Love my Fenix MH65r-T for trail running. I've added some padding between the strap and the plastic backing at the front which allows me to wear it a little tighter to prevent any bouncing without impacting confort.
@@Jon-hb6gx I can't for the life of me remember where I got it from, but it's a 2-5/8" x 1.25" closed cell foam piece that is about 1/8" thick. You don't even have to glue it in place. The band holds it in place very well since at that length it allows for the strap to pinch in on either side. I also prefer close cell foam as it doesn get soggy
Perun 2 mini, in NW, so good I bought a second one that arrived today. Light, great UI and simple to charge. Red light mode and power charge level as well as size sold it for me. I used it for a night hike earlier in February and it lasted the 6 hours in various modes.
@@TheTechnologyMan sadly i think for the price paid it is shameful not to admit the mistake and recall the strap or at least provide a replacement. i am one who was consistently buying from Olight because they were quality product, but after being so dissapointed and rebuted by customer service about the strap issue. i have stopped buying from them.
The most important thing for users of headlamps for a long time is stable power for a few / several hours. Turbo mode is always a quick drop. However, it is forgotten that in High mode there are also BIG power drops, but in 20-30 minutes, as in the case of the overrated Fenix hm65r / t. Power decrease in about 20-30 minutes by 60%. A $105 headlamp maintains around 140lm. I recommend testing on the "zeroair" or "candlepowerforums" sites. I also recommend the instructor to read it.
Yes of course do as much research as possible before making your decision. And look at runtimes graphs off the manufacturers too if they provide them - Fenix in particular provide pretty honest run time graphs in their user manuals available online. I'm covering 16 head torches in one review - and I've tested all of them and did plenty of research which took me many days, weeks in fact. But there's a limit to how long this video can be and maintain the average viewers interest! Note this model has better regulation than the previous model which you may be confusing it with, but it's by no means perfect. We all want torches that run forever at full output - but unfortunately it's very hard to find the perfect torch!
@@TheTechnologyMan I know the hm65r model and its variants very well. You know the version of Super Raptor and Super Raptor 2? Most people haven't even heard of them. So I recommend to find the technical data of these versions and compare with hm65r and hm65r-t model. Unfortunately, these models are only available in certain countries, such as Finlandia Super Raptor 2. Check the working hours table. That says a lot.
@@TheTechnologyMan My hobby is flashlights, I have dozens of different brands and I know each of them for various independent tests, often more detailed than yours. Nowadays, the flashlight is no longer an ordinary flashlight and unfortunately there is a lot of manipulation on the part of manufacturers. As for the Fenix hm65r-t, the Fenix chart is not true. I agree that it is generally true, but not in this case. Someone jumped too high line for level high ;). If you know how much the LED needs to maintain the power of 300-400lm, then you will know that there is no way for the 3400mAh battery to shine stably for 12 hours (hm65r-t technical data), but when it drops to 140lm after 20 minutes, then this time will be available. For comparison, the Super Raptor version shines at a high level of 4-5 (depending on the version). Because there the power does not drop to 140lm.
@@TheTechnologyMan For example, I once bought a headlamp whose power source was a 1200mAh battery. It had a power of 320lm and according to the ANSI standard it was supposed to shine for 5.5 hours. People who don't know each other will buy the one that shines longer on high mode, but they don't realize that they just fell for a marketing gimmick. ANSI standard as you may know is 30s from power on and down to 10% power. Well, the headlamp I wrote about 320lm could not shine stably with such a small power source (what a person knowledgeable about the subject knows). It looked like the power dropped from 320lm to 70lm within 15 minutes, then 5 hours and 15 minutes it shone in the range of 70>32lm (10%). This is the "magic" of technical data. And from this perspective, check if people reading this comment, these technical data of the hm65r, hm65r-t and hm65r Super Raptor and Super Raptor 2 models. Many people will open their eyes and will be more conscious customers;). And what do we see most often on RU-vid tests? how strong it shines in Turbo or high mode is usually a short inclusion to show how strong it is. Unfortunately, the clash with reality can be painful ;). There are flashlights that have 4000lm and a stable power of 300-400lm. The spell of this power usually wears off quickly.
