Need a Light for the Boy.
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Egsise
Banned
Accidents happen, new one costs only 200$(from insurance), it does not need to be a flashlight when there's tons of other things around which are not bolted to floor.
I think the concern over lithiums is a little overboard here. I have to side with carrot.
With all the concern over the kid dropping the light, I have to assume that none of the adults here who use lithium powered lights ever drop them, as they are all still alive, right? :ironic:
If 123s were so susceptible to damage after a few drops to the floor, I would find it highly unlikely that the makers of incredibly tough lights like surefire, hds, or custom makers like mcgizmo would continue to use them. These are the world's best lights we see around here and most of them use lithiums.
I doubt the two year old is harder on lights than firefighters and military personnel.....
HarveyRich
Enlightened
- Joined
- Oct 5, 2006
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- 434
I doubt that dropping a tiny flashlight is the issue. It's swallowing it, or the components, that is, or even sticking it accidentally in an eye if it is small enough. There's a reason why some toys are labelling not for children under 4,5, or 6. They can get seriously hurt, especially when playing with tiny things unattended. Lithiums are potentially more dangerous than alkalines, but all small things are a danger to a young toddler. Consider that there may even be laws that hold parents liable for endangering their children by giving them things that common sense says may be dangerous. Of course one's child would need to get seriously injured first before anyone would think of prosecuting--consolation that might be.
Purpleorchid
Newly Enlightened
It all depends on the child. My 15 month old doesn't put things in his mouth that he shouldn't (thank goodness). Somehow he knows the difference between food and not-food. I have a container of misc junk in my office that he plays with. I've always been beside him monitoring, but he's never tried to put any of the golf tees, golf ball marker doodads, picture hangers + nails, USB car chargers, chemical hand warmers, etc that he dumps from that container into his mouth. I would never leave him unattended when playing with it, but I've watched him enough to know he's not a mouth-explorer.
When he was around 10 months old, he broke two of my flashlights from dropping them repeatedly, so I bought him one of his own: a button cell momentary that is a ~2.5 in x 0.5 in rectangle. He's never put in his mouth. He just presses it and goes "ooooh". Sometimes I let him play with my Quark MiNi 123 and he'll twist the head back and forth...or the Inova X1 where he just waves it around.
Plus, those warnings are also legal liability savers in addition to safety warnings. I have no problem letting my son play with the wooden train set that says 3+ yrs on the box.
When he was around 10 months old, he broke two of my flashlights from dropping them repeatedly, so I bought him one of his own: a button cell momentary that is a ~2.5 in x 0.5 in rectangle. He's never put in his mouth. He just presses it and goes "ooooh". Sometimes I let him play with my Quark MiNi 123 and he'll twist the head back and forth...or the Inova X1 where he just waves it around.
Plus, those warnings are also legal liability savers in addition to safety warnings. I have no problem letting my son play with the wooden train set that says 3+ yrs on the box.
march.brown
Flashlight Enthusiast
I would go for a "Wind-up" torch ... They come in different sizes and different qualities ... One of these would keep the baby happy for hours ... Also the fact that the torch needs to be wound-up will be additional exercise and make the baby tired too ... These torches are often sealed-for-life which means no little bits to swallow.
Some of these torches have several small LEDs and different brightness levels too , to make them more interesting for the child.
I think that the wind-up torches are better than the shake-torches ... I have visions of the shake-up torch being smacked into the babies face whilst he is charging the battery.
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Some of these torches have several small LEDs and different brightness levels too , to make them more interesting for the child.
I think that the wind-up torches are better than the shake-torches ... I have visions of the shake-up torch being smacked into the babies face whilst he is charging the battery.
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Mike V
Enlightened
This doesn't fit your request, but my two year old son loves my Photon ReX.
The button is easy to push, it's light so is easy to use and you can just recharge it.
By the way, maybe he is a freak, but my son never really put anything in his mouth except food either.
He doesn't break stuff either, but maybe that is still to come.
The button is easy to push, it's light so is easy to use and you can just recharge it.
By the way, maybe he is a freak, but my son never really put anything in his mouth except food either.
He doesn't break stuff either, but maybe that is still to come.
Csp203
Newly Enlightened
IMHO I think you need to look at the very real possibility that a small child is going to blast themselves or someone else in the eyes with this flashlight. I think you would be best served with a flashlight designed for small children (something you would never use). If you want a more adult light go to a Home Depot and buy a 5$ led light (single mode - low output).
bluepilgrim
Enlightened
I think the concern over lithiums is a little overboard here. I have to side with carrot.
