Which Zebralight Headlamp?

[Edward Jursek]

I have looked at a number of Zebralight reviews and posts here and I am close to pulling the trigger. I am still looking for some final advice. My needs and intended usage are as follows:  I am starting to do more winter backpacking and expect to do more nighttime travel over snow. I also anticipate more time spent setting up camp in the dark, and more time spent in camp during the dark. I am looking for something that uses AA batteries. All else being equal, I would prefer less weight. So which Zebralight is best for winter? Thanks!

[Mark]

Must have around 12 Zebralights in various battery formats, with maybe another 50 torches from other manufacturers.

 

My advice is to go for a 18650 based torch instead.

With the choice of all those torches the one i always turn to is my H600w

Battery lasts hours even on the high setting, it has a great beam with enough throw to pick your route but with enough flood to see the path right under your feet, the tint is fantastic, it really brings out the colours of trees and plants, it even helps pick out roots as it picks out their colour.

My AA ZL’s are good, i tend to use them for work and working on my cars, but for outdoors stuff the extra capacity of the 18650 is a no brainer, add to this the extra output of ZL’s 18650 range and i can’t imagine a scenario where i would choose one of my AA ZL’s over a 18650 one.

 

 

Cheers

Mark

[Michael Sirofchuck]

You might want to consider a solar MPowerd Luci light for in camp use, especially in your tent. There are several models and, now, different brands of these solar lanterns.  I’ve been using one for some time now; it is great for illuminating camp, is light and compact,  and charges relatively quickly during the day.  We often carry two – one for in the tent and one to illuminate the general camp area.

I like the Luci EMRG:

 

<li id=”tab2″ class=”active” data-specs=”10.2 cm height | 10.2 cm diameter | 3.2 cm collapsed;
4 modes: bright, super bright, 1 sec flashing, S.O.S.;
4 LEDs/25 lumens;
Lightweight: 2.4 oz (69 g);No batteries required – just the sun;
Charges in 8 hours in direct sunlight;
Lasts up to 7 hours on bright setting;
Functions as a flashlight;
Red/white morse code S.O.S.;
Waterproof/IP67 rating;
Operating temp: 15° F–122° F (-10° C–50° C);
1 year warranty”>

• 10.2 cm height | 10.2 cm diameter | 3.2 cm collapsed
• 4 modes: bright, super bright, 1 sec flashing, S.O.S.
• 4 LEDs/25 lumens
• Lightweight: 2.4 oz (69 g)
• No batteries required – just the sun
• Charges in 8 hours in direct sunlight
• Lasts up to 7 hours on bright setting
• Functions as a flashlight
• Red/white morse code S.O.S.
• Waterproof/IP67 rating
• Operating temp: 15° F–122° F (-10° C–50° C)
• 1 year warranty

 

[James holden]

18650 headlamp for extended nighttime activities …

nothing else has the same energy per weight as an li-on battery in a rechargeable format …

and if yr doing lots of nighttime higher output usage youll easily blow through a bat every few or even every night

as you can see a 18650 bat has several times the energy per weight as a NiMH bat …

;)

[Pigeon]

Zebralight changed the tint of some of their warm lights; my H51w has that great color Mark describes and my H52w did not. I would (and may) check on the spectrum of the H600w before buying. If you don’t have a warmer light to compare to you’re not likely to care.

[Martin O’Malley]

H52w would be the best AA. Its a great light and I use it daily. But as others have suggested, I’d strongly consider jumping to an 18650 (the H600w MK2 or you could use an SC63w with a Nite-Ize headband,…which allows mounting a regular flashlight on the side of the head).  The 18650’s give more light for longer with a small weight penalty.

For outdoors, I like colors better with the “W” models and have a better sense of depth.

The cold will zap some battery capacity, possibly lots,…so you might run into trouble if you do experiments around the house or around town and make decisions regarding how many batteries to bring based on those conditions.  I don’t have any hard numbers for you, but I just know that my don’t last as long in the cold.