You should try a Zebralight. Zebra uses proprietary PID regulation which gives super efficient runtimes at extreme outputs while their lights remain super small form-factor.
@@TheTechnologyMan They seem to make quality headlamps. I gave away a Zebralight and was really missing it so I bought another. It is the H53Fc N. It has warm light (Nichia LED) and runs on AA, so it's small and lighter than the 18650 types. I'm actually using a 1.5V Li-ion battery in it - new to me. If you google: ZebraLight Product Comparison - it gives a spreadsheet with all the headlamp details. For example, if you want a flood vs. spot & flood light. Flood = an even spill of light.
You speak too fast and your words come out a bit mashed at times, therefore making it hard to understand what you're saying. Add to the fact you don't pronounce your words precisely makes it worse. Speaking in a clear and concise manner is easier for your viewers to understand.
Try reducing the playback speed to 0.75x - RU-vid does a good job on this. And you can enable captions - I have full transcripts for every video. And there is a written review at thetechnologyman.com. Some people like a faster pace - plenty of videos with people rambling on for hours nice and slowly with not much information - perhaps watch those?
Im looking to buy a Sofirn HS41 , Is 4000 (in turbo mode , 1500 on high) to more then what i need for walking my dogs at night over the downs? It is better to have a few more lumens ,just in case you need them ? Or should I buy a less powerful but more expensive make ? My only torchs i own are my Olight batten 1200 lumens and A cheapo victoper that has little more powerful then my Olight even though its supposed to be 6000 lumens .
For dog walking I'd say around 1000 lumens is perfect - if it can last the length of your walk. To be honest 300-500 is arguably "enough". A second spotlight LED is probably most useful - in case your dog runs off. A decent turbo might be ok if it's not too floody. You can also carry a compact thrower in addition to your head torch.
What would be your pick out of these 16 head torches? And let me know of any head torches I’ve missed that you want included in the next roundup. Also let me know what torches you want me to look at next: budget torches off Amazon, crazy high lumen torches or something else!
Sadly Zebralight probably still make the best headlamps to this day but several years ago chose to sell exclusively to the USA which is annoying. I still use an old Zebralight H60 with a Cree XR-E LED as it's still very lightweight with a great UI and light spread, despite the inefficient LED. Newer offerings (eg. Skilhunt) with more power don't have the same premium feel.
Angle flashlights are the best when it comes to stable power. For example, the Fenix hm61r V2 maintains a stable power of 600lm (according to the Fenix chart), which would correspond to a working time of about 3 hours (according to Fenix data). So if someone wants a constant power of 400-800lm, let them look for tests of this type of flashlights / headlamps. For longer trips, I recommend something for 18650, avoid 21700 - because they are too heavy. It's better to take a spare battery in your pocket than to carry a heavy flashlight on your head.
Great content. I an an aircraft inspector, and I'm looking for a head lamp with two modes. ON and OFF. I don't want to be annoyed by having to click through a bunch of colors and modes to turn the thing off. Do you know of any?
Thanks! I find the Olight and Thrunite interfaces the most straighforward. The button just turns them on and off. Yes, you can hold down to choose mode - but in your case you might only do this once - choose the brightness level you want - and stick with it!
Nice review and a great selection of headlamps! I know I'm a year late to the party but a great one to include would be the Skilhunt H150. It's one of the very lightest headlamps available, has excellent beam and CRI thanks to the Nachia 519a, decent power for a 14500, a fantastic button and placement, and if you chuck a Vapcell F12 in it, great run times for a tiny torch. It's my pick for ultralight hiking and trail running.
Love my Silva 5r and trail runner, both are very good lights. Hate my Petzl Nao rl, spot is too narrow, flood too wide, reactive lighting plays up when raining and it flickers when out in the rain for too long. You need the rl, as on standard settings both the low and medium isn't quite enough. Ledlenser H19r signature destroys all in my collection, and so it should for what it cost.
