Finding a specific kind of flashlight?
September 2, 2018 12:42 AM Subscribe
I started a new job that requires we do bed checks at night and a flashlight is strongly recommended. That said, I've been having a seriously hard time finding one that meets my criteria. I need a pocket sized light with a clip or holster that does not have a strobe or flashing mode. I'd also like to find one that recharges via micro USB and no more than $35. Not having it be super bright would be helpful as well. What should I look at that meets all these criteria?
"The Fenix UC02 is a USB rechargeable keychain flashlight. This incredibly small, mini flashlight is powered by a single 10180 rechargeable battery and delivers a maximum of 130 lumens. A reliable twist head activates the two brightness levels. Twist the head off to access the micro-USB charging port (USB cable not included)." More specs at the link. No clip, but could go on a keychain. Maybe something else in the compact category will work for you.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:55 AM on September 2, 2018
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:55 AM on September 2, 2018
Congratulations on the new job.
You probably want to figure out how bright it needs to be. Assuming a possibly-awake occupant is in the room, tossing a little light into a darkened room so that you can see but yet not blinding the occupant is actually a tricky problem, and you should check out the lumen rating and related factors, and possibly do some comparisons.
For example, MagLite makes their legacy 2XAA with an incandescent bulb that's rated around 9-14 lumens, which is pretty weak by today's LED standards, but has a focus-able beam that can throw the majority of that into a tight circle. They also make the Mini Maglite 2AA LED that's around 97 lumens, which has a less focus-able beam but throws more light. The newer Mini Maglite LED Pro jacks that up to 272 lumens. This thing is relatively bright and will be likely to blind people in a dark room. The trend in modern lights seems to be towards ever-higher lumens, so you might have problems finding a non-blinding flashlight.
An upside to the Maglite is that it has the option for various filter lenses, so you could potentially dim a light that was too bright with some lighting gel. However, the downside is that the switch is a twist-on (part of the focus mechanism), so if you are using this dozens or hundreds of times a night, that'll get old quickly.
Many of the modern lights not only have strobe or flashing modes, but also several brightness settings, and you often have to click your way through those. This might be suboptimal if you're using it dozens or hundreds of times a night.
You might be limiting yourself with a microUSB-charged flashlight. Most built-in batteries are fairly small (500-1000mAh) and take significant time to recharge. Rechargeable AA batteries are easily available in the 2500-2700mAh range, meaning fewer recharges, and you can have a set on the charger, a spare set in your pocket, AND the ones in your flashlight so you are never without light. Obviously this might not be an issue if you only need occasional use for short periods of time during your work shift, but if you need continuous duty, it's a consideration.
Hopefully this will give you some additional things to ponder so you have a better chance at making the best choice with your first purchase.
posted by jgreco at 6:08 AM on September 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
You probably want to figure out how bright it needs to be. Assuming a possibly-awake occupant is in the room, tossing a little light into a darkened room so that you can see but yet not blinding the occupant is actually a tricky problem, and you should check out the lumen rating and related factors, and possibly do some comparisons.
For example, MagLite makes their legacy 2XAA with an incandescent bulb that's rated around 9-14 lumens, which is pretty weak by today's LED standards, but has a focus-able beam that can throw the majority of that into a tight circle. They also make the Mini Maglite 2AA LED that's around 97 lumens, which has a less focus-able beam but throws more light. The newer Mini Maglite LED Pro jacks that up to 272 lumens. This thing is relatively bright and will be likely to blind people in a dark room. The trend in modern lights seems to be towards ever-higher lumens, so you might have problems finding a non-blinding flashlight.
An upside to the Maglite is that it has the option for various filter lenses, so you could potentially dim a light that was too bright with some lighting gel. However, the downside is that the switch is a twist-on (part of the focus mechanism), so if you are using this dozens or hundreds of times a night, that'll get old quickly.
Many of the modern lights not only have strobe or flashing modes, but also several brightness settings, and you often have to click your way through those. This might be suboptimal if you're using it dozens or hundreds of times a night.
You might be limiting yourself with a microUSB-charged flashlight. Most built-in batteries are fairly small (500-1000mAh) and take significant time to recharge. Rechargeable AA batteries are easily available in the 2500-2700mAh range, meaning fewer recharges, and you can have a set on the charger, a spare set in your pocket, AND the ones in your flashlight so you are never without light. Obviously this might not be an issue if you only need occasional use for short periods of time during your work shift, but if you need continuous duty, it's a consideration.
Hopefully this will give you some additional things to ponder so you have a better chance at making the best choice with your first purchase.
posted by jgreco at 6:08 AM on September 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
I like the Streamlight Stylus. My old one lasted until I lost track of it. Light. Clips like a pen. Sturdy. Not scary-bright. Does use batteries, but they last quite a while too.
posted by Wulfhere at 7:22 AM on September 2, 2018
posted by Wulfhere at 7:22 AM on September 2, 2018
This Streamlight Stylus (which I think is a different one than Wulfhere mentioned) seems to tick all your boxes...unless I missed something.
posted by forthright at 8:15 AM on September 2, 2018
posted by forthright at 8:15 AM on September 2, 2018
A red light (random example) is advisable if you'll be pointing the light at people's faces, as they don't disrupt night vision and a person can generally look straight into them. Would be very useful if you are trying to avoid waking up the bed occupants.
posted by veery at 9:44 AM on September 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by veery at 9:44 AM on September 2, 2018 [1 favorite]
Anker makes an LED flashlight that you can charge like this. I have one. Highly recommended.
posted by oceanjesse at 9:51 AM on September 2, 2018
posted by oceanjesse at 9:51 AM on September 2, 2018
I also have the Streamlight Stylus Pro that Forthright linked. It's a little heavier and brighter, with a more focused beam. Still a solid light, have had no issues with mine over the years.
posted by Wulfhere at 10:01 AM on September 2, 2018
posted by Wulfhere at 10:01 AM on September 2, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
Like:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07D7S9287/
or
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nitecore-TINI-Keyring-Torch-Rechargeable/dp/B078RJPBD6/
posted by chr at 3:16 AM on September 2, 2018 [1 favorite]