In July 2018, what is the best $10 - $twentyish Flash Light and who sells it?

I am in no hurry and can order from wherever and wait a couple of weeks, can you give me a couple of recommendations about where to buy a couple of 600 Lumen or above flash lights in the $10-$20 range or so?
I am in Kansas City, USA.

Hand held/self contained
Every day carry (4-7 inches)
Any emitter/light source
Preferably standard batteries
Don't care about levels and strobes
Water resistance not necessary

There are soooo many options for these general lights so I thought of maybe buying two or three if you guys can post a couple of recommendations, since there are so many in this range and when I ask about this elsewhere, I get mostly 'who cares' answers about $10-$20 price range lights.... Thank you for your advice.

At the $20 price point that is simple. Wowtac A2. Only 4.2 inches long and has a great mode spacing and comes with a rechargeable battery. No pocket clip though.

At the $10 mark I would have to pick the Astrolux A01. Good modes and a lovely high CRI Nichia.

c627627 said:

.... I thought of maybe buying two or three if you guys can post a couple of recommendations, since there are so many in this range and when I ask about this elsewhere, I get mostly 'who cares' answers about $10-$20 price range lights.... Thank you for your advice.

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You may also want to browse the Budget Lights subforum here ....

Thank you two for posting.

archimedes said:

You may also want to browse the Budget Lights subforum here ....

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I searched for the word 'budget' on the main page and did not get a hit, perhaps the subforum you are talking about has a different name?

As for the two actual suggestions posted, there is no Wowtac A2 any more - it seems to be replaced by Wowtac A3, is that a newer better version or not as good, or is there a better suggestion now in 2018?
I see that Astrolux A01 available on international sites, not so much on Amazon and similar, is it because it is also an older model or is it still the best $10 model, only you have to order it from abroad?

c627627 said:

I am in no hurry and can order from wherever and wait a couple of weeks, can you give me a couple of recommendations about where to buy a couple of 600 Lumen or above flash lights in the $10-$20 range or so?
I am in Kansas City, USA.

Hand held/self contained
Every day carry (4-7 inches)
Any emitter/light source
Preferably standard batteries
Don't care about levels and strobes
Water resistance not necessary

There are soooo many options for these general lights so I thought of maybe buying two or three if you guys can post a couple of recommendations, since there are so many in this range and when I ask about this elsewhere, I get mostly 'who cares' answers about $10-$20 price range lights.... Thank you for your advice.

Click to expand...

Have a look at the Anker LC40 from Amazon for twelve dollars and ninety-nine cents.

c627627 said:

Thank you two for posting.

I searched for the word 'budget' on the main page and did not get a hit, perhaps the subforum you are talking about has a different name?

Click to expand...

In your $15 - $20 range, I really like the Convoy S2+ it can be had in many configurations, depending upon your wants.
If your needs are more of a thrower, then the Convoy C8 with XPL hi is hard to beat for about $20.

Since I don't have a job that requires me to carry a light, my preference for a EDC is a key-chain light. The jetbeam mini is a good keychain light.

c627627 said:

Thank you two for posting.

I searched for the word 'budget' on the main page and did not get a hit, perhaps the subforum you are talking about has a different name?
....

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It is only visible and accessible if you are logged in, which is also why I did not post a direct link

I'll take a look at that forum.... Thank you.

Anker LC40, I am looking at that and it says that it's a 400-lumen (max) light.
There is an alleged 588 lumen light that sells at the store down the street from me, and is frequently on sale for under $10, is "more lumens" always better? Is it almost 50% 'better':
Convoy S2+ appears to be 300 lumen max, so same question.


EDIT: I am also looking at Chinese sites and there are so many options, that's why I am asking here but just as an example on page 1 of my search: a Chinese site is 900lm Flashlight for about seven bucks a piece.... Does that 900lm really mean that it is three times as bright as Convoy S2+ 300 lumen model? Or is this about unreliable comparisons?

archimedes said:

It is only visible and accessible if you are logged in, which is also why I did not post a direct link

Click to expand...

c627627 said:

All right but I will if you don't mind....

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There actually is a reason why that forum is kept separate, you know

OP, please also check the rules at the top of this forum, and remove external links.

EDIT - thank you

c627627 said:

I'll take a look at that forum.... Thank you.

Anker LC40, I am looking at that and it says that it's a 400-lumen (max) light.
There is an alleged 588 lumen light that sells at the store down the street from me, and is frequently on sale for under $10, is "more lumens" always better? Is it almost 50% 'better':
Convoy S2+ appears to be 300 lumen max, so same question.


EDIT: I am also looking at Chinese sites and there are so many options, that's why I am asking here but just as an example on page 1 of my search: a Chinese site is 900lm Flashlight for about seven bucks a piece.... Does that 900lm really mean that it is three times as bright as Convoy S2+ 300 lumen model? Or is this about unreliable comparisons?

Click to expand...

The S2+ can be had with 3 three to 8 AMC7135 chips, each adding 350 ma. So depending how you have the light configured when you buy it, it can range from around 200-300 lumens up to about 1000 lumens. When you increase overall lumens in the SAME light, it will appear brighter, and you will be able to see farther. BUT ...

More lumens does not necessarily mean that you will be able to see farther, but that there is more light. Distance is measured by lux. For an explanation see TEEJ's excellent discussion.
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-Easy-to-Understand-Lumens-Vs-Lux-Explanation

Also note that lumens scale linearly, but how we perceive them is logarithmic. A 1000 lumen light does not appear twice as bright as a 500 lumen light. It would be a better idea to match your use case to the amount of light and throw you need rather than go strictly by lumen numbers.

There's also the matter of light quality: cold white bluish LEDs appear brighter than warmer LEDs, but due to other conditions may not be as useful. I prefer a warmer CCT, around 3000k-4000k myself. Colour rendering is also something to take note of. Higher CRI is generally less efficient, but many enthusiasts greatly prefer higher CRI anyway because it looks better.

The Wowtac A2 is probably the best bet for a bright, general purpose light if you need to include battery in the budget. It's a right angle light and can be used as a headlamp. The A1 is a traditional tube. Both are still manufactured and sold, along with their S versions. Convoy S2+ (or the more expensive BLF A6) is also a good choice, but with a decent cell and reasonable budget charger like the Liitokala Lii 100 will run over budget.

If you are looking for standard batteries, I'm not real familiar with anything particularly great in that price range; you are pretty much stuck with seeing what you can find at your local shop on sale. These generally lack any regulation and often have very cold LEDs. The next step up would be something like the Thrunite Archer 2A- it's available for $30 and comes in a neutral white variant.

Take a look at the 300 lumen 2AA Rayovac "Indestructible" - about $15 at your local Home Depot....very rugged construction with a high and a 70 lumen low mode. The 300 lumen rating is accurate, seems a little brighter on Eneloops which I would strongly recommend for this light over akalines.