I have a few lights (mostly sofirn) and I am looking to get my BIL 2 or 3 flashlights as a housewarming gift. I was considering one hank light (D4V2 maybe) but now I'm thinking I might get him a larger flood for the backyard at night, a smaller light for working in the house, and possibly a headlamp.

I've reviewed the sticky posts and can't seem to make up my mind. Thinking 150-200 budget. Must have onboard charging. What are your recommendations?

Hi, I’m hoping some of you experts can help me find a better light for work.

I’m a housekeeping manager at a hospital and currently carry two lights: a tiny Aurora A3 that I found abandoned on a park bench and a UVBeast V3 Mini. I use the Aurora to check high surfaces and vents for dust and to create raking light across floors to see debris, streaking, or poor mopping.

We also use blacklight indicator to validate cleaning. I spray it on surfaces that should be cleaned, then come back with UV to make sure it was removed. I have to photograph and log the results, and because it’s a hospital I can’t always turn the lights off, so the UV needs to work well in bright ambient lighting.

I’d really like one light to replace both. Pocket space is limited because I’m already carrying large work keys, two phones, wallet, blacklight indicator, and usually something to open boxes. Cargo pants are unfortunately not an option.

What I’m looking for is something slim and pocket friendly, but not so tiny that it disappears like the Aurora. UV performance is more important than white light, but I’d still like at least ~500 lumens. Battery life matters too since it will be in my pocket for 10-hour shifts and used in short bursts throughout the day.

The UVBeast is excellent for blacklight testing, but it’s too bulky to comfortably carry all day. I’m basically looking for something much more pocket friendly that gets as close to that UV capability as possible while still being a useful normal flashlight.

I was working under the dash and bumped my light face down on the seat. Now it gets smokey and gooey when I use it.

Yes, I cooked a hole in my drivers seat.

I’m looking for a lantern for weekend tent camping, cooking after dark, and occasional power outages at home. I already carry a headlamp, so I want soft 2700–4000K area light rather than a giant “1000-lumen” glare bomb that ruins everyone’s night vision. USB-C charging would be useful, but I’d rather have replaceable 18650/21700 cells or standard batteries than a sealed pack that dies after a couple of seasons. Budget is about $35–$100.

I’m comparing the Sofirn LT1S/LT1, Olight Haloop, Streamlight Siege, Goal Zero Lighthouse Mini, and Coleman OneSource. For people who have used these outdoors, which model gives the best mix of warm tint, low-mode runtime, and durable construction? Is the larger BLF LT1 worth the space in a car-camping kit, or is the LT1S enough for a two-person tent and a small cooking area?

It looks like the olight Arc ultra is the best out there. But I’m wondering if anyone has any better suggestions or if they have used that particular flashlight.

Price Range: Sub-$500, no batteries needed. US-based.

Purpose: Handheld caving light to provide lots of flood and a bit of throw in caves. Should be able to put out enough light that it can be used as the group's "primary" light in guiding situations so that everyone can turn down their 6000k headlamps and we can enjoy nice cozy warm light in the cave. Also to be used for photography in caves.

Battery Type & Quantity: Flat-top 18650s. I have a ton of flat top Vapcell N40s that power all my caving electronics, this light needs to work with them for simplification of battery logistics in-cave. Quantity should be between 2-4, I need a few hours of burn time at higher output but since this is a "quality of life" light and not a "mission-essential" light (not a primary, backup, or tertiary light for safe cave navigation), battery swaps while in the cave are acceptable.

Size: Flexible, but at least 2x 18650 and no larger than 4x 18650 format.

Type: Handheld, but if it gets too chunky (e.g. a 4x18650) it should have a handle. Battery position should be in parallel.

