Which petzl headlamp is best

We found that we could see trees and other neighborhood dogs from a distance of about feet. This was a slight improvement over the performance of older models but still not as far as what the company boasts on its website 86 meters, or feet, on high.

The floodlight again, the Spot was the only pick to offer this is great for rummaging around a tent or closet, illuminating everything you need to see with a wide-reaching pattern. The Spot has an IPX water-resistance rating of 8, which means it will work submerged in up to 1. We dropped the light into a shallow bucket of water for 30 minutes, after which it seemed to work just fine.

But do keep in mind that this degree of water protection is intended mostly for accidental exposure, not intentional underwater adventures. But once we dried everything out, the headlamp worked as well as it had before the water test. And the band is comfortable against your skin even when you sweat.

For the price, this headlamp offers everything you need. The Spot works well for most standard tasks. But its light quality leaves a little to be desired compared with that of other models we tested, like the Coast FL85 and the Petzl Actik Core. As with past models, the has a bit of a hot spot in the middle of the beam, where the light appears more concentrated.

Sure, they work better than the single button on previous Spot models, but it takes a lot of patience and trial and error to tap through each setting and find the option you want. They still find the Spot to be superior to anything in the same price range. The Spot has held up—even after spending time in a dryer and being banged around in a backpack on numerous trips. The Vitchelo V is a solid choice for a few reasons. This headlamp also has an easy-to-use navigation system and red- and white-light settings.

But if you need a light for doing chores around the house, reading in the evenings, or walking the dog at night, the V will be more than enough. As with the Black Diamond Spot , we liked that the V offered red- and white-strobe options for night use and safety, respectively.

The headlamp has two buttons: The one on the right clicks through four settings of white light High, Medium, Low, and Strobe and then off, while the one on the left clicks through two settings of red light Solid and Strobe and then off.

We think this simple-to-use setup should be required for all headlamps. It promises to cast a meter foot beam, but as with the Spot, we could see only about feet into the distance with the Vitchelo. We did like the head strap, which was easily adjustable, soft, and comfortable; we also liked that the headlamp weighs 4 ounces, only an ounce more than the Spot.

The Actik Core beat out our old pick due to its lumen light, long battery life it charges quickly via USB and also takes regular AAA batteries , and intuitive controls. But unless you really need a model to be rechargeable, this may be too much headlamp for you. Right out of the box, the Petzl Actik Core was easy to use. It has just one button and three brightness options: low 6 lumens , medium lumens , and high lumens. When you hold down the button for several seconds, the color turns to red; when you double-click, you access the Strobe setting.

Compared with some other rechargeable headlamps which required complicated clicking configurations to access the desired setting , the Actik Core was simpler, though we did lament its lack of a flood beam.

Although Petzl says you should expect a three-hour charge time, we found that this model charged from empty to full within two hours—faster than its competitors. Even on its highest setting, the Actik Core stayed bright for the entirety of our hour battery test—longer than its advertised run time—and we had to charge it only once over a few weeks of using it. Another plus: If you prefer to leave your charger or battery pack at home, you can bring three AAA batteries as a backup and swap them into the headlamp in place of the rechargeable battery; the light will work just as well as it would have if charged via USB.

If you plan to use the Actik Core in another setting, the included mounting accessories allow you to attach it to a helmet or bicycle.

Among the field of existing options, the Black Diamond Sprinter remains at the front of the pack, as it has for four years. The Sprinter stayed secure on our heads during bouncy runs, and at 4 ounces, it was light enough to wear for longer runs, too.

We also liked that the Sprinter had a white light in front and a red taillight for safety. Its lumen light—up from lumens in the previous version we tested—is strong enough to illuminate 15 feet on your path, and the battery life is admirable.

That tight fit does have an upside, though: The Sprinter was the only running headlamp we tested that stayed secure on our head during runs, thanks to a head strap that can be adjusted to fit over a hat or your hair.

