Bedside Light for my Wife...

Looking for a bedside light for my Wife. I have pretty much settled on a Princeton Tec Attitude. I thought it would be worth asking here if I am missing out on any other great lights that would be better suited?

Specs:

-LONG runtime.

-Batteries not much of an issue, but I'd prefer 'normal' ones (AA/AAA)

-Size not much of an issue, she's not carrying it around, but The Attitude's about as small as I'd like to go and I wouldn't want it to be TOO much bigger (certainly smaller than a 2-D sized light).

-Prefer LEDs so as not to have to worry about the Bulbs.

-Brightness not too much of an issue. Obviously a good bright light is prefered, but runtime is more important. Good enought to find your way around in the dark and perform simple tasks. Doesn't need to BLIND INTRUDERS or provide light for micro-surgery. The Attitude is about bright enough, but a little brighter would be better.

-Simple on/off. Prefer not to have a tailcap switch, but as long as its not anything fancy.

-Cost should be under $25-$30.

Let me know what ya'll suggest...

Thanks,

-John

ARC AAA-P is my recommendation. I got "the boss" one and she loves it.

Spend a few dollars more, and get the ARC AA. Its tail-standing ability makes it a much nicer choice as a bedside light, and using a lithium AA gives you a huge runtime.

attitude is a good choice.

there is always a palight. the always-on makes it very easy to find in the dark.
my wife and i both have selectors on our nightstand. they are quite nice with the focusing lens removed (they pop out easily). on low, it is great for reading or walking about the dark house. high beam is a bonus.

another excellent idea: opalec newbeam. sweet light with LONG, dead flat runtime.

Bob

I think the attitude is a great choice considering all the factors you put forward...
The Streamlight Propolymer 4AA 7LED is another great light- but it has a tailswitch.... not difficult to use at all, but it's on your list of "Don't wants".

Thanks for all the replies.

CharlieK,

That 4AA Propolymer looks like a great choice. How would that compare 'brightness-wise' to the Attitude? I imagine it would be a fair amount brighter...

The Tailcap is not a big issue either, I just thought a more 'traditional' format would be a little bit more friendly. She won't be using it to 'clear' the house, just to keep from falling down the stairs.

Thanks again,

-John

Beside use seems to be the best application I've found for the PAL lights (I own close to a dozen, even though we only have one bed).

[ QUOTE ]
blastjv said:
Thanks for all the replies.

CharlieK,

That 4AA Propolymer looks like a great choice. How would that compare 'brightness-wise' to the Attitude? I imagine it would be a fair amount brighter...

The Tailcap is not a big issue either, I just thought a more 'traditional' format would be a little bit more friendly. She won't be using it to 'clear' the house, just to keep from falling down the stairs.

Thanks again,

-John

[/ QUOTE ]

The Attitude is 3LEDs in a triangular cluster- the Propolymer is 7 LEDs in a circle. Yep... it's brighter by quite a bit, but not blinding, and the same smooth even lighting you'd expect from a quality LED light- blue-whit in color (just like the attitude) The 2x2 format of the 4AA cells makes for a comfortable light to hold. The ads say 150 hours on 4AA- I'd say it's more like 5 hours solid at full brightness, and 12 at lower (but still usable) after that you'll want to change the batteries.... most of the LED lights "stretch the truth" abut how long they last on batteries (the attitude is also no exception).

Got a Propolymer 7LED for my Dad- he loves it. He can't get over how smooth the light beam is.

Hey- for the under $30 light that it is- it's great!
I'm still in love with my Arc LSH and my Surefire L4.... but they're in a different class price-wise.

I think your wife will like the propolymer- mine does- whenever she reaches for a light from my flashlight shelf, 99% of the time, she grabs the Propolymer. (and i BOUGHT her her own PT Attitude)

Sounds like a winner.

Thanks again,

-John

[ QUOTE ]
blastjv said:
Sounds like a winner.

Thanks again,

-John

[/ QUOTE ]

DO let us know how you like it.... oh, and Welcome to the board!

I've been lurking for quite a while, but I haven't posted much at all. I thought it was worthwhile to learn as much as I could before posting silly questions that I could easily answer myself with a little research.

