As you may know, I have a love for tactical flashlights and I have quite a collection. My favorite is Fenix, followed closely by Olight. They make great tactical flashlights at a reasonable price. Having said that, another brand that should not be ignored is Surefire. I would put them in the premium quality category.
When I joined the SO we were required to use Streamlight flashlights, specifically the Stinger model. Streamlight tends to cater to law enforcement, and they take advantage of cops in organizations that require their use. They tend to be expensive and they are always behind the curve on innovation. Once we were no longer required to use Streamlight, I dumped them and I will never return to them.
Back to your needs, like anything else in life you get what you pay for. I can recommend two Surefire models that will treat you very well. I have two of this polymer model (one for home; one for the Harley):
Surefire G2X Pro 320 Lumen. The extra CR123A batteries (total of 6) makes this a very good deal. Unless you use the high setting all the time, you should easily get 6 months to a year on a set of batteries. Fresh batteries have a 10+ year shelf life. This flashlight operates very similar to the Rayovac, with a single low and high setting. The flashlight always defaults to low, but a second tap on the switch easy sets it to high. There are no gimmicks such as strobe.
If you want to move up to something with more power, then this
Surefire G2X-MV Maxvision will light up the town for you. Looks like it comes with 2 extra batteries, for a total of 4. Don't get too wrapped up on the amount of lumens. While 800 lumens is certainly a lot, the 320-lumen in my first recommendation will work well for most situations. But if extreme brightness is important to you, then nothing wrong with moving up in power. I would equate 800 lumens to a good quality spot light, such as something found on a cop car.
You only asked for 2 recommendations, so I'll stop there for now. Stay away from the cheap, gimmicky flashlights. They're garbage and you'll just be wasting money. Whatever you decide on, use only the amount of brightness you need for the job at hand. The lowest setting to get the job done is
always best. It will extend the life of the batteries, the life of the LED, and it will reduce eye strain caused by reflected light.
FYI: I buy all my CR123A batteries at
www.BatteryJunction.com as they have the best deal around. I buy
Titanium Inovations at a buck a piece. This link is for the "2-pack" models, in which two batteries are shrink-wrapped end-to-end for convenience. They're available in singles if you prefer. Due to shipping costs, I recommend buying at least 12 at a time. Here's a 5% coupon code: THANKU5