I was looking for something on Lowe’s website when they showed me an ad for this Energizer Stranger Things Demogorgon-hunting flashlight.
Energizer’s ad says “flashlights built for adventure,” and “enhance your vision in the dark.”
It features a “cool, retro design” and it’s also a “limited edition collectible.”
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It does look a lot like my Dad’s old glitchy flashlight from a few decades ago.
It’s supposed to be great for hunting Demogorgons in the “upside down.”
Can YOU crack the laser-etched Morse code?
There’s a secret compartment that “contains hidden message.”
The specs seem alright.
It’s a 2D flashlight with 150 lumens max output and IPX4 water resistance rating. The beam distance is said to be up to 90M (~295 feet).
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Runtime is up to 80 hours.
Energizer says:
LED light bulb harnesses enough power to see in the dark for up to 80 hours, making this long lasting flashlight from Energizer perfect for hunting Demogorgons.
And also:
This D cell flashlight prominently features the official Hawkins National Laboratory logo, so you know you’re getting the real deal.
Lastly:
Trust in the Energizer brand for unparalleled power and reliability.
Well… at least it’s only $20. Maglite had a bunch of Marvel-themed flashlights that looked cool but pricey.
This Energizer flashlight is… unique, but could be fun for serious Stranger Things fans. And if it gets more people using real flashlights, why not.
The power button looks all wrong for the “vintage look” they’re going for, but its size seems like a plus.
Price: $20
Luke
…this feels like a very Lowes thing to do 🤦🏻♂️
Richard
Or like when bosch started tweeting out those “lil’ miss” memes when only people terminally online knew what was happening.
That being said my kids love flashlights. I could see giving them something like this so they can stay up a bit and read in bed. But yeah, strange coming from a big box store.
Nathan
there seems to be alot of stranger things marketing out and about these days. netflix needs the moneys it seems.
meanwhile other than the etching and the other crap the light is interesting. I agree the power button looks all wrong – but otherwise it’s interesting.
however I suspect someone will claim it’s not enough lumens.
MM
This seems a lot more reasonably priced than a lot of branded “limited edition” merchandise. You can obviously get better lights these days, but it’s not terrible. It’s not for me but I think you could do a lot worse buying a flashlight or Stranger Things merch.
Jared
I feel similarly. Is it gimmicky? Sure, but it isn’t expensive and looks like it would still work well as a flashlight.
Charles_A
Proof that not everything old school was necessarily built better than today…
I remember having one of these flashlights (gift from my granddad) and it looked cool but wasn’t what you could call reliable.
Paul
I got one of these for my 10 year old for her birthday, she absolutely loves it! it has thus far survived two camping trips, no complaints on the quality.
Rog
An honest question: Does anyone use a full-size flashlight like this these days?
MM
Up until 2-3 years ago I still had some full size d-cell maglites around the house. They were all purchased many years before and had long ago been converted to LED, they weren’t great but were adequate for around-the-house tasks so I kept using them. I don’t have them anymore, now I use a couple Dewalt 20V max lights for general purpose around the house use while all my worklights, emergency lights in vehicles, outdoor lights, etc, are much smaller. At some point I realized it was silly to keep buying D-cells (or mess with D-cell rechargeables) when I could just use the batts I had around for cordless tools already.
Jim Felt
Exactly. Haven’t looked back once.
TomD
The only reason for those huge D-cell maglights now is to have a reasonable excuse for carrying a baton/battering ram.
jec6613
I have several 3D cell Maglite around in strategic locations – top of the basement stairs and near the backdoor going into the woods. They use Alkaline cells and have the old fully off switch design, batteries expire before I use them up because their runtime is so long.
They’re fantastic as emergency flashlights because they throw farther than my 20V lights and are 100% of the time in the same place, so you can grab and use immediately.
Virtually everything else is a AA/AAA/rechargeable small flashlight, but having a few of the big ones around is handy if you back up onto woods that are pitch black at night.
Adam
Sounds like a back end deal with battery makers in a way to prop up D sales. I suppose you want heft when going after a monster, but I’d rather it be light-weight or throw out some more lumens.
I do like the idea of a storage compartment to keep things dry, though not really an ideal shaped space for important things.
I to immediately thought of my Grandpa’s flashlight that went everywhere with him. He would visit us, and that would be with him in the guest room right under his bedside. Don’t think I ever saw it used
Stuart
What backend deal? Energizer is a battery maker.
D batteries hold a lot more charge than AA’s, without getting into lithium or rechargeable battery territory.