This was also the only running headlamp we tested that had a red light on the back, which also flashes with the click of a button. But the new update adds 75 lumens, and this change really does make a difference. The Sprinter casts a decent, bright beam about 15 feet in front of you, and it illuminates trees and houses far into the distance.

But wearing a headlamp is a practical safety decision, and it helps other runners and vehicles see you. The Sprinter is rechargeable, and during testing it lasted for 12 hours without dimming, beating all of its running-headlamp competitors by many hours. Sure, headlamps are a practical purchase, but they can also be a fun gadget for kids to play with at the campsite or during backyard adventures. The kids we know use them mostly while pretending to be red-eyed monsters or rainbow unicorns, and who are we to judge?

The Black Diamond Wiz kids headlamp is lightweight and easy to adjust. And it offers a feature that prompted our testers to place it above all of its competitors: rainbow lights. The Wiz has just 30 lumens, but with three AAA batteries, those 30 lumens last a long time. And the light automatically turns off every two hours, just in case the kiddos forget.

But they are fun to look at and likely safer for children, who might not know they should avoid staring directly into the light. The other two settings feature a white light and a red light. One click takes you to regular Light mode, two clicks to Rainbow mode, and three clicks to Strobe mode. And this headlamp is made to be beaten up: It comes with an IXP4 rating the same rating our picks for rechargeable and running headlamps have. We also think that for the price, the Wiz is a bit more fun for kids than some of the other options we tested.

A lumen is not the obvious indicator of performance it may seem to be. How bright is that, exactly? For instance, what if the lumen light started outputting just lumens after being on for only five minutes, yet the lumen light remained constant for 10 or 20 minutes? Which one is the brighter light? Which one is the better light? The higher the lumen count, the more battery a light requires—and the faster it will burn out.

None of our picks have this mode, but a few of the headlamps we tested did. Those burst modes often provide the highest lumen count, but for only a few seconds; this drains the battery and renders the headlamp unusable more quickly than expected. Lumen output and run time are also totally different depending on whether you use alkaline, lithium, lithium-ion, or nickel-hydride batteries. The lumens emitted from a red LED, for example, appear different to the naked eye than the lumens from LEDs of other colors.

So the lumens advertised for bike taillights , which are red, are comparable to one another but not to the lumens of the white LEDs you see on headlamps. But by that point, the light is likely to be a lot dimmer than it was when you originally turned it on.

The FL1 standard measures more than just lumens; it assesses light output, beam distance, run time, peak beam intensity, impact resistance, water resistance, and waterproofing. All of our picks except the Vitchelo V use the new standard. Some headlamps fade their brightness, instead of shutting off all at once as they lose power. We also had qualms about the battery life it lasted for only 10 hours and its non-adjustable beam.

It is likely a race-breaker, puts a damper on what could have been a nice nighttime moving meditation, and can be downright dangerous. Some lights use single-use batteries, while others operate with a rechargeable lithium ion batteries, and still others will work with either! Consider what best fits your needs for your specific adventure. Technically, yes. However, it all comes down to comfort, safety, and a product that can enhance performance.

Just like you can bust out a s Walkman for tunes, you can use any old headlamp, but that will be neither efficient, nor enjoyable. Consider what a higher quality headlamp gives you: rechargeability, different battery-power options, extra comfort, bounce-free light, and longer burn time… not to mention reflective elements and water resistance. All things to help you run safer, longer, and later — or earlier, you early birds. Made with comfort, visibility, and longevity in mind, the Petzl SWIFT RL is an ultralight grams , extremely bright lumens at its brightest headlamp that will power you through your longest endeavors: heading out for a pre-dawn, double-digit-miles training run; attempting an alternative-season fastest known time like Pikes Peak in winter ; or undertaking a-depth-of-winter ultramarathon like the Arrowhead Mile.

