What is Reddit's opinion of ThruNite TH20 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp Flashlight -Lightweight Waterproof IPX-8 EDC Headlamp for Indoor & Outdoor Hiking,Camping, Cycling - NW?

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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.

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.

Ty, awesome idea!

TH20 on amazon

I'll enter for a ThruNite TH20 Neutral White headlamp. Thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-Neutral-White-Lumen-Headlamp/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1542679799&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=aa+headlamp&dpPl=1&dpID=41GW8Gj4l2L&ref=plSrch

This would be my first ever headlamp, seems to be a good choice!

I've always wanted a Thrunite TH20. Thanks!

Could use a better headlight, so ThruNite TH20 it is. Hell, even if I'm not chosen, I might just order one myself.

ThruNite TH20 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp (TH20 Neutral White)

That's kind of a tough set of requirements. Most of the lights we generally recommend have done away with the red mode in favor of a very dim white. While there are some military requirements that dictate its use, generally speaking you need a lot more red brightness to see what you're able to with a lower level of white. For many years it was hard to make a white light dim enough to do this properly, but technology has caught up. We can probably recommend some, but they aren't going to be the best lights around.

Next issue is the rubber strap. There are probably some available, but none that I know of off the top of my head. Most lights use an elastic fabric strap. You could probably replace it with some rubber if necessary, but the industry standard is something else.

The Skilhunt H03 mentioned in another comment is a really excellent light, it uses an 18650 size battery, which is the best compromise of size versus runtime that you'll find, and an unbeatable light for the money. You can find one here. You'll also need a couple of Batteries and a charger. This is the best setup you'll get for the $50 budget.

If by single-strap you mean that you don't want one going over the top of the head, an AA form factor light would probably be your best bet. The Thrunite TH20 is a steal for $30. It runs on normal AA batteries (not recommended because they leak, but doable in a pinch) or 14500 lithium cells. With the 14500 cells, it has over 500 lumens of brightness at the top level, and a ramping interface that lets you choose exactly the amount of light you want. It's lightweight, tough, waterproof, and the controls are intuitive. It has a very low moonlight mode that I'd rather have than any of my previous red mode lights, and there's a direct shortcut to it so you don't have to scroll through higher modes in order to get to it. If you go this route, you'd need some of these batteries and the charger I linked to above. Note that the battery and charger links are not to Amazon, there is a risk of counterfeit batteries buying there, so most people here buy from illumn.com or liionwholesale.com.

I realize these suggestions are a bit of departure from what you are asking for, but based on what I understand of your use case I think they would be your best options.

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.

ThruNite TH20

Thanks for maintaining the database!

Do you care about readily available batteries if you can just use rechargeables instead?

How much runtime and roughly how many lumens do you need between shifts?

Do you need flood only, or some throw as well?

Given the mechanics and internal use, sounds like a budget headlamp might be a good option. Take a look into the Thrunite TH20. Runs off AA/14500 and is a slight mix of floody and spot with the XP-L emitter. Only $30 on amazon.

Another option that might be easier for you to get the the Fenix HL23 for about the same price. No 14500 support, though.

You could use both of the above with standard AA batteries, or use rechargeables like the Eneloops or Fujitsus.

If you want to get a built-in battery, you could look at something like the Nitecore NU30.

After some use, I find that 18650 headlamps are simply too heavy/uncomfortable for me.

https://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-Neutral-White-Lumen-Headlamp/dp/B01FCV32SI Thanks for the giveaway!

ThruNite TH20 Neutral White 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp Flashlight (NW) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_DDF1DbMM6G86S

Thanks for doing this.

ThruNite TH20 Neutral White 520 Lumen CREE XP-L LED Headlamp Flashlight (NW) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KI80DbGRJ8J49

Would love the get my collection started with a TH20 NW! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Lo50Db2K5YD1P

Headlamp.

I need to do some crawling in my attic to do electric and networking wiring so this would be awesome. Thanks for the giveaway :D

Thanks for doing this!

https://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-TH20-Neutral-White/dp/B01FCV32SI/

Yeah boi! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NmT8BbB57RWT2

Yass. You rule my dude!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NmT8BbB57RWT2

If I'm not too late, I'm in for a TH20.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=twister_B01FCY03J6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks for the giveaway and good luck everyone.

Would love this one

https://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-TH20-Neutral-White/dp/B01FCV32SI/?tag=parametrek-20

ThruNite TH20 NW - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI

Thanks for the give-away!

Thank you for the giveaway!!! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=twister_B01FCY03J6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Awesome, thanks!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI

Thanks! th20 nw

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI

thanks for another giveaway!

https://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-TH20-Neutral-White/dp/B01FCV32SI/

Thanks! TH20 for me https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FCV32SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_L2wXzbFYHB3VP

https://www.amazon.com/ThruNite-TH20-Neutral-White/dp/B01FCV32SI/?tag=parametrek-20

I need a light that can take a AA that isn't junk.

I don't know about pricing in Canada, but I got one of these for my dad recently. It puts out more light than the mini Maglite but only uses one AA or the included 14500 li-ion rechargeable battery (more power with the 14500). It comes with s charger, and all you have to do is stand the light up on the charger. No plugging it in or removing the battery.

And the tail cap is magnetic, so you can stick it to the inside of the unit (I'm assuming you're residential).

I hang duct and prefer a headlamp. This is a good cheap one, but you'd have to buy a 14500 battery and charger separately or stay with lower output AAs.