I think it's illegal to use any 120-volt product without external certification. I have no idea whether or not there's any local rule about uncertified cylindrical cells. If you think external certification is a useless waste, I'd be interested to hear why you think this.

    parent root

  • Note that many Olight flashlights use a proprietary battery design, with both (+) and (-) poles at the top end. And as such unscrewing the cap a 1/4, 1/2, or full turn may not break the circuit. However, usually Olight provides for an electronic lockout (such as a 2-second hold while OFF).

    If you do obtain a flashlight from a reputable company that has a proven & reliable built-in charging function, doesn't recharging a cell with one of those actually provide more safety than a dedicated charger? Most dedicated chargers have the cell contacts exposed to the air. And as such, metallic debris, liquid, or a sufficient impact could cause a short. At least with a flashlight featuring a built-in charger, the battery is totally sealed up and protected.

    parent

    If you do obtain a flashlight from a reputable company that has a proven & reliable built-in charging function, doesn't recharging a cell with one of those actually provide more safety than a dedicated charger? Most dedicated chargers have the cell contacts exposed to the air. And as such, metallic debris, liquid, or a sufficient impact could cause a short. At least with a flashlight featuring a built-in charger, the battery is totally sealed up and protected.

    +1. Good question! I'm not sure. Let's see what others say.

    Please consider making a new post, and replying to this comment with a link to it. This way, you might get more answers, sooner.

    parent root

  • So you 👈 are looking 👀 for a flashlight 💡🔦? You are 💤 tired 😩 of using your 📱cellphone📵 light? Look 👀 no further than r/flashlight 🤩, we 👋 are all 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ here to help 🆘 you 👈 😄. First 🥇 you gotta tell 🗣️ us 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ what you 👈 plan 💭 to do with your flashlight💡🔦 cuz it is important🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️. Do you 👈 want to blind 👁️ people 😵 driving 🚘 in their car 🚗 at night 🌙 and cause 😧 accidents 🤕💀? Don’t 🚫🙅‍♂️ do that its illegal 🚔👮‍♀️👮‍♂️. Is it for camping🏕️? Camping 🏕️ is dangerous ☠️ you know 🧠 there might be bears 🐻around 🏞 so do not 🚫🙅‍♂️ go camping 🏕️. Do you 👈 want 🤤 a 🪖 tactical 🥷 light 💡🔦 to defend 🛡️ yourself 👈 against criminals 🔪and burglars 🔫? It is not 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️ really useful cuz they will 😵 shoot 🔫 you ⚰️👈; just give 🙌 them your 👈 money 💰💸. Is it for EDC 📆? YOU 👈 DON'T 👏 NEED 👏 TO 👏 HAVE 👏 A 👏 LIGHT 👏 ON 👏 YOU 👈 ALL 👏 THE 👏 TIME 🕒 there is plenty ❗ of light 💡 everywhere ☀️, and batteries 🔋 in pockets 👖 is no 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️ good 🚫 cuz they can 💣 explode 💥 on your 👈 nuts 🥜 rendering you 👈 sterile 😳😆 no 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️ babies 👶🍼 for you 👈. Now we 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ need to know 🧠 if you 👈 want high 👆 CRI 💯 to see color 👁️🌈 better 🤔🤩. If not 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♀️ just buy 💵💸 an O-light 🅾️🔦 but ⚠️ warning ⚠️ you 👈 cannot 🙅‍♂️🚫 take them 🅾️🔦 out of their box 📦. You 👈 have the choice 🤔 between warm 🥵, neutral 😐 or cold 🥶 white 🔦, just choose 🤔 one of those 🔦 OK 👌? You 👈 should ❗ tell 🗣️ us 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ your 👈 budget 🤑 cuz you 👈 have to buy 💸💸 them 💡🔦 with money💰. You cannot 🙅‍♂️🚫 buy 💸 a light 💡🔦 without money 💸😔. For high budget 👆🤑 give us 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ the money 💰 and we 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ will select 🤔 a light 💡🔦 for you 👈 after a few days 📆🤐. Now that you 👈 got your light 💡🔦 you 👈 can set stuff 🤔 on fire 🔥 like police 👮 cars 🚔, trees 🎄 and animals 🐋. You 👈 can burn 🔥 yourself 👈 too and enjoy 😎 the smell of bacon 🥓 all day 📅 long. We 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ hope 🙏 you 👈 enjoyed 🤣 our 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♀️ help 🆘 you 👈 are now 😳 enlightened 🧐.

    parent

    Holy shit I am enlightened

    parent root

    I came here to learn and get help deciding what light to get for outdoors,  camping, etc. Cause i cant afford to buy more than once. I was confused a d frustrated.  Still am. But this response/post made me giggle alot. 

    parent root

  • I really like this! And providing a link to the sidebar is a genius idea :)

    I have two suggestions for additions:

    • Lumen Inflation Lies: Most lights advertising more than 5000 lumens are lying (especially if running on 3xAA or 3xAAA). The legit brightest flashlights in 2024 are less than 250,000 lumens.

