cheap AA lights (with a twist)...

I bought my kids a cheap LED light (on a whim) from one of the hardware stores...was about $2.50 on sale with batteries (3x AAA, I think). They actually used them (looking under the bed, etc.). Very Cheap...and cheaply made (not much battery life).

I also have a bunch of NiMH AA batteries I got (got tired of the kids raiding the supply of Alkalines...and when I needed one...they were always gone...so I went with rechargeables).

So, I think it's time to upgrade the kids flashlights.

I looked at the cheap LED AA link sticky at the top of the page...a lot of info, but in my case, almost too much info.

I was looking for a recommendation on a $10 to $15 (I can go above or below that if necessary) LED light for the kids.

One thing I would like is some kind of a "Low" setting (my older Daughter does what I did when I was younger...reads by flashlight when she's supposed to be asleep...I'm not going to give her too much grief, because she doesn't have much trouble getting up for school even when she does that)....so that is a plus.

Not too much criteria other than a durable flashlight...I may even buy a couple of extras to put in the car if they are nice enough.

Thanks for any thoughts.

AFARR

You can try Fenix E01 (www.4sevens.com) for $15, it's a single mode. Or if you want 3 modes, try the iTp EOS (shiningbeam.com) for about ~$23. The EOS always starts on medium --> Low ---> High. The med is pretty good, low is really low (which is nice), high is awesome! Both takes single AAA.

Oh I am sorry, I didn't see that you wanted AA... I thought AAA would be better since it's lighter.

For AA. I recommend Nitecore D10 (you can change the brightness from 1-100) and quark AA (Lots of good reviews on this model).

Both available from 4sevens.com

the d10 and quark are way over the budget..

dealgrabber2002 said:

You can try Fenix E01 (www.4sevens.com) for $15, it's a single mode. Or if you want 3 modes, try the iTp EOS (shiningbeam.com) for about ~$23. The EOS always starts on medium --> Low ---> High. The med is pretty good, low is really low (which is nice), high is awesome! Both takes single AAA.

Oh I am sorry, I didn't see that you wanted AA... I thought AAA would be better since it's lighter.

For AA. I recommend Nitecore D10 (you can change the brightness from 1-100) and quark AA (Lots of good reviews on this model).

Both available from 4sevens.com

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The first two are single AAA, so they are quite tiny, fit for keychain duty. Dunno if thats exactly what you'd want for kids.

The latter two are way above 15 bucks. You can't go wrong with them, but they aren't in the price range you want.

In your price range, I'd recommend the Akoray K106 3-mode from DX/KD (Dealextreme / Kaidomain). Works with a AA size battery (takes anything up to 4.5V) and the 3 modes are fully programmable. Its very decently built too. ~$19.

Another option (although 2AA) would be a MiniMag. You can get the multi-mode version for ~$19.

A little while ago, Target was clearing out their Nite Ize IQ Switch/1W Luxeon Minimag dropin packs for about $5. So I bought two, along with two regular Minimags (a blue one for my son and a pink one for my daughter) at about $9 each, and installed the dropins and switches and gave them to my kids. Cheap, common batteries, multiple levels with a flash mode the kids like, plenty of light for what the kids use them for, and they like having their own personal colored flashlight.

So in that vein, I would recommend getting the current multi-level MiniMag LEDs. Multi-level, decent construction, not too expensive, lifetime warranty, AA batteries, and bright enough for the kids.

+1 on the E01
what you really want is a AA version of the E01, but hell, thats what we all want and it just doesn't exist.

For the kids, imho, bigger is better. Give them a tiny keychain light, and they will lose it.

My advice: Just visit your nearest dollar-store or wallyworld or costco/samsclub or cvs/walgreens/riteaid/etc. You will find plenty of AA LED lights under $10. The kids don't need a high-power LED or precision optics to read under the covers. A cluster of low-powered LEDs is perfect.

And if you want teach your kids to value function more than form...give them headlamps, not handhelds!

-Jeff

Don't buy them a high performance bright light. Children WILL shine it in their own eyes or the eyes of others.

An E01 would be a great light. Attach it to a keychain with something fun and bulky like a little stuffed animal. Then a tiny flashlight won't get lost very easily if attached to something larger.

+1 on the K106. If you want you can set all 3 modes to the same brightness and effectively create a 'one mode' light.

Will last 2 hours+ on high on a single 2000mAh nimh.

The circuit board is entirely potted. In my opinion, non switch related flashlight failures on cheap chinese lights are caused by the iron ring wire wound coil inductor moving around. Get a fast enough shock to the flashlight and the inertia snaps the wires off it. There's nothing in the head of an Akoray 106 that could break with any reasonable shock.