Regarding weight, the 18650 could be the lightest solution.  The H600w MK2, at approx. 85g with battery would give you 11 hours of 150 lumen light

VS.

H52w (AA) is 57g with battery.  This would give about 1.7 hrs of 170 lumen light.  It would take about another 5 x AA battery to give something in the region of 10 hours (not going to 11 hours to compensate for it giving 20 lumens more at this level).  These 5 extra batteries are about 25g (?) each, for a total of 125g.

The H600w MK2 is giving 11 hours of light for 85g and the H52w would weigh 57g +125g= 182g.  So the “heavier” 18650 light would be the lighter choice if using it a lot.

Basically, I love the H52w and would not give mine up, but would definitely use an 18650 light for what you ‘ve described…

 

 

[Mark]

You can really extend the use of the H600 by looking round the house for anything that will act as a diffuser.

I found that a H600w hung inside the tent on a low output together with a diffuser gives a great spread of light for reading or doing in-tent chores.

For my SC600 an old 35mm film canister fits perfectly.

For my headtorches i’ve used everything from a white spray paint can lid to a milk carton, 5 mins with a pair of scissors and even a ape like me can cut out a decent diffuser.

Also found that gas canister caps make decent red fliters.

[Mike W]

I use both the Zebralight H52W Headlight with Lithium disposable AA batteries and the Zebralight H600 Mk II (18650) depending on the trip.

For short trips I carry my Zebralight H52W Headlight with a spare Lithium AA disposable battery (extra AA weighs .5 oz).   For longer trips that may require charging my inReach (or phone if I bring it), I will use my 18650 headlamp and bring a spare 18650 battery in my Miller 18650 Battery Bank.  That gives me backup power if needed for other devices and a spare battery for my headlamp if needed.
Something you might want to look at as well if you are doing long dark nights, is the Big Agnes Mountain Glow lights.  I take mine whenever I carry an extra 18650 in my Miller battery bank.  The Mtn Glow light string plugs directly into the Miller battery bank and it will virtually last forever with the 18650 battery.  The Mtn Glow light string only weighs 1 oz if you don’t bring the heavy battery pack and carry case that comes with it.  The Mtn Glow LED light string puts out an incredibly good area light for long evenings under a tarp or in a shelter.

[Eric Osburn]

http://www.zebralight.com/H600Fd-III-High-CRI-Floody-Neutral-White-18650-Headlamp_p_171.html

http://www.zebralight.com/PanasonicSanyo-NCR18650GA-3500mAh-10A-18650-Li-ion-Battery-ship-to-US-customers-only_p_176.html

^ Great combination. I really dig the combination. Great run times, tons of light if you need it, just light enough that it doesn’t feel “too” heavy on your head for hiking. If you trail run I would recommend a lighter combo but for backpacking I think it’s hard to beat.

[Pigeon]

I dont want to harp, but does anyone else notice an advantage to a hint of yellow in a headlamp?

ZL customer service said the older ‘w’ lamps were under 4000k and they’re now between 4250 and 4750.

[Eric Osburn]

For backpackers there are two things that you should be concerned with for tint. The first is getting a neutral white tint. Neutral white tints are in general the easiest on our eyes and produce the least strain. Zebra light offers 4000k and 5000k neutral white tints in the H600Fc III and H600Fd III. 4000k is going to be closer to being yellow, 5000k is going to be closer to being a hair blue and close to daylight. I prefer the 5000k because I just don’t like super yellow lights but everyone is different. I find lights below 4000k too warm but again, everyone is different.

The second thing you should be looking at is CRI. CRI is essentially color renditioning and how accurate things appear. The sun is a perfect 100. The closer to ~ 5000k and 100 CRI the easier it is for our brains to identify objects and see them as they would be seen during the day.

For me the current headlamp from Zebralight that fit what I was looking for is the H600-Fd III.

