PETZL ACTIK CORE Headlamp - Powerful, Rechargeable 600 Lumen Light with Red Lighting for Hiking, Climbing, and Camping - Grey

I believe I spend way more time outdoors after dark than the average person in all kinds of settings (work, mountain hiking, fishing, etc). I have bought probly 50 different headlamps thru the last 30 years and disappointed with most of them. This is my second purchase of this headlamp, not because the other one I bought 4 years ago quit working but because I like it so much that I bought it as a gift for my son. The headlamp is very simple to operate. There are no special procedures. You just toggle thru the 3 levels of white brightness, or hold down on the button to get red and then toggle between constant red or flashing red. The light it produces is very uniform with no dim or bright spots. This makes for very nice visibility and works well for night photography.I have used the headlamp in rain without any problems. I like the rechargeable battery that it comes with which is the same size as 3 AAA batteries that can be used for backup. It's nice knowing that you have a light that isn't going to crap out on you. With other lights I always felt I needed to carry a back up. The headlamp is a good value considering the quality and dependability.If Petzl is listening, there are 2 things that they could do to make this the best headlamp ever. Somehow sew in the short recharge cord into the headband so it's always with the light when a person needs it. Add an amber light since amber attracts even less bugs than red does.

This headlamp has more features that I realized! It's very cool. There's a small opaque sack that cinches around the lamp to be used as a lantern, and it gives off a lot of light that way! Definitely enough to see your way around a tent or campsite. Lamp can be aimed in small increments in either direction for fine-tuning to meet your needs on the trail (or wherever you're using it). I'm not normally excited about basic gear, but this is the coolest headlamp I've ever had. Very good quality.

I use this on my bike helmet. the medium brightness level is plenty (100 lumins?) and the batteries last way longer, but I can use the lower level if I'm off the bike, and I have brighter to go if I need it. on bikes I recommend two lights: one on your head to Iluminate where you look, and one on the handlebars to illuminate in front of where you're steering.Batteries: Bonus feature: the battery packs for these are removable and rechargeable via USB Micro and are the same form factor as three AAA batteries, so in an emergency you can pick up a pack of standard AAA batteries at a store along your route to get you home. the "Core" battery packs are pricey though, and often sold out where I buy them locally. I typically keep at least 3 in rotation, which I number with sharpie when new. I use them sequentially to ensure I use them equally. by having three to rotate through, when I deplete #1, I replace it with #2, put #1 to charge when I get home, then I still have #3 to replace #2 with while #1 is charging.Battery longevity: I forget how long the medium setting is supposed to last because I mostly only use them an hour at a time and just swap to the next spare when they run out. I think it was something like 8-10 hours, so that's like a week of winter commutes an hour each and like two weeks of summer commutes. You know when they start to wear out because you no longer get the longevity.The style of the headband on these newer models actually unclips at one of the size adjusters, allowing me to thread the band through the ventilation holes of my helmet and re-clip it. the older versions I had to cut the band off and buy hook & loop straps for this, which meant then I couldn't use it off the helmet afterwards.

I purchased this lamp in April 2023 and today I clicked on this because I was curious about the current price. Seeing that I never did a review, I thought that after having owned it and used it daily for 2 years, my review might be useful for others. I have been very pleased with the quality and ease of use of this lamp. I use it around the house when I need more light or at night taking out the trash, etc. In all this time, I only had one issue. One of the two headband clips broke. I contacted Petzl who sent me a new one free of charge when I offered to purchase one. FYI, the 600 lumen setting is VERY BRIGHT, you don't need 10,000 lumens and all that nonsense. Its a great lamp, I highly recommend it. I won't say I'm going to buy another one because I believe the one I have will last years to come. If I could give 10 stars I would.If you buy one, read the instructions and take the time to learn how to use the buttons. Its a bit confusing at first, like learning how to use the iphone but once you've got the hang of it, its easy!