-John

there are no silly questions...only silly answers form a bunch of silly flashaholics!

there are no silly questions...only silly answers form a bunch of silly flashaholics!

BUY BOTH!!! BUY THEM ALL!!!

Bob

ps i didnt consider the SL4aa7led. GREAT light.
but, if you are using it to get up at night and maybe go to the bathroom, it will blind you if your eyes are dark adapted.

also, it is safety rated...so if operated in the presence of methane, there shouldnt be an explosion! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

blastjv...
Consider a PAL light...
Is is findable in complete darkness and casts a beam that won't wake anyone.

I use several in my family.

When I originally read the title of your thread,
I thought you were looking for a trade . . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I glad that I was mistaken! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


"Lux" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif

I'd second (or whatever number I am in line now) the recommendation on a PALight. For simple "doing tasks in the dark" light on the bedstand, as opposed to "something went bump in the night" tasks, it's hard to beat.
My wife is very NOT into the whole flashlight thing for aesthetics, coolness factor, etc. - but this is the light she finds practical and uses almost nightly.
Stands on its end, variable light levels, and the always-on feature makes sure you'll actually come up with the light in your hand when you reach out for it.
We use them a LOT with the newborn in the house - the always-on level of light can take care of some basic getting-around tasks with a dark-adapted eye. For changing the baby, etc., we turn on high beam and stand it on end, using the light reflecting off the ceiling to do whatever. And if you need more light, you can hold it and shine it directly on the diaper - er, task - at hand.
I've had to change the battery once in my wife's so far - at first she was disappointed (I thought you said it lasts 200 hours) but when I pointed out that was for always-on, she realized it was pretty good because it's been used so much.
We have the E-Lite version, which also offers the option of turning the light fully off. As others have recommended, I popped out and reversed the lens - the beam's a bit too tightly focused for my tastes as it comes.
The other suggestions I've seen also sound good, but out of the variety of lights I have, this is the one my wife will actually use.
Dave

[ QUOTE ]
Lux_Luminous said:
When I originally read the title of your thread,
I thought you were looking for a trade . . . /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

I glad that I was mistaken! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


"Lux" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That'd have to be one NICE bedside light...but I'm willing to listen to offers... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

-John

I can highly recommend the Ray-O-Vac Sportsman light (the little silver/black single-LED model)

My Sportsman is brighter than my Attitude, with a much longer-throwing beam. It runs on 3-AAA batteries, and is under $10 at Wal-Mart. This means that you can get it today, don't have to pay for shipping, and it is cheaper! It will also stand on end and project a spot on the ceiling.

The are a couple of very minor disadvantages. The first is that if you do not stand it on one end or the other, it can roll around. The second is that after you grab the light, you have to turn it around in your hands until you find the switch.

For an under $10 light that you can pick up on the way home from work, it is great. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Don't misunderstand me. I still like my Attitude. But the Ray-O-Vac is a better bargain.

I have a Pal light for my wife. It is always on, takes a 9v battery, and easy push button. I don't need the flashing part, but other then that, I'm happy with it.



Blades

The Attitude is good. If your wife wants to read in bed without disturbing others, I'd recommend the Princeton Tec Aurora headlamp. Variable brightness, adjustable tilt, and small/lightweight. For getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, my money is on the CMG Infinity Ultra. Small, can be operated with one hand, and has a neck lanyard. The Attitude can serve in this capacity as well, but it's bigger, is not a one hand thing, and it's a bit big to hang around your neck. I think the Streamlight 4AA LED is TOO bright for night-bathroom-run use, although it is my favorite general purpose light when I need something fairly bright. When your eyes are dark adapted from sleep, it's just too much light. PALs are good, but their beam is narrower than the other lights mentioned here. Mine has been finicky in the past. Just seems to go bozo every now and then. Won't turn on, won't turn off, won't cycle between brightness levels, etc. Battery_out/battery_in seems to cure it (resets whatever electronics are haywire). Lately it's been well behaved however.

The bedside lights that my wife and I use most, in order of time used, are: Infinity Ultra, Aurora, Attitude, PAL