bright one for moms nightstand

Ton of nearby break-ins happening, want something bright for mom to keep by her side.
prefer a comfortable size using 2aa/4aa/2c/2D (my TK40 seems to be a bit large and too much work for her), will likely keep nimh in it for output(want ability to use alkalines in emergency)

something that's going to stun intruders and not my wallet, i'll likely paint it bright orange so she can find it easily and pick it out of all my lights.

the more lumens the better! also would Definitely prefer minimal standby battery drain in case it sits a lot.

1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

____I would like to purchase the light from a brick and mortar store. I am located in ______________. ___x_I will be mail-ordering or buying online, so this doesn't matter.

2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest!

____Less than $25. ____Less than $50. ____Less than $100. ____Less than $150. ____Less than $300. ____I have no limit. __x__I'm flexible, tell me what you gotJ. ____Other, please specify ________

3) Format:

_x___I want a flashlight. ____I want a headlamp. ____I want a lantern. ____I want a dive light. ____I want a portable spotlight.

4) Flashlight-specific format/size:

____Keychain size. ____Every day carry small (2-4 inches). _x___Every day carry medium (4-7 inches). ____Holster carry. ____Big enough to need its own travel caseJ. ____I don't care. ____I don't know. ____N/A

5) Emitter/Light source:

_x___LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness) ____Incandescent (known for superior color rendition) ____HID (known for max output, but often at the expense of size) ____I don't know.

6) Manufacturer:

__x__I want to buy a light from a traditional mass producing manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box. ____I would consider getting a light that is pieced together (for example a "host" or flashlight body from one manufacturer, and a "drop-in" emitter from another source). Under the right circumstances, this path can provide more options to the consumer to meet specific needs, and can often be easily upgradeable as technology improves.

7) What battery type do you want to use?

_x___I intend to use alkaline batteries (AAA, AA, C, D) (disclaimer, while it does not preclude all choices, these are not recommended for many of today's most powerful lights) _x___I intend to use rechargeable nickel chemistry (NiCad, NiMH, NiZn) ____I intend to use lithium primary batteries (CR123, CR2, Energizer Advanced/Ultimate Lithium AA/AAA) ____I intend to use rechargeable lithium (li-ion) chemistry. Feel free to specify a size if you know which size you want (14500, RCR123/16340, 17500, 17670, 18650, etc.) ____I want a light with an integrated rechargeable battery. (Note: these choices may be very limited unless you are looking at spotlights)

8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is impossible).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (0-10 lumens). ____I want to walk around an unlit rural area (50-150 lumens). _x___I want to illuminate my entire backyard or a campsite (150-300 lumens). ____I want to illuminate an entire field, the neighbor's front yard several houses down, impress my friends and neighbors, etc. (300-700 lumens). ____I want ridiculous amounts of lumens (800+ lumens).

9) Throw vs. Flood: At what distance will you be most likely to use this light? Select all that apply.

____Less than 1 yard/meter (reading, other close work) ____Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement) ___x_5-20 yards/meters (check out a noise in the backyard) ____30-50 yards/meters (I have a big backyard) ____50-150 yards/meters (I live in a very rural area/farm with wide open spaces) ____150+ yards (I want maximum throw possible)

10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum output).

___x_Up to 30 minutes (I want the brightest [and potentially smallest] light for brief periods) __x__30-60 minutes (I have plenty of batteries just ready to be changed) ____90-120 minutes (Runtime is moderately important, but still not critical) ____3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).

11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

__x__Not Important (A "night-stand" light). ____Slightly Important (Walks around the neighborhood). ____Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box). ____Critical (Police, Fire, Search & Rescue, Caving, Survival). ____I don't care. ____I don't know.

12) Switch Type and location (choose all that apply):

____I want a forward clicky (Helpful for momentary activation and signaling). ____I want a reverse clicky (For use with multi-mode/level lights). ____I want a momentary switch (Predominantly for use with signaling and short bursts of momentary light only). ____I want a twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened). ____I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite). ____I want a tail mounted switch (found on the majority of today's high end lights). ____I don't care. ____I don't know. ____Other, please specify____something that cuts power completely and doesn't drain, very user friendly________________.

13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

_x___A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me. __x__I want 2 light levels. (Brighter/short runtime and Dimmer/long runtime.) ____I want multiple light levels. (Some lights have 5-16 light levels.) ____I want a programmable light. ____I want a selector ring. ____I want a strobe mode. (Blinks to show location.) ____I want SOS mode. ____I want a beacon mode. ____I don't care. ____I don't know.

14)Material/Finish/Coating

____Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly). ____Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's flashlights). ____Stainless steel (durable, but much heavier than aluminum) ____Titanium (durable and nearly as lightweight as aluminum, but can be moderately to significantly more expensive). _x___I don't care. ____I don't know. ____Other, please specify____________.

15) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any below.

____Red filter (for preserving night vision). ____Other filter colors (Amber, Green, Blue, _________). ____Dedicated R/G/B secondary LEDs. ____"Hybrid" light (bright incandescent combined with long running LEDs) ____Pocket/belt clip ____Holster ____Wrist/Neck Lanyard ____Crenulated bezel ____Non-sparking Intrinsically Safe (IS) for use in explosive environments

Klarus P2A or XT2A if you desire direct access to strobe.

Shiningbeam Spark...

I could, and do, recommend this light all day long. You can leave it in high mode or strobe.
280 lumens off 2 AA batteries, $38.75

It's floody and will light up a large area.


For security you might want to pick up a led motion light that runs off batteries.
I had a "Fulcrum Light-It Wireless Motion Activated 6-LED Porch Light" that I got from walmart, it was awesome for about a year and a half, then the motion detector died.

...still worth it though.
[h=1][/h]

I would go with a 4Sevens Quark X AA^2 tactical. Then program it for 2 modes separated by a bezel twist - 280 lumens Turbo for the intruder thing, and then either moonlight, or 3 lumens, for nightstand use.

Hopefully she'll never have to use it for it's intended purposes, but may very well find how useful a low low lumen mode is in the pitch black to get up for a drink of water, or go to the bathroom.

Either the 4Sevens Quark AA2 Tactical as suggested by reppans, or the same Quark AA2 in the non-Tactical format, which is what I have. The non-Tactical version provides all of the brightness modes as the Tactical, but all are available by gently half-pushing the rubber tail switch once the light is powered on with a click of the tail switch. What I like about this model is that it powers on in "moonlight" mode - ideal for midnight navigation thru the bedroom; after that, the half-pushes on the tail switch will toggle thru the next brighter modes. Normal operation has the head slightly loosened; tightening the head from any mode will kick it into Turbo ... about 200 lumens, which would be fairly blinding in a dark room. Half-push the tailswitch in Turbo mode, and you get strobe ... also pretty disorienting to an intruder in a dark room!

I think the other suggestions so far have been good ones, and might be just the ticket depending on what kind of light your Mom is comfortable with. If I were going to try to get a light to fulfill that need for my own mother, I think I would either get the TK50 (even though it is similar to the TK40 which you said is too much) or I would just get a 2C Maglight and add a Malkoff dropin (currently on sale for a steal at $39!). The output is great, the light is familiar and simple/reliable, and the total price is actually less than the 4Sevens solutions (don't get me wrong, I carry a neutral Quark AA2 ​frequently, they're just not a "Mom light").