Advice needed: Need a simple light for my wife

You guys have been very good at helping me spend money, so here's the next challenge:

Had a power outage yesterday, right after I removed all the "unworthy" flashlights from the house. My wife actually complained that she couldn't see - ah, an excuse to buy another light! But she doesn't want something "complicated".

Here's the deal: Thinking 2xAA but flexible (no li-ion only), should have a low low, plus medium and high, simple interface. She has used the Klarus ST20, and it would be good if only the side clicky turned on the light. The Jetbeam RRT series or the Sunwayman V series look like great options, but I'd prefer to stay under $60. The ZebraLight SC51 might just work here. I need something a non-flashaholic can intuitively pick up, turn on, and go through the levels as simply as possible.

Whatcha got?

Xeno E03/06. Click and turn on at medium, gently press and cycle through the levels without disco modes

alfa said:

Xeno E03/06. Click and turn on at medium, gently press and cycle through the levels without disco modes

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Good possibility - I can try that one, as I use one as my car light. She has a 4Sevens Quark AA2 Mini in her car, but it might be simpler to give her two E03s, one for the car and one for the nightstand. She even likes purple, so the blue model would be good. My only concern is the Low doesn't seem that low.

As an addendum, the Sunwayman M10R is looking like a possibility.

The Zebralight SC51 could be a great choice, and is one of my favorite lights. I have one tail standing in our bathroom for when you gotta go in the middle of the night & don't want to get blinded by the overhead light. When I click it I get it to turn on low every time, but when my wife clicks it....it turns on high every time. No matter how many times I tell her how the UI works it goes in one ear & out the other. Next night....she clicks it on the high setting (which I at least have it programmed to the lowest of the high options.) Still it's not as bright as our bathroom light. My point, she only likes lights that are really simple. The light she takes running with her before sun up is a Quark AA with the Tactical UI. I'd recommend for your wife a Quark AA2 (2xAA batteries) with the Tactical UI where you program the two output levels for her....maybe max (for head tight) and medium (for head loose.) That's how my wife likes for hers to be set up. Check em out at 4sevens.com or goingear.com

Does the SC51 use the same UI as the SC31? If so, I can test her clicky-fu when my SC31W gets here. I have a Quark AA2 Turbo, but it seems like a bit of a waste to give her a Turbo - she'll probably never use more than medium.

I say pony up the extra $10-$15 for the sunwayman V20A, or M20A

super simple UI that anybody can pick up and use.
very low, low modes.

ive handed my zebralights to friends and family with quick instructions, and very often they cant get the hang of it.

for my non-flashaholic friends and family, i always keep it as simple as possible. as in usually single modes, never more than 2 modes.

Yep...exactly the same UI.

The Quark AA2 simply has a smaller head than your Turbo. The Turbo has the same UI as the Quark AA2 Tactical. If you don't think she'll like it then the Sunwayman may be a good option for her with the variable output ring. I don't own one, but have played with a couple of em when I visited Goingear in Atlanta...nice UI & great quality.

Zebralights are not a simple non-flashaholic interface. Neither really is anything where you press lightly on the switch to cycle through levels.

I would say a Quark mini AA might be worth consideration, though i would worry that is still too complicated. Really she just wants a single mode light that outputs about 20 - 30 lm.

Cheapskate said:

Zebralights are not a simple non-flashaholic interface. Neither really is anything where you press lightly on the switch to cycle through levels.

I would say a Quark mini AA might be worth consideration, though i would worry that is still too complicated. Really she just wants a single mode light that outputs about 20 - 30 lm.

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My wife didn't even know (for a long time) that her Quark with the tactical UI even had a second level.....ha. She was just using medium all the time....and still mostly does. She is now aware of the other level I have programmed in it. I recently showed her how to program it.....look out....won't do that again unless she asks.

Fenix ld15. 2 nicely spaced levels . Simple UI (head tight, head loosened )

Hmmm...SC31W on backorder, but I'm starting to agree with the folks who say make it REALLY simple. Without going to the single mode route, the Sunwayman M10A or M10R are looking good. Everyone understands a dimmer switch, which is pretty much the idea.

Tiggercat said:

Hmmm...SC31W on backorder, but I'm starting to agree with the folks who say make it REALLY simple. Without going to the single mode route, the Sunwayman M10A or M10R are looking good. Everyone understands a dimmer switch, which is pretty much the idea.

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Goingear has the SC31w in stock - Click Here
10% off CPF discount code is ggcpf10

My wife always asks for the "little green light" (Zebralight H51Fc) when she wants a light. If I give her something else she tells me "I don't want this one". She just holds the button down till the light hits the mode she wants and lets go. She has a Olite i3 EOS on her keys but I bet it has not been turned on since I put it there.

I bought my non flashaholic wife and dad each a Quark Tactical AA and 2xAA respectively. It's simple, you click it on and then click it off - that's about as advanced as i could get with it with them. After a few weeks of using it i then introduced the twisty head for the second mode. It was hard enough as it was for them to get their head around the fact that a flashlight has a second mode.

My wife has kinda picked up on how to change modes with her Quark and she prefers High output for tight head and Strobe for loose head. Its kept permanently in her hand bag in it's little holster.

My dad - there's no hope of him being able to program his light or possibly even remember it's got a second mode. He uses it daily though and loves it. He does like to play with my TK-41, but always gets into trouble when he puts the strobe or SOS on...

My advice is to get them something very simple. Think on and off, forget about any kind of UI interface. If it does more than turn on and off you'll lose them... People who like to play with lights and the interfaces generally like to buy lights themselves because they want it. A gifted light is... just a gifted light that may get some use...

cheers

I forgot to mention, i bought my mum a Fenix E01 because it also has 2 excellent modes; on or off! I didn't think she'd like or use it but she uses it every day to get to the front porch, keys in the keyhole, taking the trash out, finding the cat etc... Simple on-off works for the people i gift lights to...

cheers

Outdoorsman5 said:

Goingear has the SC31w in stock - Click Here
10% off CPF discount code is ggcpf10

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I'm local to Going Gear, and plan to visit again soon, so they will get their share of my money. This time I'm spreading the love to Illumination Gear. (8% off and a lower starting price.)

Cheapskate said:

Really she just wants a single mode light that outputs about 20 - 30 lm.

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If that turns out to really be what she is looking for, possibly consider something super-simple and low-cost like the Nebo Edge or Fenix E05.

Where is your sense of adventure, man? If I buy her a Fenix E05, she has an E05. If I buy her a Sunwayman, only to find out she could make due with a Fenix E05, then I buy the E05 and I get to keep a Sunwayman that I can't get yelled at for, because I bought it for her. :devil: Of course, if she likes the Sunwayman, she gets a really nice light.

Icon Modus 1 in white

You can find it in white, if you live near Fry's they have them

I see that you do....well the Windward location has them...if not try the Pleasant Hill location....trying to help out a fellow Atlanta

P.S. if she does not like it take it back....just don't tear the package too bad and keep the receipt

skyfire said:

I say pony up the extra $10-$15 for the sunwayman V20A, or M20A

super simple UI that anybody can pick up and use.
very low, low modes.

ive handed my zebralights to friends and family with quick instructions, and very often they cant get the hang of it.

for my non-flashaholic friends and family, i always keep it as simple as possible. as in usually single modes, never more than 2 modes.

Click to expand...

I agree on the Sunwayman. I bought the M20A for the wife to use around the house and she found it very easy to use. Sunwayman makes some of the best lights out there , IMO.