With all the concern over the kid dropping the light, I have to assume that none of the adults here who use lithium powered lights ever drop them, as they are all still alive, right? :ironic:
If 123s were so susceptible to damage after a few drops to the floor, I would find it highly unlikely that the makers of incredibly tough lights like surefire, hds, or custom makers like mcgizmo would continue to use them. These are the world's best lights we see around here and most of them use lithiums.
I doubt the two year old is harder on lights than firefighters and military personnel.....
I was not thinking about a few drops, but repeatedly using the thing as a hammer. A fireman wouldn't do that, but a kid might. Every strike would be transmitted to some degree into the cell hitting the inner wall of the light, and after a few hundred (or thousand) times I think metal fatigues could occur and it might leak. I don't *know* and I'm not ging to test it, but it's a possibility. He might also remove the cell from the light and hit it, or short it out.
The point is that kids will do things that adults would never even think of -- and he won't be 19 months for ever: if still has the light when he is three or four then he will be that much capable of trying weird things, but without any judgement or experience to know what is dangerous. Would you seal a piece of dry ice in a glass jar to keep the 'smoke' in, and see what would happen? I did -- when I was about 10. Would you take the plastic gunk dissolced in acetone they sold to make your own balloons and eat it? I did -- when I was 3. Would you take an old electric cord, twist the wires together, and plug into the wall? Fill a plastic pill bottle with Draino and add water to see it bubble (and get hot enough to melt the plastic and get over the cabinet it was on)? I did. It's sheer luck I survived my childhood intact.
Would he turn it on and put in a front loading dryer to look at it through the glass window, spinning and bouncing around inside? Why not? Sounds like fun! Kids do strange things, at times with no apparent reason, and they be can be very persistant at it. Kid proofing can be quite a challenge.
I understand the need for caution when it comes to children, as their safety is most certainly paramount. Please don't think that I was advocating child neglect or endangerment, that's absurd.
I was just addressing those who said *no lithiums*, stating that I don't think that the fact that a light uses lithiumbatteries should disqualify it from the running in this situation. A child can just as easily smash his plastic coated flashlight running on alkalines onto the floor a thousand times, and alkalines are far more likely to leak. He could grab your tv remote and bash that onto your coffee table till the batteries rupture too.
Kids should be supervised properly anytime they're playing with items that could pose some danger to them. The fact that it contains or does not contain a CR123 is neither here nor there. That's really all I was saying. If the OP finds that a 123 powered light fits the bill best, there really is no more safety issue in using that than other light he may choose.
Hopefully that makes sense....
I was just addressing those who said *no lithiums*, stating that I don't think that the fact that a light uses lithiumbatteries should disqualify it from the running in this situation. A child can just as easily smash his plastic coated flashlight running on alkalines onto the floor a thousand times, and alkalines are far more likely to leak. He could grab your tv remote and bash that onto your coffee table till the batteries rupture too.
Kids should be supervised properly anytime they're playing with items that could pose some danger to them. The fact that it contains or does not contain a CR123 is neither here nor there. That's really all I was saying. If the OP finds that a 123 powered light fits the bill best, there really is no more safety issue in using that than other light he may choose.
Hopefully that makes sense....
umc
Enlightened
Like I said, my boy is 19 months old which for us means he doesn't really get to be un-supervised for more than a few seconds. I don't think he would be able to swallow a RA Clicky and I can pretty much guarantee that he would smash it all of one times before we were on top of him and as far as throwing it, well there are a ton of things around the house he could throw that's just a chance you take regardless. My nephew took a golf club to their big flat screen TV, oops.
I have more concerns about other far more dangerous items around the house and out in the world than I do a flashlight. Again, we are on top of him and I don't think a flashlight would be any different than any of his other million toys that use or don't use batteries.
That being said, some of the specific issues with the flashlight would be taken care of if using the RA Clicky for example, single cell light so no worry about using mis-matched cells, I would program all modes to low or "moonlight" so the concern of him blinding himself would be gone. Locater mode on would help with finding it and auto off would be turned on as well. The button is flush so it would be harder to chew on. That being said, he's done with the putting everything in his mouth stage so it's not really a concern.
That PlaySkool light looks pretty cool too and maybe would be the best bet for now but how great would it be for him to have an RA?
I told the wife I was looking at lights for him the other day and she asked how much is his light going to cost. I didn't answer, heck I don't think she has a clue about how much my lights cost or cares for that matter.
I have more concerns about other far more dangerous items around the house and out in the world than I do a flashlight. Again, we are on top of him and I don't think a flashlight would be any different than any of his other million toys that use or don't use batteries.
That being said, some of the specific issues with the flashlight would be taken care of if using the RA Clicky for example, single cell light so no worry about using mis-matched cells, I would program all modes to low or "moonlight" so the concern of him blinding himself would be gone. Locater mode on would help with finding it and auto off would be turned on as well. The button is flush so it would be harder to chew on.
