I’m looking a light that I can use to see street signs and building addresses at night. Ideally it should operate off the one of the two power supplies (USB or 12 volt) and be rechargeable.
And I hope it’s not one of those $150 tactical lights – something reasonably priced please.
I’d suggest a Nitecore MH20
Nitecore MH20 1000 Lumens 240 Yards Beam Distance CREE XM-L2 U2 Black Rechargeable Flashlight With 1 Piece Nitecore NL183 2300mAh 18650 Battery Amazon.com
Several power levels. Comes with a LiIon cell. USB rechargeable and comes with the cable and a holster. Relatively small size too.
The Nitecore MH20 is a well regarded product, but the company cares about MAPs (minimum advertised prices) so deals are hard to find.
My favorite USB light is the Eagle Eye X6R ( Review ), but it’s not a turnkey product like the Nitecore. It’s been regularly offered for $24 from AliExpress (in China), but it presently is not listed (non-listing here ). This has happened 2 or 3 times before, so it will likely return to that location. And it doesn’t come with the battery or USB miniplug cord. Both are standard items, but 18650 batteries aren’t available at Walgreens – Amazon, or Batteries Plus or B+H. And if you use a protected cell, it doesn’t like anything longer than 69mm.
Another option is the new Manker U11. Here’s a Chinese company, FastTech, offering a good deal on it.
Again, there’s no battery included. My favorite battery source is Mountain Electronics. This is a good battery for the above lights. PayPal.
I have many lights using 18650 cells and usually charge with a Nitecore ID4 charger. But I like the USB chargeable lights for the car and travel. The USB charge function makes it convenient to be sure the light will work when I need it. That said, a pair of CR123a cells are also on hand.
Another turn-key product is this Xtar Darkwalker. It comes with battery, cord and instructions for $45.
The battery is listed as 2200 mAh, and probably is that. There are 18650 batteries available with capacities up to 3600 mAh, providing 50% more runtime, but if you’re not going trekking it’s not likely to be an issue. If you go to Amazon and search for Batteries 18650 5000 mAh, you’ll get a long list of fraudulently labelled batteries; it’s good to buy brandnames or to know your supplier.
Yes, only buy from a reputable seller. Any 18650 cell labeled as over 3600 mah is fraudulent. And they need to be protected cells as well.
Screw those flashlights with odd batteries, etc… I recommend something like a Q-beam.
Umm, those lights all use odd batteries themselves. Additionally they are bulky and really can’t be kept in your cars console or glove box readily at hand. I do have a version of the B&D model myself and use it occasionally, but the smaller lights are much handier 95% of the time.
One more economy model: The Singfire SF-349. It’s not at the same quality level as the other lights, but it’s got some decent comment on budgetlightforum.com. I haven’t tried it myself, but am tempted to buy one… the finish is dull purple and it has a battery status indicator. $17 with free shipping from China.
It’s sold under various brand names, but seems to be getting harder to find. You’ll need to buy a battery for it.
And, yeah, 18650 batteries are common compared to the battery in that handheld spotlight. They’re the most common cylindrical Lithium-ion cell, used in laptops, cordless tools and (by the thousands) in Tesla electric cars.
As well as my Prius and my new Avalon Hybrid.