I am tired of the cheap ones that only last a year. I need to order one online and am hoping for some tried and true suggestions.
This is what my town’s PD uses and they go through quite a bit of abuse. They might have converted to the LED version by now, not sure.
I have a couple of LED headlamps and good alkaline batteries; those will last for 80 hours of use. I also have rechargeable low discharge AAAs that will last almost as long. I don’t see any benefit in having a dedicated rechargeable flashlight.
Does the flashlight itself need to have the charger connection, or are you willing to take the batteries out to charge them separately?
I have both, so your answer will change my suggestion.
Any good experiences with those wind-up self-charging flashlights? They’ve always seemed like the perfect long-term-storage option to me.
i like LED headlamps or an LED flashlight. use removable rechargeable batteries. Sanyo makes a NiMH battery called the Eneloop which holds 90% of its charge for a year, comes in AA and AAA.
Alkaline batteries have a shelf life of 10 years. With LED flashlights that last 80 hours on a set of batteries I don’t see the wind up flashlight/radios to be worth the inconvenience.
We’ve been using the Eco-i-Lites for several years. We have the 6-LED type; there are 3-, 4-, and 10-LED models now. I’d mostly recommend the 10-LED model as it appears to have a rim that will keep light from leaking back and affecting your vision (which is my main complaint about the 6-LED version).
These things are bright, lightweight, fit in a pocket, hold a charge a long time, and recharge over and over and over. Plus, because their bases plug into wall outlets, you ALWAYS know where to find them.
The base works like a nightlight, and if the house power goes out, the whole light comes on. One of our bases stopped lighting up, but it still charges fine after years. Reliable as heck.
I especially like never having to worry about batteries. We just grab one of these off the wall mount any time we need light. Even in normal daytime living-room light, one of these is bright enough to be useful for peering into a dog’s ear canal, for example.
A lot of people don’t think about flashlights much until the power goes out, but a good flashlight on you always is a great idea, and can even be a lifesaver.
Like any other product, there’s good and bad. You should never skimp on condoms, tires, shoes, flashlights, and more. A good light will last many years, and be more help than you can imagine.
As you can tell, I’m a flashlightguy, and I can tell you quality is the most important element in choosing a light. Batteries come second, but we can help there as well.
As Beowulff mentioned, there are 2 ways to go. Currently (hah!) the best unit-charging light is the Surefire R-1. It can use regular CR-123s like all Surefire lights, or the rechargeable Li-ion pack.
It’s a little over $300 retail right now, but when you shine one outside, you’ll see the value.
My bedside bump-in-night light is an M-3 at 225 lumens. It will blind any intruder. The R-1 is 3 times brighter.
Too much? That’s OK. It’s more of a duty light than most. Have a look at the rest of the family, and choose what’s right for your needs, knowing that CR-123’s are available as rechargeables, so any on this page will take them.
And, with a lifetime warranty, it’s an investment you’ll never regret.
Also, take some time to look at some stories they have collected. Hopefully everyone will think outside the box a bit. Flashlights aren’t just for finding the breaker panel, or camping.
No I don’t own Surefire, but I wish I did!
Now in fairness to the second place guys, Streamlightmakes several rechargeables, but you can’t get one as bright as Surefire makes. You may not need to search the woods or blind an attacker until you do, then what?
A blinding flash or strobing light is a thing of beauty when encountering animals of all kinds!
As with anything, there’s a group of experts discussing the pros and cons of lights night and day over at Candlepower Forums. Good place for research.
I have a plug-in rechargeable flashlight next to the bed. So the plan is to use that for a short power outage, or for the first hour or so of a longer outage. And then I have several rechargeable flashlights and alkaline batteries in a disaster kit. The idea is that the plug-in light will last long enough to get into the disaster kit. (Although I think the alkaline batteries in the kit are probably about ten years old at this point.)
