Current favorite headlamps?

[Ian Rae]

I’m looking to update our headlamp collection, and moving from AAA headlamps to simple rechargeables. I’m currently looking at the BD Iota, Petzl Bindi, and the Nightcore NU25 or similar.

 

Any experiece with these or similar headlamps?  They would mostly be for in-camp while backpacking. Requirements are rechargeable, under 2oz, and a lockout mode. Red light would be nice, but not essential. Battery capacity isn’t a big deal either- we usually carry a battery bank. I have a couple of big Nightcore lights, and they are great, but straps and fit/finish isn’t as good as the Petzls or BDs.

[David Thomas]

I’m liking my Petzl Bindi. Lightweight, minimalist head strap that works well. I like that I can top it off before a trip and not fret about partially-used batteries. The buttons are a little easier and simpler than some. The low setting is pretty low which I like for night hiking on dirt – enough to see an established trail (I was just night-hiking in a snowy Grand Canyon and could have used 1 or 2 lumens). I timed the 5-lumen setting (claimed 50 hours) and got 54 hours.

[Hoosier T]

I got a zebra light last year and couldn’t be happier with it.

[Ian]

Petzl Actik Core headlamp has been great for me.

[K2 Travels]

I use the Nitecore U25 but changed out the heavy band for a super lightweight one. Works like a gem, love this light.

• K2

[NoCO-Jim]

Zebralight H600c (current), H51W (discontinued)….I’m 18650 Li-Ion committed.  Zebralights are dependable, and functional.

[Eric B]

Another Zebralight fanboi here. After 30 years of constantly upgrading, and along the way collecting a box full of headlamps, I bought an H52w (AA batteries). A while later I bought a H600w Mk III (18650 batteries). These two do pretty much everything I need – I haven’t bought a new headlamp in 2 1/2 years now (which is some kind of record).

[R]

I’ve heard good things about this, but haven’t tried it.

https://www.ucogear.com/headlamps/air-lithium-ion-rechargeable-headlamp-hl–air?returnurl=%2fheadlamps%2f

[Mark Verber]

Yet another Zebralight fan.  Still using the H51 I bought in 2010 with no reason to upgrade other than later models have a battery life indicator (4 quick clicks gives 1-4 flashes depending on battery state). Family owns a number of other Zebralights but haven’t seen a reason to update the H51 which is in my backpacking kit… though maybe someday I will swap the H52 in my wife’s car for my H51.

I have a Bindi which I use for road running in town.  I won’t want it in the back country because it’s too floody for me (my eye aren’t so good anymore)  to way find in difficult terrain and limited runtime without an option of a quick battery swap.

[Brad W]

Using the Black Diamond Spot 300 and really enjoy not only the brightness but the level of control available.

[Steve B]

Zebralight H32w with diffuser tape on the lens.  Uses the same batteries as my Steripen, CR123.  I do not bring the strap, just the clip to attach to waist belt.  For around camp I use a Lumintop HL AAA, in a MYOG headband.

If you read the SAR reports out of Yosemite, one of the most important items to have is a flashlight/headlight.  So I bring two.

[Geoff Caplan]

Another Zebralight fan – this time the H600w MK III headlight (XHP35 – neutral white).

By far the best lamp I’ve used in 50 years in the hills. Ideal throw for walking, with no artefacts. Lots of top end power when you need to scout ahead. Good colour. All the features you need and none that you don’t. Long battery life. Stellar build quality. No built in recharger, but something like the Xtar-MC1 charger only weighs a few grams and you don’t have a vulnerable recharger in the lamp.

For camp and backup I carry the little Petzl e+Lite. Only 26 grams, runs off featherweight CR2032 batteries and does everything you need. Just about OK for walking on groomed trails, but lacks the power for comfortable walking on difficult ground.

[Ian Rae]

Thanks, all.  I do have a couple of 18650 lights, which are great, but overkill for a lot of trips.  We usually travel with kids, so take one big headlamp and some smaller ones – which is what I’m looking for now.  We also live fairly far north, so in the summer, the nights are so short, the lights hardly ever come out.