You pre-dawn or nighttime runners who still need a headlamp on your half-lit neighborhood and city streets can rejoice, a headlamp like this will last for a couple weeks of running before a recharge is needed. The battery is a 2, MilliAmp hour rechargeable lithium ion battery. With soft but solid straps covered in reflective stitching, the SWIFT RL centers well on the head, making the ride comfortable, bounce-free, and highly visible.

On the back of the head, the band splits to provide further support and steadying of the device. Those who wear ponytails may find that threading your ponytail between the straps reduces headlamp-hair interference and lends a bit more support to the headlamp. A single button keeps it simple, no more fumbling with gloved hands to find the right one: push it to go through light intensity levels, or hold that button to cycle through the different modes.

So, if you would prefer to get a headlamp with rechargeable batteries and save some money on the AAAs in the long term, something by Petzl will be a better fit for you. You can read about the first two in even more detail in some of my former reviews, and see how they compare to their lower-budget versions! There are three light settings for the Tikka headlamp; low, medium, and high. The low setting will give you a beam distance of some 10 meters, but the battery can last for an incredible hours on it.

On the other hand, on the high setting you will get 60 meters of beam distance, but with only 60 hours of battery life. In terms of the bean length, the low setting is perfect for any activities where you are focused on your immediate surroundings. The medium settings will be great if you are moving around a lot, and the high setting will allow you to see almost feet in front of you.

This headlamp is water-resistant , so you will be perfectly fine in the rain and snow. With the lower lumen output and long battery life, I would say that this lamp is a particularly good fit for camping or overnight hiking. If you already own the Core battery then great; if not, you will have to get it separately, and it will set you back some 30 bucks.

But, it is definitely worth it because you will save money in the long run. Check out its main specs below. As the very name of this headlamp suggests, the Actik Core comes equipped with the Core rechargeable battery. So, that is a good thing when you think about all the money you would waste purchasing AAAs again and again. But it also had a big effect on the price of the headlamp because the Actik Core costs twice as much as the Tikka, and then some.

But this headlamp is also twice as bright as the Tikka , so the steeper price is not really a surprise. Overall, it is a better and stronger lamp, and more suitable for some really strenuous activities in the dark. And the two light modes wide and mixed will really allow you to customize the direction and width of the light beam. I would say that the Actik Core is a great lamp for mountaineering, night skiing, and backpacking. The lumen output on this thing is really high, but it also means that its maximum battery life is much shorter.

However, this headlamp is also compatible with AAAs , and you can always switch to those if your Core battery runs out of charge. Then again, hours on the low light setting is a pretty good burn time. However, if you set it to the highest brightness setting lumens , the difference is drastic. In fact, the Actik Core has a battery life of only 2 hours in this setting, which is somewhat disappointing. Related Post: Actik vs Actik Core.

But there are many benefits to this headlamp. I for one thing love that it has integrated Bluetooth. For example, you can tell the lamp that you need it to burn for 4 hours and 15 minutes, and it will adjust its brightness accordingly. The headlamp also has an integrated brightness sensor. This allows it to work in two different modes, reactive lighting, and constant lighting.

If you set it to reactive lighting, the lamp will autonomously adjust the brightness level and put out the optimal amount of light for your surroundings. But you can also set it to constant lighting, which means that it will shine as bright as you want it for as long as the battery allows it. And you can do that with a few taps on your smartphone screen! The downside of this headlamp is its short battery life. This means that you should use it wisely and only set it to maximum lumen output if you really need the added brightness.

Namely the ReVolt, Storm , and Icon. Before we get into the detailed characteristics of this headlamp, a breakdown of its main features can be seen in the product information below. Now, the rechargeable ones are more convenient to use, but the Alkalines will give you a brighter light.

And funnily enough, the Alkalines will also last longer than the included rechargeable batteries. I would say that this is a downside; why would they make a rechargeable headlamp that performs better on non-rechargeable batteries?

But, you could also just consider that a benefit, I guess.