Review: Fenix HL60R Headlamp (XM-L2, 1x 18650 or 2x CR123A)


Fenix HL60R


Summary:

Battery: 1x 18650 or 2x CR123A
Switch: Electronic Side Switch
Modes: 6: Red, Eco, Low, Medium, High, Turbo
Mode Memory: Off-time (2 seconds).
LED Type: XM-L2 NW
Lens: AR-Coated Glass
Reflector: Aluminum - Medium Orange Peel
Price: $66.65
Provided by:

FastTech

https://www.fasttech.com/products/0/10004523/5373000-authentic-fenix-hl60r-led-headlamp?utm_source=BLF&utm_medium=forums&utm_campaign=NK

Function:

The HL60R uses an electronic side switch.

While the light is off:

A single press activates battery level indication for 3 seconds.

  • White LED flashes: more than 70% remaining
  • White LED and two Red LEDs flash alternately: 30% – 70%
  • Two Red LEDs flash: less than 30% remaining.

A long press turns the flashlight on in the last used mode.

While the light is on:

A single press will switch to the next mode in sequence. Red Light - Eco - Low - Mid - High - Turbo.

Press and hold the switch to turn the light off.

The last mode used will be memorized when the light is turned off.

Low voltage warning when battery capacity is less than 20%. If the light is in the red light mode the two red LEDs will flash. If any other mode is used then the two red LEDs will flash while the XM-L2 is on.

Charging:

The HL60R utilizes a Micro USB port. During charging the two red leds will flash periodically. Charging a fully depleted cell begins around 810mA and decreases as the cell is charged eventually terminating the charge.

When charging is complete the red leds will be on constantly. A rested cell at 3.20v charged for 3 and a half hours and the charge terminated at 4.15v.

Data & Measurements:

I measure a fair bit higher than the specifications.

All throw measurements are lux values taken at 7ft and calculated back to 1 meter (Rounded to the nearest hundred). Estimated Max Output (Lumens) values are calculated based on measurements taken 30 seconds after turn on and are obtained through a DIY 'pvc lumen tube' in an effort to achieve diffusion of dissimilar beam profiles. As such, these values should be taken as "rough approximations."

The following tests took place in 79°F Ambient temperature, indoors, with very little air movement. The flashlight sits head facing down on a piece of glass that is recessed inside a 4" PVC pipe. A small fan directed at the flashlight, is activated where indicated.

For the turbo runtime test the small fan was activated for the entire duration.

For the high mode runtime test the fan was off until the temperature plateaued at 118°F. I opted to activate the fan to determine if there was thermal throttling which there doesn't appear to be.

Pictures:

The Fenix HL60R arrived in a retail box. Inside was a replacement O-ring, Micro USB to USB cable, Manual, warranty card, Fenix ARB-L18 2600mAh battery (pre-installed), and the Fenix HL60R Headlamp.

The HL60R aluminum body is very well machined and the fit an finish is excellent.

The body sits inside a rigid plastic holder. The angle adjustment is controlled by a small plastic nub that rubs up against the aluminum body and sits inside the machined ridges of the aluminum body. In low quality headlamps with similar designs utilizing a piece of plastic as the angle adjustment the plastic often begins to wear down quite rapidly and eventually fails completely. It remains to be seen how long this will last. So far it feels quite solid.

The charging port cover on the HL60R is one of the better designs I've come across. The rubber cover is recessed inside the machined portion on the aluminum body. The switch has a very satisfying 'click' with no squish.

The cover fits quite tight inside the port making accidental opening highly unlikely.

The included battery is quite nice. The brass contact is a small detail, but a really solid way to cap it off.

With the square threaded end cap off the battery sticks out slightly. This requires a small force pressing inward while attempting to engage the threads. It is a little annoyance, but not a big deal.

The battery tube is machined quite bizzarly. Perhaps to attempt to limit heat transfer to the battery? I'm not entirely sure. The included cell fits just fine and doesn't rattle.

Comparison:

From left to right: Nitecore HC50, Fenix HL60R, Boruit RJ-02 (HC50 Semi-clone).

The HL60R is a bit more compact than the other two. The HC50 and RJ-02 both use a pliable rubber holder that can be slipped off the light. The HL60R is not removable.

Each headband is fairly similar. The RJ-02 feels like a cheap elastic band. The Nitecore is a massive step up with a cloth-like feel. The Fenix feels quite comfy with almost like a squishy plushness to it. Both the Nitecore and Fenix headbands are great; the fenix may slightly pull ahead.

Beamshots:

As with all beamshots in my reviews, every shot is taken using the same settings in manual mode.

In this location the central tree trunk is about 50 yards away. The water line is about 35 yards away. The hanging tree limb in the upper left quadrant of the pictures is about 10 yards away.

The Fenix HL60R has a very wide, floody beam with a lot of spill and an exceptional neutral white tint. The beam profile is very similar to the HC50; however, the HL60R puts out much more light.

Fenix HL60R Modes: Low - Medium - High - Turbo

Very well spaced modes.

Conclusion:

The Fenix HL60R headlamp is a very well made headlamp. It is fairly large for a headlamp, but when properly fitted I found myself forgetting I had it on even after hours of wearing it.

The output is very high for a headlamp and with such high output heat can be an issue, but the HL60R handles it quite well.

Overall, if you're looking for a high quality headlamp with integrated charging and very high output, the Fenix HL60R headlamp may just be the thing you're looking for.

Looks to be a great headlamp.

Who ever is designing the colors and styles of the headbands of each brand should get fired :smiley:
What is wrong with just plain black or olive green?
With all these funky designes I would feel like I was dressed like a clown.

Nice review though :+1:

I never really looked at them like that, but I do agree that they are quite bizarre designs. I can’t say I’ve ever seen someone or been seen with a headlamp on in public though. While fishing and hunting I’ve seen a bunch but it’s pretty tough to see what they’ve got without temporarily blinding them. :stuck_out_tongue:

Thank you for taking your time for the review! :wink:

Thanks for the review.
Your runtime charts were important in deciding to purchase this headlamp.
It arrived 3 days ago and I am satisfied with it.
Yesterday I tried to use the Turbo for 7 minutes and with the lux meter I did not see any drop in brightness.