That being said, he's done with the putting everything in his mouth stage so it's not really a concern.That PlaySkool light looks pretty cool too and maybe would be the best bet for now but how great would it be for him to have an RA?
I told the wife I was looking at lights for him the other day and she asked how much is his light going to cost. I didn't answer, heck I don't think she has a clue about how much my lights cost or cares for that matter.
was.lost.but.now.found
Enlightened
As much as kids like to use mom and dad's stuff, I've found my son likes his own that much better:
bluepilgrim
Enlightened
My opinion at this point is:
get the kid one with colors and a face and he'll love it, and use safely under supervision. (Now *I* want one of those!)
But one for youself you let him play with under supervision (one that you like, and just talk yourslef into it being for him as a good excuse -- you know you want to... and say that you can give it him when he gets older, and after you have taught him how to use it .....
and by then there will be a newer light you will want to replace it.
(A flashaholic can always find a good excuse for a new light)
Seems to me like that works.... :wave:
As for cr123s -- I don't know if they could go up if you banged them around in a flashlight enough, but they frighten me some. Maybe someone with proper protective gear would volunteer to test that?
get the kid one with colors and a face and he'll love it, and use safely under supervision. (Now *I* want one of those!)
But one for youself you let him play with under supervision (one that you like, and just talk yourslef into it being for him as a good excuse -- you know you want to... and say that you can give it him when he gets older, and after you have taught him how to use it .....
and by then there will be a newer light you will want to replace it.
(A flashaholic can always find a good excuse for a new light)
Seems to me like that works.... :wave:
As for cr123s -- I don't know if they could go up if you banged them around in a flashlight enough, but they frighten me some. Maybe someone with proper protective gear would volunteer to test that?
carrot
Flashaholic
If you can snag an Eternalight, that is pretty much kid proof. Durable plastic housing, screws used to hold the batteries in, with auto off and tons of fun modes to use...
GrnXnham
Enlightened
19 months?
How about something from Toys R Us?
And make sure you get something that will take rechargeable batteries because the light will be left on all the time and you will have dead batteries daily.
How about something from Toys R Us?
And make sure you get something that will take rechargeable batteries because the light will be left on all the time and you will have dead batteries daily.
With regard to the robustness of any light intended to be given to and used by an unsupervised child, I recommend considering the Inova X1 (either the older "spotlight & donut" version, or today's newer model, offering a "normal" hotspot-spill-corona beam pattern).
This light is nearly indestructible. It offers decent light for a child's use, but not so bright that his siblings or friends are likely to be permanently blinded by the emitter.
Happily, it is difficult for a child to swallow any of the two component parts (three parts, if you count the single AA cell it feeds on). Best of all, it costs about $21 at your local Target.
The newer model actually throws a decent distance for such an inexpensive light (advertised to produce about 25 lumens at the emitter; the reflector is shaped to concentrate the beam nicely).
I've used these lights as promotional gifts for non-flashacolics, and in all of the models I've tested before gifting, the beam color (in the newer version at least) is a very nice neutral white, tending ever so slightly to the cool side. It produces very good color rendering, and (you can appreciate this)...absolutely no green tint to any of the beams. (Whatever your opinion of Emissive Energy's products, you've got to give them credit for this element.)
Finally, apropos of nothing, all of their lights are manufactured in the USA.
So, let us know what you decide (after which we can stop making recommendations, and start debating the wisdom of your choice).
This light is nearly indestructible. It offers decent light for a child's use, but not so bright that his siblings or friends are likely to be permanently blinded by the emitter.
Happily, it is difficult for a child to swallow any of the two component parts (three parts, if you count the single AA cell it feeds on). Best of all, it costs about $21 at your local Target.
The newer model actually throws a decent distance for such an inexpensive light (advertised to produce about 25 lumens at the emitter; the reflector is shaped to concentrate the beam nicely).
I've used these lights as promotional gifts for non-flashacolics, and in all of the models I've tested before gifting, the beam color (in the newer version at least) is a very nice neutral white, tending ever so slightly to the cool side. It produces very good color rendering, and (you can appreciate this)...absolutely no green tint to any of the beams. (Whatever your opinion of Emissive Energy's products, you've got to give them credit for this element.)
Finally, apropos of nothing, all of their lights are manufactured in the USA.
So, let us know what you decide (after which we can stop making recommendations, and start debating the wisdom of your choice).
