Background: Recently my EDC LED flashlight went through the washer AND dryer. It was a Rock River (AAx2) unit I had purchased from Target about two years ago (I think). I really liked it even though sometimes I had to unscrew and screw the end off to make it work (bad connection). Unfortunately it did not survive the wash and tumble. So now I looking for a new EDC LED flashlight and I thought I would seek recommendations here (I read A LOT and rarely post).
My budget is $20 and hoping to find a unit that runs on AA or AAA.

Thanks for your time.
Dave

For that price, three EDC-type lights came to my mind:
Gerber Infinity 1AA
Inova X1 1AA
Mini MagLED 2AA

If you want brighter, then the Mini Mag is the choice. But for smaller, sturdier, or longer runtime, I'll give the edge to the Infinity, but the X1 is also a good light for the money. All three are about $20.

My wife carries a 2AAA Rock River. She rarely uses it but is satisfied with it. However, I feel like it's a bit flimsy, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for EDC, but that's just me.

Check out Doug's version of the Photon Freedom.
http://www.equipped.org/dr_photon.htm

I EDC one on my keys. It is parctially indestructable and would probably function even after the wash.
At $19.95 it is around your budget.
Bill

I still prefer a mini maglight. I have trimmed down one of the red lenses from an army issue flashlight so that I can use the red light at night without destroying my night vision for 30 minutes at a time.

My last mag light lasted 2 years and died because a faulty battery leaked into it.

The Infinity and the Inova are your best bets. I also recently got a AAx2 Energizer Hard Case flashlight, and I'm very pleased with it. Maybe a little too big to be carried in your pocket (unless you have multi-pocket cargo pants like I do) but it's perfect for something like a toolbox or a glove compartment. I use it for walkthrough inspections where I work all the time!

The Gerber Infinity is a great little light and it meets your price. Great value IMO.

I have EDC a CMG Infinity Ultra for several years. I got the military style from CountyComm.com when they still sold them. It has worked great! The single AA lasts for weeks of regular use. It does require cleaning the contacts, once in a while. The Gerber is a China knock-off of the original, but it may still be OK.

Does anyone have experience with the Inova X1? It looks like an interesting light. The package says it is 2 watts.

Thanks!

I have an older style Inova X1 (v.2), before they recently put the more powerful LED in it.

There should be about three versions of the X1 floating around:

version 1 - spotlight beam.
version 2 - flood beam.
version 3 - latest model, more powerful LED, less battery life.

Also, some folks (myself included) have noticed that the light will flicker because of bad contacts. A little sandpaper to take off the excess anodizing fixed that, although the momentary on switch is still temperamental.

Still, it's a nice light, especially for the price. I haven't tried the v.3 latest model. The folks over at Candlepower Forums can probably provide more info.

Here is a link to Flashlight Reviews and their opinion of the X1:
Review of X1

ARC Flashlight
http://www.arcflashlight.com/arc-aaa.shtml

I love it! Fits on keychain and blows away the photons IMHO.

thanks for the ARC link

I just purchased a Jet Beam CL-E from www.emilionworkshop.com. It uses one AA battery, and the Cree LED produces an incredible amount of light. It features 3 brightness levels plus a strobe and "SOS" function. I highly recommend it.

If you can afford an additional $10 take a look at the Lumapower LM301 http://www.lumapower.com . Nice 2 stage compact light that I’ve been impressed with in the short time I’ve had it. Brighter and bigger flood that the RR-AA (Which I also like). The difference will blow you away.

Otherwise Get another RR-AA or Photon Freedom.

The yellow DR photons are awesome. If you don't mind the regular black body, BatteryJunction has Photon Freedoms on sale for $9.95.

http://www.batteryjunction.com/index.html

Actually selecting the levels is another matter.. But all in all it's a good light.

Wow, I hadn't noticed that there's a version 3 of the Inova X1 now. I've used v1 and v2. The floody beam of v2 was just right for a EDC light that is primarily used at close range. And it would last a good long time if you were ever stuck somewhere in the dark.

I converted my minimag (aa) to the 3 led bulbs -- and its very bright. Total with conversion kit ~ $14

If I could, I'd spend a little more and get an ARC AAA:

http://www.arcflashlight.com/arc-aaa.shtml

Otherwise, the Gerber Sonic or Infinity (AAA and AA respectively.)

I'd avoid the Maglite (even an LED one) as they seem to less
reliable/durable/etc than the alternatives above (IMHO).

Photons are nice but run time and fiddly battery changes are
annoying if you expect to use it for any sort of extended period.
I carry a covert red one, as a less obtrusive alternative to the
ARC AAA that is my primary EDC light.

eeph

We've been using the Innova X-5, with mini-Mags in each backpack....but after looking at the ARC flashlight, I may have to try one of those.

Thanks ToddW and Eeeph for the ARC link.

I would go back to target and get the Brinkman MaxFire LX. They lowered the price to $12.99. You get the light, case, 2 CR123 batteries. Trust me, this is the best bang for your buck. I just purchased 4 more at this price. You can get the CR123 batteries for a $1 a piece online.

The most amazing little flashlight I've seen to date is the Fenix Fenix P1D CE LED Flashlight. It runs on a single 123A lithium battery and it is incredibly bright for its size.

