Thanks for the giveaway. zebralight headlamp HELP please upvote. I’m so close to 100 comment karma.
Wish I could join in but I don't have enough comment karma..
EDIT: Just in case I'm at work and actually get enough karma!
Thanks parametrek!
I think you would be happier and more comfortable with something like a Wowtac A2s in that price range.
> set it on the ground and set up a tent
When I see work to be done, I think "head lamp". Wowtac A2s: 1000lm, 18650 included, USB charge, $30. Works for me. At amazon
Definitely the most recommended budget friendly headlamp around here. Bright, tough, waterproof, good UI with shortcuts to firefly and turbo, can be used handheld or on a headband, comes with a battery that has a micro USB port for charging, so it’s perfect if you don’t have 18650s and a charger yet.
As you might have guessed, the claimed brightness of your headlamps is a lie. With three XM-Ls and two 18650s, there's a good chance you're getting around 1500 lumens. It's definitely going to have more output than any of the 3xAAA headlamps just because it has several large LEDs and about 8 times the battery capacity (assuming good, new 18650s).
New 18650s would improve performance, but you'd still have a very heavy, low-quality headlamp. Note that I recommend against using the onboard charging in a low-quality headlamp like this because improper charging of Li-ion batteries can cause a fire or explosion. The risk increases as the batteries age, so the fact that it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean you're safe.
Something like a Wowtac A2S might be good for you. I'd suggest neutral white for better color, but it doesn't seem to be offered on UK Amazon. Very low white is preferred over red for preserving night vision in the flashlight community, and the A2S has a 0.3 lumen mode.
Water resistant is the standard around here. You can leave pretty much all of the lights we recommend submerged for at least half an hour.
There's also the A2S if you'd prefer a headlamp.
If you’ve got the disposable income for it, I can do my entire walk around on a 747 with this headlamp. It might be overkill depending on what you’re working on. Battery life is good as long as you stay on low/medium mode, which is plenty bright enough. High/Turbo mode is excessively bright sometimes.
I wouldn't trust anything with Alkaline batteries in it in a get home bag. At the very least I'd swap the alkaline cells in your maglites for lithium ones ASAP. Even if they aren't connected to anything, Alkalines can leak and ruin stuff at any time.
Personally if I were to put togeter a GHB I would include a right angle light that can be used as a headlamp, that will run on either rechargeable 18650 cells or CR123A cells. I'd probably choose a Sofirn SP40 because it's cheap, comes with a battery, and is USB rechargeable. Lithium ion batteries don't self discharge particularly fast so if you top it up every 6 months or so like you're doing now you shouldn't have any issues. The CR123A's are good as a backup too. The USB rechargeability means I could recharge if I came across any USB power sources.
This kit has everything he would need. It highly recommended as a great value around this sub. I have one and it's a really nice setup for the price.
>Does this mean lumens isn't the end-all-be-all for lighting?
You're correct. There are lumens, the amount of light being put out, and candela, the intensity of the light at its most intense point. Your light bulb does put out more light than your flashlight, but the flashlight puts out a more concentrated beam due to the lens focusing the light.
>I thought I could just get a 350 lumen light and it will be as bright as the durabeam. I got one on Amazon and it wasn't bright at all. What gives?!
Well, it depends on the headlamp. Chances are, the candela of your Duracell light was greater than that of the headlamp. What headlamp did you get?
>Any recommendation for a headlight that is as bright (or brighter) than a Duracell Durabeam 350?
Yes. This headlamp should outshine your Duracell flashlight.
You can get a Wowtac A2S for that. You'll need to pay for a helmet mount solution separately, .e.g. the Armytek hardhat mount.
I vote Sofirn SP40. Sofirn is a respected brand among enthusiasts and the SP40 is a deal.
It’s available with Prime and there’s a $2 Amazon coupon running right now.
It comes with a quality 3000mAh 18650, magnetic tailcap, and headband for just over $30.
Will you be ordering from the US Amazon? If so the Wowtac A2S would be a good option. It is 18650 powered, but the battery is included, and you can recharge it with a micro USB cable.
If not, then a ThruNite TH20 would be a good option.
Integrated USB-C charging will be your limiting factor.
Here’s a list of 11 headlamps with it on Parametrek. Cheapest is $40 and they increase in price quickly.
Instead, I’d recommend the Sofirn SP40. It’s currently only about $30 on Amazon including a quality 18650 battery. You could save a few bucks ordering directly from Sofirn, but shipping will take longer.
You might also message u/Sofirn here. They were giving out Amazon codes to save a few more bucks last week, but I’m not sure if the promo is still active.
It has integrated USB-micro charging, but carrying a short (included) cable beats carrying a charger, right?
For long night hiking I'd prefer a headlamp with 18560 battery. There's a list on /r/flashlight https://old.reddit.com/r/flashlight/comments/hermh9/arbitrary_list_of_popular_lights_summer_solstice/
Wowtac A2 NW (Neutral White) is $30 if you don't mind https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075ZN5LJY/ref=twister_B072FHXZ7G
I'm very pleased with Skilhunt H04 RC. It's a right angle light that comes with a headband, pocket clip, and magnetic tailcap. The headband is great because you can remove the top strap if you want to and you can clip the light into it without removing the pocket clip, which is a big deal to me convenience-wise. Since it has a pocket clip you can also easily clip it to your pocket or onto a backpack strap to light your way if you don't feel like having it on your head. The high CRI 4000K version I linked to produced a really nice light that's perfect for a headlamp. Killzone flashlights carries a few other versions too. If I had my money back I'd definitely buy it again, but I think I'd get the regular H04 because I don't really use the magnetic recharging feature on the "RC" version.
