Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic lens

Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic lens

So, I must've had dozens of lights walk away from me or just weren't very reliable to begin with...

So I'm looking to pick up a few hopefully RELIABLE lights that would be used for EDC purposes.

So here's my list of wants....


- Reliable
- EDC form factor (small, or at least pocketable)
- plastic lens (if I drop my light @ work, glass will break)
- runs on Li-ion batteries
- Less than $10 - 20

I can buy a dozen or so wholesale if needed & am NOT in a hurry, so a Chinese vendor is fine for me. But again, am definitely looking for reliable! I'll be using some myself but will probly be gifting some over the holidays, also.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Reliability and sub $15 are not strongly correlated. Sofirn C01, Felix E05, or Convoy S2+?

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Thanks Lion. Based on the 504, I'm assuming you had plenty of flashlight time over the past few days? ;-)

Your suggestions gave me some more things to consider....

I think I'm looking for 2 different styles of flashlight
-- one being a headlamp w/ magnetic tail cap & the other being a pocketable light w/ pocket clip (and plastic / polycarbonate lens, remember! I believe all 3 of those earlier suggestions had glass lenses).

So... For the headlamp, the Sofirn SP40 seems about right. Curious if it's a little top heavy (for a headlamp), but the only real downsides to me is that it ALSO appears to have a glass lens.

As for the light w/ pocket clip, there's apparently a 3rd generation of probly my favorite flashlight ever -- the Pelican 1910 or 1910B or whatever they call it now. I know it's got a polycarbonate lens, the most reliable clip I've come across, and a rear clicky w/ a drop dead simple UI. So I'll probly just go with this again since I know it well.....

But as for the headlamp. Is there a headlamp style light, similar to the Sofirn SP40 (or possibly a little smaller).. that definitely has (1) a magnetic tail cap, and (2) a plastic / polycarbonate lens??

Looks like $15 was unreasonable... So upping it to a ~$20 limit. ;-)

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

the Manker E03 is smaller than the SP40 (even with the 18350 body) and has a TIR lens and magnetic tail cap.
you may get one second hand for $20.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

If you want some cheap beater flashlights that are pretty tough look up sipik sk68 or sipik sk98 style lights. They are zoomies but I put some through things I never thought they would survive. I gave away dozens of them to my maintenance crew and they are all still going after 5 years of working in a flooring manufacturing plant being exposed to grease and dust continuously for 12 hour shifts. I dropped one from 15 feet off a scissor lift while putting out a fire in a boiler room and it survived.

The tint is trash and they are more of a gimmicky light with a square diode beam when you zoom out completely but man nobody could ever tell me they are junk. I bought 20 of the sk68 off a popular auction site for 15 bucks back then. Haven't checked prices in forever but I still use mine with no problems. Vinh has modded a few of them with better emitters.

The pelican is obviously your better choice but just throwing it out there

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

lion504 said:

Reliability and sub $15 are not strongly correlated....

Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with the above.

As an aside to the OP, your thread is fine here but if you would prefer it be moved to the Budget Light forum, just let staff know.

For very specific limited budget type questions like this topic, you may get more focused attention and advice over there.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Hard to beat the convoy s2+ at that price range.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Yeah, Convoy S2+, or BLF A6 if you want more output. I prefer the BLF A6. Bought a couple years ago, and still use them! $25 on banggood, but you might find a sale for $20.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

I didn't think that my list of preferences would be that difficult, but one of the biggest [if not THE biggest] requirement of mine is that the light MUST have a plastic / polycarbonate lens. I *cannot* (nor can anyone else at my work) use a glass lens, because they will drop the first time it falls onto our metal floors, every time.

So.. I appreciate the recommendations, but I don't believe a single one of them has a plastic lens.... :thinking:

Is there another manufacturer besides Pelican that doesn't use glass lenses? (esp. headlamp style w/ magnetic tail)??

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Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Non-glass lenses are not especially popular, is one possible reason.

I realize the following suggestion involves additional unwanted intervention and/or expense, but have you considered using a protective (clear, plastic) "filter" cap, or replacing the glass lenses with plastic yourself ?