There's a lot I like about the Petzl - the headband, the rear light, comfort etc. But the reactive lighting I don't find very good. Not tried the Ledlenser will try and take a look thanks.
for me the best one i own is the wurkkos hd20, its water resistant and it can handle abuse at work every day with few scratches, also having usb c charging is an advantage and besides being able to recharge phones using the battery, saved alot of iphones from dying at night shifts with it
Armytek Wizard Pro and Pro Max has been my go-to a little heavy but worth the weight ... i have tried olight h2r, perun 2, milwaukee, and by far, armytek Wizard Pro and Pro Max is my favorite snap back in place quickly without having to struggle with the rubber secure strap. And i have seen a Wizard light last over 6 years of heavy mechanic use. Keep up the good work 👌
I went with the C2 wizard pro nichia 4500 k , now I think I must have a max one , need all the light I can get always losing stuff and helps to see, kinda wish I got the 3000k tint but this 4500k is nice, mainly use in forest
@CrabbyPattydelight u won't regret any of them. I tend to buy warm white now, as cool white is bright but look white on things and make it hard to see ... 🍻
It’s kind of difficult because some lights are designed for different types of uses where some are trying to the universal an application. Ergonomics is a factor for extended periods of use, and when I one is being jostled around. Interface seems to be a factor when the light needs to adapt to various circumstances. If lights are highly specialized, then they are probably configured more appropriately to that activity which reduces the need for adjustments, such as beam, intensity, angle, and fit. Flashlights which are trying to aim at versatility often have a wider range of adjustments which can complicate utilization, but some people are willing to ignore those factors due to utility. Ruggedness or durability is desirable, but not essential in some applications. Some brands will forgo durability for comfort. I can imagine oh for higher lumen flashlights, metal material functions better as a heat sink to dissipate that heat energy. I noticed that you did not review the well-known brand zebra light.
so true about perin2 strap !!! they NEED a better strap material and adjustments that dont/wont slip. ive had several Black Diamond head lights and afer a few years the strap material streted out so badly that the adjustment feature had nothing to work with !!!! but their lights never got wet inside, never give out, has night vision also but use 4 aaa's😢. but NOW have a recharble😊. i'll have a look at it cuz i like the product. i REALLY like Olights stuff..... but those stretchy straps kill the love😮. great job sir to the point !!!! bravo
wow didn't expect that. I commented on one of your other videos hoping to see Fenix hm65rt, and I mentioned how much I loved mine. love to see it come in first place. it isn't cheap but definitely very very worth the extra bucks. keep up the good work.
@@Juraj037 Versions of the hm65r Super Raptor have been released in several countries. These models have no such problem and maintain power. You can check the data yourself - if you don't believe it ;) Unfortunately, few people see and understand technical details. The hm65r model in the technical data has up to 20h in flood high mode, the hm65r-t 12h, and the hm65r Super Raptor (ver 2 in Finland) in the technical data has a time of 4 or 5 hours depending on the version. Super Raptor might seem worse to someone, because it shines for a shorter time ;). However, it works differently. The decrease in power extends the operating time in the technical data. In practice, the power of 300-400lm can work stably on a 3400mAh battery for about 5-6 hours (depending on the LED). In each flashlight, when the time is longer, it means that the power decreases - i.e. marketing ;).
@@Juraj037 I don't know why Fenix can't make good headlamps. The very expensive model hm71r has now come out. There are no independent tests yet, and the graph in the technical data shows a decrease from 500lm to about 150 in an hour. From the 200lm mode it also drops in about half an hour to 100lm 😳😳😳😳😳. And this headlamp is more expensive than hm65r-t by about $ 15-20 😳😳😳. People often do not know about flashlights and talk and write nonsense, praising their purchase, because they do not know how a flashlight SHOULD work for quite a lot of money.
