The Quest for the Best.... Glovebox Lights

Is there a good selection of Products?

  • 5mm LED (Any quantity)

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  • 1 watt LS

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  • Other

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  • 2-AA

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  • 3-AA

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  • 4-AA

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  • 2-123A

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  • 3-123A

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  • 3-C

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  • 2-D

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  • 3-D

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  • Other

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  • Ccrane CC600

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  • Ccrane Expedition Star

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  • Elektrolumens 1-R

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  • Inova X5T

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  • Streamlight 2L Twin Task

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  • Streamlight 3C Twin Task

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  • Streamlight ProPolymer 4AA LED

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  • Other

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  • Total voters
    0

IlluminatingBikr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
2,320
My family now has three cars. None of which have a decent light in the glove box. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I have been thinking about glove box lights, and there are some nice lights in this category. I am curious as to what you guys think though. Without further a do, please let the glovebox light challenge continue! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

paulr

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
IMO a good glovebox light should be very bright (to light distant objects at night) and not too expensive (because it just sits in the glovebox most of the time). That means incandescent. My glovebox light is a PT Surge, which is fairly compact, very bright, and runs 20 bucks or so. I used it yesterday when someone backed into me and dinged my passenger door in broad daylight. The light was very useful in examining the ding. A low powered LED light wouldn't have made nearly enough contrast.
 

utomatoe

Enlightened
Joined
Feb 13, 2004
Messages
216
Location
Toronto, Canada
Depending on your needs, the twin task is a nice light too, if you need the longer running time of the LEDs. Lithium powered lights are good too, as I believe they are less likely to leak if you leave them in.
 

ikendu

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Joined
Jun 30, 2001
Messages
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Location
Iowa
The best set up for glovebox lights:

1. Lithium (to withstand heat over time and cold when you need it)...AA or 123a
2. LED so it won't let you down when you need it
3. Single cell...least chance of batteries interacting with one another

Candidates that meet this criteria:

a. Infinity Ultra
b. Dorcy 3 LED 1AA
c. TwinTask 1L

With a single cell like the Infinity, nothing is actually touching the battery on both ends...no possibility of a circuit that might slowly drain the battery. You many notice the increased likliness of batteries leaking when they are installed in a flashlight. Can't remember when I've seen a battery leak just laying in a drawer. I've also seen a post that metal bodied flashlights can interact with the batteries (like in some "inductive" way)...but I've never seen anything really solid on this.

Another thought on this topic is to carry an LED light on your keychain (like ARC AAA) so you've got the reliability of an LED and then use whatever cheap light in the car you want.
 

LightScene

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Joined
Sep 12, 2003
Messages
939
You want something that is small, cheap, bright, not too useful for every day use, so you don't mind having it sitting un-used in the car. Here are my suggestions:

The Princeton Tec Rage is VERY bright. It runs on 4 AAA. It seems kind of perfect for an emergency light.

The other possibility would be a single CR123 light from Harbor Freight, or one of those "Police" lights made in China. Another excellent choice.

Another option would be the CMG Reactor with 2 lithium L91 AA's. The problem with this one is you may be tempted to take it out of the car and actually use it.
 

paulr

Flashaholic
Joined
Mar 29, 2003
Messages
10,832
The PT Rage is a nice light, small enough for backpacking, smaller than a glovebox light really needs to be. A PT40 will give you more battery runtime, the ability to use L91 lithium batteries if you want lithium, and uses standard PR base bulbs, for roughly the same cost as the Rage.

Really, I'd forget about 5mm led lights like the CMG Ultra as primary car flashlights. Sure, toss one in there as a handy spare light for letting a passenger read a map without having to turn on the dome light or something like that. But the main light should be many times brighter.

The Dorcy Spyders are also a pretty good choice and a very good value. They're 2x123 xenon lights sort of like low-rent Surefire 6P's. They come in packages of two at Costco, for about $30/package, including batteries.
 

Phaserburn

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Mar 30, 2003
Messages
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Connecticut, USA
The Dorcy Spyder, 2 for 26 or 13 each. Very bright, acceptable beam, lithium batteries, nice small form factor and build. Why leave lots of $$ in your glove box? The Spyder will be ready whenever you are, and will get the job done. The benefits of a 2x123 light without the cost.
 

tadbik

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Joined
Oct 22, 2003
Messages
308
Location
Israel
Streamlight Propolymer 4AA LED. 155 hours on a set of batteries.

$24. If they steal your car you won't cry about the cost or replacing the flashlight!
 

nightgaunt

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Joined
Apr 28, 2003
Messages
157
Location
Northern Indiana
I think Lithiums are a must for any long-term storage/glove box light. In the midwest, we get large seasonal temp. fluctuations, so alkalines BEG for mercy in the summer! I really like the Streamlight 2L Twin-Task...nice to be able to select light/beam type.
 

03lab

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 16, 2004
Messages
423
Location
berlin.de
I'm getting a UK4AA eLED (1 watt LS, regulated, 4 AA) for my glovebox. Cheap, long runtime, LED and good throw. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

NeonLights

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 18, 2003
Messages
1,493
Location
Ohio
In each of our three cars, I keep (at least) two lights in the gloveboxes. One light is a 2x123 powered incan light (2 are SF G2 with clickie switch mod, one is Brinkman Legend), and the other is a MiniMag with either an Inretech LS led or Opalec Newbeam drop-in.

My criteria for glovebox lights are that they must take lithium cells, so the lights can sit unused for five years and still work when I need them, and I need one to be bright enough with at least an hour runtime for working on the cars in emergency situations, and the other to be LED (no bulb to break)with at least several hours runtime. I'll probably eventually add a single cell, single (5mm) LED light for low powered needs like reading in the car, either a CMG Sonic or Dorcy 1xAAA, especially since Lithium AAA batteries will be released later this year.

