Flashlight Recommendation

Sos24

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Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
508
Today my brother asked me if I would get him a flashlight. The flashlight will not be for extensive outdoor or work use, more of just something to have for occasional use.

My brother has cerebral palsy which provides some limitations on him, which drives the characteristics that I'm wanting.
- He specifically asked for it to glow, so would like at least a portion to glow in the dark. I could add paint or tapeif need be, but would be nice if built in
- a 1-2inch body doameter and 4-8in long. He does not have a lot of muscle dexterity so he needs something big enough to fill his hand but not too heavy because he also does not have a lot of hand strength
- a good size body mounted switch. He definitely would not be able to operate a twisty and a tail switch would not be as easy.
- just 1-2 modes. If it has multiple preferably low being default for turning on
- standard (AAA, AA, C, D) alkaline primaries
- light does not need a lot of lumens (less than 100) and lower is probably more preferred in case he accidentally pointed it at someone



1) How would you prefer to purchase the light?

This will be mail-order or Online (location doesn't matter).


2) Budget: An easy question, but you may change your mind after answering the rest! :)

Prefer less than $50, but Could go higher if it was the right light


3) Format:

I want a flashlight (hand held/self contained).



4) Size:

Needs to be at least 1in diameter and 4-8in length
He does not have a lot of hand dexterity so a fatter longer flashlight that is easy to get a good grip on is what is needed.


5) Emitter/Light source:

LED (known for efficiency, longevity, and compactness)


6) Manufacturer:

I want to buy a light from a large/traditional manufacturer that is ready to go out of the box.


7) What power source do you want to use?

I intend to use "Primary"/Disposable Alkaline batteries based on the usual AAA/AA/C/D sized cells common to most stores.


8) How much genuine out the front (OTF) light do you want/need? Sometimes you can have too much light (trying to read up close up with a 100 lumen light is not a happy experience).

____I want to navigate a dark room or read a map (1-10 lumens).
____I want an indoor "blackout" light (15-50 lumens)


9) Flood vs Throw: Flood covers an area, Throw reaches out to a distance.

____All Flood: I am doing "arms length" tasks like reading and campsite cooking.
____Wide Flood: I want a defined flood area for semi-close tasks like after-dark campsite tasks or working on a car.


9a) Distance: How far away will you typically need to see with this light (check all that apply)
Less than 5 yards/meters (looking for something inside a dark shed/garage/basement)


10) Runtime: Not over-inflated manufacturer runtime claims, but usable brightness measured from first activation to 50% with new batteries (Measured on maximum continuous output).

3 hours + (I critically need this light to run on max for extended periods in between battery changes/charges).


11) Durability/Usage: Generally the old phrase "you get what you pay for" is very accurate for flashlights.

Very Important (Camping, Backpacking, Car Glove-box).


12) Switch Size, Type, and location (choose all that apply):

I need a BIG switch (I'll be using gloves or have very large hands or coordination issues).
momentary switch, nice but not required
NO twisty switch (Tighten the head/tailcap to activate, and the light will stay on until the head/tailcap is loosened).
I want a body mounted switch (near the head, like on a Maglite).



13) User Interface (UI) and mode selection. Select all that apply.

A simple on-off with only one output level is fine for me.



14)Material/Finish/Coating

Plastic/composite body (this may limit your choices significantly).
Anodized Aluminum – either type II or III (Hard Anodized) (Aluminum, specifically HA, is the most common material/finish for today's higher end flashlights).


15) Water resistance
Would be nice, but None needed


16) Storage conditions
In house (temperature/climate controlled environment)


17) Special Needs/extras: Is there anything else you want or need that hasn't been mentioned? Select any/all below.

At least some portion of it glows in the dark
 

ZMZ67

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
1,901
Location
Colorado
A little off the beaten path of typical flashoholic lights but the Pelican ProGear 3310PL or 3315PL might be worth a look. I don't have any personal experience with either but light but they seem to meet a lot of your criteria. You would probably need to diffuse the beam to get more flood but you might be able to do that with Glad press and seal or a slip on diffuser of the appropriate size.
 