I gave my 3yr old son a 2AA coleman that I got a walmart. It is built tough and I can put in nimh's and that means guilt free lumens!! I tried lower lumen lights but he likes a little more output!! He loves that light. I was surprised that he liked it better that smaller one cell lights. He has misplaced the light about 10 times so cost was important to me. If he loses it no big loss. Now my 14 yr old I would trust with my surefire's!!
umc
Enlightened
Thanks for all of the suggestions everyone, I really appreciate them as there were a lot of good ideas here.
I ended up going with another RA Clicky: Cc140nSssLgBFE. Thanks thermal guy, you just cost me a ton of cash. I really like the idea of how to setup this light for him and it being the same as what I have but with the 140 narrow I will be able to test between the two and see if there is much of a difference. The other nice thing is that after the luster has worn off past the first two days it may just become my light and I will get him the playskool light, that won't be a bad thing right?
Again, thanks for all of the suggestions, even though expensive for a 19mo old I think this will be a fun thing and a good test all the way around. I really like the idea that I can set everything on low-low, maybe 10lm in there somewhere but also have a locater as well as auto off I should be good. The batt life will last forever but on top of that I have a ton of cr123 as it's my primary battery. I'm even thinking of a little blue locktite on the threads to help keep things safer which since there is no part of this light that is a twisty that will be fine.
I'm excited and think he will love it. I'll post back in a week or two and let you all know how it goes. Again, I'm sure he'll be into it for a day or two and then not care which is fine but in the next year or two that will probably change....
I ended up going with another RA Clicky: Cc140nSssLgBFE. Thanks thermal guy, you just cost me a ton of cash.
I really like the idea of how to setup this light for him and it being the same as what I have but with the 140 narrow I will be able to test between the two and see if there is much of a difference. The other nice thing is that after the luster has worn off past the first two days it may just become my light and I will get him the playskool light, that won't be a bad thing right?Again, thanks for all of the suggestions, even though expensive for a 19mo old I think this will be a fun thing and a good test all the way around. I really like the idea that I can set everything on low-low, maybe 10lm in there somewhere but also have a locater as well as auto off I should be good. The batt life will last forever but on top of that I have a ton of cr123 as it's my primary battery. I'm even thinking of a little blue locktite on the threads to help keep things safer which since there is no part of this light that is a twisty that will be fine.
I'm excited and think he will love it. I'll post back in a week or two and let you all know how it goes. Again, I'm sure he'll be into it for a day or two and then not care which is fine but in the next year or two that will probably change....
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umc
Enlightened
Wow, ordered on Wednesday and it came today, thanks Henry, that was quick.
I have it all setup and ready to go. I don't think I have anything over 6 lumens as that is pretty bright to be shining in your eyes. The locator is on and the auto shut off is on as well. I played with it for a while and loves it so far. It's almost bed time so it's sitting on the floor now and was on but auto shut off did it's job and it's just flashing.
I don't think I'll let him have it in his crib but I'll put it in his room so he can get back at it in the morning.
One really cool thing that is going to make me buy another one is that the smooth bezel now has RA Clicky, the SN and ralights.com on it.
The RA Clicky I just bought a couple of weeks ago for myself still had HDS Systems on the bezel. I may have to retire that one as a collectors item now.
I have it all setup and ready to go. I don't think I have anything over 6 lumens as that is pretty bright to be shining in your eyes. The locator is on and the auto shut off is on as well. I played with it for a while and loves it so far. It's almost bed time so it's sitting on the floor now and was on but auto shut off did it's job and it's just flashing.
I don't think I'll let him have it in his crib but I'll put it in his room so he can get back at it in the morning.
One really cool thing that is going to make me buy another one is that the smooth bezel now has RA Clicky, the SN and ralights.com on it.
The RA Clicky I just bought a couple of weeks ago for myself still had HDS Systems on the bezel. I may have to retire that one as a collectors item now.
The kid will eventually figure out how to change modes on the light. This will lead to him getting hundreds of lumens right in the face.
Giving a kid a CR123 light is idiocy. It is probably fairly safe, but it will mean too powerful of a light. Who makes a CR123 light at 3 lumens? Nobody.
Get him a toy light that is intended as a toy! (which will have some safety features such as anti-eat size and harder to get into).
Who cares about the light 'growing with him'. This is also nonsensical. Light technology improves every year. By the time he is 10 years old, you can get a ridiculously powerful and small light.
Giving a kid a CR123 light is idiocy. It is probably fairly safe, but it will mean too powerful of a light. Who makes a CR123 light at 3 lumens? Nobody.
Get him a toy light that is intended as a toy! (which will have some safety features such as anti-eat size and harder to get into).
Who cares about the light 'growing with him'. This is also nonsensical. Light technology improves every year. By the time he is 10 years old, you can get a ridiculously powerful and small light.