If you want something a little bit cheaper, the Sofirn SP40 is a pretty fantastic value with most of the same features. It's just missing a nice LED, the ability to leave the pocket clip on the light when you clip it in the headband, and a sublumen mode.
I hope this helps!
OP, I second this. Most of the mass-market headlamps (Petzl, Black Diamond, etc.) are made of plastic. Plastic is cheap to produce, but my last Black Diamond headlamp cost me $50 back in 2007 and the plastic body & lens started breaking around 2012, started having real problems (button would only work when it wanted to) around 2014 and totally kicked the bucket in 2017. Ten years might seem like a good lifespan to you, but I babied this thing and IMO, ten years for a $50 fancy flashlight is truly ridiculous. I just bought a Thrunite TH20 ($30 at amazon), which is made 100% of aluminum (sans headband), the only "plastic" like parts are the silicone button and headband mount (which are both replaceable). It weighs about the same as my now-dead Black Diamond Spot and because it is not made of plastic, I expect it will last 25+ years. Then there's the usability of the Thrunite...tint of the light (I suggest the Neutral White version), user interface, brightness (very bright to extremely low), waterproof to 6 feet, etc, just light years beyond the Black Diamond. And given that the price for the Thrunite, it is a way better value, IMO. Thrunite is considered to be one of the better brands in the specialized LED flashlight world.
EDIT: forgot to add that r/flashlight is an amazing lively community of flashlight and battery experts that helped me pick the Thrunite. u/kaybi_ is one the resident experts.
Are you set on the CR123 or AA? We like rechargeable lithium-ion batteries around here. 😎
The Sofirn SP40 is on sale for $27 on Amazon. It comes with an 18650 battery and is USB rechargeable. It’s usually around $33, which is still a great price for a nice headlamp. Sofirn is a respected manufacturer and they make good stuff.
The headband is good, but I’ll say it is just a bit tight for my 24” noggin.
Personally I'm a fan of stepped modes. but that brightness dial is neat. That would be a cool feature to see on more headlamps.
Other than that feature the existing Maximus is WAY behind the rest of the headlamps on the market. Even inexpensive modern headlamps like the Sofirn SP40 use USB for recharging, is IPX8 rated, and can be used as a flashlight outside of the headband with a pocket clip and magnetic tailcap. Is there something I'm missing that makes the Maximus design great?
I'd love to see someone take that brightness dial and put it on a right and 18650 headlamp at a MUCH more reasonable price. Hopefully if Surefire does come out with a new version of this headlamp they do a lot more than just a lumen bump.
Wowtac A2S NW Comes with a battery that directly plugs in to charge. Decent throw, Headlamp that can be handheld. Really solid option right now, and available from Amazon UK
I highly recommend the Thrunite TH20 headlamp. Durable, fairly lightweight, simple usage, waterproof; perfect for camping. It can get pretty bright if you need it or has very low levels, too. More floody but with a defined hot spot. I recommend the neutral white version. Uses a single regular AA battery or you can use rechargeables if you like. A single battery gives decent run time unless you run it on high all the time. For camp use, I generally don't use it past 15-25% brightness. $29 on Amazon.
ThruNite TH20 Neutral White 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_ayOYAb2GT9JK5
Edit: the TH20 isn't bulky on your head like an 18650 based headlamp, but if you need lots of brightness for longer run time, you might consider one of those instead. I use it in pitch black backpacking situations and don't need anything brighter, in fact I've mostly used comparatively very dim headlamps for over 20 years, until getting the TH20.
For something you’ll leave in the car unused for long periods, get an AA-powered headlamp or flashlight and use Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries. They have a 10+ year shelf life and won‘t mind the temperature extremes.
Don‘t use alkaline batteries for this. They’re prone to leak and will probably let you down when you eventually really need the flashlight.
EDIT: If I was buying someone a car light, I’d lean toward a headlamp. I don’t own one, but I’d get this ThruNite TH20 in ‘neutral white’ and a pack of the Energizers I mentioned. ThruNite is a respected brand, and I own two of their other models. It’s $30 on Amazon, and they have a 5% off coupon right now.
Depends on your needs and the kind of person you are. If you're happy with a functional, bright, no frills option, this might be good: https://www.amazon.com/Headlamp-Rechargeable-Flashlight-Inserted-Headlight/dp/B085VYS7KJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=sofirn+sp40&qid=1598928738&sprefix=sofirn+&sr=8-1
Headlamps are just super useful. Plus you can remove the light so it can be used like a regular flashlight. You don't need to pay a lot of money for a great flashlight...
But if you're the kind of person who longs for that sweet spot between price and quality, I'd recommend a ZebraLight.
These were going to be my recomendations as well. Just for OP's convenience, SP40 Amazon link, A2S Amazon link. My pick would be the SP40 because it has charging built into the body rather than the cell as well as a pocket clip and magnet.
A convenient and inexpensive option would be the Wowtac A2S Headlamp ($30) or if you just want a "normal" flashlight; the Wowtac A1S ($26).
I got a similar one. (Same manufacturer I would guess) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NJ9PCJC/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glc_fabc_inx8Fb3YN0E9S?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Compared to another guy's slonik and it was identical. Just cheaper and mine lasted longer.
>This Nitecore headlamp is almost perfect for my tastes, except it uses an 18650, so I'd have to buy a battery and a charger setup. (Not to mention research it!)
How about a Sofirn SP40 then? Still an 18650 light but it comes with a battery and has built-in charging.
A couple of Sofirn SP40's might do the trick. They're about $5 over your budget but you can magnet them wherever you need in the truck. If they die, I believe you can use them while they're plugged in too so you can hook up a battery bank and keep working.
The one you linked has a cool CCT - most people prefer neutral or warm. Here's a link to that light with the neutral LED on amazon.