You didn't do one with the large cob led I have one and it's great for working it doesn't light up far away but it lights up everything everywhere you are looking
incredible indepth reviews man, enjoyed every minute of this and i really like how you go indepth wiht every feature. i think like many, we wished you could review every single thing on this planet like this!:)
I enjoyed and learned a little from this comparison video. I prefer the Nitecore NU25 UL for camping/hiking and the Nitecore UT 27 for trail running. I would enjoy a comparison of K9 collar lights and rechargeable LED reflective collars. Also maybe small packable rechargeable camp/tent/hammock lights (UCO, Niteize, Nitecore, Goal Zero etc) just to name a few. Thanks for your research and sharing
PETZL NAO! I have used the first model since it came out. Wanting to replace it for the newer models, but I have not, because it it so extremely good! The smooth transitions between the spot, spill and dark, in combination with the reactive lightning, makes your night vision work really well as you do not blind yourself when lighting up objects near you. And with the reactive lighting the battery times are insane, really! The older versions is also easy to operate with thick mittens, and the lense does not gather snow wich can be difficult to dig out. Great light, with the capabilities for emercency AAA batteries when needed 👍
I used the Nao for years - great torch. The new model feels a lot cheaper but is lightweight. I think the knob on the side was easier to use with gloves than the small switch on the RL.
I own a Sofrin HS20 and Coast XPH304R which are very similar to those type of headlamps. I've noticed that you didn't include the headlamps with the big reflectors. I know they're not comfortable to wear especially during running due to being big and bulky but they're great spotting headlamps when you're walking around and wanting to see things further away. Most of them also tend to come with big battery packs with three 18650 or two 21700. Most known brands don't make headlamps with large reflectors from what I can see. I own a Superfire HL60 and that thing is probably the best long range headlamp I've seen around the market just around $50. Great spill/flood, far beam shot and power lasts pretty long(running two Molicel P42A). There's the Lumonite Leader at 6,500 lumens and LedX SpotCobra/Cobra also rated 6,500 lumens. They're very expensive at a few hundred dollars but I wonder if the price is worth it.
Yes I tried to concentrate on head lamps that could be used for running as well as hiking and general use. Still even without huge reflectors some of these have a decent throw.
I got myself a year ago GP discovery CH35 for working. It is similar to Perun 2 and I wanted to add, that things with magnet are also good for storing small metal things like screws or bolts while working on something. I put like 5-10 screws on the magnet and easy to take from there. I removed the top strap, didnt need to cut any seams I think.
Thank you for this video! Ive been looking at reviews for head torches and the Fenix hm64R-T seems to be a winner all round I also thought black diamond storm and spot might feature I currently have a Petzl (forget the model name) 300 lumen headlamp which will become a good back up The battery life on the Fenix seems to be better thant the Petzl Nao RL ?
Which headlamp should I buy for night fishing? I'm so confused. Please tell me just 1 model, the price is not important, as long as it is of good quality.
you have missed the one above them all. The Ranceo PH9R.. It does have a red led at the rear and for all runners, cyclists ect. its a crusial and great feature. But thx for the big comparison you've made.
Can they all be used at the same time as charging - was wondering if having an external power bank would be a good way to boost battery life (especially if you already own one).
So there are no one headlamp that the lumens dont fall? there are no one that go with full brightness until the bateries die? Cuz i wanna know if there are one in the marker, please if you know, thx. i see that this one that i use in the bicile dont fall the lummes with the time "BV 300 Lumen Rechargeable Bike LED Headlight Set, IP44 Water Resistant BV-L819" you know one head light that do that?
Not in turbo mode - some of the high modes and certainly medium modes have good regulation on many of the torches. A bike torch with a cooling breeze (from movement) may be able to hold onto its highest brightness level for longer. I use an Exposure MaxxD on my bike and that's pretty good but very pricey!
At some point i wanted to mount the body of my HM65RT directly on a bicicle helmet, so i cut on the lateral frame a little upper side. It seems to be plastic, not magnesium(i dont know how hard is to cut magnesium and how the cut looks). I used a Knipex Cobolt S but it was really easy. The lamp can be mounted on the band very easy, its the way im using it inside my house all the time. I can provide pictures. For outside i use FenixHP16R.