The switch doesn't seem to have the problems that the other cheap chinese lights like some of the ultrafires have. It's not screwed in like the other lights that commonly have failures. I really can't see a failure mode on the tail switch except.

Yucca Patrol said:

Attach it to a keychain with something fun and bulky like a little stuffed animal.

Click to expand...

Oh, that's cruel.

It's hard enough to read a book with a handheld light...then you handcuff a stuffed animal to the light...it flops around whenever they turn a page...that's enough to make them give up trying to read after bedtime.

Kids are still flexible...seriously...give them headlamps before they develop an irrational attachment to handheld lights.

-Jeff

I'm sure he's not looking for name brand lights. Go with some romisen lights from DX. Those things are great.

I should clarify...

I do like the Idea of the AA light (for duration vs. AAA light).

This is an upgrade for the kids. I did look at some of the cheaper LED lights at Walmart, etc. and wasn't impressed.

I also don't want to get into a Surefire (I just got a couple ..G2 and 6P for $68 shipped, that will get LED modules in the near future) for myself.

At some point, when they are off at school, I want them to have a pocket (hence the AA light) light for walking after dark...and have it be of sufficient quality that they can keep it for a while.

They will eventually get a Surefire or similar that will probably go with them as a "purse" flashlight...preferably something with some blinding ability if needed...or, as they can both shoot to some extent...a way to keep an eye on the body of their attacker until the police get there to cart it away..

The $$ range isn't fixed in stone....I think the old saying is "Buy Quality and Only Cry Once"...but, as mentioned above, I also don't want them losing a $100+ flashlight right now...so this is to learn a bit about a reasonable quality flashlight, and how to keep track of it.

Thanks again, and keep the suggestions coming!!

AFARR

Costco, if you're a member, is likely currently selling a selection of led lights in conjunction with Halloween coming up. A couple days ago I saw a multi LED light pack (2 in the pack) for around 15 dollars. I think they ran on AAs. Something like that would fit the bill for a good price.

Go to shiningbeam.com and take a look at the Romisen H3 or the RC-G2. All single mode. Great lights and quite bright. Great for walking outside after dark.

I know DX is cheaper in price, but shiningbeam upgrades the same model with better emitters and great services. And it will arrive within days instead of weeks like DX. Trust me, paying a little more for the upgrade and great services is well worth it.

I did note from the Sticky post above that Romisen seems to be pretty well made.

Also: I have a Streamlight Microstream (actually a pair of them)...I had not considered getting more (local gunstore has them for $14)..yes, they are AAA, but seem pretty well made. I use mine as a clinical light, and also to take a leak....(our florescent light in the bathroom needs changed...it will often take a minute or more to actually come on...the streamlight is perfect to use to see where the toilet is...as there's no windows in the staff bathroom, and no other lighting source).

I do have some AAA rechargeables also.

AFARR

How bright does it need to be?
If you need it to be bright with a low mode, I can't think of any light that meets your criteria

-Twist switch
-Low/High lumen output
-Durable
-Cheap

If you only need a light bright enough to read by, get a gerber UI. But its only one mode and ~8 Lumens. It can't do HIGH output.

The Romisen RC-D5 looks like a nice light, but its probably too much light for bed time reading.

AFARR said:

I did note from the Sticky post above that Romisen seems to be pretty well made.

Also: I have a Streamlight Microstream (actually a pair of them)...I had not considered getting more (local gunstore has them for $14)..yes, they are AAA, but seem pretty well made. I use mine as a clinical light, and also to take a leak....(our florescent light in the bathroom needs changed...it will often take a minute or more to actually come on...the streamlight is perfect to use to see where the toilet is...as there's no windows in the staff bathroom, and no other lighting source).

I do have some AAA rechargeables also.

AFARR

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Oh.. OK that opens things up a bit. The ITP-A3-EOS is somewhat cheap ($20), but it will do a low-Med-Hi, and it is very durable.

Maglite LED, the new 2xAA models, they have a high, low, and some stroby modes. Under $20 and can be found at walmart, target, etc.

I never consider the maglites because I want MORE POWER! But if it's not for ME then I'd consider a maglite. I wouldn't doubt the quality or reliability

I'm a HUGE fan of the E01. One downside to it is the low freq PWM.

You may want to check how sensitive your kids are to this first.

keith p said:

I'm a HUGE fan of the E01. One downside to it is the low freq PWM.

You may want to check how sensitive your kids are to this first.

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L0D or E01?