    • Runtime: The ANSI FL1 standard measures lumens at 30 seconds, and the runtime is when the light drops to 10% of the output. A light with (legit) 1000 lumens could drop to 101 lumens at 31 seconds and advertise "hours of runtime".

    parent

    +1. I've edited my post. I gave you credit in the post's final section.

    A light with (legit) 1000 lumens could drop to 101 lumens at 31 seconds and advertise "hours of runtime".

    Yes, this could happen. But I'm not sure if any real light has ever gamed the system in such a precise way.

    In reality: Often, turbo mode lasts somewhat longer: perhaps 45 seconds or even 2 minutes. And, often, after turbo mode ends, the light might step down to high mode: perhaps 500 lumens.

    Meanwhile, the light might advertise 2,000 hours of continuous runtime, but this might only be true in moon mode (0.1 lumen).

    parent root

    +1. I've edited my post. I gave you credit in the post's final section.

    Thank you! Happy to help :)

    Yes, this could happen. But I'm not sure if any real light has ever gamed the system in such a precise way.

    I've seen reviews of (older) lights with timed stepdowns from turbo/high. Regardless of temperature, after 30 seconds the light would drop to a much lower level. It wasn't down to ~10%, but ANSI Runtime allows for that level of cheating.

    I don't believe it's done currently - as you said, they can mislead via lumens and conflating turbo output with low-mode runtime.

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  • Where is the recommendation form? The link provided doesn't work.

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    Like I said above:

    If you want recommendations, please fill in our recommendation form. The link to the form is in our sidebar. Please also tell us what your current favorite light is, and what you like and dislike about it.

    (New emphasis added.)

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    * My view of the sidebar is empty, or lacking the form.

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    The link is slightly below rule 10. "Looking to buy a light? Get good recommendations!"

    Do you see it now?

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    I don't use the Reddit mobile app.

    The form is at: http://bit.ly/1W7TmpF

    I've edited my original post to link more directly to the form. I've credited you near the end of the post.

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  • Is there a light that has an app, ie find my phone, that is available? My kids use my s&@$ and leave it somewhere on the boat.

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    You could attach a key ring to the flashlight and hook on one of those Apple AirTags.

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  • Just as an FYI the link for " cylindrical cell safety guidelines" goes to a website which I'm sure is probably a great website for this information but unfortunately none of it is accessible as far as I can tell. I always get error pages when I try and click on some of the links like the ones that give reviews of the singular battery chargers that you can buy. I'm wondering if this is a matter of just signing up for the website and being a member for it? Or if there is some kind of error with the link possibly or somebody could possibly link the charger review here directly. And of course this is also going to bring up. Somebody probably wondering about whether someone should update the review list as it seems like they come out with a new battery charger type every 10 minutes lately. 😂😂

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    It's a forum post from 9 years ago. Some of the links are broken by now. But the main text of the forum post is still readable.

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  • Your a Jedi master. Im a fast but learning a lot. Spent my life as a button pushing dummy. No longer, I've seen the light.

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  • I think it would be better to add guidelines to avoid buying products that are mistakenly identified as CREE LEDs, such as the" XHP190", which is listed as a good product on Amazon.

    It would be better to include ”XTAR, Vapcell, and Keeppower” as manufacturers that handle repackaged batteries.

    Guidelines for purchasing a charger should state that a particular cell battery charger does not support AA or AAA Ni-MH batteries.

    Although it has already been discontinued, there are still chargers on the market, such as the "XTAR VC2", that are not compatible with charging AAA or AA batteries.

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  • "Read safety guidelines once a year"

    "Do not nap when any battery is charging"
    "18650's can kill you"
    "Keep Li-Ion batteries in plastic cases"

    What the heck?

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    People have died from flashlight battery incidents before. Rarely, yes, but it's happened.

    "Keep Li-Ion batteries in plastic cases"

    This point is definitely not overkill.

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    /r/flashlight is a place for humans. Content that appears to be primarily AI generatod is not allowed. Automated accounts are only allowed with prior permission from the moderators.

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    Not sure how you're going to see who has certifications. Doing a pretty big deep dive here, and not coming across a whole lot, even with the brand OP recommended.

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    Hi! For all questions not trying to clarify the meaning of my original post, please make a new post. :) You can PM me a link to the new post if you want.

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  • When can i post? New to reddit

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