Recommend Me a Light For EDC

[Krunchy]

I've been browsing CPF and EDCF for a while now, mainly looking for EDC lights. I don't currently own anything better than a 9x 5MM LED cheap-o, but I've had my eye on the 4Sevens Preon 2. However, the Preon is at the very top end of my budget. I was maybe hoping for something almost as good but for less. I know compared to some of the lights on here $50 isn't much, but I'd like to be able to buy some Eneloops and a charger with the light. My wish list is as follows:

• Small, narrow, lightweight. I want something where I don't know I have it until I need it. Most likely to be clipped in a pants or shirt pocket.
• Fairly bright for its size, probably don't need much. I like that the Preon is almost 200 lumens.
• Good looking. I prefer something that is sleek and fairly plain, maybe with a little color.
• Multiple modes. Low/Med/High at least. Strobe, SOS, and beacon are added bonuses.
• Reliable, fairly water-resistant. I want something that won't crap out on me in the first week. I'd also like it to have a lens that is unlikely to get scratched by the plug on my earbuds, my keys, or anything else in my pocket. I don't plan on going diving with the light but I'd like to be able to know that the light won't get ruined if I get caught in the rain.
• Able to take a widely available power source, such as AAA's or AA's.
• Clicky preferred, twisty might be OK. I don't really know which I like, as I've never tried a twisty.

I have seen that many people like the Maratac AAA, Streamlight Microstream, and Streamlight Stylus Pro. These are all very good lights, but I like the way the Preon looks so understated, just like a pen, until you pull it out and blast a beam of light from it. Thanks in advance for your answers, and I hope to start and further advance my flashaholism in the years to come.

 

[Poppy]

For about $20 you might like the smooth elegance of the 2 AAA stainless penlight from cnqualitygoods
CNQ001978

 

[Krunchy]

Thanks for the recommendation Poppy. I do like that it has the ability to tailstand and it does look like a very solid light. Do you know if the pocket clip they sell would fit on this without being able to slide off? Also, do you know if Selfbuilt has posted a review on this light that has runtimes included?

 

[Poppy]

I doubt that selfbuilt has a review for it.

I don't know about the clip, but crazy glue may be your friend.

It is sporting an efficient emitter the G2 so if it is drawing 600 ma, then you should get approx 75 minutes on a pair of duraloops on high, I estimate about 16 hours on low.

 

[dml24]

Look at the Armytek Partner A1 XP-G 230 Lumen 1 x AA.
Very good single AA light. Meets you 200 lumen requirement and is under $50.

JETBeams PA01 has 140 lumens on a single AA, between $40-45.

Most AA lights that have 200 lumens or greater run over $50.

Let us know what you purchase.

I opted for the 2 X AA Fenix E25. 187 lumens, good thrower with just enough spill and good run times.

 

[weekend warrior]

Where are you shopping from? You can get a Preon 2 from Amazon for $40. There are cheaper penlights, like the Streamlight Stylus Pro for about $20, but it doesn't have nearly the same output.

If you're really pinching pennies it looks like you could get a Nitecore SENS AA2 for $33, or a Sunwayman R20A for $35. Both are similar styled pen lights with over 150lm. If it were me I'd bite the bullet and buy the Preon 2, or if you can live with the lower output the Streamlight Microstream.

 

[Chevy-SS]

This is a complete no-brainer IMHO - GET THE PREON 2! As mentioned above, shop around, you can find one for ~$40.....

The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten. :D

 

[Krunchy]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Some of the ones you have mentioned look fairly short but have a larger diameter which isn't ideal for me. The single-AA lights mentioned here are a little too chunky and I feel they would bulge my pocket more than I would want them to. The CQG S2 seems like a good light, but I don't like that it doesn't have a clip. I'd like to avoid having to permanently mod the light right out of the box. I may just do as weekend warrior mentioned and bite the bullet to buy the Preon. I've seen beamshots of the Preon but I don't really know how to judge whether a beam is good or not, being new to the world of lights and all. I'll have to consider all my options over the next couple of days.

EDIT: I've decided to go with what I thought I knew I wanted and get the Preon 2 in orange. $42.95 shipped from GoingGear. Hopefully I can resist the urge to buy more lights until I can actually afford them :P. I'll see if I can dig through the couch and find some money for Eneloops, but until then I'll be using alkies.