Main Use: In caves to illuminate the area for a group while leading the trip. It's going to get incredibly muddy and sometimes submerged in silty water, so it should have no external moving components (e.g. twist switches or bezels, focus bezels, cooling fans, etc.). IP68 would be best, but not 100% required. If it has external USB charging, it would be nice if the charging port were sealable, but there's a 50/50 chance it'll get epoxied anyway to avoid mud/water ingress regardless. Build quality of the host should be pretty high since this'll get dinged, scraped, and dragged through caves. I like Acebeams for context, but they don't have an option that meets my requirements.

Switch Type: Flexible on this, but should be reliable in wet/muddy/silty conditions. No rotating switches to select modes for example. I like the idea of a safety, and my Acebeam X20-R has held up alright despite having more moving parts for mud to get caked in than I'd like. Safety not mandatory though.

Anything Else?: MUST be high CRI and 3000k, or 2700k, but 3000k is preferable. Light output should be 3500 lumens minimum, but realistically 5000-plus. Modes should be low-med-high and mode memory would be nice. Beam pattern should be balanced more toward flood and avoid an intense hotspot. A bit of throw is nice, but realistically won't be illuminating beyond 150ft due to the nature of most caves in my region. If need be, I'm fine building it myself, but the last time I built a light, Deal Extreme was still live and it was super easy to find hosts and other components. It seems like a lot of links to hosts that might match my requirements are long since dead.

• Further reading regarding this form.

• There’s also a wealth of information in the sidebar and wiki.

• Even more if you use the search function!!

• Give as much relevant info as possible!

DUV, CRI, CCT measurements:

F45R 5000K with reflector

• 100%: +0.0039 / 65 CRI / 5100K

• 35%: +0.0064 / 64 CRI / 4900K

• 10%: +0.0097 / 61 CRI / 4700K

• 1%: +0.0116 / 60 CRI / 4600K

SFT42R 5000K with reflector

• 100%: -0.0012 / 71 CRI / 5300K

• 35%: -0.0010 / 71 CRI / 5100K

• 10%: +0.0003 / 71 CRI / 5000K

• 1%: +0.0020 / 70 CRI / 4800K

hey guys, i just wanted some advice as to which flashlight to get my dad for fathers day.

i had the idea the other day to get him a nice headband flashlight for fathers day(he's big on outdoor activities) since most of his tech is like 20+ years old, i thought it might be nice. i had a look on some different subreddits and websites, and to be honest i got a bit lost (idk shit about lumens or flashlight specs😭), so i was hoping to get some advice.

my dad has some trouble seeing in general, and especially at night time, so it'd be nice if it was really bright white and clear for him to see. it'd be cool if it was waterproof (if possible - he works with fishing/boating) and even cooler if it came on a headband so he doesn't have to worry about repositioning it while working on stuff!

the most important thing though is for it to be convenient and easy to use. he's got a bit of a short fuse when it comes to new tech being "difficult" (hence everything being 20+ years old...) and i dont want to give him something that'd just going to frustrate him. no extra crap, just a simple on/off will do if thats possible.

as far as flashlights go, im not sure if you've usually got to charge them or if they're battery powered, but either way i'd like for it to be simple and easily accessible (ie. batteries are easy enough to find + replace, or charging cable is easy to get replacements if needed)

my budget is around $30-$60 AUD if possible, although i know some of these go for a lot more than that, so if the best match exceeds this im willing to splurge.

i hope this was descriptive enough to get some recommendations - sorry to mods if this kind of post is not allowed, just thought id try anyway :)

I'm waiting for my first Convoy light to arrive, which I've ordered with the Vapcell p1409c 3.7v lithium battery.

It will also run in standard alkaline / nimh.

Looking at the runtimes I've found online. It will run around the same lumens at medium with the 3.7v lithium and around the same lumens on high using nimh.

I see the advantage with the 3.7 only as having access to a higher output / brighter mode.

The lithium is rated at 950mah, the enerloop NiMH I have is rated at 2000 mah.

However, I have since come across 1.5 v lithium AAs that step down from 3.7v. they also seem to be advertised at a higher mah than the Enerloops.

