Inexpensive red flashlight for summers on the beach?

[7point82]

Looking for recommendations for LED flashlights with red beams for use on the beach during the summer. Red output would be preferred over a red filter attached to a white light.

I would prefer lights that use 18650 or some other relatively long lived rechargeable.

Thank you in advance!

(I did a few searches and didn't see much. First time using the site from my phone. Hopefully I didn't botch it.)

 

[caelyx]

The Parametrek database is a great source for these kinds of questions. Here's a direct link for 1x18650 lights with red lights: link. The Convoy S2+ seems pretty popular, but I haven't used one so can't comment, sorry.

It doesn't meet your "inexpensive" requirement, but if you're looking for an overbuilt option, I think dot is still selling some of the M61 red drop-ins in the marketplace. One of those in a Malkoff MD2 or other P60 host would be pretty reliable, I imagine.

 

[fulee9999]

The Malkoff M61 red is hands down the most reliable you could get, for a slightly lower budget option I can suggest the Black Diamond Spot 350, which is a headlight, but has a red mode, floody mode and throwy mode. It runs on 3XAAA, but the runtime is very good from my experience, on the red it should run for days. For a handheld, and lot cheaper option would be a Sofirn C01 photo red, runs on a single AAA, costs around eight dollars, can't go wrong with it.

 

[kerneldrop]

Looking for recommendations for LED flashlights with red beams for use on the beach during the summer. Red output would be preferred over a red filter attached to a white light.

How quickly do you need it?
what is your budget?

 

[thermal guy]

Malkoff is the best choice but Inexpensive they are not.

 

[WarriorOfLight]

The cheap choice would be a "China Brand" P60 host and a P60 dropin with red LED. I am sure Kaidomain has both.

For example this:

KDLITKER E6 P60 Flashlight Host

KDLITKER E6 P60 Flashlight Host

kaidomain.com

KDLITKER P6-COLOR Red 620nm P60 Drop-in Module

KDLITKER P6-COLOR Cree XP-E2 Red 620nm 280 Lumens 3V - 9V 1-Mode OP P60 Drop-in Module

kaidomain.com

 

[7point82]

How quickly do you need it?
what is your budget?

No real hurry. We just need them for walking on the beach during turtle nesting season.

Budget is flexible. If half way decent dedicated red lights are going to be $100 each then I'll just go with some beaters from Amazon since I already have good multipurpose lights.

 

[bykfixer]

Maglite makes ones called "spectrum series" and have a model that a portion of the proceeds goes to a turtle foundation. It's a 1x aaa with a 1 hour runtime so you may need to carry a couple of spare batteries in a ziplock.

Maglite Solitaire LED Spectrum Series Red - Share The Beach

With Special "Share The Beach" Engraving - Sea Turtle Conservation Program The Alabama Coastal Foundation's Share the Beach program tested this product to be sea turtle friendly. Sea turtles are federally protected species and this lightweight and low intensity flashlight does not contain short...

maglite.com

 

[hsa]

^^ Perfect!!

 

[Dave_H]

Really on the cheap, you can use red LED bicycle rear lights (including from dollar store) which are somewhat directional but not spot beams. Common ones take 2AAA or 2AA. Some use white LEDs behind red lens, which I'd avoid (the pinkish tint looks sort of cheesy). You'd have to put up with flash mode though.

Or you could find a relatively cheap 18650 rear bike light.

Dave

 

[7point82]

Maglite makes ones called "spectrum series" and have a model that a portion of the proceeds goes to a turtle foundation. It's a 1x aaa with a 1 hour runtime so you may need to carry a couple of spare batteries in a ziplock.

Maglite Solitaire LED Spectrum Series Red - Share The Beach

With Special "Share The Beach" Engraving - Sea Turtle Conservation Program The Alabama Coastal Foundation's Share the Beach program tested this product to be sea turtle friendly. Sea turtles are federally protected species and this lightweight and low intensity flashlight does not contain short...

maglite.com

Wow. We may have a winner. Lackluster runtime not withstanding it would certainly do the job.

Thanks to everyone for the advice!

 

[Dave_H]

Some headlamps have one or more red LEDs, even red COB. Mine are 3AAA but 18650 are out there somewhere. Possible hitch is having to cycle through white to get to red, which might interfere with things.

I have a rechargeable 18650 (built-in) worklight with red, with separate controls (another option). This one's a bit bulky and flood beam, you might find something smaller/lighter, closer to pocket-sized.

Dave

 

[7point82]

Just to let everyone know how it turned out...

I almost snagged the cheap Mag lights but the short battery life using primary cells would have been a nuisance.

I ended up picking up a couple of UltraFire lights (WF-502R) off Amazon for about $15 bucks each. They're just cheap single mode Chinese made lights but they have an even, floody beam that should be great for walking on the beach and they run on 18650s.

Biggest caveat is that they aren't waterproof but at $15 I can live with the replacement price. lol

Thanks again to everyone who chimed in!