I have a few rechargeable spotlights but not any pocket sized lights. I was wondering if I am better off staying away from rechargeable lights all together because when i need it most it may not be charged. I use rechargeable batteries in my lights but i was wondering if they are enjoyable to use or simply a chore since they have to be recharged. I looked into the streamlight strion led but i was wondering if there are any crowd favorites?
Rechargeable flashlights?
- Thread starter tbone1993
- Start date
Flying Turtle
Flashaholic
All of my AA and AAA lights run on rechargeable batteries. You will get better performance compared to alkalines. Get a decent charger and some low self-discharge NiMHs. It's not really much of a pain to keep a few ready to go. For most folks around here rechargeables are standard procedure.
Geoff
Geoff
Yes what Geoff said. I personally only use lithium -ion rechargeable or energizer lithium primaries. I would like to invest in some nimh eneloops/charger. I always make sure all my rechargeables are fully charged. And I usually carry at least one primary spare. I'll never be caught in the dark!!hehe
Derek Dean
Flashlight Enthusiast
I think what a lot of folks do is try to have a light that will run with both rechargeable cells AND easily available alkaline cells..... which is why a lot of us use a AA light as our primary EDC.
The nice thing about rechargeable cells is that when you leave the house you know for sure that your battery is topped off and ready to go, but with an alkaline cell you're never quite sure how much it's been used (unless you spend the time to check it with a meter each time before leaving).
Rechargeable batteries also give us the freedom to use our lights ALL the time, what we call "guilt free lumens", because once you've got the cells and the charger that's it. Use your light to work on the car and to walk the dog, then charge it up and your ready for the next task. Neat.
Also, since regular alkaline non-rechargeable Duracells are relatively inexpensive and have a fairly long shelf life, just keep a package on hand for those times when the power goes off and your covered for that too.
That's the best of both worlds.
Then, of course, there is the matter of the increased voltage that comes with using lithium-ion rechargeable cells. This higher voltage will often allow those lights that are designed to make use of it to run quite a bit brighter. A good thing.
So, it comes down to what what you're comfortable with. Some lights don't run well with alkaline batteries, but some do........ so be sure and look for that information when comparing lights and pick accordingly.
The nice thing about rechargeable cells is that when you leave the house you know for sure that your battery is topped off and ready to go, but with an alkaline cell you're never quite sure how much it's been used (unless you spend the time to check it with a meter each time before leaving).
Rechargeable batteries also give us the freedom to use our lights ALL the time, what we call "guilt free lumens", because once you've got the cells and the charger that's it. Use your light to work on the car and to walk the dog, then charge it up and your ready for the next task. Neat.
Also, since regular alkaline non-rechargeable Duracells are relatively inexpensive and have a fairly long shelf life, just keep a package on hand for those times when the power goes off and your covered for that too.
That's the best of both worlds.
Then, of course, there is the matter of the increased voltage that comes with using lithium-ion rechargeable cells. This higher voltage will often allow those lights that are designed to make use of it to run quite a bit brighter. A good thing.
So, it comes down to what what you're comfortable with. Some lights don't run well with alkaline batteries, but some do........ so be sure and look for that information when comparing lights and pick accordingly.
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I have a Streamlight Strion - LED (I retired the xenon version). I mounted the charger to my nightstand and I always keep the light in the charger for emergency use. It's not a large light, but IMO it is too large for carrying in my pocket. The Strion is an excellent quality light and very dependable.
I have a Strion and T4 both using cradle chargers and they are good light's but over time I realized it was better to have light's that are charged via separate batterys and charger. First the batteries are easier to find and replace but more important when the battery is drained I can pop in a backup battery and charge the drained cell at my leisure, this way I always have light without having to put the light in the charging cradle after nearly every long use.
