My anchor topic. I tend to never find myself without at least one light on my person at work, usually two. When diving it was two and sometimes three.
I have a mix of flashlights on board, ranging from an LED headband, multiple small 1 or 2 AA cell LED hand light, a medium sized (3 C-cell) LED light with an adjustable spot beam, and several sizes of UK dive lights ranging from a mini Q40, an SL4, UK400 (now called a C4), on up to a UK1200. The modern rechargable C4 is equivalent to the top of the line maglight at around 1000 lumens. Mine is an older model and I believe is rated closer to 750 lumens. I even have an old conventional non-rechargable 3 cell maglight that also came with the boat.
Most of the above lights are not rechargable - two are. As they age some of them will likely get replaced by modern rechargable technology. The first will be that UK1200. 8 D cells and halogen technology, ugh! Those UK lights keep working and its hard to justify replacing them just yet. I've had one or two of them over 30 years!
The LED headband is my go to light for working on things, I can light up my work with both hands free. The little hand lights are in the cabins, we each have one at arms reach for getting up at night with an independent light source. The adjustable spot beam light came with the boat and works ok so I use it as a general purpose light. I stow it at the helm with my digital thermometer for engine room checks.
The dive lights are for anything outside/wet, to shore, etc. While they don't all float, they all have lanyards to secure to a wrist or life vest and are truly waterproof. I've trusted UK (underwater kinetics) since I started diving in the late 80's, they've earned a place on the boat. The UK1200 I have is an older Halogen model I found underwater 40 ft deep off Saddlebag Is near Anacortes on a dive back in 1991 or 1992. It had barnacles growing on it. I took it home, cleaned it off and opened it up and it was dry inside - I put new batteries in it and it has worked fine since, aside from needing a new bulb or two hear or there...
I have used both Maglights and Streamlights a lot at work.
Maglights have always tended to develop a problem with the pushbutton switch that requires repair replacement as well as issues where they would stop working from too much abuse. Of course, that is with constant rough use on and off every night for months or a year before developing the problem. Since we switched to streamlights I haven't worked at night and don't have any personal experience with failures with the streamlight.
I've found that Streamlights (in a previous job where I had to buy my own I bought an older version of the SL20LP) have a much better flood beam. Maglights always seem to have odd dark spots or uneven areas in the flood.
I see on their website Maglilght now sells a version with a much higher lumen (over 1000) than I've ever used. On Amazon you can pick it up for $130. The regular full size rechargable maglights sell for around $90. Full size streamlights sell for around $100.
If you are purely looking for a black flashlight to hang in a charger, both the maglight and streamlight will fit the bill. You can get both as a heavier metal light for your secondary purpose (I would argue that is much less likely than any other need your would have for the light). You can also get the SL20 in a version with a non-slip rubber grip, and while lighter, would be much easier to hold when wet.
Having recently used lights from both manufacturers, I would call it a toss up between the new superbright maglight and my preferrence for what I've seen from the beam of the streamlight. I'd maybe want to see the new maglight in action to see if they have improved the beam at all since they made it brighter...
If I were shopping for new lights, I would look at the exact uses you want for the light. Do you want to spot persons in the water, other boats in the anchorage having problems? A large light with lotsa power is in order. on the order of 1000 lumens or more and more than water resistant, in case you are doing it in the rain. A smaller light to look for a dropped item without waking the admiral? a $10 LED 1 cell light. A work light? It might be a headband like I prefer, or a LED stick with a magnet base you can put on an engine block.
