What's the best EDC flashlight in 2012 and why?

[Torpedo]

Been carrying a LD12 in my shirt pocket the last month,it gets my vote .

 

[snakyjake]

I think magnetic control rings lights are the winners for 2012.

 

[Watts On]

The Fenix E25 is just right for me. It fits in the cargo pocket of my winter coat, uses 2 AA's, and has great runtime that would last through a long cold night or two.

 

[jamie.91]

People are gonna cry at my suggestion but i think the xeno E03 is right up there for a few simple reasons.

Us flashaholics never carry just one light, I usually have around 2 or 3 around me weather in the van, pocket or tool box, and one thing most of us don't like is damaging our lights so when I'm at work and I need a light I grab my xeno E03 first because I'm not fussed if it gets broke, scratched or dropped, I just wash the oil off in the sink when I'm done :thumbs up:

alltough my quark mini, fenix LD01 SS and thrunite tn11 are nearby i think the xeno is a great light for the money, and its bright enough for my work needs on a 14500

Jamie

 

[davyro]

People are gonna cry at my suggestion but i think the xeno E03 is right up there for a few simple reasons.

Us flashaholics never carry just one light, I usually have around 2 or 3 around me weather in the van, pocket or tool box, and one thing most of us don't like is damaging our lights so when I'm at work and I need a light I grab my xeno E03 first because I'm not fussed if it gets broke, scratched or dropped, I just wash the oil off in the sink when I'm done :thumbs up:

alltough my quark mini, fenix LD01 SS and thrunite tn11 are nearby i think the xeno is a great light for the money, and its bright enough for my work needs on a 14500

Jamie

I put mine as my HDS but like you i carry my xeno e03 with 14500 in my work van as i don't mind it getting a bit of abuse so i know exactly where your coming from Jamie & i think you make a very good point.

 

[twl]

I'll tell you about a really nice little-known light called the N-Light B10. It has some limitations, but it works very nicely.
I got this light in a very cheap deal from someone who thought it was defective. He put a CR123 in it, and in blinked all the time, and wouldn't run normally.
It turns out that it is for UNPROTECTED lithium-ion 16340 ONLY and it blinks when its low-battery protection circuit is about to kick in at 3v. It thought the CR123 was a nearly depleted 16340, and was signaling that it's going to need changing. The 3v CR123 just didn't have the voltage that this light is supposed to run on. It needs the 4.2v of the lithium-ion rechargeables. No protected 16340 batteries will fit, so it is very battery specific.

But this little light performs! It is only 2.5" long, is all stainless steel, has a neutral XPG in it, and puts out 280 lumens on high. It's a 3-mode twisty.
They call it the "Atomic Bomb" because it has a bomb-like shape, and is actually a 16340 copy of the famous Jil-Lite from Korea. The Jil-Lite was CR2.
Real nice tint. Great beam shape, nice and clean. Super compact and easy to carry. Reliable, and no mode-skipping.
I really like it.

The problem is that unprotected 16340 batteries are getting hard to find now. And protected ones won't fit.
This little N-Light B10 has found its place as my go to light around the house when I just want to grab something that will do just about anything, and I don't have to be concerned about it getting scratched or dropped, or anything. I got it for less than $10 shipped, even though it originally sold for something like $40.

It's no longer available, apparently. CNQualityGoods used to have it, but not any more.

Best Chinese light I ever had.
Of course, if anything ever goes wrong with it, or unprotected 16340 cells are no longer made, then that's the end of it.

 

[wjv]

Have a Fenix PD22 that I really like. But the PD32 also seems quite nice.

Pretty good run times -
PD22 - 1 CR123
8L. 97h
46L. 10h
95L. 4:32h
190L 2:00h

Very impressive run times. .
PD32 - 2 CR123
6L. 240h
70L. 16:00h
135L. 8:00h
330L. 2:00h

 

[Timothybil]

I guess I get to stand by myself again. I have to vote for the good old Microstream. I have had both versions, and while I agree the switch on the new version is a little too stiff, it still has to be one of the best single AAA lights around. It is so small I often forget it is in my pocket, but it is right there when I need a little light to look under something or in the back corner of the walkin-reefer when my bod is between the only light and where I am looking. My second vote would be the Streamlight ProTac EMS, especially now that I have figured out the UI (gotta tap that button FAST!). I like the light levels and the fact that it comes on on low, but has more if I need it.