[James holden]

personally i think the “warm tint” doesnt really matter

i have a fenix HL55 which is fairly neutral or even “warm” …. and when i compare it against my petzls in actual use it doesnt make any real difference

remember that most petzl LEDs are “cool” … and they are used by professionals, alpinists, leading edge athletes all over the world for many many years

never once have i heard “im gonna dump petzl for a lamp that gives me a warmer tint as itll help me break new records, do first ascents, spot polar bears on that artic expedition” … etc …

;)

[Eric Osburn]

Petzl headlamps are used extensively because they are simple and durable but they are a good decade behind the rest of the industry when it comes to LED technology. Their run times are poor, the amount of lumens they put out little, and the tint and CRI are horrible. I used Petzl’s for years but there are so many great options from Fenix, Nitecore, Zebralight and even some of the China direct companies out there these days that I find them hard to recommend.

 

 

[James holden]

Headlamp snobbery ….

Petzls work absolutely fine

in fact most of those sponsored athletes are doing record setting achievements with “name brand” headlamps

You generally dont see folks using zebralights or nitecores when pushing the human limits

as to “outdated” … No one else has implemented the reactive lighting to the degree petzl has

and it works …. Ueli steck did the first solo ascent of annapurna climbing quite a bit in the dark with a tikka rxp …

I own petzls and fenix … they both work absolutely fine

I mean can YOU do with a zebralight that someone else cant do with a petzl?

;)

 

 

 

 

[Mark]

Have a few Petzls as well as my ZL’s, can’t think of a single scenario where i would choose any of the Petzls over any of my ZL’s.

Part of that is the battery format as non of my Petzls are 18650, it’s also down to the beam.

On most of my Petzls there are very noticeable artefacts on the beams, in use this gives dark areas that are exactly where i don’t want them to be, then there is the tint, a couple of my Petzls asre almost blue, very unpleasant, then there is the output or lack of, the battery run time or lack of, the weight (they’re heavy in comparison g/hour), the headbands do not give a good fit so tend to bounce around when running, i could go on.

Only reason i can think someone would go for Petzls over say a Fenix or ZL headlamp is either they’re being paid to wear it, they don’t own any other decent headtorches or they simply know no better and haven’t used a decent headtorch before so don’t know what they’re missing.

If we organised a group night hike with free torches to use, say Petzls on 1 tables and something like H52w’s on the other i’d bet the kids collage fund that the on the 2nd night folks would be scrambling to get to the H52w table before they’ve all gone.

But then there is a guy at work that still thinks his little maglite is the best torch made, each to their own.

[James holden]

Im absolutely fine with my petzls

in fact in some instances i actually prefer the tikka RXP over the fenix hl55 despite having “one third the lumens”

Again i ask what crazy trail or climb (or other such) you can do that someome with a Petzl cant

i mean all the fancy specs and gear snobbery is nice … But unless yr doing somethibg with it, its all intrawbez BPL theorizing

;)

 

[Mike W]

>I mean can YOU do with a zebralight that someone else cant do with a petzl? <<

That ones easy… get wet.

And since you (Eric) live/hike in the same geographically “wet” area that I do, it  should be important to you too.  All of the Zebralights are ipx7 rated and the Petzl lights are rated all over the place.  I’m not sure why any headlight manufacturer that make lights for outdoor activities would make some of their best lights only “splash” resistant but they do.  It’s important to look at all the details before you buy a headlight because battery life and lumens is meaningless if your light won’t turn on because it’s been soaked.

 

[Pigeon]

Nm:)

[James holden]

Mike ….

remember those 40-50mm days we had back in dec, jan?

i went on nice little walks at night with my “ipx 4” petzl just fine with em

in fact its MUCH easier to change the bat of a tikka RXP in the rain

i have a mediun dead bird wraith pants (LEAF version of the squamish) …. New …. Anyone interests in the “shower test” … Im willing to offer the wraith as a prize, 100$+ value, you pay shipping

basically film yourself blind folded changing the bat on a zebralight in the shower full blast facing the shower nozzle with nothing to hide under

i can do it fine with my petzls because the innards are seperate drom the bat

i wont even try it with my fenix

If theres any interest ill write up a set of rules

its not like folks walking around or climbing are going scuba diving

;)

 

 

[Mike W]

Keeping a headlamp dry while it’s on your head is the easy part.  I generally wear my headlamp under the brim of my ball cap (which is usually under a rain jacket hood).  It’s when the headlight is in my pack that I’m worried about it as I like to keep it handy (outside pack pocket) and it’s going to get soaked in the kind of rain you mentioned.

