Need suggestions for a jogging safety/visibility light

So, I've got a co-worker who will be finishing her internship and going back to grad school in a couple of weeks. I'd like to give her a simple, useful, going away present.

Of course, as a flashaholic, I want to get her a flashlight. :naughty:

She mentioned a while back that she goes jogging at night and she gets nervous about cars maybe not seeing her as she's doing her jog.

So, I'm looking for ideas for a decent light to use as a "hello, there's a person jogging here" for her to use.

It should have the following:

(1) Preferably run on AA or AAA batteries. Other power sources might be ok but I am thinking if I gave her a CR123 or coin cell (CR2016 or CR2032) powered light, it is likely to wind up gathering dust in a drawer somewhere once the initial set of batteries run out.
(2) Can be clipped to clothing, attached to her wrist or ankle, etc. Basically, it should be something wearable and does not need to be held in her hand.
(3) Not cost too much. I'm budgeting no more than ~$40 for this going away gift.

I figure combine the light with a set of reflective wrist bands / ankle bands (she already said she doesn't like wearing a reflective vest) and she'll have a useful gift set that will help keep her safe on her late jogs.

So, suggestions? :thinking:

Outdoor sport shops sell clip on reflector-lights which have multiple red LEDs and blink in various alternating patterns. REI, Adventure 16 and stores that sell running equipment would be a good place to look. The neighborhood bike store may have something too.

I bought one to use when Nordic Walking in the evenings at Adventure 16 for around $10.00. You may want to check out Nite-Gear, Inc. http://www.night-gear.com/ They have a large assortment of lighting gear and equipment.

Energizer has a single AA, 1 watt light that would be good for this application. It has a clip so it could be clipped onto a waist band, hat brim, or watch strap. Assuming she's not a marathoner, run time shouldn't be too important as anything will last the length of the average jog. It's also handy to be able to hold it in your hand so I wouldn't get something that attaches too permanently. When an oncoming car is approaching you'll want to hold it high ( picture the Statue of Liberty with light pointing down on your head or chest ). It's also helpful to be able to point it at the curb or a few strides in front of you when you are unsure of your footing. I have had it out in the rain and it hadn't suffered any. I have also dropped it and it shows scratches pretty well, but that's not a problem for me. The light is only about $18, but if you packaged it with a set of rechargeables and a charger it would make a nice gift.

While it runs on coin cells (two 2032s), I would still highly recommend the Petzl E+Lite, a mini headlamp that can also clip to a hat brim, waistband, or be worn around an arm or ankle. It's my favorite "be seen" running light. The thing is tiny and weighs next to nothing, but has an effective flashmode, enough light to run in the dark, and a red LED if someone prefers that. Cost about $30. I'd throw in some extra cells, which last a long time.

Jack

Try to convince her again about the safety vest. Single most visible thing she can do for herself jogging anywhere near a road.

That said, other options include a host of clip-on blinkies - most are ok, although I'll probably suggest a good headlamp instead. They seem to be more secure, and can provide useful directional light to see where you're going when you're jogging in darker areas. My old MyoXP also had a blink mode that made it useful as a "hey, I'm here" light for oncoming traffic.

Most of my running is early in the morning or after dark in a suburban environment. I wear a Niteize Marker Band http://www.niteize.com/productdetail.php?category_id=31&product_id=38 on my wrist. Wearing it on the wrist makes it much more visible by keeping your body from blocking it. Also, your arm movement enhances visibility.

I also keep an Surefire A2 clipped to my fanny pack.

Always run against traffic!

Dan

I used to do a lot of motorcycle touring and was always concerned about night time visibility, particularly in rain/fog conditions. My solution was to wear a Conspicuity Reflective Vest. http://www.conspicuity.us/ Once while riding in rain and fog along New York State Route 17, also known as the Southern Tier Expressway, I had a state trooper follow me into a rest stop to ask about my vest. He thought that it was powered by batteries and wondered if it was legal. When he learned that it was entirely reflective he was amazed. I ended up, dripping wet in my rain suit, in the front seat of his car, while he copied information from the label on my vest. He had had some close calls directing traffic and wanted something better than the state supplied vest. On another occasion, while riding in blinding rain along I-70 in Ohio, a trucker followed me when I got off the highway for a cup of coffee. Turned out the trucker drove to support his addiction to bicycle touring and was amazed that my vest was the most visible thing on the road. He wanted to get one just like mine. These vests will probably work for runners just fine.

Hmmm... I will look into the Energizer light but so far it looks like the majority of the jogging safety/visibility lights are coin cell (CR2032) operated so I guess I'll look into those and just toss in a bunch of extra batteries if I get one of those. Anyway, it looks like those lights will run for half a year (or longer) without needing replacement batteries so with a couple of sets of replacement batteries she'll be ok for a while.

There's an REI not too far from where I work so I think sometime in the next couple of days I will check out their safety/visibility lights and reflective bands/vests.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I love this forum since everyone is always so helpful. Keep 'em coming.

If you hit the bike section at REI, their blinkies are more apt to be the AA or AAA variety. One well regarded one for visibility is the Planetbike Superflash - has a very distinctive flash pattern. It's a little directional tho', so you have to be certain about where you're clipping it so that it faces directly forward, and doesn't droop down towards the ground.

Is there a specific reason she doesn't like the vest idea? If it's weight/bulk, there's some really lightweight models designed for running. (You can find them at REI, among other places) Also, you can get a "crossing guard" type belt (like this one) that has reflective material but it's just in a belt/sash form vs having a whole vest.

