- What is currently your favorite headlamp? What features make it your favorite?
- What models/brands have you tried so far?
- Do you actually wear it on your head?
- If you were only allowed one headlamp, which one would you choose and why?
1 Thank
My favorite headlight is the Lumintop HL3A.
I like it mostly because it has Anduril.
I have tried some other ones, including the Boruit D10.
The Boruit D10 is also very nice, and way cheaper.
I’ve tested 6 headlamps so far and my favorite is the Cyansky HS6R. It has 3 lighting modes-spot high output TIR, flood high CRI TIR, and red. All are independently controlled. Simple UI, onboard charging, and a nicely regulated driver. Runner up is the Magicshine MOH55 Pro. Hugely versatile headlamp/bike light. The D10 is tied for runner up because I don’t care for the UI and it’s not well made.
I only use headlamps for work. Crawl under the car, paint a room, mechanical repairs etc. They are going to get dirty. For this reason I stocked up on the Sofirn D25s when they were about $12 or so. Take a licking and keep on ticking. Tried one for walks once but couldn’t see the ground in front of me without looking down so I don’t have a need for anything more than a knock around work light.
Custom Skilhunt H03 with boost driver and hi-cri XHP50.2 4000K
As you all may have guessed, I’m researching to buy a headlamp for myself at the moment.
I like everything about this light besides the runtimes.
I believe they manufacture Sofirn’s headlamps with Sofirn-requested emitters etc. I’d probably just buy a Hi-CRI Sofirn headlamp rather than take a Boruit
Interesting. Nice features and a very stable 350 lumens for about 2.5 hrs. I’ll watch some video footage later to see what the beam is like. I’d prefer a longer high mode but maybe its versatility makes up for it.
Damn cool light! I can’t justify the $240 price tag though. My usage simply wouldn’t be high enough. If I ever take up night-riding on a bicycle I’ll keep it in mind.
I’m considering all of the Sofirn-branded headlamps as beaters for the reasons you mentioned. But also as you mentioned, they seem geared for close-up use only so they’d have to be a supplementary light.
Ohh very nice! Someday I’ve got to learn how to swap LEDS.
Some headlights that aren't my favorites...
The Jetbeam HC20 is the first real headlight that I bought.
It was relatively inexpensive, but not all that great.
The Imalent HR20 is okay.
It has a rotary dial, which is cool.
I bought mine used at a good deal.
I never dropped it or abused it, but for some reason it quit working.
The only one I’ve seen that has any interest to me is the Wurkkos HD15, although it is still in shipping so cannot give a first hand yet.
I liked the idea of high CRI and can do spot and flood or mix of both, with ramps. Hopefully have a better idea in a day or two.
My favorite headlamp is the Manker E02II. My fave for several reasons:
1. Well built and entirely reliable — although demanding of NiMh batteries requires low IR steady output.
2. High CRI 4000k tint with excellent TIR for even beam profile.
3. Tiny with the best clip of anything I own. Can wear it as jewelry and have superb hands free light. Never got the headband for it as when it is not clipped to a shirt or jacket it clips to a hat brim for a great headlamp that I don’t even notice the weight of.
4. Simple UI with the best moonlight of any light I own. Top moonlight really should be low in main group but that is a small quibble. If the moonlight were somehow able to be preserved with the 10440 the light would be even better but that is another small quibble. Don’t really need more lumen for the close up work I use a headlamp for so by far the better choice is NiMh. Use moonlight and have other lights for higher lumen.
No other light I have is as versatile or useful for the type of stuff I use a headlamp for. I realize that some need more lumen for a headlamp. I have an SP40 for those situations and it is pretty decent. Would like an 18650 headlamp with a high CRI 4000k TIR, low moonlight and similar UI. That would be fantastic for when I need more lumen or am away from my replacement batteries. However, it could never be as useful due to the larger size which limits how it can be mounted.
YLP Panda 2M CRI if I had to choose just one. Warm enough to be pleasing. Floody 1x 18650 with useful modes. Comfy headband.
slmjim
This one: Project Gemini: Yet another headlamp mod. Not a cheapo this time though.
It was supposed to be throw and flood but I couldn’t help myself and made a quad out of it.
Looks like this one has it all! I may have to suck it up on the price and jump on it. Going to watch some videos and consult some graphs first before I decide though.
Based on other feedback I’ve seen, the “reason” might be that Imalent is the manufacturer. :person_facepalming: I’m still tempted by some of their lights, but I don’t know if I’ll ever bite or not.
Looks like a promising light depending on the driver performance. I’m gonna look for some output graphs. For the price it looks interesting. Edit: YIKES its older brother has some serious saw-tooth atr. I don’t think this is the droid I’m looking for.
What an elegant-looking little headlamp! I think it’s a little under-powered compared to what I was looking for but now I kinda want one anyway. Maybe at some point…
That is indeed a very pleasing beamshot in the zeroair review. I’ll keep it in mind as a potential close-range-only headlamp.
Finding the YLP Panda 4 very useful at the moment. Still use my Zebralight H51 on a regular basis as well.
Since you own this light, what do you think of the following review from Amazon?
Is this user error? Weird head shape?
You can use a high capacity battery in the HS6R. It comes with a 2600 mAh cell so it won’t have the longest runtime. An LG MJ1, Samsung 35E, Sanyo 18650GA will all give excellent runtimes.
Armytek wizard pro E21A 2700K
I have used many headlamps including Ng zebralight, Fenix, Petzl, black diamond, armytek, maker and more.
My go to at the moment is a skilhunt H04 modded with quad e17a 9080 CRI 3500k LEDS.
Armytek wizard pro a d Tiara Pro are great too but harder to mod.
The one headlamp I sold but really miss is the Zebralight H600w mk 2.
If you are doing anything faster than walking pace, the H600w was great and had good range. For general use, the Skilhunt TIR is great. I also owned the Zebralight H600fc Mk4, and sold it pretty fast as I found the tint to be very green and beam overly floody. A large LED may output alit of lumens, but when placed in a small optic it becomes so floody that you lose majority of the output in an overly large spill, which can be useful up close.
“As you all may have guessed, I’m researching to buy a headlamp for myself at the moment.”
- If you looking for advise to buy headlamp change misleading topic name .
- For that purpose you need headlamp?
- Whats your budget?
Sofirn D25 & BORUIT
Petzl NAO 2 - with replaceable 18650 battery pack and Samsung 351C leds 
It’s light, have replaceable power source, light output is adopting to my needs.