I ended up ordering both the Bindi and the BD Iota.  I really want to like the Bindi – it is lighter, plenty bright, and has a red mode.  The “lockout” is a bummer, though.  It flips over to hide the button, but is so easily dislodged from this position, that I can’t imagine it working very well.

The Iota is a bit heavier, but still under 2oz, and has a better lockout (I think?) which uses a long press of the button to lock/unlock.  Either one could fail, and probably aren’t as good as lights where you have to press both buttons, but for now I’m keeping the Iota.

One minor niggle – I’m ready for manufacturers to switch to USB-C for charging.  This is quickly going to become the standard I think, and it would be great to minimize the number of cables!

[Brad W]

I’ve been on the fence about that uco light that rene linked to.  I’d buy it just don’t need another light at the moment and it seems like teh battery life is short with that one.

I like the rotary switch it has though.  I hate the single button “push once for this…push twice for that….”.  Every led headlamp I’ve had so far is that way.  When I want dim, i just want dim.  I don’t want to cycle through bright, etc…

[Sam Farrington]

If battery capacity is not an issue, as you say, then take your pick of a multitude of lamps based on other considerations.
For long distance trekking, however, where light weight is the priority, the Petzl hybrids beat Black Diamonds because the Core Li-Ion battery is removable, and a separate fully charged battery can be carried to double the number of nights before a charger is needed. Not to mention that the battery has more capacity than any of the other small Li-ion ones I’ve tried. That’s using the light at around 150-200 lumens, which is plenty for me. And unlike all the others I’ve tried, there has never been a problem, and the Petzl has never fizzled when I need it.

Every time a thread on this subject comes up, we see a rush of Zebra light plaudits. However, they are heavier than the light plastic Petzls, and I don’t care to have a flashlight strapped to my head. The Petzls have so many models, you can get pretty much what you want. Wanting something simple, the Tikka hybrid does it for me.

I’m not associated in any way with Petzl, and actually did not like all their gimmicky little lamps; but when they came out with the small Core battery, that made me a believer.

[David Thomas]

“If you read the SAR reports out of Yosemite”

When my wife and I first hooked up, we so impressed each other by how accomplished, experienced and prepared the other was, we kept assuming the other had critical stuff with them.  Including a Half Dome trip (back before permits) on which we got a late start.  Leaving LYV about sunset, we found that neither of us had brought a flashlight – assuming the other one of course would. Approaching Happy Isles we were effecting a blindman’s cane with our forward feet.  There were also times that year neither of us would bring a wallet on a date, etc.  Ever since, we’ve packed to be more independently functional.

[Hoosier T]

Just to make a correction for the sake of accuracy, the AA and CR123 models from Zebralight are in fact ~.75 oz lighter than the tikka hybrid (weights including batteries). Only the 18650 models are heavier, but only by .5oz.

[Mark Verber]

for charging in the back country… https://olightworld.com/olight-uc-magnetic-usb-charger which supports pretty much any battery size which is either LiO 3.7V and NiMH 1.5V.

[Geoff Caplan]

On the subject of weight, it really depends how much power and capacity you need.

My Zebralight gives me 1126 Lm at the top end for scouting out the route and finding campsites, so you need some mass in the body to act as a heat sink. That said, the lamp itself only weighs 38 grams. And the 45 gram 18650 battery gives me 33 hours of walking on rough ground, 73 hours on good ground, or 18 days of eating and reading in camp. So I’m getting a lot of performance for a handful of extra grams. If you do as much night walking as I do it’s a good tradeoff, as I find that the stellar vision it offers makes life safer and more relaxing.

A lot of the advertised weight is in the 40g headband which I tossed as the design is poor. You can easily make something much lighter with some grosgrain and bungee.

[Sam Farrington]

Seems I did not realize the lightness of the Zebralight. But having reached headlamp heaven with a Tikka hybrid, just weighed in at 2 5/8 oz including Core Battery, there is no need to spend $$$$ to explore further.

[Hans W]

<span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>NOT SPECIFICALLY A HEADLAMP BUT WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION</span>

Given that many hikers will carry a USB power bank of some description, seems to make sense to utilise that from time to time, have a look at the ORFOS FLARE PRO (https://www.orfos.us/pages/pro), at 28 grams (excluding the power source) and with 950 lumens, it certainly will have something to offer for some specific users.

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