Yeah at about $65 it is expensive, but it is an amazing light.

I bought one to put on my wife's barn keychain because she needed something pretty small but strong enough to make her comfortable. She hates going from the house to the barn in the dark (morning & evening). It has taken quite the beating on that keychain over the last year or so and not only is it working fine, but it is even scratched.

My own EDC is a Arc Premium AAA. That ran $40 or so, but to do it all over again the Fenix P1D CE blows it away. The Fenix P1D CE is a little chunkier than the Arc, but also sooo much brighter.

If you're looking for something cheaper and more basic, the small orange pocket-sized LED lights (with switch - listed at the bottom of their Flashlight site) sold by countycomm.com are really pretty nice ... and only $1.00 each. For that price they can be considered essentially disposable - though the batteries can be replaced.

I carry an Arc and a Photon too. I find they compliment eachother well.

Plenty of good recommendations. Confess to owning many of the lights mentioned – don't think you'd go wrong with any of them. Whatever you decide, you'll surely get more bang (lumens?) for the buck thanks to strides in LED technology.

Since you seemed to like your River Rock pre-washer/dryer :), prefer AA-power and want to spend around $20, here's another suggestion: Rayovac Sportsman Xtreme 3W Luxeon LED, 2xAA, claim 80 lumens. Details here. WalMart $24. Or, a CPF member is selling new-in-package for $20 incl. shipping here. It's slightly shorter than your River Rock; weighs about the same.

While Rayovac normally doesn't come to mind when I think LED flashlights, this 3W model is purportedly a rebranded Nuwai X-3. Here's a review of the X-3. Generally, Nuwai turns out pretty good lights.

Good luck with your hunt.

Dan

Second the recommendation on the LM301. My wife and I own several Lumapower lights, and they are all superb. Highly recommended.

-=[ Grant ]=-

With a $20 limit on the budget, I would have to agree with BillyM and go with a Photon Freedom light. Having had the opportunity to play with a wide range of LED lights, I have found few that are more convenient and reliable in that price range.

Want a much more versatile light for a few bucks more? Look into Petzl's e+Lite. While I EDC a mini-flashlight like a NovaTac EDC-120 or a Surefire L1, I never leave home without my e+Lite. Available for under $30 it gives you a remarkably bright light that has multiple hands-free options in a small package.

In the AAA or AA battery range, an ARC-AAA light would be at the top of my list, followed by a MagLite with a NiteIze 1w LED upgrade. These two lights are at opposite ends of the size spectrum, and both of those lights exceed the $20 limit. I have NiteIze modified Mini-Lights (1w & IQ switch) in a number of my medical kits and have been very happy with them.

The ARC-AAA makes a better EDC light in my mind; it is small enough to reside on a keychain but still remarkably bright. It does lack the adjustable light levels or signaling features found on so many lights today. I have had one on my keychain for 2 years without failure on a single battery!

Another good choice (well outside of your price range) but worth mentioning is Photon’s Proton. It is brighter than just about any other light its size that runs off of a single AA battery but also has a ramping brightness level so you can find just the right brightness for the task at hand. Multiple signaling modes and a red LED to preserve night vision increase its utility. I found a single drawback to this light, one that after carrying it everyday since January of this year made me take it out of EDC service and move it into a smaller kit. This light just won’t stay off in my pocket! Nothing I tried worked, so it has been moved into a fanny-pack survival kit…

I received several answers in a similar question of mine
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.ph...=true#Post99424

So many I can't decide even

I bought my first Gerber Infinity Ultra after I saw my brother's CMG version of the light. (Since then his CMG Infinity Ultra "walked off" and he replaced it with the Gerber version). I use mine all the time, so I bought a second one for one of my kits. Very easy on batteries and a good amount of light in a flood type beam for seeing things close by (spot beam with a large spill out). It won't work for distance, but it's a 1xAA that is advertised to run 25 hours at peak; although the runtime plot at flashlightreviews shows it crossing 50% at 11 hours. All I know is I use it daily and rarely need to change batteries.

How is the brightness. I have an Arc AAA now but could use something a little brighter.
I think I've seen the Infinity in Target or Lowes or somewhere close, I'll have to run out sometime and look for it.

Per the same website, the Arc 1xAAA Premium has a throw of 53 Lux and an overall output of 520 using alkaline batteries. The Gerber has a throw of 22 Lux at beam center and overall output of 212 using alkaline batteries. The Arc also hits 50% at ~5 hours.

The Peak Matterhorn is a very good light too, I keep one in my Mission Wallet.

Comparisons: HERE.

Thank you all for your suggestions. I had a lot of research to do!

I decided to go with the Gerber Infinity. It fit my requirements nicely; 20 bucks, AA battery and long run time (according to the package, 100 hours).

I found one with the lanyard hole too.
Next, I am saving for a DR Photon for my EDC pocket kit.

Thanks again!
Dave

I can't find in this thread who has complained about his Photon X-Light self-discharging in a tight jeans pocket. The same thing happened to mine. But then I've realized that the best way to carry the Photon X-Light would be to have it switched into the "signaling mode". Just push the button several times really quick after each use of other modes, and the switch will be working as a momentary (versus toggle) switch after that forever (IMO suitable enough for most of the tasks). So, the light will go on only for a short period of time while being squeezed really hard in you pocket.