Wyeast said:

If you hit the bike section at REI, their blinkies are more apt to be the AA or AAA variety. One well regarded one for visibility is the Planetbike Superflash - has a very distinctive flash pattern. It's a little directional tho', so you have to be certain about where you're clipping it so that it faces directly forward, and doesn't droop down towards the ground.

Is there a specific reason she doesn't like the vest idea? If it's weight/bulk, there's some really lightweight models designed for running. (You can find them at REI, among other places) Also, you can get a "crossing guard" type belt (like this one) that has reflective material but it's just in a belt/sash form vs having a whole vest.

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I think she just finds the vests uncomfortable to wear, especially around summer time. The reflective sash looks interesting, though. I recall seeing a reflective sash when I explored REI on my way home from work last night.

How usable would the Planet Bike Superflash be if worn on her wrist or arm? How about the Petzl e+LITE, how effective might that be when worn on the wrist or arm? I also saw a Petzl Signal Safety Light at the display at REI. Has anyone used it for jogging?

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions so far. Greatly appreciate the feedback.

deranged_coder said:

How usable would the Planet Bike Superflash be if worn on her wrist or arm? How about the Petzl e+LITE, how effective might that be when worn on the wrist or arm? I also saw a Petzl Signal Safety Light at the display at REI. Has anyone used it for jogging?

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On the arm or wrist I'd assume it'd jostle around too much and slip to face directly down, doing her no good at all. My recommendation is to get a reflective sash, and clip the light to it.

deranged_coder said:

The reflective sash looks interesting, though. I recall seeing a reflective sash when I explored REI on my way home from work last night.

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I have a different sash that I wear cycling, but when running it tends to slip off my shoulder, which is a real inconvenience. I'm now using an Amphipod Xinglet which falls somewhere between sash and vest, and works quite well.

deranged_coder said:

How usable would the Planet Bike Superflash be if worn on her wrist or arm?

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It might be a little heavy for that purpose, tending to bounce a bit unless strapped fairly tight. Then again, people run with iPhones on the arm, so personal preference is a factor.

deranged_coder said:

How about the Petzl e+LITE, how effective might that be when worn on the wrist or arm? I also saw a Petzl Signal Safety Light at the display at REI. Has anyone used it for jogging?

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The e+Lite works ok strapped or clipped to any body parts or clothing, though it's nowhere near as bright as a SuperFlash. The Petzl Signal Safety Light, however, is another step down in brightness from the e+Lite, despite having 3 leds. I have one, but I regret that purchase.

My favorite mini red LED these days is the Firefly Supernova. It also runs on coin cells, but is bright, has an appropriate flash rate (as well as a steady mode), and can be seen from a very wide angle. It's very lightweight, and has an effective clip. When running, I now where one of these on the back of my headlamp band, and another clipped to the Xinglet or my shorts. I also wear a reflective ankle strap. I might want to substitute a SuperFlash for a Supernova if running in foggy or high traffic areas.

Jack

I'd just look for one of those 2AA or 2AAA blinkies like KenD mentioned in post #2. I've got one from a "Dollar Store" that works fine. I guess the main problem might be weight.

Geoff

No one mentioned a glo-toob?! Visible for about 1 mile, in various colours, various modes (strobe, constant on, etc...), and waterproof/bulletproof.

Can be had for roughly $22, shipping included.

http://www.cfrlights.com/servlet/the-239/Patented%2C-Electric%2C-Lightstick%2C-7%2C/Detail

EDIT:
I just noticed you wanted AA or AAA... The batteries the FX glo-toob takes are A23, but they are very readily available in stores. Also the runtime on these suckers is 30+ hours. Just buy a few extra batteries to go with it!

Wyeast said:

Try to convince her again about the safety vest. Single most visible thing she can do for herself jogging anywhere near a road.

.

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agreed


what about a blinking headlamp worn backwards.

f22shift said:

agreed


what about a blinking headlamp worn backwards.

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Since pedestrians are supposed to go against traffic, then having it face forwards should do the job.

Wouldn't hurt to have a red blinkie in back anyway tho'. :naughty:

Where is the love for the headlamps???
Princeton tec has a new Quad Tactical that has varying color lenses that are easy to change out and there is also a blinking mode. PT also produces an EOS tactical that has the same lens system but has more of a spot beam as opposed to the flood of the Quad. Either would work and the lens filter can slide in and out of place with just one hand while on the go so the marker light can also be used a running light and both lights use AAA batteries in alkaline, rechargeable, and lithium chemistry's. If you do go the Princeton Tec route, buy direct from their website or in a store where you can verify that you are getting the newest upgraded stock especially on the Quad, it should be rated at 40+lumens from what I recall. There's a new Eos Model out as well that is brighter than the Tactical, 50 lumens vs 26 but only the tactical has the colored reflectors.

+1 on the Glo-toob as well but it will jiggle and may be distracting.

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions so far.

The headlamp suggestions look pretty nice but I doubt I can convince her to wear a full sized headlamp. Heck, she doesn't even want to wear a vest. :shrug:

After having read through everything and having handled some of the lights / sashes / wrist bands / vests at the nearest REI I am thinking of a reflective sash and the Petzl e+LITE. The sash because it has a greater reflective surface than the wrist bands but not quite as obstrusive as a full fledged vest. The e+LITE looks like the best option so far because it has several useful modes for enhancing visibility (constant on, blinking, white and red LEDs) and has several nice mounting options (worn on wrist, upper arm, clipped to a cap) that I think she'll actually be able to deal with.

I won't be buying stuff until early to mid next week though so if people still have suggestions, I would love to hear 'em.