I also have to admit that I’m not a scuba diver but have fallen in a couple of times (complete immersion) while hiking/fishing (life-time total…so not that bad!) but these events have made me very careful in choosing and packing my gear.  Dry bags for clothing and sleeping gear and electronics must be waterproof.

I don’t think you could beat a Zebralight in a battery change challenge.  One battery and a big screw cap.  My only complaint about my Zebralight headlights (and flashlights), is that they don’t have a thether on the tail cap.  That is a significant issue IMO and they should fix that.

[James holden]

You havent seen the tikka RXP?

its a 5 second change …. Slide the bat out and slide the new one in …. Doesnt matter if yr in the shower

the fenix hanged the bat the same way as a zebralight …. And its MUCH slower than a tikka RXP

not to mention you risk dropping the cap and water ingress

petzls are exceptionally water resistant … Most models have sealed electronics however they cant claim IPX 7/8 as the battery compartment isnt sealed by design

<i>Headlamps withstand the worst meteorological conditions (high humidity, snow, rain, brief immersion…) depending on their IPX rating: IPX4 or IPX6.
They work even when water gets inside the lamp, thanks to stainless steel contacts and a waterproof coating that protects sensitive components. In this situation, the headlamp should be dried, the batteries changed and the contacts inspected.
This applies to all headlamps, except for the e+LITE, SiGNAL and the DUO and ULTRA lines.</i>

https://www.petzl.com/CA/en/Sport/Watertightness-and-weather-resistance

im basically giving aways a new dead bird squamish windpants to the person who can do the “shower test” with their zebralight

which by the way you cant buy commercially and they no longer make

some intrepit BPLer will step up !!!

ill post up a pic of the dead bird next week and write up the rules  … When im back home

;)

 

 

 

 

[Eric Osburn]

Evaluating the merits of various lighting options has nothing to do with accomplishing some great feat of physical endurance, I have no idea why that’s even part of this discussion. Going fast isn’t the only objective hikers have and for some of us going fast isn’t an objective at all.

If one was doing search and rescue, would the fact that someone climbed a mountain in record time using a bic lighter as their only light source have any bearing to them accomplishing their intended task and wanting more light, with more accurate color rendition (easier for your brain to recognize what you’re looking at) and with significantly longer run times? Maybe I want to use an extremely low light mode to do things around camp or read a map without being blinded and losing my night vision.

Your comments on waterproofness are applicable, on point and appreciated.

For those of us that live in dry climates IPX7 is more than enough with 30 minute submersion at 2 meters but if you expect regular submersion or increadibly wet areas IPX8 rating would be the way to go. Many Fenix and Nitecore headlamps are rated to IPX8 albeit only @ 2 meters. I’ve never been in a situation where I needed to change a battery out and had to worry about the inside of my light getting wet, but maybe others have. I do agree that it would be nice if tail caps were tethered, that’s something that can be improved upon by Fenix, Nitecore and Zebralight.

That Tikka RXP looks interesting. I’d love to see how it worked on the trail. The sensor is going to chew up some energy to function which would negate some of it’s power saving abilities but the question is how much. It’s an interesting concept for sure.

A big part of why I like Zebralights is the efficiency of their drivers (the best in the business) and the run times that you get with an 18650 battery, all in a reasonable weight. The zebralight H600Fd III weighs in at 125g with the battery and has run times 3-4 times longer than the Tikka you listed and only weighs 10g more. When you compare it to AAA powered Petzls the run times are more in the 5X range with similar weights. The reason for the short run times is Petzl is using led technology that is essentially a decade behind where modern lights are.

