Good flashlight for children

LEDBE
K

KentS

Newly Enlightened
Joined
Oct 21, 2008
Messages
47
Location
Kavlinge, Sweden
My kids really loves flashlights. So I've been thinking about giving flashlights as Christmas gifts. Since they are rather small and full of energy, the light will have to be impact resistant and dunkable. It seems LED is the way to go. However I don't think several hundreds of lumens like the flashlights I like is a very good idea as they will (accidentally or on purpose) blind each other. What about a Fenix E01. Is it though enough and dim enough to bee safe to give to children? (I've experimented on myself - looking into my P3D opn low - its not pleasant but doesn't seem harmful)
 
Definitely, I mean it will still be unpleasant for them if they shine them in eachothers eyes, but hell even an incan is unpleasant right in the face. And the E01's are damn near unbreakable.
 
I would advise giving them the MInimag ( maglite 2xAA ) that have been lying under the bed for ages. When they break it you can have an excuse to buy another of those @$$%^ expensive light. :twothumbs

My kid really like the candle option in my minimag. ( safer than the shining firework stuff ).
 
My 18mo old Son LOVES playing with my E01 or EX10 on the lowest setting. Of course, he's much too young to have his own light (or is he?) but he gets to play with mine if we're out in the yard looking for frogs or up early in the morning, etc.

Only supervised b/c he's pretty good at resisting the temptation to stare directly into the emitter, but not perfect. . . :p
 
I have two boys, 3 and 5. They each have a mini mag. I installed one of those 1-watt luxeon Nite Ize drop-ins in each one and installed an IQ switch on each one. This way the tailcap blinks to make them easier to locate, they have different modes to play with, etc. I recently added some home made lanyards to them with GITD ends, and some chrome skulls I had that they just had to have on their flashlights. Here is a picture. My boys picked out their own colors. :)



Now it may depend on the kid if a Minimag is a good choice. My kids have been fine with theirs, but I can see some kids their age taking these things apart, breaking the LED drop-in, eating it, who knows. :) With the Fenix E01 you could add a lanyard, fob, etc, to make it larger and harder to lose, etc.
 
Last edited:
mt kids have minimags with smjled drop in. the long runtime helps conserve batteries when they tend to leave the light on all night

they also love their headlamps, it allows them to play without holding a flashlight.

either way I think runtime is key since kids are battery killers
 
despite the known advantages of E01s discussed above, it may not be known that E01s do not have adequate polarity protection to avoid a dead light should the child in question manages to disassemble the light and incorrectly replace the battery:sick:

Someone here loc-tited an Inova X1 to momentarily on position and gave that to a child supposedly with good results...an L91 should give it an upwards of 10 hours...thats alot of momentary activations:naughty:
 
dd61999 said:
mt kids have minimags with smjled drop in. the long runtime helps conserve batteries when they tend to leave the light on all night

they also love their headlamps, it allows them to play without holding a flashlight.

either way I think runtime is key since kids are battery killers
Click to expand...

I would definitely use NiMH AAA for the E01. I have a jar full of such batteries and one of those 30min chargers. One of the most used gadgets at home with all toys that uses batteries nowadays. Saved me a fortune. I like that the E01 comes in several colours. The gold or purple one should be easier to find if dropped than a black or olive one.

Haven't thought about headlamps, might be a good idea.
 
Dorcy Metal Gear super one watt.
Husky 2c one watt.
Cheapo multi led lights.

These are what I gave my kids. I like the metal gear because it is tough and the hex shape makes it were I can wench it shut tight enough to keep little people from opening it. I tried minimags but found them in pieces. Same with other lights. My daughter is 3 and loves her husky 2c that I bought on sale. I stuffed a Seoul in it but it was pretty bright before. My son now has a ultrafire c3 that had to be rebuilt a few times because the stock circuit is lame. He does alright with it. I dislike giving the kids lights that they can unscrew easily when they are little. Older kids can have brighter and funner lights.
 
My only comment is to stick with a clicky switch when selecting a flashlight for a kid. With the twist type, you'll find yourself looking for the heads or tailcaps.
 
I would worry about small kids with small twisty lights since some , like the EO1 , have heads small enough to be swallowed.
 
i'm giving both my kids this little Rayovac Led from wally-world for 3.00 each. My 2 year old has already adopted this one and ask for it daily. I have obliged and she does fine with it... i did have to teach her proper manners like not shining it in peoples faces or to look directly at it...

DSCF3596-1.jpg
 
My 6yo has a couple lights - a Gerber Tempo and a Lumapower LM301 - he likes them both but the Lumapower has been great - clickie switch and easy to operate, built well and not priceless.

My daughter has a minimag with niteize 5mm drop in which was lying around the house when she wanted a flashlight (she is 2.5) but I'll be honest she needs a clickie - the twist is asking for trouble with her (not a problem with the 6yo) so I may end up passing along something else to her - maybe a RR or the like.
 
Depends just how old. E01 has some awful small parts for a choking hazard.

At 3.5 years old, my nephew loved an Energizer 2xAA Hard Case Professional when I gave it to him. Bright enough, but not too bright, and it's bullet proof.
 
I found the 2 for five buck specials at Walgreens (chain drugstore) for my two. "7 LED Tactical Light" it looks like dad's has Aluminum body for some toughness, cheap AAAs and clicky tailcaps. I wrenched down the head so they were not strong enough to disassemble. they did the shine in the face once to each other, they didn't like it so they quit doing that. Probably a little bright on fresh batteries.

Bob
 
I agree on the minimags. I gave one to my son when he was smaller. Now that he is older he has my L1D. Told him to put the minimag in his car and keep the Fenix as a bedroom light.
 
Marduke said:
Depends just how old. E01 has some awful small parts for a choking hazard.

At 3.5 years old, my nephew loved an Energizer 2xAA Hard Case Professional when I gave it to him. Bright enough, but not too bright, and it's bullet proof.
Click to expand...

Both points are good to think about. :candle:
Twisty's are bad - the twisty action alone is an invitation to dissassemble. Somebody will swallow the head of the E01 at some point. (I swallowed a LEGO man once)

One of the Hard Case line would be an excellent choice!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
What is a good replacement for Olight Baton S15R?
Replies
1
Views
404
Hooked on Fenix
H
L
Settling the Debate: What’s Actually the Best Flashlight Host to Mod for Ultimate Performance?
Replies
0
Views
181
lashflight
L
Orion
When A Flashlight Is Not Up To Par For The Situation
Replies
15
Views
811
sween1911
sween1911
B
Any idea where to get a charging cord for an old Inova t4 flashlight
Replies
1
Views
171
louie
L
Orion
Anyone have "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" about Jetbeam M30?
Replies
0
Views
316
Orion
Orion

Latest posts

Top