I think that flashlightlens(dot)com will custom-cut acrylic lenses to order.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

The sk68 bezel will not allow the lens to land on the ground. If dropping them on concrete/metal floors for years didn't break any of mine I'd say you would be fine. And...... dirt cheap

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

How about Tek-tite ?

Not real cheap, but some of them use Lexan lenses, I think ?

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

FWIW, if you`re prepared to either buy or make your own plastic lens, the Convoy S2+ is really easy to take apart! you can do it with a pair of scisors even

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Katherine Alicia said:

FWIW, if you`re prepared to either buy or make your own plastic lens, the Convoy S2+ is really easy to take apart! you can do it with a pair of scisors even

Click to expand...

Gonna get on board with that. Haven't looked for a plastic lens but I'm sure they are out there.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Not sure that a drop that would crack/break a glass lens on well made lights wouldn't also not damage the electronics at the same time.
I've used my wowtac A2S on a hard hat at work and it has fallen off a few times from over 12 feet in the air on cement floors and not broken or cracked and still works. The problem with plastic lenses is unless you can protect them over time they will get scratched up badly and greatly reduce the performance plus that can also crack/break the same as glass lenses can and require replacing so if you can replace a plastic lens on a light to begin with you can also replace a glass one too.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

How about the Manker EO2 II?
420 Lumens, right angle with a magnetic tailcap and runs on a 10440 for $22.95


Otherwise,
Not exactly within budget, but most Olights have plastic lenses, in fact it's usually one of the things people complain about, and the Perun Mini is a 1000 lumen, right angle torch that runs on 16340's

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

WalkIntoTheLight said:

Yeah, Convoy S2+, or BLF A6 if you want more output. I prefer the BLF A6. Bought a couple years ago, and still use them! $25 on banggood, but you might find a sale for $20.

Click to expand...

What make you prefer the BLF A6 OVER the Convoy S2+? What LED did you get in the Convoy S2+?

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

prof student said:

What make you prefer the BLF A6 OVER the Convoy S2+? What LED did you get in the Convoy S2+?

Click to expand...

I prefer the BLF A6 interface in a small light. It can go both up and down in brightness (though going down requires long clicks, so it's not as quick). It also has hidden modes, such as a voltage readout, which the Convoy doesn't. More importantly, the A6 uses a FET+1 driver, which allows for significantly higher output on max than the convoy. The downside, is that you only get very high output when your battery is mostly full.

Things I don't like is that the A6 has a 45 second step-down timer on max. Seems too short, especially when your battery isn't full (so not super-high output and heat).

I can't recall what LED I have in the Convoys. Probably XM-L or XM-L2. I think the BLF A6 is the XM-L2 on both my units.

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

WalkIntoTheLight said:

I prefer the BLF A6 interface in a small light. It can go both up and down in brightness (though going down requires long clicks, so it's not as quick). It also has hidden modes, such as a voltage readout, which the Convoy doesn't. More importantly, the A6 uses a FET+1 driver, which allows for significantly higher output on max than the convoy. The downside, is that you only get very high output when your battery is mostly full.

Things I don't like is that the A6 has a 45 second step-down timer on max. Seems too short, especially when your battery isn't full (so not super-high output and heat).

I can't recall what LED I have in the Convoys. Probably XM-L or XM-L2. I think the BLF A6 is the XM-L2 on both my units.

Click to expand...

The Sofirn SP32 I bought has a choice of "modes" or ramping output and Turbo is 1200 lumens which is decent you have to double click to get to it from normal "modes".

Re: Best all-around budget lights that run on li-ion batteries? Pref <$15 w/ plastic

Lynx_Arc said:

The Sofirn SP32 I bought has a choice of "modes" or ramping output and Turbo is 1200 lumens which is decent you have to double click to get to it from normal "modes".

Click to expand...

Yes, I have that light too. I haven't used it in a year or two. Not sure why. Tint, maybe? But, yes, its UI is decent. Pretty good price for that light, IIRC.