Another criteria is that the lights need to be inexpensive because I'll need three of each (and we may be getting another car before long, so four of each then), and we have experienced vehicle break-ins in the past (the thieves stole Maglites in each case), so I don't want to have $200 worth of lights in each car

-Keith
 

Deanster

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Feb 17, 2002
Messages
590
Location
Seattle
To me, glovebox light implies maximum versatility - it will be the light you have on hand in a wide variety of circumstances, most of them bad. I loves the LED's, but no LED to date is versatile enough (especially in the throw arena) to be my glovebox light. Even more true when price is worked into the equation.

I think the Pelican Stealthlight (4AA) and Super Pelilight (2C) are a great compromise - very bright spot with plenty of throw, some spill (a little more would be good, actually), very very common batteries, ultra-waterproof, tough safety-yellow polymer bodies, non-sparking and non-conductive, so they can be used safely in any kind of circumstance, and priced under $30.

I feel very confident with these in the glovebox of all three of our family vehicles, and spent less than $100 to put them there.
 

utomatoe

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Feb 13, 2004
Messages
216
Location
Toronto, Canada
How about something that strobes too? I know some of the LEDs are capable of that. Better yet, keep road flares in trunk instead...

Being waterproof might come in handy too, dark rainy night, blown tire, etc. How about a waterproof headlamp? Both handsfree for a tire change, late at night on roads w/o lighting.
 

StuU

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Joined
Mar 13, 2001
Messages
647
Location
Virginia
I think that the lithium batteries are a must. Especially when considering the temp extremes in the average auto interior. The alkalines just start losing power almost immediately with the temp swings. I have a 4D M@glite in my car that has lost most of it's power in less than a year-and that car rarely gets left in the hot sun & so has minimum temp swings.

Just this week, I found some Dorcy Spyders at a salvage store for under $10. Bought a couple and am highly impressed with the performance. Converted to LS 1 Watters, these lights would be near ideal for car duty. Or even converted to 6 Nichias.

Stu
------------------------------

Modern science has been a voyage into the unknown, with a lesson in humility waiting at every stop. Many passengers would rather have stayed home.
-- Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

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Sep 4, 2002
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Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
In my Sisters car there is a Brinkmann LX in the Glovebox, and she carries a Streamlight Keymate on her keys.

I don't have a "glovebox" light. I have door pocket lights, behind the back seat light, floor mounted Stinger etc. On my person are ARC AAA and Infinity Ultra.

In her car, the light might never be used.

I play with or actually use my truck lights often enough to never be caught with dead or leaky batteries.

And one of the lights in my truck is a Clipmate headlight. It has saved my A$$ more than once!

Anyhow, that Brinkmann LX is 20 bucks or so at Wallyworld. And it comes with batteries!

Although I lean towards the SL TT2L for that purpose too.
 

Gone Jeepin

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Nov 4, 2002
Messages
357
Location
Michigan, USA
A light for my Jeep has been an ongoing and evolving issue for me. I see two basic issues that pull me in two directions... Throw vs. runtime. First, in most conditions that I travel in there is alot of light pollution so the small, one cell, long running LED lights (Infinity Ultra, Arc AA or AAA, and Swiss light II) are of little to no value outside of the car. The 1watt LS lights on one or more 123's are good for close up work around the car and provide long run times (trying a Z3 w/KL3 and clickie) but cannot throw far in all the light pollution. To add throw to the mix, I just added the original head for the Z3 to the car (as well as a loaded spares carrier).

I was trying to stick to the parameters that I was using something already in my collection and would also have access to my bag that I always carry. In my carry bag I have my every day lights that would also be useful in a car breakdown or accident situation. The Elite X-Ray could be a flasher, the A2 could be a decent throw light or long running LED (blue), and the Arc AA would be great inside the car to see with if the cars electric system were down. That leaves my EDC Arc 4+ and AAA at the ready for any other needs that come up. Lots of light and enough run time to hopefully get through the situation.
 

_mike_

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Joined
Aug 14, 2003
Messages
1,198
Location
Wa. State
Our main "glove box" light one that stays in the vehicles is the ST TT 2L with extra batteries. I have thrown in a couple of those CC $1.00 pocket lights too just for good measure as hand outs or if someone needs a little light (we give those away). My wife and I also have Arc AAA's on our keychains. In addition I carry an Arc LSH-P (2nd).

The ST TT 2L is a decent enough light to handle most any situation we may run into on the side of the road. Besides, we both have cell phones, a car adapter for the battery and AAA.

Mike
 

Flying Turtle

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Jan 28, 2003
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Apex, NC
I'll put in my vote for the PT Attitude. Long running, nice flood, and waterproof make it a good all purpose choice.
 

Stanley

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Jul 10, 2003
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Location
Canberra, Australia
Depending on weather conditions, I'd try and stay away from any light(s) that have a rubberised grip or switch, etc.. In a hot country like Malaysia, I'd ideally prefer something like a Arc LS with a Twistie pack, or a E1e/E2e with the Vitalgear body, cos long term storage could cause the rubber parts to deteriorate quickly. Apart from that, long/decent runtime is also a big factor for me, as you never know how long you might need a light for... Finally Lithium batts are a must as well, cos of the extreme temperatures we experience, especially if the car is parked under the sun frequently.

Having said that, I still think that a X5t is great cos of its long runtime, but a INova 24/7 is also a must as a backup in case of a breakdown.
 
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