Excellent review, Lots of information to digest. If you run another headlamp review please consider comparing the Acebeam H30; Fenix HM70R and any others that use the 21700 battery for power. I am attempting to shorten my list of headlamps for expedition backpacking adventures and am looking for long run times for useful modes especially if walking in the dark. Headlamps that are all weather, waterproog rating IP68, cold and hot weather, drop tested etc. Thank you for all your work!
I always look for headlamps that use standard 18650 batteries where you bring spares and they are relatively inexpensive. I despise lights with proprietary batteries where they charge you an outrageous amount for one spare battery. For example The petzyl nao charges $70 for one spare battery and you could buy at least 7 quality 18650's for that.
Thank you for your vid. It’s the best I’ve found. I looked for links to buy but I couldn’t find any though. I had a coast but it was stolen with my truck. I subbed immediately. Northern Alberta Canada
The Fenix Fenix HM65R Shadow Master is another variant. Instead of two white lights you get one white and one red. Handy for anglers and perhaps for map reading or wildlife watchers. I think it was only released in the UK and not worldwide. I'm not sure about that though.
I write the article after I publish the video so I don’t have the direct link! But thanks for the suggestion - will try and remember to go back and edit the description.
If you place a piece of black electrical tape (for example) over the proximity sensor of the Perun 2, you will disable it and be able to do your testing. And on a related note. Can you recommend a headband that the Perun 2 might fit in that would be more comfortable than the one it ships with?
They must have changed how the proximity sensor works - I tried this multiple times but had no luck. Not found a good alternative for the Perun 2. IIRC it fits the Thrunite headband but that's probably worse! As I show in video - the Perun 2 Mini is ok for shorter periods of time.
Not quite sure what you mean. Even more than a year after my roundup, with many items more expensive now than they were then, not just torches, I've just checked and the Sofirn HS10 is still under £20, ordered directly from China! I don't believe I said in my intro that my budget head torch winner was under £20, just that I was testing head torches from under £20 ...
I have the newly released Silva Free 3000 L, a great head torch. However the Ledlenser HF8r takes it to a new level as you can connect it your cell phone an create profiles. I have one profile for bicycling with high spot beam output and then a camping profile with more flood output. You can control spot, middle and flood beam individually. Too bad Ledlenser is not included in your test.
@@Huxley555 I have the H19r and it's a fine product. Its build quality is impressive. However, it does have a couple of weaknesses. If you set flood to 100% and switch to the intelligent mode the flood gets even more bright. What is that all about? In addition the beam pattern is not particularly uniform. There are shadows in the illuminated area and the transition between spot and flood is not smooth. However, the biggest drawback is that you cannot use the headlamp while it's charging. That's a major flaw in my opinion.
The review is not objective. Some manufacturers have several models in the test. Only one from others. The Black Diamond brand is not represented at all
I've got the thrunite th30 v2 and perun mini 2 love them both watched all 3 of your torch videos now think you do a grate job I would love to see you do a video on throwing torches and try out the thrunite catapult mini it's 1 of my favourite torches 😍
Love the video. But i would like to see Ledlenser some more in these types of videos there a marble of light when it comes to the outdoors. German engineering at its finest!
Hi I believe that the best head torch is the LEDLenser H7R Core, I have the Olight Perun and Perun 2 as well as Wuben H1 and LedLenser H7R core and H19R core and even my old trusty H14. LedLenser is the best!
I have been on the hunt for the best work headlamp. For running I like the Fenix hm50r, olight Perun mini, and the sofirn hs10. These only really last for a bit over an hour but that’s good enough for me. The problem with a work headlamp is sustained output. Most lights drop down very quickly and they all claim higher outputs. I needed high cri, a sustained output of at least 300-400 lumens for at least 2 hrs, a useable headstrap, floody beam pattern, no pwm and universal battery compatibility. So far I like the Skilhunt H04 rc with nichia 519a at 4500k. I have a Skilhunt M 300 with high cri xpl 50.2 at 5000k on the way to try and I would like to try the Armytek brand soon as well.