Skilhunt always puts out a solid product, and always appreciate seeing a new review from you. Didn’t see mention or a comparison with any ZebraLight headlamps though. Have you had a chance to put one through the ropes?
I’m glad you appreciate my reviews! I haven’t tested a Zebralight headlamp. They don’t interest me very much for a few reasons:
- They have silicone loop headbands, which I don’t care for
- They have the switch on the end instead of on the side, which I don’t care for
- Their UI isn’t my style. I see the appeal of how it works but I just don’t like it very much personally.
- No integrated charging (I’ve grown to like it)
- I think they’re kind of ugly
Each of those things is just my personal preference though, not objective issues with the lights. They just add up enough that I don’t have much interest in reviewing a Zebra. I might do it if they sent me one for free, so I could keep it if I like it or sell it if I don’t.
I agree with you on all these points, and I thoroughly enjoyed the review as well.
I’ve been considering the H300, because I’ve been curious about this 144ART. Looks to be a good combo that upgrades the power over my now 2-year old H04RC, which I swapped to a 519a. Basically it seems that the difference is the H04RC uses a buck and this a boost - as well as aesthetic changes. It wouldn’t be as big of an upgrade for me as I’d like… but I’m still considering it because of that seemingly nice LED.
On a side-note: Super Outdoor flashlight Store on AliExpress (which I gather is Skilhunt’s official AliEx reseller) is currently having a Summer sale. Looks like all their Skilhunt’s are currently $4 dollars off give or take. A nice little discount for anyone interested.
Thanks for the review. I wasn’t aware Skilhunt had a Nichia 144 option. I think I might still lean toward the H04 with a 519A for the slightly smaller size and weight, but nice to see a higher output, high CRI option.
I appreciate your including thoughts on the UI, too. I think you captured the details I was most interested.
A minor suggestion: I find it helpful when reviews with runtimes indicate what capacity of battery they were tested with. In this case, I assume it was the 3500 mAh cell you stated elsewhere was included, but it’s nice to be clear, as it helps understand relative performance compared to other lights.
Yes, good thing about this headlamp is - there are no significant downsides. Everything is well designed including headband and such.
A few comments on review:
-
While i agree on lower turbo being useless i do use higher moonlight. It is handy when using moonlight and slightly higher brightness is needed. Switching to main group is inconvenient and results in going to last memorized more (so potentially to high), so higher moonlight is actually useful to me. This also highlights (subjective) downside of the UI - memory which can not be disabled.
-
I’ve tried unprotected button top vapcell B30 and it did work without issues. So few millimeters are sufficient compared to standard flat top cell.
Also i still prefer 519A tint a bit compared to 144ART, so for me H04 is still a good option, especially since it is cheaper, has 18350 variant and has reflector variant (at least when i bought H300 144ART + reflector combination did not exist)…
Oh, no doubt. Agreed on multiple points. I don’t quite care for the look of them, and having the button on the top of the head, rather than the side, makes it a bit trickier to switch modes. The UI is certainly not ideal when compared to other lights, but I’ve gotten used to it. As for why I like them, they’re potted, well regulated, and as ugly as they are, they work very well and hold up to rough use.
Good to see you make the comparison with the H04. I quite enjoyed the H04RC while I had it, though it’s since been replaced with an H600c IV Plus Hi.
I agree that mentioning the battery used for testing is important. That’s why I mention it in the measurement disclaimer section of every review right before my testing data appears 
On the issue of the secondary moonlight mode, the situation you described could also be solved by including a way to go from Moonlight to Low mode, ideally via 1H. That brings you into the main mode group in a convenient way and it starts on the lowest level.
The tailcap needs to be redesigned to accomodate a 3mm or thicker magnet. The stock 16mm x 2mm isn’t strong enough to hold the light on some surfaces, the light slides down.
I removed the spring and glued in two stacked 1.5mm N52 magnets, and glued the spring in place on top of them. The light won’t take a protected cell now though, but works perfectly with normal flat tops.
That would be great. I’d like a stronger magnet.
Yeah, shortcut from moonlight to main group would be nice, especially if it ignored memory and started from the lowest mode. Without it though i find second moonlight brightness useful.
Also… IIRC they promised to add 1C+1H shortcut from moonlight to main, my lights are too old to include this, does review sample have it by any chance?
Best L shape design host on market for modding . Competitive price.
Strange TIR used. Boost driver but asynchronous? Overpowered high modes for marketing and stepdowns… stepdowns ;)), UI usable, but …
What does “Boost driver but asynchronous?” mean?
It means little bit less efficiency, but little bit, maybe 5% ;))
I was in the same boat, picked up the H300, and I was massively disappointed with the 144ART. The tint in mine was nothing to write home about - side by side with my h04RC (with a dedomed 519a) the 144ART was equally bright but had a much worse tint. I ended up returning it and getting the xhp50.3 version and then swapping in a xhp50.3hi and that thing is perfect. It has a much better tint (but lower CRI) than the 144ART, almost as good as the 519a, and it’s very noticeably brighter than both the 144ART and a 519a.
Hey there @chitownburgerboy , welcome to BLF!
I came to that conclusion too. It doesn’t really offer any significant upgrades over my H04RC (which I’m still extremely satisfied with after 2 years) - other than the choice of using 5050 emitters.
Thanks for the warm welcome!
Not overpowered enough. I want turbo to be so overpowered i don’t feel safe leaving the light on my head while its going