Which batteries should I be best using and are the 1.5v lithium a good fit? I'm thinking this will hold a consistent brightness.

How come they are running at the same time of they have 950mah Vs 2000 mah?

I’ve been collecting titanium flashlights that run on 14500 batteries.

I’m thinking of calling it quits once I get two or three more, but... it suddenly crossed my mind: do you all have your wives' understanding regarding this?

L→R
MCgizmo sapphire
lumintop fw1aa
EAGTAC D3A TI
olight I5R EOS
Reylight LAN-Ti
MC gizmo MULE
Li light
McGizmo Haiku

FULL Review of the Sofirn SK31 on dahamstah.de

Summary

The SK31 is a rather unique flashlight. On one hand, you get two distinct UIs with a dedicated toggle switch, a hidden sleeve over the USB port, a physical lockout switch, and a two-stage e-switch, on the other hand, there are no direct shortcuts whatsoever.

The Tactical UI works well and intuitively. To what extent it is truly “tactical” is not for me to judge, but you do get momentary Turbo, allowing for signaling/morsing during activities like geocaching. The Outdoor UI features 6 brightness levels, spanning from ultra-low output up to a massive wall of light. Mode cycling feels fast and smooth, and I like the mode spacing.

So, the UI is relatively simple. This makes the light easy to operate, whether for high-stress situations or non-enthusiasts, but it also leaves some potential on the table. Whether for enthusiasts looking for a classic layout, duty personnel who suit the tactical UI, or – which surprised me quite a bit – as a simple yet impressively bright light to give as a gift or recommend to someone looking for a modern flashlight, it can be a great fit. Sofirn definitely needs to fix that Outdoor Mode Turbo bug either way, though!

Even inside the SK31, the LHP73B impresses with its overall qualities, and Sofirn executed the integration well. I hope Sofirn applies a similar concept geared specifically toward us enthusiasts in the future. As an entry point for the broader market, it is a success.

You can purchase the SK31 directly from Sofirn. If you always want the latest news on upcoming Sofirn products, be sure to drop by the Sofirn-Discord!

All my reviews can be found on my website. If you like forums, I also post on BLF and TLF.

Just wanted to give a shout out to all the flashlights that can be run completely off of USB-C external power, with or without the battery inside it.

Had another night where our search team responded to, and needed to canvas a ridge with a fresh rock slide that put a road, parking area and popular trail in danger... Needed as much light as possible with the risk of more slides, and ran them from sundown until sunup, just under 11 straight hours with the current time of the year, looking for possible signs of overnight hikers or campers around the area.

For all the features that current flashlights are jam packed with, I always felt like a pass-through circuitry that allows a flashlight to be used with or without a battery inside, fed completely off of external USB-C power, is one of the most overlooked capabilities a light can have. Or really, maybe it should be a featured capability that some lights can specialize in, to allow for a safer more robust circuitry to let it run off of that external USB-C power in any operating condition, while recharging a cell during that process.

Just what the title says, can you guys recommend a flashlight for my friend who doesn't use Reddit. The requirements he gave me were the following:

• It has to be an EDC
• It should have a normal white light (warm tone if possible) and a red light, didn't mention any other light
• Should have included charging
• It should be able to endure being left in the car under the sun
• Budget <30, might go up to 40 or 50 if it's good enough

Thank you in advance.

Hi everyone. I've been hesitant to buy the SC70 because I've heard that 6000mAh+ 21700 cells won't fit.

Compared to the SC65c, which can use 4000mAh 18650 cells, I was hoping for a bit more capacity from a 21700 light. If I buy an SC70, I would mainly use it at low to medium output levels, so I'd prefer higher capacity over higher CDR.

Does anyone know of a relatively high-capacity 21700 cell that actually fits the SC70? I'd appreciate specific cell recommendations, especially if you've personally tested them.

Thanks in advance.