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flatline

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 6, 2009
Messages
1,923
Location
Tennessee
Energizer Hard Case Task Light -- 2AA

Has a side clicky that is easy to press. 1st press turns on at 300L, 2nd press drops down to 70L. 3rd press turns it off. The beam is floody and covers a wide area (very little throw). It is lightweight, made of plastic, and rated to survive a 7-meter drop.

This light works well for folks with no hand strength and finger mobility issues due to arthritis.I don't know much about your brother's condition,but for $10 on amazon ($14 at my local hardware store), it wouldn't be an expensive experiment to see if it would work well for him.

Nothing on it glows, so you'd have to add tape or something to it.

Good luck! I hope you find him a light that he loves!

edit: changed "30-foot drop" to "7-meter drop" after reading the amazon description.

--flatline
 
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ZMZ67

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
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Messages
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Location
Colorado
Another low cost option is the Energizer PivotPro Flashlight. It also lacks the glow in the dark feature but it is all flood and has a very easy to manipulate switch. It is available at my local Walmart for less than $20 but can be found online I am sure. Similar to the Hard Case Task light in operation.
 
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Sos24

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
508
A little off the beaten path of typical flashoholic lights but the Pelican ProGear 3310PL or 3315PL might be worth a look. I don't have any personal experience with either but light but they seem to meet a lot of your criteria. You would probably need to diffuse the beam to get more flood but you might be able to do that with Glad press and seal or a slip on diffuser of the appropriate size.

These are the first ones I came across. I've had a couple pelican lights that have been proven good, so I might give one a shot.
 

Sos24

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
508
Energizer Hard Case Task Light -- 2AA

Has a side clicky that is easy to press. 1st press turns on at 300L, 2nd press drops down to 70L. 3rd press turns it off. The beam is floody and covers a wide area (very little throw). It is lightweight, made of plastic, and rated to survive a 7-meter drop.

This light works well for folks with no hand strength and finger mobility issues due to arthritis.I don't know much about your brother's condition,but for $10 on amazon ($14 at my local hardware store), it wouldn't be an expensive experiment to see if it would work well for him.

Nothing on it glows, so you'd have to add tape or something to it.

Good luck! I hope you find him a light that he loves!

edit: changed "30-foot drop" to "7-meter drop" after reading the amazon description.

--flatline

Another low cost option is the Energizer PivotPro Flashlight. It also lacks the glow in the dark feature but it is all flood and has a very easy to manipulate switch. It is available at my local Walmart for less than $20 but can be found online I am sure. Similar to the Hard Case Task light in operation.

I will have not looked into the energizer, so I will need to.
 

AVService

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 30, 2011
Messages
2,163
I will have not looked into the energizer, so I will need to.
I use one of the Energizers all the time for work and it is a really nice rugged and lightweight light!
There is one model with a Magnet in the tail which I like for attaching to racks to work inside them and another that comes with a decent carabiner for hanging and both have a head that pivots too.
They can be handy to clip to yourself for task lighting hands free and again they are rugged and the light weight helps with that.
For me the switch may be too easy to press which is a liability for me but sounds exactly right for your use!
Add to that the easy availability and I would sure take a look at them.
 

ZMZ67

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 4, 2007
Messages
1,901
Location
Colorado
Don't know if the OP ever purchased a light but Pelican has another offering that might fit the bill. The 3410MCC Correct Color Flashlight. It looks like the user interface starts on high so that could be a deal killer for the OP since it is multiple mode but I thought it may be worth a look anyway.Wish they offered a little more specific info. on the UI.

This light interests me as I have found the floody Energizer Pivot Pro to be useful around the house but it lacks the HCRI LEDs so I will probably get the Pelican. Really looks like a good utility/emergency light for the home.
 

Sos24

Enlightened
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
508
Don't know if the OP ever purchased a light but Pelican has another offering that might fit the bill. The 3410MCC Correct Color Flashlight. It looks like the user interface starts on high so that could be a deal killer for the OP since it is multiple mode but I thought it may be worth a look anyway.Wish they offered a little more specific info. on the UI.

This light interests me as I have found the floody Energizer Pivot Pro to be useful around the house but it lacks the HCRI LEDs so I will probably get the Pelican. Really looks like a good utility/emergency light for the home.

I ended up going with a Pelican 3310cc. I had considered several others, but it seemed to be the one that was closest to what I wanted and from my experience Pelicans are pretty durable.
 
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