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Which LED Flashlight Do You Use?

Posted by Cliff on from the brightening-your-way dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "There are now a LOT of LED flashlights on the market. A quick Google turns up 59,000 hits. Some of these flashlights are pretty ballsy. The LightWave 4000 contains 10 LEDs and offers one month of continuous light output. The Photon MicroLight is bright as all getout and goes on your keychain. The EverLED will go in a MagLight or any other high quality existing flashlight. There is even an entire web forum devoted to modifying existing flashlights to use LEDs. What experiences have Slashdot readers had with LED flashlights, and what recommendations would you make to a choosey buyer?"

4 of 147 comments (clear)

  1. Support OSDN by nocomment · · Score: 4, Informative

    Imagine a beowol....ahhhh forget it.

    If you really wanted a cool flashlight you'd get one of these from thinkgeek and support OSDN! :-)

    --
    /* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
    /* http://allyourbasearebelongto.us */
  2. For all your LED torch info ... by tdelaney · · Score: 4, Informative

    Go to Dan's Data.

  3. Streamlight Pro Polymer 4AA LED by metamatic · · Score: 4, Informative

    Key features:

    1. Lightweight.
    2. Very bright, 7 LEDs. (Brighter than my big Mag-Lite.)
    3. Soft diffuse glow over an area, good for reading.
    4. Runs for 155 hours on 4 AA cells.
    5. Waterproof to several meters.
    6. Floats in water.
    7. Rubber and polycarbonate construction, can easily survive a 2m drop onto solid concrete.
    8. Push-button rubber-sealed switch on the end.
    9. Available in black or safety yellow.
    10. Fits in a coat pocket.

    Got it for my significant other after she had a bad experience with a Mag Lite and a puddle in some dark woods.

    Apparently Streamlight is the brand of choice for rescue workers.

    --
    GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
  4. Driver-based vs. Resistor by doctor567 · · Score: 4, Informative
    I have been testing LED flashlights for 2½ years now. I can say that things are changing fast. Driver technology is being used to make LED flashlights brighter and way more efficient than the "old" days. This is basically a box that sits between the batteries and the LED bulb itself, making sure the LED gets the voltage and current it needs for max efficiency (like a transmission in a car).

    They are pretty hard to find, but if you want the ultimate battery life, look for an LED flashlight with a driver. We're talking about... like 4-10 times the battery life of a resistor run (no-driver) LED here. The EverLED is one such product, but the driver is somehow contained inside the bulb, so it can be used to replace normal incandescent bulbs (it's the same form factor as the normal drop in flashlight bulbs). Pretty cool.