BY
I guess it’s cheap enough to buy on a whim if you are a Stranger Things fan but nowadays if I see something needs a C or D battery it’s pretty much auto pass
Joe H
I wouldn’t buy it and the serious tool user crowd here will complain but I think it’s fun. Seems great for kids or fans of Stranger Things. There is plenty of TV show and movie merch that people collect that is completely nonfunctional and would sit on a self but a fan of the show can at least take this off the shelf to go out camping once in a great while. True it isn’t super bright and runs off D-cells but if it ran off an 18650 it would be more expensive than most Stranger Things fans might pay for something that will probably sit on a shelf for seldom use and people who want a performance flashlight will probably give it a pass since they made it to resemble the size and shape of 80s era flashlights so there isn’t much point in making it a serious practical light anyways. The kind of people that would buy this probably use their light from their cell phone anyways when they car camp so it really doesn’t need to be brighter. I use my flashlights/headlamps on the lower settings around the immediate campsite most of the time, especially after my eyes have adjusted and even more so after everyone has gone to bed. Hardly any Stranger Things fans are probably going to be looking to spot demigorgans/bigfoots in the wilderness 150 yards away anyways. At $20 this makes a lot of sense to me. This is the era of nerd-culture and sights like Etsy and YouTube thrive on that with prop makers making things like this. Energizer realized that and made a good move in my opinion.
Frank D
Fun and retro, sure.
D-cell? Pass.
TomD
Heh it took me awhile to realize “2D” meant “two D-cell batteries” and not two dimensional.
Scott ALKB
Well just be careful who’s around when you’re doing a web search for “double D”
Greg
I don’t care how nostalgic you want to be, producing a 150 lumen flashlight in 2022, of that size is just sad.
Rob H
Walmart has these on clearance for $12 and I couldn’t resist. I had an old incandescent light in this form factor that I always wanted to mod with an LED but never got around to. Lost that one when we had our hurricane in 2018. So when I saw this on clearance I bought it. It came with the batteries and if it gets busted by the kids, no great loss. The light it puts out isn’t terrible and is a decent tint. Never seen an episode of stranger things, but am enjoying the cheap light.
blocky
Anyone want to lay out their DHK – demogorgon hunting kit? Let’s go.
Franco
The flashlight seems OK; for the price, the average user will probably do well with this. (not crazy about the D cells though).
I have noticed that many on this forum like trashing on Lowes. Not particularly this thread but also on past threads, many not showing Lowes any love.
I used to have a Lowes not too far from me, but it closed down. Didn’t love it, but it was OK; a nice alternative to HD.
I think something the bashers should consider. Without Lowes, HD is close to a monopoly. Lowes, if nothing else, keeps HD on their toes. I have seen so many instances over the years where a major player in retail or other types of mainstream sales, go under, and that leaves the other guy in control, to do as they please.
Consider EGO. I do not know what exactly went down with the switch to Lowes, but without Lowes, maybe EGO is left out in the cold and being sold in regional stores, not available to everyone. Or maybe EGO, without Lowes in the picture, might have been forced to bow to whatever HD wants, possibly having to raise prices to maintain and also meet HD’s demands.
Anyway, you don’t have to love Lowes, but at least recognize the part they play along with HD.
Fritz+gorbach
I’m probably not going to put forth the effort to special order this, but if I were to find it in store I’d probably grab it.
Love Stranger Things, and really can’t have too many flashlights, so why not?
Jerry
I remember reading comic books at night as a kid with a similar flashlight. If I see one on clearance might grab one for the nostalgia of it. Back then k would have only dreamed of an LED light, just read a few pages at a time after lights out to save batteries.
Mr.X
That flashlight would go perfectly with a Red Ryder BB gun.
And I’m not certain, but does the morse code say: “buy more Ovaltine” ???
drewmcdan1
Lowes has this on sale today only as part of their deals of the day (10/13). For today only their sale price is $14.98. Your mileage may vary, but this is in stock at my local store.
https://www.lowes.com/pl/Thursday-online-only-deals/3021179890458?refinement=4294389131,4294963110
Tom
I have a dumb question about batteries. Do the “D” size batteries have a longer run time and more power than the “AA”/“AAA” batteries?
Thanks,
Stuart
Generally yes, and no – it’s not a dumb question.
If you have a device that can be powered by a single AAA, AA, C, or D battery, you will get the longest runtime out of the D battery.
If you have different devices, each powered by the same number of AA or D batteries, the D-battery device will usually deliver higher power or performance.
Consider two water bottles, one that holds 1 quart of water, and one that holds 4 quarts of water. When poured out at the same rate, the larger water bottle will keep pouring for longer. Or, you can increase the opening and pour out water from the larger container at a faster rate. Usually there’s a balance with the higher capacity delivering both greater output and longer duration.