In addition the Zebralights also have very useful modes for camp use like the moonlight modes and extremely bright modes if you need them. Not having to carry extra batteries has actually saved me a bit of weight in addition to having a light that has a wide range of light output.

I’m not a zebralight snob by any means. I own two and both are exceptional lights but I also dig plenty of the nitecore and fenix lights as well. I’ve used Petzls in the past and while reliable they have unpleasant tints, shorter run times and fewer options for output.

Zebralights have better run times and give more output options than Nitecore or Fenix lights but are also more expensive and typically have waiting periods whereas the more mainstream lights are quick and easy to pickup at the store or on Amazon. The Zebralights are also very light for us gram weenies and typically weigh the same with a battery as the Nitecore or Fenix lights do without a battery.

Back the OP’s question, if you’re sold on Zebralights then the only two headlamps for general backpacking I would suggest are the H600Fd III and the H600Fc. If you want to trail run I would probably suggest something slightly lighter but then you’re looking at an AA or AAA light with low run times and lower lumens or a cr123 light with slightly better run times and lumens than an AA light but with expensive batteries.

 

 

[James holden]

Actually i much prefer the tikka RXP for trail use

you know why?

the reactive mode means you have BOTH a spot and flood …. And even on the 27 lumen setting its just as good if not better than my fenix (a flood) at 50 lm … Ive compared the “200+ lm” of the RXP vs the ~900 lm of the hl55, and because of the dual spot/flood its basically as useful in the real world especially with route finding

the reactive lighting actually saves energy as it automatically adjust the intensity downwards when you dont need it

not to mention its easily topped up in the field with a USB power bank so youll always start the night with full bats, minimizing any bat changes

now the fenix i use for night climbing as a flood is more useful on technical rock climbs … Also the UI is dead simple … I can give it to a newbie and theyll be able to master it in 10 seconds

while flashaholics like a bazillion modes … When yr hanging on a rock face hundreds of metres up … Complicated is bad … The fenix is dead simple

KISS

theres a big difference between what folks in their nice warm test rigs rave over and actually using it in poor conditions where your life is on the line

One other thing ill say … Is that USb rechargeable headlamps are VERY useful …. In addition to always having topped off bats , youll use it alot more around the house and car

fenix makes the HL60R now … Petzl has the tikka rxp, i dont recommend the nitecore hc90 as i had a switch failure ….

One final thing about petzl is that you can buy em at mec and llbean … Meaning unlimited lifetime warranty even after a decade

no arguing with CS (nitecore is bad for that) or shipong back to china for fixes

;)

 

 

[Aaron Sorensen]

“Again i ask what crazy trail or climb (or other such) you can do that someome with a Petzl cant?”

Well to answer this question, I am going for a sub 4.5 day hike on the JMT this year. I’ll be hiking until about 1:30 in the morning each day and waking up at first light.

What really helps at night is being able to see so you don’t have to use any extra energy focusing on not tripping every step. 80-100 lumens usually does the trick for this.

So if I bring a Petzl, I would also have to take at least 1 extra set of batteries.  2 sets for the crappier versions. With the  ridiculous weight of their newer auto focus headlamps plus a spare battery, your talking about carrying more than doubled the weight of my Zebralight H600.

So it’s not the question of why the Petzl can’t, it’s why in the world would I want to?

[Mark]

Actually i much PREFER the tikka RXP for trail use

Pretty much what it boils down to.

We all hike different hikes in different areas, if your fanaticism for a certain brand of torches works for you then i’m happy you’ve found something you can be evangelical about.

Personally i’ll stick with my H600w until i find something better, for me personally i find it far far better than the Tikka RXP and i’ve tried both side by side.

That’s really the crux of the matter, it’s all well and good singing the praises of A over B but if you haven’t tried B then the opinion isn’t worth the fraction of a kb of storage space it takes up.

[Author]

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