UKH

Need advice about best headlamps

Define "best", is that:

- Cheapest

- Lightest

- Brightest

- Highest build quality

- Best battery life

- etc?

Argos, 3 quid or even cheaper still, wire from and old coathanger and a candle.

I have a LedLenser SEO 7R. Love it to bits. I use it for running and climbing. Good points:

- rechargable battery or 3 x AAA

- good battery life

- range of brightnesses, including high, low, flashing

- focusable beam (really useful when running)

- superb customer service. After a couple of years it stopped working for no apparent reason. I contacted LedLenser, they said "send it back", and they replaced it (free) with a new one. No quibbles, no hassle.

By contrast, I have also used my wife's Petzl Nao. I find it too heavy, and the "intelligent beam strength" thing just weird and annoying!

Steve

The Alpkit Qark has the Li-ion/AAA battery options, range of brightnesses on the main white LED (but no flashing - not sure why you'd want that on the main beam for running or walking) and focusable beam.  It also has a red LED which includes a flashing mode.  I recently acquired one and on full beam it's stupidly bright.  I can't speak yet for the accuracy of the quoted run times.

Alpkit customer service is pretty good: the Qark was a replacement for a previous Alpkit model which failed a month short of its second birthday.  They sent me a prepaid return label and gave me a gift voucher for the full original cost when the old one was declared unrepairable.

I got an Alpkit Manta at the start of the year and have been very happy with it so far.

https://www.alpkit.com/products/manta

I use it mostly for trail running and the medium beam setting is more than adequate; not tested the battery life yet but if it is anywhere near the stated 26 hours for medium beam I'll be happy with that

People who own headtorches with batteries in a separate unit from the light: are these compatible with climbing helmets? Is the weight/bulk ever an issue? 

Yes they fit fine, generally the battery pack will go between the 2 rear helmet clips, weight is no worse than the batteries all at the front

The reviewers seem to give the Manta a fair bit of criticism regarding the inability to tilt downwards for close in illumination. Do you find that's an issue?

I think it is fine, for running I have it tilted down as far as it will go and that works for me. Maybe the reviewers run around looking at their feet but I prefer to look a few metres ahead!

Thanks. Must admit I also look a few feet ahead, (and being a short arse I don't have to angle down too much to illuminate the ground).

I have used my wife's Manta for running a fair bit. On non-technical trail / fire-road type stuff its fine, where the lack of range in the tilt adjustment isn't a big problem - just an annoyance i.e. I can't understand why the design is like this. For more technical stuff, where I want a better view of what's closer to my feet its definitely not ideal IMHO. I run a lot at night and I wouldn't choose this torch over my Nao or even a Petzl Reactik for technical stuff. The other thing I don't like about it are the straps are very slippy in their buckles and I always have to readjust when putting it on. It doesn't seem to slacken off too much once its on my head though. OH and the beam spread isn't as good as the Petzl torches I've used. Having said all that, its a very good headtorch for the price. You pays your money and all that...

This one is good - https://www.ukhillwalking.com/gear/camping/lighting/petzl_actik_headtorch-9...

Dave