 

[LightWalker]

Have a Fenix PD22 that I really like. But the PD32 also seems quite nice.

Pretty good run times -
PD22 - 1 CR123
8L. 97h
46L. 10h
95L. 4:32h
190L 2:00h

Very impressive run times. .
PD32 - 2 CR123
6L. 240h
70L. 16:00h
135L. 8:00h
330L. 2:00h

Those lights have awsome runtimes.

 

[kj2]

I would say; Fenix LD12, Thrunite T10, Olight i2

 

[Abe87]

I only have a few lights but my favorite is my Eagletac D25A Clicky. It is small and has good deep carry clip. Its really bright for its size.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[Southpaw1925]

Best setup: Sunwayman v11r. Carry your spare battery in a Spark Sk3.

For pure EDC, I'd say the Sunwayman V11R. The ring plus pushbutton is about the best EDC UI going (for me personally, at least), great size, incredible power on 16340. Right now, for me, the only products that are even close to competing are offered by Jetbeam and Niteye, also having ring controls.

I like to carry a backup battery in my jacket pocket or whatever, and with the advent of mini-sized 123 lights, I've decided it no longer makes sense to carry a spare battery in a plastic case, since a mini-sized 123 light is as small as most battery carriers and not much heavier -- and now you have a spare light, as well. I chose the Spark SK3 for this, it gave me none of the problems my Quark Mini did, and it specifically supports 16340 so I can carry either 123 or 16340 in it, either of which will run the v11r

Is the beam brighter using a rcr123a instead of a 16340?

 

[peterscm]

I EDC Eye10 (clips to pant pcoket), LD01 in my coin wallet as backup and E05 to my keychain. Both LD01 and E05 are using Energizer Ultimate Lithium. Additional E05 using NiMh in my pocket camera carry bag.

 

[Outdoorsman5]

For two years my primary edc has been and still is a Quark AA with a neutral tint XML head, a 14500 Li-ion rechargeable battery, regular UI, deep carry pocket clip, and a tactical clicky switch. This little light has perfect mode spacing ranging from 0.3 lumens to somewhere around 400 lumens (because of the 3.7v Li-ion battery.....which the light was designed for.) Runtimes are excellent with the Li-ion battery too. The Quark AA got a name change, and is now called the Quark Pro QPA. It is #10 on the "Flashaholics Must Have" top 10 list for some good reasons.

My secondary edc (on my keychain) is the ITP A3 EOS (which was replaced & rebranded as the Olight i3...same light.) This light is #8 on the Top 10 list for some more good reasons.

I'm hoping the new Zebralight SC52 will share the role as my primary edc....we will soon see.

 

[sandalian]

IMO, best EDC flashlight is Zebralight SC51. I owned a neutral white version, fit perfectly on the side of my Maxped Tactile or clip it on my belt. One thing I like from this flashlight is it always started from low mode.

I also carry Thrunite Ti as keychain for backup.

 

[chenko]

The best one I tried, by far, is Zebralight SC51W.
With that light I had it all: high output, nice tint, great efficiency, smart UI, little bulk and weight, firefly mode, long runtime, operation on an easy to source and cheap AA battery. I find it difficult to imagine a better pocket EDC light.

 

[Ishango]

For me the best EDC flashlight was my Zebralight SC51w / close with its' brother H51Fw, although it's close with some other candidates. It has an excellent tint, good output, a great UI and the clip is very sturdy. That it also works on easy to charge Eneloops makes it great for me. Just a minor flaw is the accidental activation if you do not twist the tailcap. I'm keeping track with the announced SC52 now, because it seems it solves the latter.

Recently though I bought the Eagletac D25C clicky after reading some great reviews and I really like that light and it has seen the most EDC hours of use in my EDC rotation since then.

 

[Racer]

My votes for best EDC of 2012:

- V11R: Maximum versatility. Goes from nightstand light to UFO encounter with a slight twist of the wrist.

- LD01: Compact and powerful.

- T10: Compact AA, 3 mode nightstand light.

 

[izaic3]

I'm going to have to go with the Thrunite Ti as well. Just got a couple of them in the recent sale, and I gotta say for $10 you can't really go wrong. Small, versatile, durable, there when you need it. Useful light outputs for about 95% of what I would need it for.

 

[Ian2381]

For me its the DQG AA stainless steel.
Been carrying one in my pocket for a few months now and it simply replaced any of my pocketable lights.
So small its great as a keychain light even for an AA.