Thread: Headlamp recommendations

Hey all
I need to replace my old trust headlamp and want some recommendations.

Specs I'd like so far besides the obvious general light function:
18650 battery
Red light function
Memory or separate button for turning on red light
No annoying sos or strobe function (or able to disable it, as it's frustrating to have to cycle through it during a hunt)

Let me know your ideas.
So far thinking of a Nitecore HC65 (has the annoying modes tho) or Cyansky HS6R
Not the biggest fan of LedLenser so would rather not get one of them.

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Peax has a good one, or Fenix believe its the HM62-T, don't own the Peax but personally used it while in the states and it was pretty sweet

Or Amazon has a similar one to the Peax (likely built in the same factory but Peax has been proven to be "better") which is the Sofirn

Thanks, that Fenix HM62-T looks good
Haven't heard of the Peax/Sofirin. I'll look them up.

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https://www.piercingthedarkness.co.n...s-rechargeable

These kickass for the price. Its what i run as my main light now.

Depends on what you want the light to do for you. I've got the Cyansky HS6R and it is a great bit of kit. Having the choice to use the wide beam, spot or both at multiple levels gives you lots of options. The spot beam at full is great for reading terrain for navigation at night. Not to mention some shorter range critter spotting! The wider light at lower levels gives plenty of light to get about but excellent run time.

The option that Roarless20 provided the link to is a little more compact unit though and an amazing price

Originally Posted by Steelisreal

Depends on what you want the light to do for you. I've got the Cyansky HS6R and it is a great bit of kit. Having the choice to use the wide beam, spot or both at multiple levels gives you lots of options. The spot beam at full is great for reading terrain for navigation at night. Not to mention some shorter range critter spotting! The wider light at lower levels gives plenty of light to get about but excellent run time.

The option that Roarless20 provided the link to is a little more compact unit though and an amazing price

Yea @Roarless20 posted one for an incredible price.
It's actually the red light I use most. It's epic while hunting to be able to navigate at night without alerting deer compared to a big white light.
But then when heading back to the vehicle or whatever the standard white is the go.

Usually have the Fenix HT18R on my belt for spotlighting when needed.

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I picked up the cyansky off recommendations on here, I’m stoked with it so far, great buying I reckon

Avoid any model with exposed external wiring from battery to lamp. Wire on mine got snagged on overhead branch and tore out, leaving me in the dark. Thankfully I had back-up torch, but lesson learned!

Originally Posted by luckey

Avoid any model with exposed external wiring from battery to lamp. Wire on mine got snagged on overhead branch and tore out, leaving me in the dark. Thankfully I had back-up torch, but lesson learned!

Awesome and valid point

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After having multiple led lenser units crap out on me I now run Fenix and had no problems.

https://www.piercingthedarkness.co.n...d-usb-charging

I’ve just ordered one of these. I’ve got an older Sofirn that is still going good. But this one looks fantastic and does everything.

I have the same one as Roarless20 I find it does all I need and uses the same batteries as my hand torch.

A couple of years back we were on a Tahr trip and coming down a wide rocky river bed in the dark, my head lamp that I had at the time, had a good wide beam and was bright (400 lumens) but only had a practical range of 50 metres, needless to say I couldn't pick up land marks to follow or obstacles to avoid. My mate who had a LEDlenser H7R, had to lead the way as he could see out to a good 150 to 200 metres. By the time we got to the bottom his low battery level was warning him. So, back home I started to look for a replacement for mine, I needed a spot with a range out to 200 metres, a flood beam and the ability to change the battery, I didn't want a focusable spot beam as I felt this could compromise the water proofness and above all it had to be robust.
I ended up with Fenix HP25R, it uses the 21700 batteries with 5000mAh, I carry a spare battery with me all the time but have yet to use it on any one night. The light has a good range of 200 metres with the spot, it has two switches, one for the spot light and the other for the flood and red light modes, this does make it a bit more simple when selecting either flood or spot. The construction of the head lamp is very good and solid. Interesting what "Lucky" said about the wiring pulling out on his one when tangled in scrub, the Fenix does have a seperate battery pack on the back of the head band and just looking at it now, it has a break away plug in the middle of the cable, whether that is to stop the cable damage I don't know. But so far I'm more than happy with the light.
Fenix have a very good web site and their graphs for light strengths and run times make it easy to compare. One thing I have noticed over all the brands that I have looked at, usable light is only about half of what they say.

Originally Posted by TimC

After having multiple led lenser units crap out on me I now run Fenix and had no problems.

Same experience. Went through three of them (on warranty) till they wouldn't honour it any more. So went the Maxtoch way and haven't looked back. They don't make them anymore, but the others named here do pretty much the same job just as well. But no external wires!! Recipe for early failure.

Got a Nitecore NU25 UL on the way. Ultralight (45 grams), rechargeable (USBC) and hopefully simple to operate. Only really use on the walk in on trips, or maybe walk out as use a camp/tent light - Flextail Max Pro 2 (light, pump, back up battery bank).

Used the Black Diamond Spot 350 which have performed "okay" but had to tape the rubberised flap over the USBC connection which was not happy about. Left it at spot x, so great excuse to try another one.