I have a solar flashlight that has a solar panel that recharges the batteries whenever it is in the sun. It is called a BOGO Light, but a check on the internet seems to indicate that they are not in business anymore. I’ve had it for about 8 years and it still works. One of the three batteries died a year or so ago, but I diagnosed that and changed it. Works fine.
I should note that I seldom use it, but it is handy to have around.
Those usually have an LED bulb and a capacitor rather than batteries to power them. The capacitor will last a whole lot longer than batteries would. The light you get from them won’t be that bright or last that long, but they are fine for occasional indoor use.
Is this flashlight for occasional or everyday use? How much light do you need? There are hundreds of types of flashlights.
As far as a general use flashlight, I like the $25 LED Maglites that use D-cell batteries. I keep one in each of my vehicles. Alkaline batteries last 5 years or so for me.
If you are going to get a rechargeable flashlight, just be sure the batteries are replaceable, otherwise once they won’t hold a charge any more the flashlight is trash.
The only hand-crank flashlight I know of with a supercapacitor (NOT a garden-variety capacitor, which discharges quickly) is the Lightstorm CL1. I have one, and have given them as gifts:
http://www.appliedinnotech.com/products/crank-flashlights/lightstorm-cl1.php
They’re the perfect solution to the problem of an emergency flashlight that you want to be able to keep unused in a drawer or glove compartment until you need it.
The problem with hand-crank flashlights that use rechargeable batteries is that, if you don’t recharge them regularly, the charge will dribble away (thanks to a circuit that prevents overcharging, but which will let charge slowly dribble away between chargings). If you let the charge completely go away, it’s extremely difficult to impossible to recharge them. So your rechargeable battery is actually the Worst Of All Possible Worlds.
But a crank flashlight with a supercapacitor doesn’t have this problem – it can be recharged infinitely, even after all the charge has gone from the capacitor. The only real problem is the integrity of the mechanical crank system (which usually involves several plastic gears and a breakable handle). That’s more likely to gfo than the LEDs, which are typically rated for at least 100,000 hours of use.
I’ve taken several o my old rechargeable -batteryt crank flashlights and converted them by replacing the battery with a supercapacitor. These are easy enough to buy online. (And, I’ll add, in cheap hand-crank flashlights the rechargeable battery is spot-welded in place, and is a pain in the neck to remove and replace. Not something you want to be trying to do in the dark, in an emergency).
If you want a convenient always ready drill around the house also, Dewalt and plenty of others make nice rechargable drill/flashlight combos. Since they come with two batteries you usually always have one sitting in the charger at the ready.
It really depends on your requirements. Do you want a headlamp for hands-free operation? Do you want 500 lumens to blind an attacker? Or just emergency illumination when the power goes out?
I’m a bit of a flashaholic and have a variety of Surefires, Streamlights, Maglights, little LED lights that hang on my keychain, headlamps I use for climbing and camping, an LED penlight that uses hard to get AAAA batteries, etc. (Recognizing you have a problem is the first step…)
If it’s just an all-around pocket flashlight you’re looking for, the Fenix L1D-CE has gotten rave reviews. It’s tiny, uses only a single AA battery but can kick out 90 lumens on its highest setting. (Yes it has multiple settings.)
If it’s primarily for power outages, the Red Cross sells something they call the Black Out Buddy which plugs into an outlet, keeps itself charged until the power goes out when it turns itself on to provide emergency lighting. When removed from the outlet it functions as a flashlight.
I don’t want to deal with batteries, even rechargeables.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I will look them all over tonight.
My requirements. I would like a strong rechargeable hand held flashlight. I like the ones you can hold like a gun (with a trigger) but the one I bought didn’t last very long.
This is the best flashlight in the world as far as I’m concerned: Amazon.com
It can even sort of double as a “lantern” if you set it on the ground pointing up at the ceiling. We do that during blackouts or when camping to supplement our gas lanterns.
And they also double nicely as a handy ‘billy club’! 