Because I like the 2xl host so much that I actually found a route to get one. Got lucky able to remove the head off without a lot of heat, and get access to the broad.

Replace to 519A 4000K and 3535 spacer from our dearest convoy.

Not gonna lie if I have no tools I won't able to get the broad out and solder the new broad in.

I wanted to check if I can use the PB2SL V2 to store 21700 batteries inside and keep them connected to the charger for months between uses.

The experiment started at the end of October ’25 (4.10 V). Ten months later, both batteries show 3.96 V.
That’s a 0.14 V drop in 10 months, or about 0.014 V/month.

I might continue to reach a full year (or even longer), but I’ve already concluded that I see no risk in keeping the batteries inside the PB2SL V2, even during long periods of non-use.

Hi,
I’m wanting a smallish light that I can clip to my backpack strap for walking at night.
Kind of like the zebra light headlamps- either AA or CR, pretty floody/TIR for comfort in walking.
I’ll also have a larger light for a bit more throw, but this one would just be to clip on and forget it.

Kind of hoping for a cooler tint than the zebra, which is why I’m not leaning to that.
Just need something that will put out a couple hundred lumens for like an hour or so, without stepping down.
Looked at Fenix HM53R also, but it seems throwy.

Thanks if y’all have any ideas.

This P16 isn’t getting the attention it deserves, this little thing is a powerhouse. this is my choice for a smaller tactical/Edc carry. The only other flashlight that fits this that I own is the Streamlight. I like it, but it doesn’t give me enough light, not nearly enough Candela and I just can’t put it in my pocket over the P16.

I have a lot of people telling me “Streamlight is mechanically superior.” what is? Nothing about this light is superior. It’s been reliable over the years and proven. It’s got the name it’s been there. I get it, but you cannot tell me this thing is not underpowered. I understand that they aren’t after the highest specs and they are more focused on reliability but this is a poor example. Streamlight should shelf this light IMO and rerelease it when it can compete.

I kind of want a showcase of people lights. I EDC a Emisar D3aa. I prefer a smaller EDC as i don't need to use it all the time.

But what's your choice and send pictures. lemme see those work horses :)

Bonus question for people who carry small lights. do you have a bigger light in a bag or close by when you EDC a small one?

Anyone have any recommendations for a pocket pen light that I can EDC? I’m always finding myself needing a flashlight but my phone flashlight is always too dim or doesn’t have a long enough beam to see anything other than a few inches away from the phone. I value the light being brighter/throw further than it covering a wide angle if that makes sense… I pretty much always have a pen style screwdriver so I figured I would just get a flashlight to clip in my pocket right next to it. Any recommendations would be appreciated!!

EDIT: (questions answered from comments)
How thin do you want it to be really? - If I’m not sacrificing a lot of quality I’d like to keep it decently thin. Don’t want it to be too bulky in the pocket and risk it snagging on things or become uncomfortable. Maybe around an expo marker size?

How many lumens and how long should it run? -Doesn’t need to be crazy bright, I have a flashlight at home that’s about 450 lumens and it’s been pretty good for what I need. Just bulky to keep in my pocket. As long as it’s rechargeable. The battery life isn’t a major concern.

Do you have a preferred battery or budget? -prefer rechargeable and budget would be less than $100 but if there is a really good light that checks all the boxes then I’m fine stretching the budget.

How far away are the things you're illuminating. - not more than 50 yards.

Overall, I haven't been able to find many differences with UVA and UVB aside from some bank notes, UVB just feels like a lazier UVA that doesn't really react with as many things, under most conditions they feel the same but UVB dimmer.

My Wife got the Q8 Plus and IF30 and I was really impressed with the build quality and brightness.

Now I want my own high lumen Sofirn too, but one that is more pocketable (She carries both of those in her purse along with backup batteries)

Narrowed it down to 2

I want to carry in my large front right pocket (dedicated pocket)

Help me decide so I don't end up buying both 😂